Our Life in Ruins

The last day of our week in the middle section took us to Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Naples. We decided to drive instead of taking the train so that we could fit in as much as possible. As we drove down, the wind buffeted the car a lot, and when we got to the pier in Naples to go to Capri, we were sadly informed that the Blue Grotto was unavailable due to high seas. We opted to head to Pompeii and work our way back just in case the situation changed. Surrounded in large part by umbrella pines at the perimeter, we entered expecting to spend maybe 2 hours, but we were so captivated that our visit turned into a 5-hour excursion! We were mesmerized by the frescoes, the tilework, the layout, the structures themselves. We couldn't believe how ingenious the crosswalks were -- three large stones placed across the roadway so people could walk across without stepping in horse excrement or fluids that often ran through the streets from rainfall and sewage. The molds of the people and animals found during excavation brought tears to our eyes and a sadness so deep in our hearts for a town that was caught so unaware. The Theater is in almost perfect condition. That they have been able to dig this town out is a wonder. Just stunning. After realizing it was almost 3 pm, we quickly left for Herculaneum which is maybe 30 minutes away. Much smaller but better preserved since it was covered mostly by mud instead of lava. The frescoes are much more intact as are the walls and town in general. Multi-story buildings were plentiful whereas in Pompeii very few walls even reached a second story, much less having a floor for it. Unfortunately, Naples got shortchanged. We rushed back to check out the seas and were told that the Blue Grotto boats never did run today. But we stopped in and had a pizza in Naples before hitting the Autostrada and heading back to our place near Rome to pack for the train trip/drive to the south. Ciao!