Post: Pompeii and Vesuvius

In 1978, when my brother and I were in middle school, my aunt took us to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to see Pompeii AD 79. It was a hugely popular touring exhibit that went to several US cities over a couple of years. I remember the excitement. The only image I have in my memory is the plaster cast of a woman’s body taken from the solidified ash. What captured my imagination was the horror of going about a daily life and being smothered. The valuable insights about daily life in a Roman city that the exhibit must have featured, didn’t stick.

After today’s visit they will. My middle school self just did not picture the huge area that this city covered. It would take days to wander through the whole site. It may have had 10-20,000 people living in it. About one thousand remains have been found, but it is likely more people died, either in the city or the outskirts, although probably many also escaped.

The deaths from the eruption are certainly captivating, but, it’s the life in Pompeii that is just as compelling to me now. The above home of a wealthy citizen shows what a comfortable and gracious home the family lived in. The center courtyard is large and airy. The dining room has beautiful frescos. The floor mosaics are interesting to look at. The home has “flow,” all elements that would be appealing in a home in this climate anywhere in the world.

Down the street from this home is a small shop that sold “take out food,” from large tureens. Several cats live in Pompeii now, and get fed regularly.

Pompeii had a forum, of course, and the area is wide open with remains of temples around it.

We departed Pompeii and went to lunch at a vineyard. We tasted four wines and had lunch. It was a lovely setting. The minerally soils could be tasted in two of the wines– the ones I liked best.

Our last stop was a hike up Vesuvius with a local guide who spent his childhood on the mountain. The road is pretty new–I’d say not quite two generations old. Initially the most striking part was how crowded the mountain was, with buses and people. This is the low season! The path was laid with black cindery sand from the volcano, and it slid a little, underfoot, perhaps because below the top layer was hard, new rock from the last eruption. The view of the cities below are impressive, as is the haunting notion that all the people who live there would have to be evacuated the next time Vesuvius erupts.

The path has little kiosks along the way, and I’ve never seen an offering of wine at on an American trail, but it must be common in Italy. Maybe some should be offered to the volcano.

The caldera has steam coming out at a couple of points, and monitors all around the rim.

After the hike ended in the falling light, we drove to Naples in time for a soccer match traffic jam. Our van load of people was tired and did an adult version of whining in the back: take out your cell phone and monitor the traffic. Remark about how you could walk there faster. Grow indignant at the other drivers. Mostly I was so glad I was not a driver! After releasing us into a posh, harborside hotel, he had to drive back to Amalfi.

Pizza for dinner! In Naples, why not eat pizza as often as possible? I had the best dark beer– label above, I am sure I’ll never be able to find it in the states. I wish I had captured the written description. It names every nutty, caramel flavor in our language, and ending with a phrase that went something like, “It encourages you to drink more.”