Ancient Pompeii

---

Our first stop on the Mediterranean cruise was Sorrento off the Bay of Napoli. We could see Mt. Vesuvius off in the distance. Our excursion took us 1 hr by bus to Ancient Pompeii which was a Greek - then Roman city from the 7th century B.C. up until 79 A.D. In that year Mt Vesuvius errupted and covered the city in ash. The entire civilization was "frozen" in time until it was discovered in 1739. An estimated 10,000 people once lived in this urban community with pagan temples (i.e. Jupiter, Apollo, etc.), shops, homes, and a political "basilica" where they made their laws and judged criminals. They even had a red light district. The city streets and Roman baths were especially well preserved. We saw frescos, pillars, arches, tile inlays on the floor, stone streets, sisterns, sundials, pottery, and even plaster casts of people/skeletons "frozen" in the position of their last breath of life. On our way back we learned about Limoncello which originates from this part of Italy. It was also interesting to see orange trees (with lots of ripe fruit) used to decorate their slendor sidewalks and city streets. Back onboard we enjoyed a late lunch, some reading, a nap, and watching Capri Island go by as the sun began to set. Dinner included escargots, calamari, swordfish, and veal. Our first day do not disappoint. Thank you Lord for this meaningful time together! Amen.

---