Up early and packed up ready to head for Rome. Our stop this morning is Pompei and one I have been really looking forward to. Our guide is Pasquale.
From the first glimmpse, Pompeii is staggering. I didn't expect it to be so big and so much of it uncovered - although what has been excavated is a very small part. These people had running water, drainpipes, drainage. You can see the carriage tracks worn into the stones of the roads. The pedestrian crossings are three larges stones, spaced out across the street. Although not a lot of the buildings are complete - no roofs and parts of walls missing - you can easily get the scale of the buildings. We saw a bakery - where the baker lived on one side, and the ovens and milling stones were on the other side with the shop. There are the baths - steam bath, hot bath, cold bath. We were shown through the men's baths. Men and women were separated. The original huge baths were there as well as many of the decorations. There are water troughs on the corners of streets to water animals or collect water in a jug. At the top is a tap where the citizens could get a drink. You can see the wearing on the stones where they held on to lean over. There was also a brothel - with the special symbol high above the doorway - an erect penis and balls! LOL! There was a house with a tiled entry and the Cave Canin we had been seeing in the souvenir shops, of a chained dog. This was the original. Beware of the dog at the entry to the house. The houses would have a n entry area with bedrooms off to each side; this led into a central courtyard/atrium. Around this central area would be the summer and winter dining rooms, kitchens etc. Depending on the scale of the house, there could be many rooms, and more than one courtyard. One house we saw was enormous, with two gardens and trees, planted as they had originally been.
We saw the market place - huge - where many shops had been around the perimeter. There were temples. But the most moving part was the plaster casts of the bodies that the excavators had found, frozen in time. It wasn't lava that smothered Pompeii but a layer of ash. Most of the people escaped; about 2000 were killed. These were mostly slaves or servants, left behind to look after the family's property. The bodies are lying there - trying to cover their faces, reaching out for help, the agony on their faces, as they were slowly asphixiated by the ash.
My camera ran out of battery not long after we got there grrrrrrr!!! Mental note: plugging into the USB port of Pc is ok, as long as the PC doesn't go into hibernation!
When we got to Rome, we had a short walking tour. Patricia took us to the Spanish Steps and then to the Trevi Fountain. I pushed my way through the crowds and threw the 3 coins over my shoulder into the fountain. So many buildings pointed out on the way through the streets, as we drove to the hotel.
Our hotel is Parco Tirano, about 15 minutes outside the city. It used to be apartments so we have the luxury of a bedroom, separate bathroom (shower over bath, toilet, bidet) and another room which was kitchen/dining/living. There is also a large balcony and the hotel has supplied drying racks! Too bad we couldn't spend a few more days here. Although the internet is expensive - either 5 EU for 3 hours or 10Eu for 24 hours. I opt for the 24 hours and hope I can use at least a good portion of it.
There is just time to change for dinner (optional) and Rome by Night drive. Dinner is at a place down some really dodgy alley ways. But as we go in, the atmosphere is different; classier. Dinner was great - antipasto of proscuito and melon, then two pastas one with tomato sauce, and one with creamy veal mushroom. This was followed by roast veal with salad, and ice cream with strawberries. Alex got my fruit as I don't like them. All this served with nice wine and bread. The bread on this tour is great. I love the crusty loaves and buns they have in Europe and it just tastes way better than any insipid stodge that Woolworths can produce. OUr entertainment was a guitarist and a flautist - he was very good. Apparently he has a top 10 CD in Australia amongst the classical type music.
We were given a tour of Rome by night with all the buildings lit up. By that time, I was just tired and wanted to go back to the hotel. I also needed to help Geraldine access her accounts to see how much has been stolen, and find her some phone numbers.
From the first glimmpse, Pompeii is staggering. I didn't expect it to be so big and so much of it uncovered - although what has been excavated is a very small part. These people had running water, drainpipes, drainage. You can see the carriage tracks worn into the stones of the roads. The pedestrian crossings are three larges stones, spaced out across the street. Although not a lot of the buildings are complete - no roofs and parts of walls missing - you can easily get the scale of the buildings. We saw a bakery - where the baker lived on one side, and the ovens and milling stones were on the other side with the shop. There are the baths - steam bath, hot bath, cold bath. We were shown through the men's baths. Men and women were separated. The original huge baths were there as well as many of the decorations. There are water troughs on the corners of streets to water animals or collect water in a jug. At the top is a tap where the citizens could get a drink. You can see the wearing on the stones where they held on to lean over. There was also a brothel - with the special symbol high above the doorway - an erect penis and balls! LOL! There was a house with a tiled entry and the Cave Canin we had been seeing in the souvenir shops, of a chained dog. This was the original. Beware of the dog at the entry to the house. The houses would have a n entry area with bedrooms off to each side; this led into a central courtyard/atrium. Around this central area would be the summer and winter dining rooms, kitchens etc. Depending on the scale of the house, there could be many rooms, and more than one courtyard. One house we saw was enormous, with two gardens and trees, planted as they had originally been.
We saw the market place - huge - where many shops had been around the perimeter. There were temples. But the most moving part was the plaster casts of the bodies that the excavators had found, frozen in time. It wasn't lava that smothered Pompeii but a layer of ash. Most of the people escaped; about 2000 were killed. These were mostly slaves or servants, left behind to look after the family's property. The bodies are lying there - trying to cover their faces, reaching out for help, the agony on their faces, as they were slowly asphixiated by the ash.
My camera ran out of battery not long after we got there grrrrrrr!!! Mental note: plugging into the USB port of Pc is ok, as long as the PC doesn't go into hibernation!
When we got to Rome, we had a short walking tour. Patricia took us to the Spanish Steps and then to the Trevi Fountain. I pushed my way through the crowds and threw the 3 coins over my shoulder into the fountain. So many buildings pointed out on the way through the streets, as we drove to the hotel.
Our hotel is Parco Tirano, about 15 minutes outside the city. It used to be apartments so we have the luxury of a bedroom, separate bathroom (shower over bath, toilet, bidet) and another room which was kitchen/dining/living. There is also a large balcony and the hotel has supplied drying racks! Too bad we couldn't spend a few more days here. Although the internet is expensive - either 5 EU for 3 hours or 10Eu for 24 hours. I opt for the 24 hours and hope I can use at least a good portion of it.
There is just time to change for dinner (optional) and Rome by Night drive. Dinner is at a place down some really dodgy alley ways. But as we go in, the atmosphere is different; classier. Dinner was great - antipasto of proscuito and melon, then two pastas one with tomato sauce, and one with creamy veal mushroom. This was followed by roast veal with salad, and ice cream with strawberries. Alex got my fruit as I don't like them. All this served with nice wine and bread. The bread on this tour is great. I love the crusty loaves and buns they have in Europe and it just tastes way better than any insipid stodge that Woolworths can produce. OUr entertainment was a guitarist and a flautist - he was very good. Apparently he has a top 10 CD in Australia amongst the classical type music.
We were given a tour of Rome by night with all the buildings lit up. By that time, I was just tired and wanted to go back to the hotel. I also needed to help Geraldine access her accounts to see how much has been stolen, and find her some phone numbers.
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