my life is an experiment: Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, Naples, Paestum

Buongiorono everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but don't worry, I have nearly 100 pictures in this post! The week consisted mainly of homework and presentations and more homework, so nothing too exciting happened until I left for my weekend in Pompeii and Naples on Friday. We left at the crack of dawn on Friday and went straight to Mount Vesuvius where we hiked up a super long and steep trail to get to the very top. Besides walking 17 miles in one day last week (or was it the week before?), this was definitely the most physically challenging thing I have ever put my body through. It was in the 90s, there was no wind, and the trails were very steep and easy to slip on. I honestly wasn't sure I was going to make it to the top! But alas, I did, and the view made it completely worth the physical exhaustion it took to get there. I learned a lot about the volcano from our tour guide, about the magma chamber underneath and the basic biology of a volcano. The last time Mount Vesuvius erupted was in 1944, so fairly recently, which I think made us all just slightly uneasy. Nothing to worry about though because a team of volcanologists monitor the activity daily and will be able to predict the next eruption. So we got the top and ate our lunch then made our way all the way back down to board the bus and go to the hotel. Because the roads were so curvy, I ended up getting sick on the bus (big surprise... oh wait, it's not), and we had to pull over so I could go puke outside. Then I got to sit in the very front seat that looks exactly like a baby seat. My feet didn't even touch the ground. Pathetic, I know. So besides getting sick, I had a great experience with Mount Vesuvius!

The next day, we woke up early again and made our way to the ancient city of Pompeii. It was so amazing to be in a place that was so historical and so famous. Everyone knows about the eruption that killed nearly 20,000 people in 79 A.D., it is one of the most (if not the most) famous volcanic eruption in history. It was great to see the architecture and how they lived back in that time. I think pictures speak louder than words, so I'll let you look through them instead of me trying to explain everything.

Later that night, we went to Paestum, which is the site of ancient Greek ruins. The temples were from 500-450 B.C., which is crazy old. One of the temples was dedicated to Athena and the other two were dedicated to Hera. The second temple we went to is one of the most well-preserved Greek temples in the entire world and attracts a lot of tourism because of it. It's amazing that since Italy is so prone to earthquakes, this temple has stood standing and is in such good condition.

Earlier today, we went to Naples (Napoli in Italian), where pizza was invented! Besides being the birthplace of my all-time favorite food, this city was my favorite because of its panoramic views of Mount Vesuvius and the Mediterranean. It's built into a mountain and the architecture is just truly too beautiful to put into words. There were times today that my breath was literally taken away because I had never seen something so beautiful in my entire life. The water was a perfect shade of blue, the sun was beating down, and the most beautiful city I have ever seen was right in front of me. It was dream-like. So after we went on a tour, we got free time to explore on our own so my friends and I went to get pizza (obviously) in the place that invented pizza! I had delicious Margherita pizza made with mozzarella from water buffalo (we have cows, they have water buffalo). I also learned that Italy's flag, which is comprised of green, white, and red stripes symbolizes the basil, mozzarella, and tomato sauce used in pizza. That's amazing! Their flag was crafted after the most delicious and perfect food in all of the world! As if I wasn't in love with Italy enough... But anyway, I'm so tired so I'm going to head to bed. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to comment or message me or whatever you need to do, but I will definitely answer any and all questions! I go to Paris next weekend, so even more pictures to come! Goodnight and thank you for reading!

Mount Vesuvius

The gravel path we walked up to Mount Vesuvius

View of Naples and the Mediterranean

It's hard to see, but there's steam rising up out of this

This is what the inside of the volcano looks like... Not what I expected

A stray dog I met living on Mount Vesuvius

The view from my hotel room

Pompeii

The outside of Pompeii

This is where the gladiators used to practice

Large outdoor amphitheater

This used to be a shop

The garden of a rich house

Original mosaic flooring

This was used to collect rain water

A painting of the man that lived in the house

Bones from people that lived in Pompeii

They used terracotta and lead pipes

The stones that are risen were used to walk across because the sewage rain in the streets

This was in a prostitute house, the paintings are original and depict different sex positions

Prostitutes apparently didn't care about comfort because they used stone beds

Some of you may laugh about this, but penises were sacred to the Romans. They symbolize good luck and fortune, so penises were carved into all of the stones and into the ground.

Another penis on the road

View of Mount Vesuvius from Pompeii

This was a fish and meat market

The moment you've all been waiting for... Yes, these are real. The eruption that wiped out Pompeii in 79 A.D. in a matter of hours managed to capture the emotions going through the people as they were suffocating to death. They were obviously reaching out for help and if you could see their faces, their mouths were open as they were trying desperately to breathe.

Lunch at Pompeii

Greek Temples of Paestum

This is a Greek temple from 450 B.C. dedicated to the Greek goddess, Athena

There are weddings everywhere here!

The gladiators entered the arena through this

The animals that the gladiators would fight were kept in this

This is one of two Greek temples dedicated to the goddess Hera. It is one of the most well-preserved Greek temples in the entire world. It was built in 450 B.C. and has managed to withstand countless earthquakes since that time.