Overlooking an active volcano in southern Italy is the city of Pompeii, it is known for their ancient history. Back in the year of 79 A.D. the volcano, Mount Vesuvius, erupted burying the city of Pompeii under a blanket of volcanic ash. After many years a group of explorers discovered the site in 1748 to find that under all the layers of ash and debris the city was still standing. This discovery allowed us to be able to visit and learn about this incredible place and see artifacts of the bodies and buildings that survived. However, since the dangerous volcano has not erupted in many years it is believed an eruption is due any day now that could be horrific since millions of people live within radius of it. While visiting, our group was given a guided tour through the ruins and it was interesting getting to hear about the believed stories and what each of the buildings were used for. The cost to go in and visit Pompeii is 11 euros, or a reduced price of 5.50 euros if you are between the ages of eighteen to twenty-five years old. What makes it even more popular to visit is if you are under the age of eighteen you are able to get in for free. It is one thing to learn about this tragedy in school, but it a whole new experience to actually be able to see it in front of you. It was also surreal to see Mount Vesuvius off in the distance when standing on top of a hill in the city. The tour itself was more serious and informative rather then upbeat like most, but this is due to the sadness of some of the artifacts they have in cases. At certain points during the tour you see the bodies they were able to uncover in the positions they got buried in. In the picture above, the body in the glass is supposedly a pregnant woman trying to cover her face and stomach from the ash. They believed she was pregnant because of the way her stomach was shaped and how her body was laying. Other featured artifacts include a dog, and a man that looks as though he is praying with his hands in front of his face. I highly recommend this excursion to everyone as long as they are at a reasonable age and able to comprehend and see artifacts of people’s bodies like above. It was also a lot of walking and very hot since there is not many shaded areas, which then leads many older adults not being able to do it. This is each families decision to make, but if you end up visiting you will not regret it. I learned a lot and was able to see things I never imagined right in front of me.
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Adventuring with Alexis 