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| Mount Vesuvius hovers ominously in the background |
I think from I was born I have been hearing about Pompeii.
You see, my late father just happened to have been a history buff and he reveled in the stories about ancient Greece and Rome, so naturally tales about Pompeii which was established around the 6 to 7th century BC and which was overrun by both these colonisers at one time or the other, became part of the almost daily fabric.
According to history, Pompeii grew in importance until it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Ad 79, and it remained buried for over 1500 years. Wikipedia also reports that Mount Vesuvius has erupted several times since then and is the only volcano in Europe which has erupted in the last 100 years.
Our tour guide also revealed that the last eruption was in 1944 and although it is still considered one of the most dangerous volcanos in the world, some 3,000,000 people have made the surrounding areas their home. I suppose they take comfort from the fact that the oldest observatory is stationed there and everyone (residents and tourists alike) get totally free medical care once they are on Italian soil!
Quite frankly, despite this early exposure to that famed city, visiting it was never on my bucket list, however when I discovered that the Mediterranean cruise I was taking was calling at the port of Naples, a mere half hour drive from Pompeii, you know who had to join that tour and it is probably the best decision I have made for the entire year too!
The first inspiring thing I
learnt on the the tour was the
fact that the tour company we were using, only used history majors as their
tour guides. What wonderful news for someone who just revels in history, as no
matter how many stories one hears and publications one reads, nothing beats actually walking on the soil
with someone who sounds like he has actually lived during the years when the
great city was a force to be reckoned with.
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| These skeletons dating back 1000 years were preserved by the volcanic eruptions |
And we actually saw skeletons of some of those residents who lived there before the Romans arrived which had been found well preserved by the larva.
A really impressive aspect of the ancient Pompeii is the grid system they used
to design the streets, something so practical and relevant today that it was copied by those who
designed New York city many centuries later.
To actually walk on the streets that were constructed centuries
ago with even humps that pedestrians could walk on to prevent them getting their feet dirtied and soaked by the sewage which ran freely on the streets in all those ancient
cites, gave one a real insight
into the brilliant thought process of those who lived so many centuries before we
did.
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| The streets were made with humps on which pedestrians could walk to avoid stepping in raw sewage |
What is absolutely amazing about this indestructible city is that despite many assaults from earthquakes and volcanoes, so much
remains behind to indicate the level of sophistication of those who lived in the ancient city or used it as a vacation destination. For example, it really bowled me over seeing the evidence that around 80 BC, while the Romans occupied
Pompeii, they actually established a complex hydro system, gymnasium and even a
spa and sauna.
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| Wall papered family home! |
At the ruins too we saw a well preserved family home with all
the creature comforts of that period and remnants of a bakery.
Walking among those ruins was the experience of a lifetime.
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