Pompeii
- chebelladonna
- Dec 30, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 1
Mid trip we arranged to be picked up by car and driven to the historic site of Pompeii, something I had missed on my first swing through the area decades earlier. We couldn't have asked for a better day - the sky was blue, and the air was still. It was neither hot nor cold - a perfect day that lends itself to the thrill of exploration.
Pompeii, a UNESCO world heritage site, sits at the base of the almighty Vesuvius volcano, about 20 minutes outside of Naples. This Greco-Roman city was founded in the 6-7th century BC and was buried by volcanic ash over a two day eruption that destroyed everything in its path, in 79AD, with a height of 12000 inhabitants. The buried city sat undisturbed for around 1700 years before excavation began, revealing this amazingly preserved time capsule.
Unfamiliar with the landscape, we ended up walking around the perimeter of the outside of the city, entering near the back at the ampitheatre, an entertainment venue that could still be used today. From there we walked up the main thoroughfare where we discovered something resembling a modern day Main Street complete with restaurants, baths, laundries, and bakeries. The restaurants contained several burners each where fires would have been lit to cook and serve the various pots of food. They look like a precursor to a New York diner. Likewise, the bakery ovens looked as though they could be fired up today. As for the public latrines .... they are also lined up in rows ... with no partitions. I'll pass.
The roads were built from enormous stones cobbled together, with deep raised sidewalks. At various intervals, boulders were placed as stepping stones to cross from one sidewalk to another. People would have used them during heavy rains when the streets brimmed with water.
Another fascination of life in Pompeii were the grandeur of some of the more luxurious villas. They were spacious, intricately frescoed and tiled in mosaics, complete with private baths, some with private gardens. They stun by today's standards.
A favourite moment came in an open area with large slabs of abandoned marble stacked haphazardly, with a lively gecko scampering throughout. Since living in Mexico I've always had a soft spot for the geckos, who lived in my house, and kept me company with their quiet, comforting chirping.
After several hours of poking around we found ourselves dumped out into the vastness of the Forum - aka the main event. It is the central square and would have been the hub of life for trade, politics and religion. This was the heart beat of Pompeii. I think that most people enter the ancient site via the Forum but I'm glad that we found it near the end of our tour, making for a real a-ha/oooh/woah moment.
Beyond that lies another huge residential part of city with street after street of housing. We spent another half an hour or so meandering through this area but our legs were growing increasingly weary in the sun. We were ultimately ready for sustenance and an afternoon nap in the hotel.
Before leaving we visited the onsite museum. What made the strongest impression were the petrified humans and animals, especially horses. The bodies in the museum aren't actually petrified, they are plaster casts. When the volcanic ash hit, it hardened and over the centuries the entombed bodies decomposed leaving hollow spaces, and plaster casts were made. It's a gruesome and unforgettable reminder of how quickly everything can turn on a dime. A vast number of artifacts from Pompeii reside in the National Archeological Museum of Naples, a place now on my bucket list.
While we waited for the driver to pick us up we grabbed a quick slice of pizza in the tourist area outside the historic site. It was the only piece of pizza, or food really, I've eaten in Italy that wasn't worth the calories. If I'd done one thing differently I would have packed a picnic lunch to enjoy part way through the day in a sunny spot.
From there we jumped in the car, sinking into the comfort of the back seat, heading back toward our home away from home for our final days. Pompeii is an overwhelming place and you can only take in so much on any given day. It's endless and one of the world's amazing places where one is able to step into a portal from another time. A place that makes you realize that in many ways the more things change, the more they stay the same. Well except for the partition-less latrines ...
