Pompeii and your future self.

Buongiorno!

On our honeymoon atop Mount Vesuvius.

Buongiorno! 

Corbs and I are currently on our honeymoon in Sorrento, Italy. We are having an amazing time, enjoying life as a married couple before our first baby arrives in January.

Yesterday, we climbed Mount Vesuvius. We got half way up before the guide told us the volcano is active and the last time she went off was in 1944! Those numbers are a little too recent for my comfort level, but never mind, we made it up and down unscathed.

We also visited the ruins at Pompeii where over 1000 perfectly preserved bodies were found, having been killed by gas inhalation, and swallowed by pumice when Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. The conditions of the eruption were extremely rare - just the right amount of gas, pumice, lava, and ash, to bury the city and its inhabitants in almost-perfect condition.

Our tour guide Salvatoro telling us about Roman interior design in one of the fanciest villas.

Within some of the 30 bakeries in the city, archaeologists even found bread still in the ovens!

There is a haunting presence in Pompeii. It feels like the inhabitants left just yesterday. It feels like it was populated by people just like us. Although Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii millennia ago, when you’re there, it feels like it happened two years ago.

The city is filled with humanity. The Pompeiians loved their dogs. At the front porches of many of the grand houses, were laid elaborate mosaic floors depicting the dogs that lived there. The first function of these mosaics was to say ‘beware of the dog’ as a deterrent to would-be thieves. But the second was simply to show off their dog.

Beware of the dog! Also, check out how handsome he is. His name is Spartacus.

The Pompeiians took their self-care seriously. They frequented beautiful bath houses that had hot rooms, warm rooms, and cold rooms. They were decorated with elaborate (and often erotic!) frescoes, and many of them had libraries where you could choose something to read as you relaxed in one of the many baths.

The under-pool heating system. A marble pool would have been balanced on top of these bricks, with water passing underneath to stabilize the temperature of the pool.

Due to their diet and self-care practices, many of the skeletons and other human remains found at Pompeii showed themselves to be in excellent, strong health, with good teeth, into their 50s and 60s.

It may surprise you to know that the streets of Pompeii were filled with fast food restaurants!