Some highlights from a very hot day in Pompeii.
Get there early
It’s cooler in the morning. Walk the north to south roads then as there is little shade.
East to West streets have more shade so do these later when you can walk in the shadow the the buildings.
Where the streets have no name…
Actually they do, and they are clearly labelled. All rather incredible to walk them without a thousand other people.
We went a bit mad as we realised it was free entry day to the first 20,000 people and got in first!
Like it was yesterday
Centuries of carts and chariots carved these streets.
The Forum Baths
On my first trip to Pompei with friends, I don’t think I even saw this, but a second visit (3 decades later!) confirmed to me it’s a real highlight of the site.
House of the Faun
I always loved this little bronze faun. The real statue is in the Archeological museum in Naples
House of the Ceii
Beautiful frescoes in here.
House of Julia Felix
Lush, shadey villa on the Via dell’Abbondanz. Gives a pleasant walk through to/from the Ampitheatre for a little shade.
Art of Pompei
There are lots of exquisite mosaics and frescoes throughout the site. The Palestra Grande has a lot of well preserved pieces.
House of Orpheus
Wonderful floor mosaics. It’s great when your flooring choices last a couple of millenia.
House of the wounded bear
More floor mosaics.
House of The Four Columns
Fluted columns with Corinthian capitals
Together forever…
The eruption timeline
A brutal, to scale visualisation of the burial of Pompeii
The cause of all the trouble
Of course Vesuvius is also the reason it’s preserved for us all to experience today. Still there. Still active. Ready to bury everything once again.