Adriatic Adventure: Pompeii

Sadly, Dubrovnik was our last city in which to sightsee.  But, happily, we took a short flight over to Rome from which we took a train to Salerno.  We chose to stay in Salerno because it was a central spot from which to see Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, and Paestum.  But first, Pompeii!

Pompeii, for me, was one of the highlights of our entire trip.  It's incredible that this ancient city was buried under so much ash from the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD that it wasn't discovered again until the 16th century; a more involved rediscovery occurred in the 18th century.  It's currently (and finally) undergoing some serious restoration, so a lot of the "rich folk" houses that we wanted to see were blocked off.  But that didn't stop us since there's so much to see in Pompeii!  This place is huge, so if you want to see all of it, plan for a whole day of exploring!

Of course, it's understandably a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  I mean, just look at all of the ancient structures!  You could even identify ruts carved into the stone roads from the wagons, walk through bath houses, and walk on the intricate mosaics artfully placed on the floors of people's homes.

There's even some existing art work on walls with remaining color.  A lot of it has been restored, but it's amazing that this art is in such great shape after nearly 2000 years!

One of the most popular places for tourists to walk through in Pompeii is the "main" brothel.  There you can see beds carved into the stone as well as some, ahem, "inspirational" artwork.  The photo above is one of the tamer pieces.  

And, of course, it wouldn't be Pompeii without a beautiful view of Mount Vesuvius from the ruins!  I wish we'd had time to visit Herculaneum, but I'm ecstatic we got to visit Pompeii.  Definitely arrive as early as possible to avoid the crowds and tour groups.  But most importantly, have fun exploring!