Friday - October 31, 2014
Fifth stop - Naples, Positano, Pompeii
I have passed through Naples several times and had never been to Pompeii. Not again! Lori booked a driver to take us to the Amalfi Coast and Positano and a guide for Pompeii. With the girls loaded up on Dramamine we hit the road for the hour and half drive from Naples to Positano. The lack of toilet seats in the bathrooms along the way confirmed that we were indeed in Italy! The Amalfi Coast is stunning. Unfortunately we only had time for a quick walk through Positano, lunch, a few photos on the beach then on to Pompeii.
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| daily photo op while disembarking... we had a parrot, dolphin, pirate, etc. |
Along the road to Positano...
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| Mt. Vesuvius - today, 600,000 people
live in the 'red zone' - last eruption was 1944 |
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| Amalfi coast |
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| Positano |
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| proof that we were there! |
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| Amalfi coast |
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| Positano |
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| lunch and free wi-fi, Positano |
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| Positano beach |
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| Positano |
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| Audra on the Positano beach October 31, 2014 |
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| Audra and Gabby on the Positano beach Summer 2005 |
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| our favorite sign! |
Pompeii, finally! Mt. Vesuvius erupted 79 BC burying and preserving the city of Pompeii
for centuries. The excavation site is huge. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the history and lifestyle in Pompeii.... the bathhouses, spas, servants, markets... makes me think of a Monty Python movie! We got a really good overview of Pompeii but could definitely have spent more time exploring the ruins.
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| original Pompeii waterfront/docks - the ash and lava that buried Pompeii pushed the sea/waterfront back a mile, part of the reason it took so long to locate the city that was formerly on the coast |
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| original mosiac floor |
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| original paintings |
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| bathhouse |
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| white stones - 'cat's eyes' brighten up the road making it easier to navigate at night... we still use this idea today |
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| Pompeii's main forum - Mt. Vesuvius in the background - before the eruption in 79 AD Mt. Vesuvius was three times higher
than it is now |
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| plaster was used to fill in the space under layers of ash where humans were when they died |
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| paintings in the market area |
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| mosaic of guard dog in a former entrance |
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| raised stone sidewalks let people cross the street without stepping in trash and sewage |
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| wheel ruts worn into stone from centuries of use |
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| stone grinder and pizza oven |
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| public bathroom - wooden planks would have been laid across the stones jutting out... people would socialize while taking care of business |
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| original artifacts |
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| cast of dog buried in the eruption |
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