4 June 2009
DAY 19 EUROPE TRIP
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE - NAPLES, POMPEI
This morning we woke up in Naples.
60 years ago in April by hubby and his sister together with their parents and grandmother sailed from Naples as refugees for Australia. So sixty years later, here they are again in the port of Naples. A significant moment in time.
Today is also a special day for my sister in law and hubby – it is their 49th wedding anniversary.
It was an early morning start today as we had booked to do a tour to Pompeii. We had visited here 31 years ago with three of our children. Vesuvius dominates the skyline. Last time we were here it was smoking. This time there was no sign of smoke.
On the way to Pompeii we stopped at a cameo factory. The workmanship was beautiful.
As we drove to Pompeii we drove past what is considered to be the red zone. The government is trying to move people away from here as they are living in an area if high risk in the event that Vesuvius erupts again. They are being offered 30,000 euros to move. All the way from Naples you see very neglected neighbourhoods. Many buildings are on the point of collapse yet people are living there. Some live in ruins.
Pompeii was great.
We had a terrific guide. Much more of Pompeii has been excavated than when we were last here in 1978. Restoration is still underway today
Soon after entering we came to the remains of some stately columns
and then the typical outdoor amphitheatre.
We strolled along streets
and past narrow roads that were 2,000 years ago.
The shops were easily recognisable as there was a track, a groove, in front of the shop where they had wooden shutters that pulled shut when the shop was closed.
Marble shop benches were in evidence in many of them.
Terracotta pots were encased in the food shop benches
for serving food and drink.
An old bakery oven was still standing.
We were able to go in and see the interior of a villa.
Each house has an entry corridor leading to an atrium. In the atrium there was a sunken portion of floor to collected the rain water and channelled it into the cisterns underneath the house. How inventive was that!
The public areas of the house were painted with frescoes.
The mosaic floors provided instant décor to the floors.
As we walked along the road you could see the old carriage tracks on the basalt rocks. The carriages were pulled along by slaves.
Every so often there were three raised stones on the road. Their purpose was to provide a way to cross the road without getting your feet wet when it rained.
There was just so much to see and absorb.
The sacrificial altar in the temple ruins brought back memories of ancient history classes at high school.
We saw a grain store that has been converted into a holding area for artefacts. The wine casts were interesting - the pointed end allowed for them to be sat in sand to keep the wine cool.
The Forum was big and had character. The Temple of Jupiter took central stage.
Before we knew it we had completed our tour of Pompeii.
After tasting some Lemoncello we were on our way back to Naples. After a quick stop on the ship we took off to explore Naples.
There is a beautiful castle right at the port. Having crossed the road via a footbridge we came across a huge protest.
We strolled the streets of central Naples. Stately old buildings are just screaming for a clean up. What a dirty, neglected city. People are dressed beautifully but the buildings and surroundings were disgusting. The streets are dirty.
Eventually we made our way back to the ship to pack and enjoy our last night on board.
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