Pompeii

Napoli is the Italian of Naples....and my stay here included most of my time being devoted to taking in sights outside Naples.  I found Naples itself not that interesting and with the exception of maybe the National Archaeological Museum and maybe a couple other museums.  Pizza is king here as well....and the claim is that Naples is the home of Pizza.  Well, I can tell you that the Pizza I had at Gino Sorvillo, which has been in the pizza business since 1935, was awesome....but almost the same as what I have in DC at "Red Rocks"!!  The city of Napoli is quite crowded and traffic is a nightmare....maybe in one of my other posts I can show you what I mean.

Pompeii then was my first choice for a visit.  It is unreal in what you can see and how this lost city almost comes alive with structure that goes back to the 79 A.D. when it was buried by an eruption from Mount Vesuvius.  It is about 15 miles from Naples and I suggest getting there early in the morning as I did to avoid huge crowds and lines waiting to enter the facility.

This then is Pompeii.......these are the baths....it was 2 levels and had a warm pool that was covered...as well as areas to lounge...

as I began my walk up the via Marina it is a free flowing exhibit of art all around...from the street you walk on to the walls and archways up the street..

Then the Tempio Di Venere..

The Basilica.....

Here are some views of the various homes in Pompeii......

These are the walls of one of the homes....check out the drawing on the wall.  This is from 79 A.D......and was engulfed in lava/ash which probably provided for most the preservation.  The restoration began after its discovery in 1748.

The streets are almost all intact....and include various fountains.

This fountain really caught my eye....check out the detail of the figure.....

One of my favorite areas was the Teatro Grande.....this is awesome...

These are the grounds just outside the Teatro.....

This area provided the best view of Mount Vesuvius in the distance....the culprut that resulted in covering up this city for some 1700 years.

There were a few places that had flora or tree growth.....

and a dog.....reclaiming one of his family homes????

This is a must stop if you get to Southern Italy.  Tomorrow....down the Amalfi Coast and back to Napoli by way of the Sorrento coast.....should be some awesome pictures....