2 days exploring Pompei and local beaches

Buesnel
Mon 22 Jun 2009 17:06
40:43.03N 14:28.32E
 
Blog written Clive and Jack
 
Wedneday 17th June
 
 
Susan was still in England with Jack so Clive, Harry, Williams and Vicks visited Pompei. We did not really know what we were looking at as we chose not to get a guide (wrong decision!) but we were alln struck by how amasing  and huge this place is. What is particularly impressive is the quality of the remains - we later found out that this was die to the fact that the City was buried in ash for 1700 years until escavations started in C18.
We walked around for 1.5 hours in the midday heat. We tried to find the "bodies" but never did. We later discovered we were 30 metres from them but the signs did not tell us. William did very well and was fine once he had a huge Italian ice cream.
 
We (Clive, Susan, Jack, Harry and William) decided to go back the next day and we employed an Italian guide for 1 hour - Rafael.
 
Brief history of Pompei
 
1700 years ago Vesuvius(a volcano) erupted on Pompei :couvering it in ash.All the poor people died ,howerver the rich were not as they evacuated when there was a earthquake 16 years before.Every single building was preserved under the ash untill the arcaeologists escavated  the magnificent ruins.Now tourists are able to explore most of the town,although, not all of Pompei has been escavated yet-they are doing it very slowly as not to damage anything.
 
We explored the town -this time with a guide.We found out lots of things that we didn`t know before:the grooves in the pavement were because of the charriots;some of the town hadn`t been excivated; and that the rich peole and tombs where they were buried but the poor people only had stones.This time we found our guide showed us the "bodies".they poured special plaster into places were the bodies had beed and let them set. The captured the he posiiton they died in and also the agony onn their faces!
 
 
Our first trip. This was taken in the Forum of the City with Vesuvius in the background (the two peaks were joined to a much higher peak before the eruption)
 
 
In one of the "Tavernas" of Roman times - this was a posher one due to the marble counter top. The food and wine would have been in the pots.
 
 
William - "I am OK now I have my ice cream"
 
 
On day two we employed a guide for an hour. He not only explained all the history but gave us a tour of key sites
 
 
Casts taken by pouring melted plaster of paris into the voids left by the decompsed bodies
 
 
All the bodies "Garden of the Fugatives"
 
 
Amphi Theatre - next stage was the Collisseum
 
 
 
Rafael explaining the tiered sections according to wealth - the boys said much like at Old Trafford!
 
 
Spectacular preserved painting of Venus in a wealthy persons villa
 
 
Stepping stones across the road (the road was awash with dirt and animal "waste"