First Port Civitavecchia

Author's Note: My apologies for the delay in posting more about our summer vacation. I wrote this travel entry right as I was starting a new job, so it has taken me a few months to transition and get back to my blog. This post was originally written in July 2011.

Day 4 -- First Port: Civitavecchia 

“Ancient town” – 80 kilometers west-north-west of Rome 

The excursion we chose for our first port was a scenic tour of the countryside of Tuscania and to visit an olive farm; Casale Bonaparte. Casale Bonaparte dates back to the 16th century. We learned how olives are harvested and had a sampling of different olive oils and fresh bruschetta, goat cheese, and local jams.

Our second stop of the day was Tuscania which is a charming city that was originally built within high stone walls in 7th century BC. 

Day 5 - Second Port: Naples

Naples is the third largest city in Italy. Nestled between the mountains and the coast, it is a steep city. A castle stands next to the docks and Mount Vesuvius looms in the distance. In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted. Poisonous gases filtered down to Pompeii – approximately 15 miles away; then, 15 ft of ash rained down on Pompeii; a blizzard of gray ash; and buried the people who lie in the streets as they attempted to run, but choked on the gas. The Discovery Website offers visitors a text-based journey of what happened: http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/pompeii/history.html.

As one walks up a ramp into a city, two flat stones mark where guards would have stood in the middle of the entry way. Farther along the main stone passageway, “speed bumps” rise from the other stone. These large stones are set just far enough apart to let wheels of chariots through if they were aligned right. The raised stones also were used as stepping stones if it rained and the streets were flooded as there were no gutters. Raised sidewalks existed on both sides of the street.

Shops intermixed with homes stood next to each other. We walked past the remains of a restaurant where they used large clay pots stuck into the ground to either keep the food hot or cold. Flour mills remain in the bakery. Some archeologists found hardened bread still in the ovens.

A large home contained a message in tiny chips of mosaic tile, “Beware of dog.” Frescos were painted on the wall and a large stone alter was kept near one entrance to the house next to the garden for blessings. A dining room looked out into a garden. Bedrooms were tiny and only meant for one or two people.

We walked past the temple where animal sacrifices were made. I realize that it did not do them any good. An earthquake occurred 17 years before the eruption, but their sacrifices did not keep the eruption from happening.

Archaeologists discovered that if they poured plaster into the ash, they could encase the bodies found buried in the ash. These plaster molds are displayed in glass cases and show how the stranded slaves in the city died. Some covered their eyes; others laid on their stomachs as the poisonous gases choked them. A dog curled up as it suffocated.

My father tells me that there was an eye witness account of exactly what happened from someone in Naples. If the winds had shifted the other way, Naples might have been the destroyed city instead of Pompeii. Herculaneum is another city that is more preserved because of mudslides. Maybe next time I can get there....