If it was not for Pompeii.....

Just when I think that I have my favorite place, I wake up and it's a new day!  Did you know that if Pompeii was not discovered we would only guess what ancient Rome was like, only guess!  It's true, all the knowledge that we have gained from daily life in Ancient Rome is from the discovery of Pompeii.  It is an AMAZING place.  (I think I have totally burnt out that word!)
                                                                              

First  I want to say that I thought that Pompeii was a small excavation.  Wrong, there are streets upon streets of homes and shops and even fast food shops.  A little history about Pompeii...... around 600 -500 BC Pompeii was extablished.  Pompeii is mentioned in Ancient Rome history with the various rulers of Rome.  However, in 79 AD the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering the city with ash and soot.  So much covered the area that people were buried alive right in the middle of their day, leaving behind evidence of they daily life preserved for nearly 2000 years.

 

Chris is standing at the entrance of the home of Caecilius and his family.  The textbook that Chris has been studying Latin from is called "Cambridge Latin Course".  And the entire first unit is about this family.  Chris was able to tell us about each room, it's purpose and about the family.   Cool, huh!

I took this picture with my camera inside the gate, so as to not see the bars.  This is one room of items that have been removed from each room during the excation, there are about 10 of these rooms.  Each vase, pedestal, chest, table, chair and body (plaster) has been catalogued and put out of reach of the tourists.  Most of the frescos, and mosiac floors have been removed and put into museums.  Do you see the shape of a man on the shelf?

There are a few casts of real humans and pets.  These remains were found but an archilogist, who while excavating realized what he was finding.  He decided to pour plaster into the next holes he discovered and once dry was able to see what position some of these people were in when they died.  There is one plaster that shows a broken skull.  It is speculated that that one was hit by dropping pumice from the exploding volcano. The people seemed to be in living positions when they were buried by the ash. Including a pregnant lady protecting her face.

This is a public toilet, imagine a large marble shelf with holes in them. The refuge (ahem) would drop into the ditch.  Enough said! This was an open room, where people sat side by side.

This is one street.  The road is lower for when it rains and the side walk is raised as to not step into the water.  There is a small area for the water to flow.  On the larger streets there are stepping stones to aid in crossing the street so as not to get your feet wet.

Pompeii is a large city about 1 square mile, with a population of about 15,000 people.  It is unbelievable how large it is and how much has been excavated.  There is still a large section covered.  The volcano is still active, and the residents of the surrounding area know that Mount Versivuis could erupt again.





I'm so glad we came to Pompeii.  We took a fast train from Rome to Naples, about 1 hour, (to cover 200kms)  but a great way to travel.  We are standing in the forum and behind us is the Volcano.

  And then back to the hotel again.  BUSTED!!! Look what I'm doing while posting on our blog......

Did I mention that the bakery is right across the street from our hotel?  Chris and I stayed home so I could work on the blog and Bob made a bakery run, alas the last one!  He tried to trick me that the bakery was sold out, but he knew better than to come back empty handed with creme on his nose!!!

Oh one last think...... There is a church by our Hotel.... and it is the strangest thing...... very strange.  
Let me try to explain,..... here is a photo....

The Crypt of the Capuchins.  So, I want to explain and show respect....   I will copy the brochure.   "In 1631, The Capuchin friars left the friary of St. Bonaventure and came to live in this church, of which only the church and cemetery remain.  The remains of the deceased friars were transported from the old friary and laid to rest.  The bones were arranged along the walls, and the friars began to bury their own dead here, as well as poor Romans.  Over the years, until 1870, further alterations transformed this burial place into the work of art we see today.  It's message is clear: death closes the gates of time, and opens those of eternity."  No cameras were allowed inside, this is a picture of a brochure.

There are 6 rooms with different scenes depicted...... all in human bones!   NO KIDDING!

So, Ciao, we're leaving in the AM for NY!!

Creme puff,,,,,, what creme puff!!

That creme puff heading should have shown me and not Abby!!!

Ancient Rome and modern creme puffs!

No I'm not the creme puff!  Although I haven't exercised this whole trip.  I may look like a creme puff, however...... I have had 2 already..... and some of Abby's.  I wouldn't share with Bob today, he had to get his own creme puff!

Here is the spot where Marc Antony said "Fellow Romans lend me your ears...", while Caesar's body lie dead.  The place certainly does not look as grand as the steps in the "Julius Caesar" 1953 movie with Marlon Brando.  But our guide said there are still some ruins under the earth.  This area is the forum and was covered with marsh land after the fall of the Roman Empire and not excavated until the late 1800's.  It's all incredibly interesting.  "Is there a bakery near by?"

We did a whirl wind tour of Rome, including of course the Colleseum.  Back in Ancient times it was not called the Colleseum, it was called the amphitheater.  Not just a theater, which is usually a half circle but and "amplified" theater, 2 half circles , thus Amphitheater.

The middle picture shows where the floor of the amphitheater was before it collapsed.  The underground was a labyrith of walls and chambers.  There were lifts with counter weights and trap doors into the arena for the various animals that were fought.  The amphitheater was used up untill about 600 A.D.  The Christian leaders were not fond of the type of games that were played in the arena and eventually they were stopped.  There were naval games played here as well but there was too much leaking into the ground level seats, so the naval games were moved else where in Rome.  It is said that up to 80,000 people could sit and watch an event here, but you had to sit in your class or be arrested.  Virtually no women watched the games except for the vessel virgins who were allowed to sit with the aristocrats.

This statue of the she-wolf with Remus and Romulus was spotted up and in the back of the Forum.

We made a quick trip to the Vatican.  The wait into St. Peter's Basica was about 3 hours long, so Mom and Dad were out voted 3 - 2.  We ate a delicious lunch and headed back to the Hotel.  Where now we sit and relax!   Getting ready for our next meal!



Oh did I mention, I love points!  POINTS, POINTS, POINTS!!!  If it wasn't for our points we wouldn't even be able to walk by this hotel let alone go into the lobby, but alas we have points!  Check it out!

Parthenon, Gyro & Museum

Athens in a Day!  I don't recommend it!  BUT DON'T PASS UP THE FOOD!!!
1st - shuttle to city center, Athens & ruins
2nd find ruins
3rd tour ruins (oh, ruins not closed because of holiday, but it's free today!  that's good & bad!)
4th EAT Gyros (yea, finally!)
5th shop!  Really watch your kids here, there's some stuff you don't want them to see!
6th subway to museum
7th museum (free too, but closes at 3, we got there at 2:15, how happy were our kids you ask? They wanted it to close at 2 ; D)
8th find subway and then tram to outer Greece
9th wait for bus to take us to hotel...... wait some more, wait some more, wait some more.......
10   YEA BACK TO HOTEL

Erechtheion - the building behind the kids 4th century bc,  Where Poseidon left trident mark and where Athena planted an olive tree as a gift to Athens, providing them with trade & wealth.  (Have you had a Greek olive?)  The tree is the one above Abby.  Cool, huh!

More olive tree, up close.
Today, because it was free, the ancient site was SWAMPED with people!  This ancient site dates back from 500 - 100 bc.  You may wonder why the ancient sites in Egypt look better and more discernable.  Most of the ancient Egyptian sites were covered in sand for over 2500 years.  It is only until the last 2 centuries that those ruins exsist, whereas this ancient site in Greece has been exposed the entire time.  Despite the wear, it is a magnificent site to behold!

Lots of restoration work.

We're getting pretty good at these photos.  I know how it looks but he is really far from the opening.  But do check out the most important keystone!

Did I mention GYRO!?

 and diet coke, of course!  Sorry honey but I'm having onions! And finally Posidon!

Can we leave now!!!?

Full day!  Off to Rome tomorrow!

Happy Easter Everyone!

We did not do any touring today, we did not walk anywhere today.  We ate and read and swam and then ate some more.  There is an indoor pool here and Michael is in Heaven!

some more ACTION shots!

Bob's not really sleeping!  That'll be the day!  & yes Chris has sucked a plastic cup onto his chin & yes now he has a purple goutee!  HAHAHA!!

the first Greek God Statue siteing!  That is Achilles and Athena!

Nice car lady!  Do you have room for another!!!

View from our Room!

Abby is a Demi God, Poiseden's daughter

We are in Greece.  In a lovely hotel just off the Mediterranean.  We flew over the Aegean sea and all Abby could say was "Do you think we will find Theseus father, King Aegean?   This is his tomb you know!"  Smarty pants!  I hate to say it but Greece is all Abby has talked about for the last 4 months and now we're finally here!  She has already gone swimming in the Sea.  It was too cold for the rest of us.

We sit down at a restaurant in the hotel and look at what is on Abby's plate!  Can you believe it!

Poseidon on her plate!  Shocking!  Does she look excited?  huh.... She didn't want to let her plate go.

Now to tell you about our big mistake..... I told you that Abby's really looking forward to exploring Greece and the history of the mythology.  Yea, well, This is a BIG weekend in Greece, it's Easter.  

Tonight at 11pm is a mass commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then at midnight the buffet begins with fireworks and partying all night, then Greece shuts down Sunday and Monday!  Shuts down, nothing open (that's some kind of hangover!).  Anyway, we're not planning on being hung over, and we have a few things we'd like to do whilst here!  We leave Tuesday morning....... Can they close the Parthanon?  Yep, they can, I hope we can change a few things.

Here's some funny photos!!! It's a really nice hotel and all we have is travel clothes and a 12 year old who pretends to be 12!  He didn't like the fineal at the end of the rail!

As you can see there were a few Poisedon's at our table.  But Abby's was the first to notice!  I was checking to see there were clothes on the drawings.  Have you seen "Bird Cage", with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane?  I was just checking!

 

Our last Ancient Egyptian site!

Abu Simbel is where there are temples dedicated to Ramses II and his wife Nefertiti, (ahem, built by Ramses II).  This ancient was built by Ramses for the Nubian people to get to know him better.  But in the 1960's a HUGE dam was built up river.  When the dam was completed, the people of Egypt realized that this temple would be under water, never to be seen again.  So they moved the ancient site!!!  Can you believe it?  They lifted these 2 temples, there are large rooms inside (we were not allowed to bring a camera), 30 meters up and over.  There are many amazing things about this temple, but the most amazing is they the ancient Egyptians situated the Temple so that the sun would shine on 3 of the 4 statues inside on 2 dates of the year.  The significance is not understood.  When the temple was moved, the movers, by chance were able to perserve the direction of the sun rays on the 2 very same days.

The picture on the right shows the original spot of where the Temples were.  The water area to the right.

The statues are over 20 meters high.  Can you see Michael's favourite tie dye shirt!  We are going inside.

These temples were originally carved into the sand stone next to the Nile river but now this is what is on the other side of the temple.  A Large dome was built over the site to preserve it.

We said a sad good bye to our guide, Hassan.  He made our trip so wonderful.  He studied Ancient History and now gives tours to all the ancient site.  Hassan was with us for all of our Egyptian adventures and sites.  We told him about April Fool's day in North America and he played a trick on the kids and we all laughed.  We also have a tradition when we visit a Dam that we take advantage of adding "dam" as an adjective regarding anything surrounding the dam.  Hassan thought that was very fun as well.  I thought Chris was clever with the "dam" adjective, but Hassan had us in stitches!  We will miss you Hassan!  Best wishes to you and your family! 

Aswan, more ancient ruins and a Dam.

The Nile river is B E A uuuutiful here in Aswan!  You can really see why the early people settled here.  The fertile shore and the beautiful river.  The sun is stifling hot, but the shade is so pleasant.

Today we visited a few more sights and are winding down to our Egyptian departure tomorrow.  We will be headed to our most southern destination.  Abu Simbel where colossal statues up to 20 meters high are located.  These statues are for Ramses II.  Last stop.

But I'm ahead of myself.  Today, the kids are lack luster and would like to vege.  We went on a boat ride that was suppose to be 2 hours, we told our guide Hassan 1.5 hour and thankfully we finished in 45 minutes.