Pompeii

Right after our visit to Mt Vesuvius we headed to Pompeii. The city of Pompeii was largely destroyed and buried by the eruption of Vesuvius. The people of Pompeii were killed and buried by the ash. Many remains of this bustling city were well preserved for centuries under the ash covering. When excavation of the city was undertaken, plaster was poured into gaps between the ash where the people had been trapped, demonstrating the position of the person when they died. Today you can stroll around the vast city and get an understanding of how the people lived before their city was destroyed. Pompeii is not a place you can see all in one day, but even the amount you can experience in one visit is fascinating and moving.  

A dog that fell victim to the eruption

One very popular building for many visitors, is the brothel (above), where a series of erotic frescoes are displayed on the walls, like a kind of 'menu' of the services available. The vibrant red and yellow painting of the snake advertises a chemist. While there are some original artifacts and frescoes still in Pompeii, many have been replaced by replicas and have been removed for protection and can be seen in Naples.  Our walk around Pompeii with our guide had quite an erotic take on the history of city, I now know the origin of the phrase 'knock on wood'... 

The Forum with Mt Vesuvius a menacing presence in the background

If you are interested in visiting Pompeii I would highly recommend it as it's magnificent. Some advice would be to bring plenty of water, wear comfortable shoes and take your time, you don't have to see everything to get a sense of the city. Also it costs €11 to visit but if your aged between 18-24 and have an ID to show it you only pay half price! I know that I have shared alot of pictures of my trip to Italy but hey I'd rather have to many pictures to capture memories than too little. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend, I'm getting really into vlogs right now so add your links!

xox