Back in battery, kinda…

Home again from the latest trip, butt draggin…


I’m getting too old for these 18-19 hour days and multiple airports in multiple countries…


I will say security in Europe is ‘higher’ than the last trip, both in Italy and Germany.  Don’t know if it’s a bad case of nerves, or there are real issues out there we’re not hearing about…


I finally completed the ‘triple’ of Vesuvius, Pompeii and now Herculaneum (nee Ercolano), all three are distinctive, but significantly different.  We snuck out yesterday afternoon and hopped a train down to Herculaneum (1/2 hour South of Naples).  It was buried in 50-60 FEET of lava over the course of the Vesuvian eruption in 79AD, unlike Pompeii.  They’ve been digging there since 1709, so quite a few things have ‘disappeared’…

 This pic is looking down from the top of 
the lava flow into the town itself…

This is the mosaic in the pool in the men’s bath house

And the mosaic from the women’s bath house

This is one of the conservators working on cleaning the glass mosaic of Neptune and Aphrodite
Interestingly, ALL of the mosaics on the floors throughout were black and white ’tiles’, but many of the wall mosaics were made of glass…

The construction and many sections of plaster and paint have been ‘saved’ to a certain extent, but it’s all decaying as has been for now 400 years.  They are trying to save as much as they can, but sadly I think it’s a lost cause.  It is WELL worth seeing if you get to Italy, as the colors used are significantly different than those in Pompeii.  

This pic is from the top of the lava flow looking back at Vesuvius, and it’s well over a kilometer to the ocean from here, but back in the day, I would have been about 100 yards out in the water! 

I put some other pics up HERE if anybody is curious…

I’m off to bed…

Comments

Back in battery, kinda… — 23 Comments

  1. Wonderful pictures. I really ought to try to get back to Naples and not work 16 hour days for a couple of months straight so I can take some time to go see the sights.

  2. WOW! Fantastic pictures. Maybe your ass is draggin’ but looks like it was worth it, if only to see those things for a few moments! Sleep well! 🙂

  3. Great pictures. Love the clouds over Vesuvius. You don’t hear much about Herculaneum. Were the people there able to escape? Doubt it with a 60 foot wall of lava.

  4. Glad you are home safe!

    And wow! all three of those are on my “bucket list” – so much envy! 🙂

    Pax

  5. DB- True, and you too can go sit on a fumarole and literally get smoke blow up your ass…LOL

    MC- Thanks

    Rev- Thanks

    ND- Some did, but over 300 were found down by the water in the boat storage area. All the boats had left and they had no place to go. But out of a population of 5000, that is small compared to Pompeii.

    Joe/FM- You’re welcome!

    WSF- Thanks!

    4Gs- thanks!

    Suz- Yes dear! 🙂

    Andy- Remember, cheap watch, hands in pockets to protect your wallet/money…

    MSgt- 🙂

    Pax- Do it! Especially if you like spaghetti… 🙂

  6. Italy is one place I haven’t been, but want to. My husband and I have planned 3 trips and family emergencies cancelled all.

    Great pictures!

  7. Julie- Thanks!

    Agirl- Sorry to hear that! 🙁

    PH- Yep, one can definitely walk one’s ass off at those three…

  8. I’ve never been to Italy, but from your pics it looks like a place to go to someday. It’s always been rare for me to be able to enjoy the sights while on travel.

  9. Neato!! 60-feet of lava at the boats on the beach, wow! You might have needed to be further out than 100-yards! I wouldda swum out a mile! Still hard to swim when the water is boiling…

  10. CT- Yeah, first time in about a year I’ve been able to ‘sneak’ off and see anything…

    DC- Yep, 100 yards = parboiled…

  11. DirtCrashr:

    The toxic cloud preceded the ash, and extended quite a ways out over the water. That’s why those people were still on the beach area. Doubtful any were able to outswim the gas front.

  12. Will- Good point! I believe, however, that the toxic cloud actually went South with the prevailing wind, rather than coming back North across Vesuvius.