The City of Ash

I have always been intrigued by the tragic story of the city of Pompeii. Once a thriving port town of 20,000, Pompeii was frozen in time one day in A.D. 79 when Mount Vesuvius suddenly erupted. The city and surrounding areas were covered in ash, preserving many of the cities buildings, as well the remains of Vesuvius' victims.

On our third day in Southern Italy, we visited Pompeii. Walking around Pompeii was like stepping back in time, and through our explorations we gained an amazing perspective of the Ancient Roman life.

Each day the streets of Pompeii were flooded with water in order to wash them. Raised stepping stones like these allowed pedestrians to cross the street without getting their sandals wet. The gaps between the stones were wide enough to allow chariots to pass through.

These plaster casts of Pompeiians were so fascinating to me. While excavating Pompeii, archaeologists would discover hollow mounds. The archaeologists would pour plaster into these mounds to create a cast. The plaster would take on the shape of the ash-covered victims, filling in the gaps between their skeletons and revealing the victims' shapes during the last moment of their lives. It was eerie to see these people frozen forever in their dying moments.

Me examining the plaster casts.

This is one of the rooms in Pompeii's public baths, called the tepidarium. Bathers would undress, stretch, and warm up in this room. The small statues divided the clients' lockers. I was amazed at how well preserved the stucco work was.

This area was similar to our fast food restaurants we have today. Pompeiians could come here to get a quick bite to eat. The holes acted as thermoses and used to keep soup warm and wine cool. I decided to get behind the counter to take a picture because I love to cook.

Pompeii is absolutely huge! We only checked out the highlights but there are tons of unmarked ruins, like these that used to be old apartments and residences.

This aqueduct arch had a hidden water tank on top in order to give the residents in the neighborhood adequate water pressure.

Baby was kicking.

More random ruins.

Strolling the streets as the Ancient Romans did. I really had to watch my step on these cobbled roads. One little slip would strain my pelvic muscles and really hurt! I felt bad for the pregnant women of Pompeii.

These grooves in the road are from the chariots.

This was Pompeii's forum, the commercial, religious, and political center of the city. This is the least-preserved part of the city. Normally, you can see the ominous Mount Vesuvius smoldering behind me, but on this day, it was covered up by clouds.