Italy, Day Three with Group - I See Dead People

Pompeii - A truly impressive city that the Italians are working constantly on. They are always uncovering more ruins preserved by the volcano, and they are also trying to constantly preserve what they have already uncovered.

We had a great time here, but the heat got to us quickly. There was not much cover from the sun as many of the roofs did not survive being buried and then uncovered.

This was another complete walking day, and our feet sure were tired at the end of the day! There was so much to see that we didn't even see half of what is there. Many streets are filled with normal houses and businesses that had no particular information regarding what it once was, yet there were many others that had specific information. It was also easy to see the wealthier homes, as they were usually larger and more ornate in what decorations were present. Also, there were a few preserved dead Pompeians. That made the event real, as how could we go to the city of the dead and not see any dead people?




A view of the city from one of the entrances into Pompeii. There were four main entrances, I think this was the west entrance.


The colosseum of Pompeii. A major gathering place for many types of events. Ancient Romans seemed to play more than work, so much of their time was spent in colosseums, baths, or in sport fields.


A view of the underground tunnels beneath the seating in the colosseum of Pompeii.


The interior of the colosseum of Pompeii. I sketched this view, but it really was better in the picture or for real than my sketch!


Not only were buildings and people preserved from the volcano. This is a tree root system that was found and filled with concrete.


Sports were very important to the Romans and Greeks, and this is believed to be a sports field.


A view of a wealthy home-owner's garden from the end of the garden, looking toward the back of his home. The plants were not there, but give a great idea of what it could have looked like at the time. A place to go when you needed out of the sun! We used it later in our adventure through Pompeii.


A look at the atrium and the front of a wealthy merchant's home in Pompeii. It is the same home with the garden in the previous picture.


Original artwork that decorated a wealthy merchant's home. I was amazed at the color still present. It helps that this room, as well as many of the other rooms of this home, had a roof to protect from the weather. Beautiful artwork.


A view of the front of the garden in a wealthy merchant's home. Water would have flowed down the channel, a rarity in normal homes in Pompeii. Water was an expensive commodity only found in the homes of the wealthy. It would have cooled down the garden as well as showed his wealth.


A look at the covered walkways in a wealthy merchant home in Pompeii.


A view of the south entrance road into Pompeii. The ruts are from the carriages wearing the same spot time after time. The blocks in the center of the path would have enabled people to cross without getting their feet dirty, as the road would have been covered with dirt, human waste, and animal waste.


Me in front of the south entrance into Pompeii.


Some cemeteries outside the south entrance to the city. Stone busts of the people represented who was buried inside.


A close-up of the stones that helped people cross the dirty roads in Pompeii. Smart people! I wonder how many of the town leaders got dirty before they implemented these.


We found evidence of a bakery or a restaurant of sorts in Pompeii. It had a beautiful marble counter top, and then these bowls that would have been heated from below.


A preserved dead person from a bath house in Pompeii. They died so fast, and you can almost see the facial expressions on this person, the folds in the fabric.


A large theater where they would have performed plays and other performances.


A view of the top of Pompeii from the top seats of the smaller theater shown immediately below. This was an impressive view, and you can see the number of structures present. Imagine what the city would be like in the present.


The smaller theater which would have been for more private performances, possibly readings, smaller plays, etc. Most of the stone is original and has been better preserved than the larger theater and the colosseum.


A great example of the ornate tile work done in some of the wealthy homes as well as the prominent businesses. It was full of small tiles, smaller than 1 in square. Try doing that Kurt!


A view of the Pompeii Forum.


Another dead person, preserved as it was found, trying to cover up from the ash. What I found interesting is that some of the dead are preserved or protected in glass boxes, yet in this area they were just under a roof top, not covered from any of the other elements of nature. We still couldn't go in and touch it, so it was barricaded off from humans.


This was too funny. Just storing the remains of this human as if it were pots that are on the other shelves.


A view of the modern day Pompei (apparently they dropped the second 'i' for the modern city). This was from the top of a building that was changed into a museum, restaurant, and bathroom facility.


Another view of a wealthy merchant in Pompeii. This home was very ornately decorated, but I took too many pictures to post them all!


I thought it was funny that they had palm trees in Italy. I never would have thought the climate would support them, but they are everywhere. This was in another wealthy merchant's home. I think it is beautiful showing different colors.


A famous site in Pompeii is the Villa of the Mysteries. This tree was growing in an atrium at the Villa.


A fresco in the Villa of the Mysteries. No one really knows much about the place, hence the name, yet it is the most preserved. The preserved colors are even more vibrant in real life!


This is the last dead person I am going to show, and the only reason was because of what was said about him. Jamie, a young female student in our group came up to 'him' and said, "Nice calves." We all paused and wondered why she was checking him out, and started laughing because all of us that heard her, heard, "Nice ass." She was engaged to be married at the end of the summer, so why was she checking a dead guy's butt out we didn't know, but we got a good laugh!