As we continue our tour of Italy, we spent an afternoon stumbling through the ruins of Pompeii. You can read about my first Italian love here, graffiti artist in Florence here, and our Agriturismo here to catch up on the tour. Then come back to this page to share in our experience throughout the remains of Pompeii.
Why stumbling?
The streets of Pompeii were “paved” with stones, which is fascinating. To think of the work and strength of man and horse that would have been necessary to build this city is mind-blowing. No cranes. No bulldozers. No forklifts.
And then, unfortunately, there was no warning that a volcano was about to erupt and destroy it all. Other than the stumbling over uneven stones, these ruins kept me mesmerized for three hours.
We opted out of the audio tour and therefore, were left to reading a map and our imagination. In many ruins, including The Forum in Rome, you see these ancient columns, which are beautiful. But, how did they smooth the stone, erect them and place the pediments atop the columns?
The small rooms that you see in Pompeii were actually their homes. According to literature, they only used their homes for sleep. Their meals and life took place in the city streets. The true meaning of “knowing everybody in town.”
I failed to get a picture, but in the amphitheatre above we walked in while a tour guide was singing an operetta to his tour group from center stage. It was beautiful to hear and imagine how the Pompeiians must have enjoyed the theatrics and games performed here.
This is the entrance to one of the awe-inspiring temples. Thinking of the many forms of religion on our planet throughout time brought to mind the first commandment as I stood in this place. No wonder HE had Moses write it down on stone tablets.
And. Speaking of Biblical stories, this is a Sycamore tree, possibly like the one Zacchaeus climbed in order to see The Lamb. They were massive.
Morbid, yes, but part of the sad story of Pompeii. But, I can’t leave you on such a sad note. If you look for it, you may just stumble upon some fun among the ruins.