Pictures: the globe in Pompei, a burial ground, in the ruins, a garden in an old house, looking from Pompeii twd the mountains
On Thursday I took a day trip to Pompeii. Anna was going to come with me, but because the weather was so nice, she had to go to a beach b-day party.
The train to Pompeii is not long, and it is easy to walk to the ruins from the station. It only cost 5.50 euros for students, and I also paid 5 euros for an audio guide (though I wish I hadn’t since the descriptions were rather obtuse and boring).
The ancient city is bigger than the new city of Pompeii. I walked around it for about 3 hours and still didn’t see everything. It is really amazing, walking around and looking in houses that still have wall paintings and big pots and knowing that it was all so alive and in a matter of a few hours, completely wiped out. Most of the artifacts like jewelry, cutlery, tools, and the plaster casts of the bodies have been removed and put in museums (like the one in Naples). However, I got to see a lot of these things in Charlotte at the Pompeii exhibit at Discovery Place. In Pompeii I only saw 2 plaster casts of bodies, but in Charlotte I saw six. However, just walking around the city and seeing the buildings and monuments was pretty amazing - it must have been a very beautiful place before the eruption in 79 A.D.
There were many stray dogs in Pompeii - sleeping on the old ruins and in places were people were not allowed to enter. I guess it is a good place for strays to go and not be disturbed.
The day was so beautiful! Looking at the sky I came to understand why the clouds are so stunning in Michelangelo’s paintings - they look like that here: so fluffy you want to snuggle up in them, with beautifully contrasting colors and they hover lower than clouds at home, so you feel like it wouldn’t be so hard to reach them. In the background the sky was the purest blue. Hovering in the distance, Mt. Vesuvius looms - casting a sense of awe and foreboding about it. It lies in wait…
When I left the old city I bought some gelato and walked to the train station, only to find I’d just missed the train and would have to wait 50 minutes for the next one. Thus, I walked to a nearby bakery and got some pizza and a pastry with marmalade and raisins which was very yummy.
By the time I got back to Anna’s flat, I was so exhausted I couldn’t manage to pull myself off the couch for most of the evening. I looked up couch surfers in Florence (I didn’t end up finding any in Rome so I booked a hostel that offers free breakfast and dinner! How cool is that?) while Anna went to the super market with her boyfriend Daniel.
When they got back her roommate Anna made scrambled eggs with potatoes and basil, and they had salad with tomatoes and mozerlla. I would have helped cook, but the kitchen was so small I would’ve only been I the way - however it was very yummy and I washed dishes after as thanks. We didn’t finish eating until about 11 pm (they eat so late here!) and then I got ready for bed because I had to get up at 6:45 as we had to leave the house at 7:15. Anna and Anna were taking a bus to Rome for the May Day festivals and concerts, and I walked to the hostel I booked for tonight to drop my bags. I took some fruit down to the shoreline and ate that for breakfast, watching as dark, scary clouds rolled in. I was going to go to this other town today that Daniel recommended, but I don’t want to get stuck there in the rain, so right now I’m in the hostel’s internet area writing this (after reading some of my book). I can’t check in until 2 which is a bummer because I’m so tired. I guess I’ll go try to find a place to eat
around 12.
Because it is May 1st, a lot of things are closed today, but I figured I’d walk around the city some and see if any of the shops are open.
The train to Pompeii is not long, and it is easy to walk to the ruins from the station. It only cost 5.50 euros for students, and I also paid 5 euros for an audio guide (though I wish I hadn’t since the descriptions were rather obtuse and boring).
The ancient city is bigger than the new city of Pompeii. I walked around it for about 3 hours and still didn’t see everything. It is really amazing, walking around and looking in houses that still have wall paintings and big pots and knowing that it was all so alive and in a matter of a few hours, completely wiped out. Most of the artifacts like jewelry, cutlery, tools, and the plaster casts of the bodies have been removed and put in museums (like the one in Naples). However, I got to see a lot of these things in Charlotte at the Pompeii exhibit at Discovery Place. In Pompeii I only saw 2 plaster casts of bodies, but in Charlotte I saw six. However, just walking around the city and seeing the buildings and monuments was pretty amazing - it must have been a very beautiful place before the eruption in 79 A.D.
There were many stray dogs in Pompeii - sleeping on the old ruins and in places were people were not allowed to enter. I guess it is a good place for strays to go and not be disturbed.
The day was so beautiful! Looking at the sky I came to understand why the clouds are so stunning in Michelangelo’s paintings - they look like that here: so fluffy you want to snuggle up in them, with beautifully contrasting colors and they hover lower than clouds at home, so you feel like it wouldn’t be so hard to reach them. In the background the sky was the purest blue. Hovering in the distance, Mt. Vesuvius looms - casting a sense of awe and foreboding about it. It lies in wait…
When I left the old city I bought some gelato and walked to the train station, only to find I’d just missed the train and would have to wait 50 minutes for the next one. Thus, I walked to a nearby bakery and got some pizza and a pastry with marmalade and raisins which was very yummy.
By the time I got back to Anna’s flat, I was so exhausted I couldn’t manage to pull myself off the couch for most of the evening. I looked up couch surfers in Florence (I didn’t end up finding any in Rome so I booked a hostel that offers free breakfast and dinner! How cool is that?) while Anna went to the super market with her boyfriend Daniel.
When they got back her roommate Anna made scrambled eggs with potatoes and basil, and they had salad with tomatoes and mozerlla. I would have helped cook, but the kitchen was so small I would’ve only been I the way - however it was very yummy and I washed dishes after as thanks. We didn’t finish eating until about 11 pm (they eat so late here!) and then I got ready for bed because I had to get up at 6:45 as we had to leave the house at 7:15. Anna and Anna were taking a bus to Rome for the May Day festivals and concerts, and I walked to the hostel I booked for tonight to drop my bags. I took some fruit down to the shoreline and ate that for breakfast, watching as dark, scary clouds rolled in. I was going to go to this other town today that Daniel recommended, but I don’t want to get stuck there in the rain, so right now I’m in the hostel’s internet area writing this (after reading some of my book). I can’t check in until 2 which is a bummer because I’m so tired. I guess I’ll go try to find a place to eat
around 12.Because it is May 1st, a lot of things are closed today, but I figured I’d walk around the city some and see if any of the shops are open.
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