We signed up for a tour of Pompeii. I have wanted to visit the archeological site for years.  But since the tour was from Rome we spent most of the day in a car coming and going, and the actual tour proved to be too superficial.

Still, even the little we could see was fascinating.

Pompeii was a Greek city, since the Greeks settled the coast of Italy from Naples south.  It was only a Roman city for about 250 years.  Sitting at that time right on the sea it was an important port city. 

As everyone knows it was buried under volcanic ash about 2000 years ago by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius.  Most of the 25,000 inhabitants escaped.

Some things that surprised me.

The city was badly damaged by an earthquake a few years before the eruption and was still being repaired when the eruption occurred.   It was buried pretty deep.  In this photo you can see the depth looking at this only partially excavated villa.

The layout of the city was surprisingly modern.  There were open spaces, municipal government buildings, judicial buildings. 

The lifestyle for the 50% that were not slaves was also pretty modern.  They had fancy houses.

Also fast food restaurants, markets, bakeries, etc.  Here are some pictures of a neighborhood bath.

Also, the city was not a dinky little village, but covered two square miles. 

There are some interior decorations still at the site but most have been taken to a museum in Naples.

Again, this is only a simple introduction.   You may want to search for more pictures and information, which can be easily accessed.

I will be posting some photos and comments from Rome soon.  Thanks for coming along.