Naples and Pompeii - Dead or Alive?

After an eighteen hour ferry ride from Greece to the Italian port of Bari, we continued our journey on to Naples. From there, it was just a short train ride to Pompeii, a city well known for being frozen in time after being completely covered in volcanic ash after Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79.



We both learned that Pompeii was an entire city covered and preserved by this ash, but it wasn't until we had walked block after block of city streets, seeing homes, businesses, temples, and "recreational" areas that we came to understand the magnitude of this place and what had happened so many years ago.



Because of the volcanic ash, the soil is extremely fertile. Like, so fertile that if you put a stick into the ground, it will grow into a tree by next week. We saw ruins covered in moss, grass, and other plants. Conservationists, rather than trying to hinder the growth of these plants, have taken a more practical approach by allowing the plants to grow and even cultivating gardens with plants that were common during the time of the eruption.



At this temple, a statue of the god Apollo, shown above, and another of the goddess Diana, were overlooking the courtyard. Fat lot of good that did.



Entire mosaics, sculptures, and murals like this one were found throughout Pompeii. Many have been moved to nearby museums, but this one remained in its original location inside a building.



This mosaic, displayed at the Archeological Museum in Naples, is just one of many that were found during excavations of Pompeii. These incredibly detailed mosaics included scenes of men and women, animals, and portraits like the one above.



Back to the streets of Naples, where nothing seems to have its own space. Even churches can be found snuggling against other buildings. The cobblestone roads seem to weave in and out between buildings, leaving little space for all the cars, scooters, street vendors, and pedestrians.



Inside churches, however, one is greeted with immense space, providing a welcome respite from the hectic scene just outside its doors. The high ceilings and majestic, ornately decorated walls and domes, seem to reach to the heavens.



Even in the tight spaces, some churches still manage to stand out.




If you don't have a wood-fired oven, you ain't got nothin'. Here in Naples, the birthplace of pizza, you can have a margherita pizza of your very own (homemade dough, mozzarella, fresh tomato sauce, and basil) in just five minutes. We intended to take a picture of one of the several pizzas we consumed in Naples, but we always forgot until after they were nearly eaten.



Fresh escargot anyone? Guaranteed to crawl right off your plate.