The Lost City of Pompeii

I will always remember this wonderful day. Not only was I visiting a place I dreamed to visit, but it was also my birthday. Happy birthday to me! 

Photo by ZH

As we left Rome, I began thinking about our next stop to a city buried and discovered over 1,600 years later. When I was a wee lassie in school, we would learn about Pompeii in class. I always did research on it because this lost city was so fascinating to me. Since the internet wasn't easily accessible at the time, I would check out books from the library about this once prosperous place.

Seeing Mt. Vesuvius was surreal and being in Pompeii was even more so. This once flourishing city (AD 79) was completely buried in ash and rock and wasn't discovered until the 1740s.

We spent two hours with a guide learning all we could. It simply wasn't enough time, and there was so much more to see! But our knowledgeable guide took us to some interesting sights. For instance, we visited the dwelling place that might have once belonged to a nobleman and his family.

Photo by ZH

Photo by ZH

Our guide also showed us these stones along the road that rise higher than the rest of the road. These were used in case of flooding, and people could take care in crossing the street. I tried walking from one to another, but my short legs would not allow me to. I would have been completely drenched by the time I got home or swept away by the water.

Because the ash preserved Pompeii, we were able to see different possessions and items that might have been used during everyday life. Sadly, we also saw the cast of bodies of people who once lived there.

Photo by ZH

After Pompeii, we drove to Sorrento, our stopping place for the night. We visited a store that makes wooden items, and I purchased a music box while Zach bought a mini travel chessboard. Happy about our purchases, we headed with our little group to a restaurant. Oh, did I mention it was my birthday? Ciro, our tour guide, told the manager of the restaurant, and the staff brought out a piece of cake with a candle on it. I was grinning from ear to ear!

Photo by ZH

Back at our hotel, Zach and I were still thinking about Pompeii. We found videos on YouTube and watched documentaries until we were so tired we had to go to sleep. Visiting Pompeii was a fantastic birthday gift!

Photo by ZH