Pompeii - Napoli, Italia

Boungiourno!

We have been in Italia for nearly a week now and have had time to visit the archeological site of Pompeii.  Coming from Pescara, a town situated on the beautiful Adriatic Sea, we drove nearly 3.5 hours to see the magnificence of Pompeii.  

The children napped during half of the trip.

Mt. Vesuvio - the volcano that buried the cities of Pompeii and Stabaie
and destroyed Hurculaneum.

From the first steps onto the site, overwhelming awe took over. Both DH and I were stunned at the beauty, obvious intellect and sadness of the city.  We walked through the stone streets, into presumed homes, up stairs, through theaters and more.

Quadriportico dei Teatri

Teatro Piccolo (Odeion)

Alex and Jacob in the small theater

It's amazing that a civilization that dates back as early as the sixth or seventh century BC was so advanced.  Running water flowed through the city, an underground drainage and sewage system was built, and the roads had these things used for road crossing and as speed bumps.  How amazing is that?!?!?  

Alana admiring the speed bumps and underground drainage and sewage system.

We listened closely as the various English and Italian tour guides walked past explaining the history of Pompeii to their followers.  One guide said that the monument below (which looks like a tombstone, IMHO) was a tribute to Athena.  It once had a statue of the Marcus Claudius Marcellus, an important Roman military leader.  The statue, from what we know, hasn't been found.

Alana, Alex and me standing next to a pedestal reading:
‘M. CLAVDIO. C.F. MARCELLO. PATRONO’
(To Marcus Claudius Marcellus, son of Gaius, Patron)

The large theater

The piazza outside the municipal centers.

Pieces of the columns broken off.

Tempio di Apollo (Temple of Apollo)

Tempio di Apollo (Temple of Apollo)

It was truly an amazing experience.  We could spend days roaming around the huge city.  With three young children, we settled for an afternoon.  The kids were fantastic, walking and learning along the way.  

There are skeletons that can be found onsite, but with the children and my soft emotional state (crybaby me!), we chose not to dwell on the death more than the city remains infer one to do already. Maybe we will venture that way later in life to explore that side of Pompeii.

On the expressway just outside the city towards Napoli, we were treated to a pretty rainbow...

...and the chance to drive alongside the clouds.

Yet another wonderful experience in beautiful Italia!  Ciao!