Pompeii and Vesuvius

I chose our vacation destination in part due to our ability to take the kids to see the Coliseum and Pompeii. They'd both read about it and possibly seen documentaries or studied it in school. My kids were excited to see Pompeii. Even so, I wasn't sure how the day would go. Sometimes they get someplace they want to go, take a quick look around, and start wondering when we're leaving. I wasn't sure if a bunch of ruins would catch their attention, but it really did. We all wandered for a good three hours or more, completely fascinated by the beauty, details and history of this city.

See how excited and amazed Anya is? I'm sure this shot was completely candid ;)

 Many of the buildings are just ruins, but some still have their original frescoes.

 The remains of a temple.

 One of the amphitheaters of Pompeii.

These little rooms are thought to have been barracks for the gladiators.

This is the courtyard of the bath house. The rooms surrounding it are changing rooms and different temperature baths, some for men and some for women.

 Looking down what was once a residential street of Pompeii.

When they were doing the excavation, plaster was poured into the empty spaces to get an idea of what had been there. Now there are rather dramatic models of people and animals from Pompeii who died overcome by the ash. This person was covering his face. 

Much of the artwork from Pompeii has been transferred to museums, but there's still some examples of statues, mosaics and frescoes.

Anya was keen to see the House of the Tragic Poet, famous for this dog mosaic with the warning Cave Canem - Beware of Dog. The area was covered by glass so you can't see the detail in our picture.

From the same train stop as Pompeii, you can take a tour bus to Vesuvius.

See that little road and huge bus? It's a two-way road with plenty of tour bus traffic. Each time we rounded a tight corner or passed another bus with what looked like about an inch of room Mike and I would hold our breath and hope for the best.

 The girls seemed blissfully unaware of what a nerve-wracking ride it was.

 Looking down into the caldera.

There's no lava to see, but you can see places where steam is escaping from the volcano. 

The climb from the parking lot is steep, but short - maybe only a twenty minute walk. It was well worth the effort to see such a perfect example of an active volcano, the same one that did such damage two thousand years ago.

Our day at Pompeii and Vesuvius was quite a highlight, I'm sure one of the top things my girls will remember from our travels this year. It's also easy to do from Sorrento or Vico Equense. The train that runs through the towns goes right to Pompeii, and the site is just steps away from the station.