"A Blast From the Past" Pompeii by sswagner

Italy is a nation with a variety of regions that all compete for the traveler's attention. Most people who go to this country realize that there is so much more to see and do than they are going to be able to accomplish on any given trip. We chose Pompei over Florence on our most recent trip to Italy. Just a couple of days before our visit here, we had seen Mt. Etna in Sicilia and learned what lava can do to homes and other assorted development plans. Now, it was time to learn what a volcano could do to an entire city. It was a tough choice between Pompei and Florence, but the mysteries of the ruins and the ominous lurking volcano were just too irresistable to pass up this time. So, we took the tour from Rome to Pompei. The drive took us down the coast through the beautiful Italian landscape. Vesuvius soon appeared and then the city of Naples. Once out of the traffic of Naples, we were at last heading to the objective. After completing the tour of Pompei, I felt that it was worth it. The only regret was that we did not have enough time here. Simply, the city is large enough that it takes more than a few hours to really get to see the extent of it. What we did learn was that the volcano inadvertently preserved the city, and it has become extremely valuable in the study of the ancient Romans. The appearance of the place is amazing and the story of what happened here is very interesting. Pompei has become famous thoughout the world due to the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD, but a real life visit to here will be a far greater experience than simply reading about it. To say the very least, this is a highlight of Italy.

• Pros:A vast ancient city that can be explored in many areas. Very scenic and very interesting, even to the casual historian.
• Cons:Could be in danger of being buried again someday (the mountain is still there)
• In a nutshell:Pompei is nothing short of a legend and a memorable visit.