Hello from Pompei

After our Vatican tour we also checked out the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Collosseum and Palatine Hill/Roman Forum before heading out of Rome. We hired a car & the drive to Pompei was a little scary since they drive on the opposite side of the road here and often seem to ignore any road rules. But we made it.

Today we visited the historical ruins of Pompei. In 79 AD the city, a bustling coastal business centre of approx 20,000 people, was destroyed by an eruption of Mt Vesuvius. The city and it's occupants were covered in 6m of pumice stones then 3m of burning volcanic ash. They are not really sure how many perished as 20% of the ruins remain unexcavated and they have only found the remains of 4-5,000 people.

The ruins are amazing. Some of the buildings and vineyards/gardens have been restored but you can still see a fair bit of the original clay brick work and areas of original marble and fresco decoration.

Carved rock column

Fresco work on an exterior wall of the Roman Bath

Marble tiles in one of the amphitheatres used for plays

Fresco artwork on the roof of the Men's change room at the Roman Bath

Remaining fresco on the wall of the Men's hot bath room in the Roman Bath

Fresco and decoration in the Women's change room at the Roman Baths - the women's area was smaller with less amenities than the men's

Original fresco preserved on the first floor of an upper class residence

The Main Square - the white areas of the columns are original marble, the brick areas are parts that have been restored

Artefacts that have been collected over the course of the excavation

A carved table base - not sure what material it's carved from

Again, the craftsmanship of these preserved items is amazing and the site itself is fascinating. Well worth a visit if you ever get the chance.

Cheers, Tracy