Naples,
Italy
Naples, in southern Italy,
is located on the Bay of Naples, an inlet of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is one of
Italy’s busiest seaports. Naples is known for its active, colorful community, as
well as for its cultural and historic institutions. Mount Vesuvius, responsible
for the destruction of ancient Pompeii, can be seen from the city, background.
The haze from summer’s humidity is clearly evident.
One of the first things you
notice about
Naples are the narrow
streets.
Italy is famous for pasta,
and Naples is no exception.
Have you ever seen so many
different kinds of pasta?
These men were enjoying a
friendly card game in the shade of a building.
Another narrow sidestreet in
downtown Naples.
An unfortunate aspect of
life in Naples is the garbage in the streets.
A variety of street vendors
line the outside of the train terminal in downtown Naples.
One of Naples’ artsy city
trains.
This is the view from my
hotel window.
The gentlemen across the
street were enjoying a game of backgammon.
On our last evening in
Naples, we performed at a NATO training school.
This is the view from the
balcony of the restaurant.
This semi-island juts out
from the shoreline along western Naples.
It is used as a military
base.
We had one day free and
decided to go to Pompeii, located on the southern edge of Naples.
This is the entrance to the
partially excavated city.
Pompeii was founded about
600 BC. It became a Roman colony in 80 BC and later a favorite resort for
wealthy Romans, reaching a population of about 20,000 at the beginning of the
Christian era. The city was damaged by an earthquake in 63 AD and was completely
demolished in 79 AD by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius that quickly buried the
towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum under 7 meters (21 feet) of ash and lava. The
eruption also raised the sea beach, placing the river and the sea at a
considerable distance from the ruined city and obscuring the original site. The
cities remained buried until 1748, when the first excavations were begun.
Another view of the entrance
to Pompeii.
Once in the gates of
Pompeii, the streets resemble a maze.
It’s easy to get turned
around and lost.
There are still many
original artifacts preserved for viewing.
This is the Basilica of
Pompeii.
The hot ash and poisonous
gases overtook the city before anyone could escape. Many people were buried and
“fossilized” under the ash. Over the
years, the bodies decomposed, leaving a hole in the rock outlining the
victim. This plaster cast was made by
filling one of the holes before it was excavated. It shows the last moments of a person overcome by the poisonous
gases.
This is the plaster cast
made of the figure pictured above.
An ornamental arch in
Pompeii.
This place has gone to the
dogs. Literally.
This pack of dogs roams the
streets of Pompeii. (Are they “Roamin” dogs?)
An arch with Mt. Vesuvius in
the background.
A restored courtyard hints
at the beauty of the original city.
As we flew out of Naples the
next day, we flew over another
volcano on the northwest edge of Naples. It is a very active area
for volcanoes.
Hope you enjoyed Naples and Pompeii.