How beautiful Vesuvius looks while sleeping, yet beneath that calm exterior lurks a brooding cocktail of gas and molten rock that could blow at any moment…
Private home
I found Pompeii utterly compelling. To think the town still stands, three thousand years after being bombarded by rock, gas and ash. I don’t think anything we build today could survive such an eruption.
Theater
Walking around the ancient ruins provided me with a real insight into how the Romans lived then, pretty much the same as we do now. I got the sense of a vibrant, bustling town, a town center with a market place, temples, law courts, brothels, public baths, along with restaurants, theaters, grapevines, cemeteries, grazing land, and row upon row of streets where the rich and poor lived. How fearful they must have been when the volcano burst into life!
An ancient Roman grave, amongst the poppies.
I was struck by the sight of a young girl, sitting on the step of one of the houses in this street, I wondered if the previous occupants had sat there too.
A dog
On the 24th August, 79 AD, a tremor interrupted daily life, followed by a violent eruption that sent rock soaring 20,000 meters into the air, and carried by the wind, it rained down on Pompeii.
The roofs of many houses caved in under the weight, crushing and killing those who had taken refuge within. Yet still, many survived. At dawn, the following day, the first pyroclastic flow, a mixture of fine ash and gas hit, and killed every person and creature it encountered.
Breathing became impossible as hot ash clogged the lungs and caused death by suffocation. Four thousand bodies have been recovered to date, yet many, many more are still to be excavated.
I simply cannot imagine the horror of it all…..
A restaurant
Shortly after, a second flow, even more powerful fell upon the walls of the town, sweeping away their upper portions and carrying off objects, roofs, and dead bodies. Other surges followed until finally, Pompeii was buried under 5-6 meters of ash and rock.
A shrine in a private courtyard
All that was left was a desolate grey landscape whose only features were a few protruding walls.
At nearby Herculaneum, 300 skeletons were found in these boathouses, huddled together. This was once a beach…..
This is how the beach looks today. A wall of rock from the volcano has altered the landscape forever.
Currently, there is a problem. Most of Herculaneum is still under this city. Excavation is at a standstill, these are people’s homes and surely digging beneath them will effect the foundations! The endless conflict of culture v the reality of survival.
I was saddened to see so many street dogs. This Alsatian was just sitting in the baking sun in one of the ruined streets, I was told that people abandon their dogs in Pompeii. I came across another three sitting outside the train station. Apparently packs of dogs used to roam Pompeii and even attacked people and fought each other over food and females…..I did let the local rescue know about the dogs I came across….
And finally….
It certainly was an interesting break…
And…
Laura did a MARVELOUS job, the dogs were happy and relaxed, but poor old Curly cat was NOT impressed, AT ALL…he took to his shed and refused to make an appearance for anyone, only coming out for food when it was dark!!!
He had everyone panicking, except me….I know that cat like the back of my hand!
Thanks Jen…..lol….I wish you had come, we’ll all have to go again!xxx
I love that last photo! This is amazing, wish could have come (*Read: had have been invited!!!!!!) xx
Well, here I learned the advantage of coming late. Just a minute ago I read your post about being about to go off on a jolly… and here I get to see the sights and read your impressions… see you happy in the dining room… and even hear that the dogs survived your absence. As for Curly… I know exactly what he was thinking through it all. But human beings deserve a little peace once in a while, and if we leave it to our cats to decide when… they’ll always say, ‘later’. I’m sure he’ll forgive you after a while. So happy it all worked out well.
I’m smiling re your comment about coming late! Yes, an advantage for sure!!! Poor Curly, he doesn’t take kindly to strangers, he humours hubs and Barbara next door, but he only really wants my company…..he must have been furious to find a stranger making herself at home in his garden. He won’t even tolerate other cats there. Recently I had to break up a terrible tomcat fight as Curly battled with an intruder…..and given his years he didn’t come off too badly at all….he took a few hours to stop glaring at me with squinted eyes, then he took to purring…..poor fella. Thanks Shimon.xxx
So pleased that you clearly had such a wonderful time….definitely a place to reflect upon life and living.
One of the things that is difficult to get used to in many parts of Europe are the ferrel dogs and cats…..hmmmmmm.
Curly is behaving the same way that Christeve used to behave when I had been gone for a period….I am sure by now that all is well.
Janet. xxxxx
Thanks Janet, I was spellbound in Pompeii, so many haunting memories of such a great tragedy….it is a beautiful part of Italy though with so much to do and see.
Yes, its’ always so sad to see stray animals and not be in a position to help them, I have had packs of dogs following me in some countries….heartbreaking!
Lol….what is it with cats? They can be so set in their ways for all their independence….I hope all went well in Portugal, looking forward to seeing all the artwork!xxx
I would love to see Pompeii. Lucky you! The pic of you with your hubs is beautiful. 🙂 Cats act so aloof until we leave and then they fall apart. Big babies!
Thanks Casa, it really is worth a visit, but so much easier for us to get to….it would be a real hike for you. You are very kind re the pic! Cats!!!! You have them spot on!!! Curly doesn’t take kindly to his routine being changed!!!xxx
What a fascinating and tragic place. The little girl who looks by the pose to be crying and the contorted dog are disturbing. What a frightening and awful time!
It sounds as though you had a nice time and that the animals did fine in your absence. At least Curly Cat ate her/his meals albeit in the privacy of darkness.
Oh yes, seeing the dead bodies was heartbreaking, there were babies next to their mothers and lots of young children, the poses said it all in terms of how they suffered, really hard to look at.
Curly is such a stressy cat with people he doesn’t know….he took a long time to forgive me…hours!!! Thanks Jennifer.xxx
Wow what a fascinating break you’ve had…. It must be so amazing to wander the streets of such a place and see all the bits and pieces of people’s lives from so long ago and how tragic to think what the people suffered that fateful day…..
Glad you had a lovely time and what a beautiful picture of you and hubs…..
Am glad the dogs and Laura and Curly were all alright….. must really encourage you because now you can go away and feel much more relaxed about it knowing it all goes fine! xxx
It is such an incredibly place, one I think you would enjoy too! I have had some really weird dreams about it though, I always wandering the streets in the dark looking for something and there’s a sentence in my head I just can’t recall, but it’s vital I do…..weird eh?
Ahhh….thanks for your kind words about our mugshot, a waitress grabbed the camera and took it….hubs and I were all flumoxed…..
Yes, I feel really confident re going away now, the dogs will know Laura, I’m sure they would rather be in their own home than in a kennel. Thanks Arose.xxx
I loved walking round Pompeii with you – such a fascinating place – you took some wonderful pictures – I wish I could have been there with you. So glad you enjoyed your trip and that when you returned everything was tickety-boo. I knew you didn’t have anything to worry about. Nice to have you back.
Thanks Elaine, glad you enjoyed the journey, I would love to have had you there. I did enjoy the trip, it has been on my wish list for years now and although it’s good to get away it’s lovely to be home with my critters, knowing that all went well.xxx
Your photos are wonderful, as are the descriptions that frame them. It’s a little strange, somehow, to be reading all this in the context of the volcanic eruption in Chile this week, and the news this morning of the terrible earthquake in Nepal. It’s a reminder that, despite the conceits of science, with their models and graphs and predictions, the earth is in many ways beyond our control: perhaps in most ways. We never imagine that we might become the next citizens of Pompeii.
It makes me wonder what the world would think of us, centuries down the road, should our civilization be suddenly buried and preserved for examination!
Oh…I was thinking the same when I saw the eruption in Chile, how terrifying it looked, and the earthquake is even worse, so many vulnerable, poor people losing their lives and their homes. I do agree that the earth is a force of it’s own that will never be controlled despite advances in technology. I don’t think much of our civilization would survive a huge eruption, and there are several that could wreak havoc if they blew……thanks Shoreacres.xxx
How great that your were able to take this trip. It does look absolutely fascinating. Judy and I will have to go some day. When we were in Turkey we saw some excavated ancient cities (including Ephesus) and it really does make you think of the inhabitants of the time as real people. Sad about the dogs. In Istanbul we saw no dogs but huge numbers of cats, though the cats seemed to be collective pets who looked fairly healthy.
Thanks Jason, it certainly is worth visiting and the Amalfi coast is breath takingly beautiful as is the island of capri, there is so much to do there, we needed more time really.
How interesting that you got to see ancient sites in Turkey, yes, you do start thinking about the residents as flesh and blood for sure.
There were lots of cats around too, like yours, they seemed in good condition, I always think cats have an easier time of it than street dogs.xxx
What a great trip. We went a few years ago, for some reason I can’t remember not Pompeii, but we did get to Herculaneum and up to the crater of Vesuvius. Your pictures have brought it all back. So glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks Jess, good to hear you got up the volcano, I wish we’d had time to climb it, maybe one day.xxx
Absolutely Fabulous Post! Such vivid, pictures to match the eloquent description. Better than a ‘travelogue’. Excellent! Good to have you back home safe and sound….Curly’s shenanigans, notwithstanding! Thanks for sharing….Hugs!!!!
P.S. I love that final picture….. xxxx
Thanks Bushka, it certainly is an awe inspiring place, very dramatic. Glad you like the pic….it’s always good to get home for sure!xxx
Ever since i was a child, this story has fascinated me, and the excavations render so many stories and make Pompeiians’ daily lives so real and precious…the first time I read Pliny the Younger’s writing about watching Vesuvius erupt from across the bay, I began to really understand the destruction–and also the value of eye-witness accounts when studying history.
As you say, Dina, very like us. Humans, and all their stories. I’m so moved by your writing and absolutely riveted by your photographs. Is that child sitting with your dear one a relative? The restaurant looks a treat and I’d love to hear about any good meals! 🙂
I’m always so happy when friends realize any of their dreams and find them lovely. Hooray! And, I’m glad all your sweeties at home were so well-tended by Laura, as you knew they would be. Curly is such a ham, for a cat. 🙂 Drama-Boy!
Joy to your week’s end.
It has always fascinated me too Kitty, and I have always wanted to see the place first hand. The eye witness accounts are invaluable as you say, and seeing the town really brings home how everybody was just going about their everyday business…..it must have been utterly terrifying!
Hahahaha…..relative!!! That particular restaurant was a real ordeal, we actually had two waiters looking after us and when I asked for the veggie menu the place went into melt down….they wouldn’t even let us pour our own wine….I don’t like being waited on, it always seems like having a servant when they really fuss so…..one of the waitresses took that pic, hubs and I couldn’t get out of there quickly enough. Naples seems to be big on meat so I stuck to veggie pasta and pizza which I must say were delicious!
Lol….Curly does not take kindly to strangers being in his garden, it’ll take him years too accept Laura, he was glowering in his shed when I got home and took ages to come around and start purring. Thanks so much Kitty.xxx
What a wonderful experience going to Pompeii, I have been and I found it very moving. Did you manage to get to the museum at Naples? All the artefacts from Pompeii are displayed there. What a relief that your babies have been well looked after. But you knew they would be.
It certainly is an experience isn’t it? and as you say, very moving, you can certainly identify the everyday lives and how destructive the eruption was.
Sadly we didn’t have time to visit the museum, but if we ever return I certainly shall. Yes, I knew all would be well but stupidly worry anyway, I won’t next time!xxx
I actually enjoyed Herculaneum more than Pompeii. Did you go up Vesuvius? When we went the guide picked me out to go with him onto the lip of the volcano where I had to sit on a rock whilst he fried an egg beside me? It was hard going walking to the top with plastic bags on our feet!
Yes, Herculaneum is different isn’t it, lots of the houses there were so much more detailed and better preserved, it’s a lot smaller too which makes it easier to see, we did get lost once or twice in Pompeii!
We didn’t have time to climb Vesuvius sadly, we visited Capri and Sorrento but now you have me wishing we had climbed it….wow, sitting on the lip of a volcano whist seeing an egg fry must have been an interesting experience! Why did you have to wear plastic bags on your feet? Thanks Sue.xxx
A very fine set of pictures, a great visual diary.
It is many years since I visited Herculaneum, your photos brought back memories that had hidden themselves in fusty corners.
We noticed that many dogs were looking abandoned in a number of countries. They were not necessarily unkempt, nor underfed, they just did not seem to belong anywhere. One other point, the dogs in tourist areas especially, may have received food that was laced with some kind of soporiphic, they were either lounging sleepily, or, totally off in the land of nod. The only lively ones appeared at the end of a lead atcched to someone.
Great that all your ‘sitting’ arrangements worked out well. Now you can go off somewhere else! Xxx
Thanks Menhir, lol, I am glad your memories returned! Well, I must say I’d never heard of dogs being drugged before, but now I think of it, all the dogs I saw seemed lethargic or fast asleep, whereas as you say, dogs being walked, even in the heat seemed lively….they did seem to be in good condition though, some of the dogs I’ve seen in other countries have been in a terrible state.
Ah yes…..now we can go somewhere else, the next long weekend is at the end of June, nothing booked as yet.xxx
Oh, I’ve been looking forward to your return and report about all you’ve seen. The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, California is meant to replicate a village in Herculaneum, so I was very interested in the photos you would surely take. All beautiful and haunting and a bit surreal where the modern is juxtaposed onto the ancient.
Welcome home. And I hope every creature is glad you’re back — even Curly cat.
Thanks Anne. how interesting that the Getty Villa replicates Herculaneum, you must post on it one day, I would like to see how it’s been done. I found it astonishing to see how close the excavation and the town are, literally side by side, there seems to be real problems re excavation/current occupation… it was very haunting!
It’s always good to be home and even better to find all is well!xxx
A most enjoyable, and interesting post and wonderful pictures. Good to see that you enjoyed yourselves and that all was well when you got back home. xx
Thanks Flighty, it’s always good to get away but lovely to come home and find that all is well.xxx
What a wonderful post, you’ve really brought your visit to life with the history and descriptions, not to mention your wonderful photos. I’ve often seen abandoned dogs and cats when travelling abroad, such a sad sight, it seems to be a real problem which can’t be controlled in some places. Glad to hear that Sam and Annie were happy with Laura, in my experience, cats always like to sulk a little and let you know how badly done to they are.
Thanks Jo, Pompeii was certainly dramatic!
It’s a real problem seeing strays when travelling isn’t it, I always feel so helpless in terms of helping them, Thailand was the worst place for me, dogs were everywhere and they all looked to be starving with mange and broken legs….
Laura did a great job, it was good to see the dogs so happy and relaxed. Cats!! How true, they certainly know how to throw a hissy fit!!! xxx
It’s quite an awe inspiring place isn’t it? We visited a few years ago and I hope they have a really effective early warning system because the local traffic seems appalling at the best of times. I can’t imagine what it would be like if everyone panicked and there wasn’t an orderly evacuation – it would be gridlocked in 5 minutes. I bet your animals are all really pleased to have you home again. Have a great weekend. x
Awe inspiring is certainly a good description for Pompeii, it was far larger than I had expected it to be! I was thinking the exact same thing as you re an early warning system, the traffic is nothing short of horrendous, usually seven cars trying to squeeze into two lanes. We hired a car and it was miraculous we returned it bump free, every car on the road seems to have some damage…..it would be terrifying for the locals if that volcano erupted again. The dogs and Curly were happy to see us, especially Curly! Thanks Veggie Mummy.xxx
What we learn about in our school history lessons doesn’t come alive and impact upon us until we’ve actually visited the places where events took place. Our children and most of our grandchildren have been fortunate to visit Pompeii and then realised how Vesuvius looms over the area. We’ve also walked up the slopes of Vesuvius. Stray animals are an upsetting sight. I’ve taken in one or two cats and dogs when we lived there, but I’m also rather wary now of wandering dogs. We have friends who have settled in south Lazio and they take in such dogs as part of their way-of-life. Glad you made the trip and the pet-sitting went well 🙂
I do agree, the reality of the eruption and the sheer force of it certainly come alive when walking the ruined streets, and all the time Vesuvius overshadows the entire area. We didn’t have time to walk the volcano but I shall certainly do that if I go back again. It’s sad to see so many street animals, there were lots of cats too, but their condition looked good, they seemed well fed and mange free. Lovely to know you have taken in a few waifs and strays, and that your friends are on the case too.
I was most relieved to find that all the critters were fine, I won’t worry next time. Thanks Linda.xxx
To see Pompeii in real life must have been such an emotional rollercoaster of a visit ~ the horror of the actual event thousands of years ago and the resulting images of today. I bet it was like walking through a history book and not really believing what you were seeing. I am so pleased to know you were able to spend some time together at this location where you have always wanted to visit. Thanks so much for sharing your get-away week, and pleased to have you back home 🙂
It was like walking through a history book, it became eerie when we came across the bodies of the dead, the contorted death masks were horribly unsettling! It certainly brought home the horror of the eruption. I’m glad to have visited and seen the site first hand…..Thanks Glo, we did have a wonderful trip!xxx