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| View of the main entrance through the Porta Marina Superiore (Sea Gate) |
We took the grandchildren to Pompeii which is a good two hour drive from our home in the countryside south of Rome.
It's such a vast site we had decided beforehand which area we wanted to explore. Because of the time of the year the site was relatively empty and we were able to appreciate fully the features of this well-preserved, ancient city that had remained buried six meters deep under volcanic ash until two centuries ago.
The view of nearby Vesuvius reminded us of the eruption that had taken place in 79 AD causing devastation to the settlements along this coastal region, including Pompeii, which had been founded many hundreds of years beforehand.
It's fascinating to walk along the excavated streets, enter into the remains of private houses and public buildings and see huge, still-standing columns, detailed wall paintings, carvings and other artifacts that give an understanding of the lifestyle of the citizens before the destruction of Pompeii.
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| The slender columns of the arcade on one side of the Forum |
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| Huge stone slabs and intricately carved pieces of marble were strewn around. Can you see the leaf, possibly a frog and a bird? |
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| Via di Nola - one of the main streets where there are stepping stones. The ruts made by carriages can be seen. |
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| Leaving the site through the Porta Marina the visitor can see that there were two thoroughfares, one for citizens and one for carriages or animals. |
There is an information centre and restaurant on the site as well as places to stop and rest and have some refreshments on the street outside.
However, our car park was situated nearby and our car was sheltered from the sun by orange trees where we enjoyed our picnic in the shade.
Monte Vesuvio