Pompeii

We left coastal Italy behind and are travelling back north to Rome where we will be 4 nights at the Best Western!! This chain is not on my go to list in the U.S., but I’m keeping an open mind. My travel agent (aka husband) assured me it’s a luxury brand in Europe. Are you taking bets on my gullibility? Pompeii was a half day visit on the way.

Pompeii is an incredible archaeological site. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD covering this area with ash and rubble (not lava). 18,000-20,000 people were buried and basically asphyxiated. There are corpses that survive as plaster casts were made in the areas around the skeletal remains. You can see how the victims were fighting for breath as gases overcame them. The cobblestone streets allowed chariots to pass over the muck in the street and stepping stones so the people did not walk in the running sewage. At this time urine was collected for clothes washing (good source of ammonia, I guess). Remnants of fast food purveyors, public baths, homes and gardens of the rich as well as brothels have been uncovered. While Pompeii was known to have existed, it was not “discovered” again until the 1500’s. Almost 100 years after the death of Christ, Christianity was not widespread and the people worshiped various gods at the time of the eruption.