Greetings!
I have to admit, before I got here, I really didn't give much thought to what Pompeii would look like. Understanding that ash had covered many of its residents, I think the I expected a lot of small, one-story structures, with grey frozen people in the streets. I think I also assumed that this was a village with few well-off residents, perched on the side of Mount Vesuvius.
First, it's quite a ways from the Volcano, on a relative flat area. Second, it's huge, with some streets that stretch for at least a mile. Third, there are houses with courtyards and multi-stories and many rooms. And then there are the commercial streets, public buildings, amphitheaters, gardens, extensive art on the walls of homes, and complex architecture used in the home designs.
The ash-encased residents, though dramatic, are by no means the value of the site. It's about how easy it is to imagine the lives Pompeiians led, and how well-off most of them were.
We did try to make our way by car to the top of Vesuvius, but found that we could only get part of the way up the mountain road. Only buses are allowed beyond a certain altitude. We did have an exciting period of driving while looking for the road up, and Ken's driving got us unstuck from a very narrow driveway.
To see all of the day's photos, go to: Pompeii
Gregory
ps. Thanks, Anne, I am trying to limit the photos of the butts ahead of me. But the chances of getting any of these guys to turn around and smile as I take the shot is low. I'm also not trying to make them the focus of the shot anyway.
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