Day 3 – Pompeii and Herculaneum - Sunday, January 5th 2014

Today was much anticipated by our travellers everyone wanted to see the lost cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, but there were storm clouds not just on the horizon but just about everywhere else too!

It was a cold and rainy trip down from Rome to Naples. In fact it was more than rainy, there was lightning and thunder mixed in for good measure, and we were not feeling very positive about the success of our day.

We decided to go anyway and if necessary make changes as needed or as the weather dictated. We arrived in Naples and the rain…..stopped! We drove around the waterfront of Naples and the rain did not start falling again. For all the morning there was only some brief and light showers.

At Pompeii we were met by the local guide and we began our look at this amazing time capsule.

The group in the Drama and Comedy Theatre

The Students and the Adults were able to experience what life was like in Roman times. We could imagine the seats filled with people laughing or listening intently to a play.

Soon we were in the streets of the town. We saw the wheel ruts of the carts that would have travelled up and down the stone streets with their goods and chattels, delivering them to various shops and homes. 

James “goose stepping” his way across the stepping stones used to keep your feet out of the nasty things that had been thrown in the street.

Jack and Jayden walking along the streets of Pompeii

The story of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD and its effect was becoming real to the boys. Here was a city that had once been a vibrant place of commerce and life that had been “snuffed out” in a single day. They came face to face with one of those people in a very real way when the saw the casts that had been made by pouring plaster into the cavity left by the decayed human that was trapped in the as fall.

The face of one of those who did not escape the chocking ash and the poison gas

As we walked along the streets there was this eerie feeling that we were trespassing, and at any moment someone in a Toga was going to come out of a house and tell us to leave.

Walking along the streets of the city just like the Ancient Romans did.

James and Carey talking on street in Pompeii. The scene could be Identical to one seen 2000 yrs ago.

We looked at many streets, Mosaics and wall frescos when we came to the main square. Here we stopped for the important group photo. All of us with only the lower slopes of Vesuvius visible due to the low cloud.

St Paul's tour group in Pompeii and a very hard to see Vesuvius behind

Near the main square there is a locked cage/shed that holds many of the artefacts discovered as the excavations continued.

This table would fit well into a garden setting at home.

We soon had to leave the ruins of what was a proud city in 79 AD, and attend to the  more basic requirements of human life…. The eternal search for lunch! We were offered a great deal for lunch by a local restaurant where we ate a plate of fried potatoes (chips) a whole pizza and ice cream. Oh and a personal serenade!

Julius and his “new" friend.

 While we were eating our huge lunch, it poured with rain. However when we came out and back into the bus the rain again stopped and allowed us to tour the ruins of Herculaneum. This was a much more prosperous sea side resort. However the town was hit by a massive 400 deg C Pyroclastic flow roared down the mountain side engulfing the whole place in one moment. Killing people instantly. The average person was quite wealthy, and as  a result mosaics and beautiful decoration abounded.

A mural on the lounge room wall of a small middle class home.

A general street scene in Herculaneum 

A wall mural inside the Temple

Jayden, Emannanuele, David, James, Juliis and Liams back. (plus the tour guide) in the Temple

Soon we had finished the tour and we wended our way back to the bus. On the way home the heavens opened once more. So despite rain, Thunderstorms and wind, we had a great day looking at these  Ancient cities.