Shira and I saw Pompeii a bit differently. Where I saw magnificent 2000 year old ruins in amazing condition, she saw rocks. I saw a once in a lifetime opportunity to see one of the most remarkable archaeological finds of our time, and she saw an opportunity for blisters, heat stroke and sun burn.
I suppose we were both right.
What amazed me most was the shear size of Pompeii. It isn't a section of the town, or a few ruins - it is the whole dang town. From the rich folk's villa's to the no name studio apartments, from the theater to the laundry.
We opted to walk the site without a guide, which at first left me with lots of unanswered questions. Shira quick solved this for me by making up answers. Were they accurate? No, but they were entertaining. I did flag down a guide to explain the marble structures with circular holes in them (Shira explains: toilets, obviously - with side by side holes for his and her bathrooms). He explained simply, "Snack Bar" - of course, it was a buffet at the opening of the store. Made perfect sense. Though I liked Shira's answer better.
Bottom line: Pompeii is an absolute must see. Though bring plenty of water and some snacks, because the options once inside are few and far between. And it's hot.
We're currently on our way back to Naples (I'm typing this on my Sidekick) and hope to find authentic pizza on our return [Note: we did!]. Then it's back to the ship for a 6:30pm departure, and prep time for our next adventure. Rome!
I {heart} Pompeii! We really enjoyed our visit. It was not hard to imagine what day to day life might have been like. I particularly would like a house with an open-sky foyer and fountain.
ReplyDeleteOf all the sites we saw, I think Pompeii may have been my favorite. As you said, you can really get a sense for what daily life was like.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just the big stuff like the Colosseum, but all the little stuff too.
I'd definitely go back for a closer look.