So, as you probably guessed from the post title, I'm not in Greece anymore. Don't worry, I'm going back. Right now, I'm on spring break, and am touring around Italy. I flew into Rome yesterday, but didn't have a lot of time to explore, as we landed late, in the pouring rain, and had to bus into the city and then walk to the hotel. So, by the time we were in and had found a place for dinner, neither me nor S. had much interest left in exploring. Plus, our hotel is right off the Spanish steps (Piazza di Spagna), so we got to see that, at least.
Anyway, more on Rome later. Today was about Campania. I found a guided bus tour of Naples and Pompeii from Rome online, and so we took that today. And, oh man, was it worth it. We left at 7:30 this morning to get on the bus, operated by Viator and Green Line Tours. It was a 3 hour ride to Naples, where we took a driving tour of the city, seeing just the highlights, like the 13th century church, a Greek wall and guardtower, and a castle. We also saw a couple of the 5 volcanic hills that make up the city.
Very soon, however, we moved on to the Greek Watchtower City (I don't remember the Italian name). There, we visited a coral and shell carving factory, which was quite interesting. They showed us how they do the carving, and had an exhibition of finished products. They were absolutely gorgeous, and it's neat to see how little this industry had changed since antiquity.
Next stop was New Pompeii, where we had a fantastic lunch provided by the tour. It was a huge meal: soup, spaghetti, a dish of potatoes and meat, and fruit for dessert. But the highlight was still to come. After lunch, we entered the site of ancient Pompeii. In case you don't know the story: Pompeii was a prosperous trading city located strategically between Mount Vesuvius and the mountain range, in a river valley. It was home to around 25,000 people at it's peak. However, in the year 79 A.D., the 6000 ft tall Vesuvius blew it's top. On one side, lava and mudslides obliterated the summer home of Herculaneum. On the other, the wind blew a pyroclastic flow, composed of hot gas, ash, dust, and pumice, down onto Pompeii, killing anyone in it's path and burying the entire city. It was abandoned, and forgotten about until being discovered accidentally in the 1700's. Serious excavations began in the mid-1900's, and continue today. Because of the unusual way the city was preserved, it is in fantastic condition. Painted frescos remain on the walls. Bronze and marble statues remained in situ. Perhaps most amazingly, though, molds of people, animals, plants, and objects remained, because they were buried instantly in the hot ash. By pouring plaster onto those molds, casts could be made of these last moments. It's always been one of my favorite places to read about, and the visit did not disappoint.
One of the things that has bothered me through this whole trip, which I've written about before, is the problem of reconstruction. I understand how, and why, it is done, but it is nearly as unsatisfying to see a place rebuild based on what we think it might have looked like, based on math formulas and literary sources as it is to see nothing but foundations left. Pompeii has much less of this problem. Because of earthquakes, some structures were damaged or collapsed, and had to be reconstructed. The majority, however, is original, or copies of originals that have been moved to museums for display and safekeeping. And it's all still standing; one bathhouse still has it's roof! The site is huge, as well: I believe on total, it's 2 square miles, and only 75% of the city has been excavated. The largest house is 7000 square feet. There's a massive shopping district, a residential area, a food market, the open forum, and even a sketchy "red light" district. In other words, it's a city very similar to modern ones, except that it was built 23+ centuries ago. No other site I've visited has had the same impression. These people weren't some alien Classical culture... They were people. Greeks and Romans made livings in very similar ways to us today, as politicians, fish mongers, "truckers", escorts, wine makers, millers, bakers, teachers, inventors, clergymen, judges, etc.
These unfortunate ones were in the wrong place at the very wrong time, and so lost their lives. Their loss, however, has been our boon. Without rare sites like Pompeii here in Italy, or Acrotiri in Thera (Santorini), how much less information would we have about the world 2000 years ago? And, honestly, if one has to die in a painful, horrific way, volcano isn't a bad way to go. In my opinion, anyway. Needless to say, I loved the site, and would love to come back some day, and spend a lot more than two hours wandering amongst the relics of a bygone age.
