Pompei

Monday we spent the day at Pompei, an ancient city at the base of the volcano Mt. Vesuvius.  It was covered in layers of ash from an eruption in 79 A.D.   It was so well preserved that when it was uncovered by archeologists the city was basically intact.  The streets still have ruts from chariot wheels and many of the structures still have the original frescoes inside.  There are also political advertisements written in Latin still on the walls of the city.  We walked the streets of Pompei for 5 hours, trying to see as much as possible.   The villa Misteri was a large mansion of the era with many rooms and a garden in the center.  There was also a replica of a battering ram in one of the rooms.  Scattered throughout the city were glass cases with the forms of people who were incinerated by the ash and gases emitted from the volcano.  We also saw the amphitheater, theater, many shops, villas, government offices, and temples to different Roman gods.   The day ended with pizza and panini sandwiches for lunch overlooking the city.  We went back to the hotel for a much needed rest.

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Photos include: columns, ruts in the road from the chariots, looking into a temple, part of the city wall, and overlooking Pompei..