European Travel Diary: Pompeii

“In the darkness you could hear the crying of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men. Some prayed for help. Others wished for death. But still more imagined that there were no Gods left, and that the universe was plunged into eternal darkness.” -Pliny the Younger

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We took a day to visit Pompeii during our trip to Italy, where the ruins are located from an ancient Roman city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

History

This trip was one of the more somber parts of our time in Europe, and it was shocking to see all the homes/buildings still partially standing from the natural disaster and the plaster casts of the victims from the volcano in person. There were about 20,000 people living in the city when the volcano showed signs of erupting (an earthquake). By the time it actually erupted 16 years later, about 2,000 people were left trapped in the city to be completely wiped out by the eruption.

Modern Day

Today, the city is bustling with tourists and tour guides. The city has expanded to where there is a modernized area and then the ruins that you pay to enter and visit. Our tickets were around 18 euros each, and the train ticket from Naples to Pompeii cost 2 or 3 euros. The stops were a little confusing on the train, so we ended up missing the stop for the entrance to the park that we had planned on going to. However, this let us enjoy a mile or two walk through the city to explore until we eventually found the park entrance.

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  Arch of Caligula

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  Vesuvius

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  Forum

Inside Pompeii

The area with the ruins was HUGE and we got lost several times. However, I would say the best way to explore and learn about an area is to get lost in it – safely, of course. We encountered a few stray animals, tons of large tour groups, many old homes, the principle squares of the town, the theaters – Teatro Grande and Teatro Piccolo, the Stabian Baths, the House of Menander, and many more historic sites in the area.

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Hopefully, I will find myself back in Italy one day with the chance to hike Mount Vesuvius. That has definitely been added to the bucket list.