Sunday Pompeii day

Ok, so I know in yesterday's post I said I wasn't going to Pompeii, but I woke up so early that I figured I might as well. So, away I went. Glad I did. Pics in a moment...got there early enough that there weren't very many people. Whew. By the time I left the place was swarming and I had to use all my assertiveness skills just to reach the exit!  A couple of funnies. If I ever come back to Pompeii I will take a guided tour. There are only placards telling you about what you are seeing in part of the city.  So I tried to stay close enough to a couple of English tours to get tidbits here and there.  I got my own private tour from a guide looking to make a few extra euro. He took me through a locked gate to see inside one house. He was very informative, but I didn't tip him. I think he was disappointed.  Then I was walking through another house and two couples from Yorkshire England were getting a similar unscheduled tour and invited me to join in. They were all four very comical. Apparently, their impromptu guide took them to the brothel section of town. I laughed and laughed when they told me I had missed the best part of the tour. They tipped the unofficial guide nicely. As we walked along together I talked with one of the ladies, who was very interested in the fact that I was traveling solo. It was starting to get hot and they were done for the day. As we parted one gentleman recited his address in Yorkshire and told me that if I'm ever there to look them up. Like I'll remember. :) and the other gentleman kissed me on the cheek when he said goodbye.  Such cute couples. I have met some very interesting people on this trip. Ok, so now for pics. 

This place is completely amazing! If you consider the fact that Vesuvius buried Pompeii 2000 years ago. The fact that anything still exists, especially paintings, is quite miraculous. 

This was a small wall painting about 12" x24"

This was a whole corner and two sides of paintings of animals. 

This was the only painting I saw with a blue background. 

The detail work was amazing!

Full height of the wall. 

Apparently an artist workspace has been discovered where the artists were in the middle of a project. So it is obvious the order of the steps they took to prepare the wall and the paint it-the way the plaster went on the wall horizontally from the top down in three sections, and then the background color in frescoe, and then the actual paintings starting from the sketch phase. Wow!

Then there was all the mosaic tile work in the floors. Also amazing. 

This floor in an atrium has stone pieces that reflect light at night so the inhabitants could see where they were walking at night in the reflected moonlight. The depression in the center was used to catch rainwater. There was a cistern underneath and when that was full, there was a pipe that led out to the street. All the wealthy people has similar layouts. Some were more ornate than others. 

This marble table is original to this atrium. 

More floors

This is a typical street. 

Another mosaic floor with reflecting stones. 

My last stop the amphitheater.  

 

Going down into the arena. 

I wonder if they had their football cushions for those stone seats. 

Then I was finished looking and much too hot, so I made my way back to the entrance and boy howdy were there a lot of people. There must have been a few tour busses arrived at the same time or something. Holy moly. 

Drove back to my place, without getting lost I might add. Changed my clothes and went straight to the beach across the street for a couple of hours. So nice to do nothing but lie in the sun and listen to kids playing and the surf. Lovely last day's activities. Then...

I ate my last pizza tonight for dinner. It was the greasiest pizza I've ever eaten (yes even more oily than Pizza Hut). It had shredded potatoes and mushrooms. Oh so tasty!  Probably have one more round of filled croissants for breakfast on the way to the airport, but it is back on the gluten free wagon for me. It will be interesting to see how all this gluten affects me. Oh, but it has been so yummy!  No regrets!  Oh and I sat on the beach and ate it. Fabulous!

Sunset

I'm all packed and ready to go. Checked in for my flight, boarding passes on my phone. Just need to get to the airport, return Giorgio the rental car and sit on a plane. Be home in no time. Looking forward to familiar things. 

Ps one observation...no two toilets on my entire trip have flushed the same way. It is the bathroom mystery. Whoever standardized the flusher in the US...thank you. 

Two observations...every woman on the beach was wearing a bikini. EVERY woman. (Well except me and maybe two others). How nice to not have the body image issues so prevalent as we suffer from in the states. The "bikini body" thing is an American thing. We need to get over it.