My Point of View

We woke up to a temperature of about 28 degrees (celcius). Bright sunshine, almost cloudless sky and it was getting hotter by the hour. By the peak of the afternoon it reached 33 or 34 degrees.

Out from our hotel, across the Bay of Naples you can see Mount Vesuvius faintly in the distance. To the right of the mountain is where you would find Pompeii. This is where we were headed on our first full day in Italy.

It was on August 24th, 79 A.D. that the volcano of Mount Vesuvius erupted. Smoke, mud, flames and burning stones spewed from the summit of the mountain sending a rain of ash and rock. It completely immersed Pompeii killing about 20,000 people.

It's hard to believe but before Pompeii was excavated the remains of the volcano were higher than the tallest buildings here. The eruption actually captured a moment in time. Under the ash everything remained as it was at the time of the eruption...buildings, artwork and even people in their most desperate hour.

Along the way it was discovered that instead of digging up the skeletal remains of the person plaster could be injected into the ground and allowed to dry. When excavated it captured exactly what the person was doing, the skeleton remaining complete inside the plaster 'mold'. Here a man crouches down, his face in his hands waiting for death. You can't help but feel the pain that these people went through. It was a very emotional experience and even now writing it brings me right back to those feelings.

Many urns and pots have been discovered and housed now in this outdoor warehouse.

The body of a dog was discovered. His collar was easily visible.

These round pits in this counter would actually hold food that would be bought by the villagers. Similar in a way to the fast food of our time.

To the right are ovens where bread would be baked and sold.