Pompeii

When I was younger I used to love the Magic Tree House book series by Mary Pope Osborne. I think my favorite book of the series was Vaction under the Volcano which was about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius  destroying the city of Pompeii. Visiting this city on Monday was like the scenes from this book becoming a reality.

I suppose I didn’t really know what to expect from the ruins. Sure, I know the story that many centuries ago a volcano erupted and preserved the city under ash. But I didn’t realize how BIG this place is – it really IS a city! And it is unbelievable to think that a city like this was in full operation 2,000 years ago. In 79 Vesuvius erupted and covered the city with 3 meters of ash within 4 hours. Originally I thought it was the ash that killed everyone, but it was actually the toxic gases from the eruption that did. It was the ash that helped preserve (and hide) the city. I also didn’t realize that the Romans had surveyed the damage after the eruption and deemed Pompeii as beyond salvation. Without aid, the city was left and forgotten for 1,700 years. 1,700!!

Since its rediscovery it has been excavated and preserved. My favorite thing in the city was the amphitheatre. It is the world’s oldest surviving Roman aphitheatre. I also liked seeing the ovens in the houses. As Tammy said, it must’ve been where the first pizzas were made!! The bathhouse was really beautiful too. It should also come to no surprise that the lupanar was the most popular attraction. If you don’t recognize the word lupanar (no shame, nor did I at first), I suggest clicking the link. haha.

Of course seeing the bodies preserved in ash was both humbling and tragic. I can’t help but wonder who that person was, what their life was like, and what their thoughts were as Mount Vesuvius rained ash overhead. Morbid to think about, I know, but I can’t help but feel emphathetic. Humanity.

Overall, I was completely impressed with the size and the preservation of such an old and historic site. Even though a significant portion was in ruins, you really could get a good glimpse into what life used to be like 2,000 years ago. Pompeii was definitely worth the day trip.