Wondering around the Ruins of Pompeii

While staying in Naples with two friends (which I will write about later), we took a day trip to visit Mount Vesuvius and the Pompeii archeological site.

In the morning, we took a minivan from the train station to the entrance of the Vesuvius National Park. It was very windy but we managed to hike up to the top. There we were able to look into the top of the volcano and enjoy beautiful sights of the coastline. In a small shop at the top we had some hot chocolate bought a couple postcards before walking back down.

Then, the minivan took us to the Pompeii archeological site. We bought our tickets, grabbed a map and started exploring the ruins. From the entrance of the park you can see big structures welcoming travelers as you continue into the heart of town. Looking up at the structures and imagining a bustling roman town was a truly memorable experience.

 

We spent some time walking around and exploring the site. Walking around the main square, theaters, bath houses, gardens, temples, and homes with Vesuvius always in the distance. We were free to explore, enter buildings and get up close to appreciate the details which highlighted the experience.

We also visited the Antiquarium which acts as a museum displaying every thing from household objects and jewelry, to paintings, statues, and columns recovered from the site. This experience gave us more information about life in Ancient Pompeii and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

 

It was a lot of fun and even if I did not realize it at the moment, having the opportunity to walk around buildings from 70 AD is unbelievable. It was comforting in a way; learning about the art, politics, society and architecture of the time while comparing it to that of the renaissance and even that of our time offered a fun contrast between how far we have come and how much we share with Ancient Roman society.