Pompeii and Amalfi coast - day 61

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Geo: 40.7492, 14.5007

Amalfi and Positano are picturesque and quite lovely...probably a haven of beauty and awe for those who don't have seaside beaches as part of their lives, but as usual for aussies it's just 'aaawww cute"...i gave up looking for great beaches outside of australia some years ago

Naples is DODGY! i've heard "be careful in southern italy, it's dangerous" but that's actually quite inaccurate...the reality is "don't ever go to napoli, you will get shot"...the locals can't wear helmets when riding bikes or scooters because it will be assumed they are 'hiding' and possibly on their way to a drive-by shooting, so someone will shoot them first...other than the impracticality of dying from a stray bullet while on holiday, increasing your chances of having a bad day, Napoli actually looks like a shithole - so just don't go there

POMPEII...wonderful, awesome, humbling, amazing...i'm man enough to admit that before i booked this day-trip i thought pompeii was mythological and didn't reeeeeally exist - like atlantis...so once booked i downloaded a documentary about it and couldn't wait to see it in real life

it was built over 2000 years ago and preserved (and forgotten) under volcanic ash and stone for 1700 years...as well as the bones of the people who lived there, the city shows how ingeniously the romans planned and built their cities...running sewerage and water for everyone, saunas which were heated in other parts of the baths and had the heat tunneled to specific rooms, recycling, one way and two way streets, structures and streets built for the best use of light

our archaeologist/guide was saying that his own grandfather didn't have proper sewerage in his home - and neither did mine...we've existed 2000 beyond pompei and still we don't all live with the amenities they did

mount Vesuvius isn't dead yet...they predict that next time it will blow sideways and most of the land surrounding it will be gone once again...i am so glad i got to see it 😊

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii

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Comments

[naomi]

Thank you SO much for these reports. You give us such great descriptions...straight from the heart. We've been able to travel vicariously with you everywhere, feel and see all you have - and I've laughed so much! :)))It's been wonderf
ul.. and there's still heaps to come. Thanks again.Be well, and stay safe. And keep on having fun.xxx

[Laura (onetruefriend)]

I'd love to see Pompeii someday. My best friend went- said it was unreal. Stay safe. Love, Laura

[simplypeachy]

"I haven't seen any posts from whatshername on LJ lately. Wait...didn't she go travelling? *checks junk email folder*"Pompeii sounds like my kind of holiday destination. I'm not one for lounging on a beach and doing nothing or going to big
cities. If I'm going to pack up and haul out I want to immerse myself in nature or history and Pompeii gives you a bit of both I suppose. And as you say - it won't be around forever. Glad to read your enjoying your time!

[nicky7a]

pompeii was one of the most awesome things ever...along with machu picchu in peru and angkor wat in cambodia...unbelievable places

[nicky7a]

it really was unbelievable...i'm so glad i saw it :)

[Samita]

Yeah, I pretty much didn't know it still existed lol checking out the pics in sec :) keep having fun <3

[kevloid]

ooo I like the new panoramic pics. and I got more of your postcards - 7 more of them! :-D you rule

[nicky7a]

glad I wasn't the only one :) apparently it's common knowledge...lol

[nicky7a]

heehee...it was easier to go to the post office in Athens than look for one in each city...plus it's fun to get that in one hit :)

[barneyb10]

Thank you for my post cards as well my darling I got all 8 of them in one go as well delivered by my neighbour as you put our street number as 58 and not 60...but they got here.......love them