Pompeii & Mt. Vesuvius
Pompeii
Pompeii was such a crazy experience for me. I have never seen something like this in all my travels. I don’t know much about this city (besides the obvious, of course), but I found it very exciting as well as heartbreaking.
Seeing those people and animals frozen to stone made me feel a little emotional. When I learn about history like this in school I don’t think much of it. I just see it as a lesson on the exam, and a place I will probably never go to. But now, after having gone to Pompeii and Vesuvius, I have completely changed how I look at these places. The best way to learn the history of a country is to go to those places and walk on the same paths where history took place. That’s something I really love about Europe in general. I could walk on almost any street and the history we learn about in textbooks probably took place right where I’m walking.
It makes me wonder why in American school we only have the option to go to a different country for a field trip in our language classes. I guess because it’s expensive and a liability for the school… but I believe even history classes should go on international trips. It will make students retain information in a much deeper way.
A little history lesson from my travel pamphlet: “On the morning of August 24th, 79 AD a deadly cloud of volcanic ash from the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius overtook the Roman city of Pompeii, engulfing the city in suffocating black clouds and catching the prosperous residents by surprise. Mere hours after the eruption, stately buildings, works of art, and human bodies were sealed in hardened casts of ash; these natural tombs would remain undisturbed for centuries.
Since excavation efforts began in 1748, archeologists continually turn up new discoveries in their ongoing mission to understand the daily life in the Roman era. Pompeii today is Italy’s most popular tourist attraction, receiving over 1.5 million visitors every year.”
Mount Vesuvius
Travel Tips:
-Pompeii/Vesuvius is a large site with lots of walking/hiking; wear comfortable shoes.
-Large purses, backpacks, & wheeled carts are not recommended or permitted in Pompeii.
-Bring a hat, water, and sunscreen if you go in Summer.
–Since there isn’t many places to protect you from the rain, bring an umbrella if you go in winter.
–Always watch your belongings!
Apparently, I was risking my life for this picture. My friends and I hopped the fence around the volcano to take better pictures. See that opening in the photo above? Yeah, that is the inside of the volcano. Thank God we didn’t slip and fall into the volcano! Not sure if we would have slide all the way into lava or if it is enclosed with rocks and ash, but i’m glad I didn’t find out.
If you find yourself in the Sorrento or Naples area, I highly recommend making a day trip to Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. Go with a tour so they can explain to you what the different buildings are in Pompeii. Or else you may get bored looking at a bunch of stones and not knowing what they were for.
Here are some tours with great reviews:
From Naples: Pompeii Ruins and Mount Vesuvius Day Tour
From Rome: Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius Full-Day Trip
From Amalfi Coast: Pompeii and Vesuvius Full-Day Tour
From Sorrento (what I did): Pompeii and Vesuvius Tour
If you have any questions, I would love to answer them in the comments.
-Ayla♥
Try going on your own when you travel without a tour guide or on a boat 🙂 I find it best to the 6 senses when feeling out the country
I’ve done both and enjoyed both. If I don’t know the city very well, it’s difficult to get around, & I’m with people who are clueless, traveling with a tour is very nice. Cruise is great because you can see more places in a short amount of time and you go back to the same room every night.
Definitely visiting Pompeii will be a great experience and of course emotional one! It’s on my list and I hope one day I will get to see it. btw great pictures!
I hope you do! & Thank you!
Great post. Love Your photos. Thank You.
Happy and safe travels!
Thanks for liking my blog, I hope you read some of it. Your lovely photos evoked our memories of our trip to Pompeii, Vesuvius and Herculaneum or Ercolano as the Italians call it. Your photos are lovely.
Good luck with your future visits.
Richard
Just went to Pompeii and Vesuvius myself this summer. I’m curious; which experience did you like more?
I liked exploring Pompeii more. But Vesuvius is more fun for photography in my opinion. Pompeii is a little crowded.
I studied in Trieste, Italy for one year but never got the chance to visit Pompeii. I definitely need to come back! Did you walk from Pompeii to the summit of Mount Vesuvius? Or did you take the bus/shuttle? How long of a walk/bus was it?
I took a bus and walked up the mountain from the parking lot since we were with a tour. It was only a 15 minute walk to the top that way.
Lucky for you that the amphitheater was open when you were there! I was curious about the acoustics, but it was closed when we went.
I don’t remember testing the acoustic there but Fiesole Roman theater was amazing. I could here every conversation from people standing in the center.
I think that counts as checking out the acoustics. I’m sure someone must have said “echo” or “hello!-o-o-o-o…” haha