Amalfi Coast and Pompeii

July 21, 2017

Amalfi Coast and Pompeii

OK get set for a lot of pictures today. We did an excursion from the ship which took us along the town of Amalfi

Amalfi from above

And through the countryside

Until we reached Pompeii an hour later. We had an excellent guide who knew exactly what we wanted after our twisty curvy ride

A unique sign indeed

But onto the tour. Pompeii was a roman town that was wiped out in 48 hours when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. The city was literally buried under meters of ash and was not rediscovered until 1748. The following are a sample of the photos we took during this tour

 Just outside the gates of Pompeii

 Here is where the gladiators would practice

 Some of the many pillars

 One of two amphitheatres

 The shopping district

 This would have been a bakery. That's a pizza oven in the back

 Here is the entrance to the bath house, the only building that still has a roof

And this is the locker room. You would place your clothing in the cubby above Sheryl

And this is one of the baths

This is the entrance to one of the many rooms in the red light district

Not the most comfortable of beds but it worked

This is a local watering hole. If you look where Sheryl's hand is you can see...

How the stone has been worn away from the hands of the people of Pompeii

Here is the entrance to the main square

Main square

Main square

The ash literally preserved everything in the city. Over the years materials such as wood and carbon (ie people) turned to dust and this would leave a void in the ash. Scientists would pour plaster into these voids to create lifelike casts. Below are some of those casts

 The ash fell so quickly that this person was caught sleeping

Could this be someone's little red wagon?

The ash was so toxic that after one of two breaths you would die. This person covered his face but to no avail

We got to tour Pompeii for just over two hours but could have easily spent 2 days here. But back to the ship for our last night aboard. Tomorrow we disembark the Azamara Quest and leave for Tuscany

Last sunset of this cruise