Sorrento, Pompeii, and Herculeneum

We ventured off from out quiet town of Meta to visit nearby Sorrento a couple of times.  Sorrento is a tourist destination and the place is beautifully laid out, the prices are higher and the mood decidedly different with the designer stores and well dressed Italians walking along the streets.  We loved the city because it is so pretty and wow, the gelato is delicious!  The city is perched on high cliffs overlooking the Amalfi Coast. It must be wonderful here in the summer!

On two occasions, we went by the train to Pompeii and then in turn, to Herculeneum to see the ancient towns that have been so well preserved after being covered with volcanic ash for about 2000 years.  Pompeii, was a working town with a large population of slaves. In Pompeii, on the first floors of the houses remain intact due to the damage by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius so long ago.  The roads are stone and you can clearly see the ruts warn in the roads from 600 years of habitation. They did not have a sewer system and a lot of waste water floated around in the streets that had low stepping stones to cross over to the other side of the cobble stone street.  It has remains a Greek temple and lots of Roman influence too.  I loved the  "take out' food restaurants along the roads! The brothels got lots of business in this town and there is even a phyllic symbol carved into the stones outside a building to advertise the services offered!  The most haunting images are those of the plaster casts of the dying Pompeii citizens that are on display around the town.  You can really picture life back in that time with the ruins and the perfectly preserved paintings on the wall, which were painted in tinted wax.

Herculeneum was a seaside town for the rich.  It is only partly excavated because you can see tunnels on all sides that continue and and parts of Naples city above.  This was a smaller town but was a  better developed location because there were sewers, unlike Pompeii.  It was said that the waste water was purified by special fish that lived far below the city in the sewers.  This town is still quite intact because  the high temperature in the air during the eruption of Mount vesuvius preserved a lot of the wooden details and the houses still have a second floor.  The houses must have been gorgeous back then with their inner courtyards with small pools and gardens.

Seeing these two places was a dream come true for me...I had wanted to see them since I was a child discussing Pompeii with my father.  It was amazing!



Off for an afternoon of adventure in Sorrento, Italy!



The view of the Amalfi coast along the way.

Sisters on a wind swept cliff in Sorrento.

Yes, there is nothing like thick hot chocolate and gelato on a chilly spring day.

Shannon at the gelato shop admiring the treats and the chocolate sculpture in the background.

Some of the homemade gelato flavours Shannon took a photo of!

Sorrento fun!

Mother and daughter near an orange tree in Sorrento.



Cyndy and Kathleen on the trains bound for Pompeii.



Uncle Brian explaing the train line to Shannon.

First view of Pompeii with Mount Vesuvious in the background.
 It is hard to believe that this volcano destoyed all life in its' path 2000 years ago!

Shannon entering the gates of the town of Pompei.

This is a close-up of the cobble stone streets leaading into the town; note the
 white rocks in between, they glowed in the dark and served as street lights!

Rmains of a a early Greek temple in Pompeii.

The family in Pompeii (missing Christopher and his grandmother who opted to spend the day at home)

The cousins with the slave market in the background.

Cyndy, Ted, and Brian looking on as our zany guide explained the site.

Plaster cast of a dying citizen from the upper class.

Another plaster cast of a dying person complete with real teeth, but this one is a slave
 becasue they  had to wear a large belt around the waist.

View of one of the streeets.

A cobble stone street with grooves warn into them from 600 years of carst driving over the same spot!

Pottery from the time, perfectly preserved.

Wider streets in the weathly neighbourhood.

Beautiful interior of the public baths.

Well preserved paintings that were painted in tinted wax.

This is a wealthy home with lovely inner courtyard garden.

Metal pipes were used 2000 years ago!

Take out restaurant complete with pottery warming pots.

Here I am on one of the streets of Pompeii.

Baking oven on the leftt and grain grinding mill in the centre, to produce bread for the town.

Grammie and Christopher on the train to Pompeii.

The view along the way to Pompeii.

Here are the kids in Naples on the way to Herculeneum.

All apartments and homes in Italy have clothes hanging outside- here they are in Naples!

William and Christopher with Naples in the background with the fence behind, and below is the ancient buried town of Herculeneum.

The view of Heuculeneum way below the level of nearby city of Naples.

This former seaside town is very well preserved...it must have been quite a place 2000 yeaars ago!

Ha! No this is not Chris peeing, it is just a joke but this was the area where all
 people in this town had a bathroom, right off the street.

This town had lots of take out restaurants too! Brain and Will look on while listening to our guide.

My mom, Kaye, in the inner couryard of a wealthy home.

Inside a business perhaps, with earthen jugs on the right and an open second floor landing perfectly preserved.

Painting in a home.

The gang listening to our guide.

Fancy house.

Shannon enjoying the tour.

Brenda and cyndy feeling the vibe of the ancient city.

"Sheddy"- the two cousins were called by us  for Shannon and Teddy,
 shown here walking along with thier hoody laces tied together!

Entrance to upper class home with beautiful moxiac tiles, yes there is a familiar symbol in the middle but it used to mean, "welcome"

Part of a fountain in a public swimming pool that is now excavated but in a cave since it was buried in layers of volcanic ash!

Beautiful paintings in a public building.

Marble sign on a puble building talking about the Emperor.