Pompeii Enroute to the ferry to take us to Greece, we stopped off at Pompeii, a city famous for being buried by Mount Vesuvias eruption in 79AD. Standing on the ground that was once buried by volcanic ash was a pretty amazing feeling. The fact that this entire city was preserved so well under all the rock and has been excavated, and is still being excavated, is a testimony to the way that buildings were built to last in those times. I was familiar with the story of Pompeii but being there, made it all the more real. To imagine that people were going out there everyday lives when suddenly the mountain started erupting, something they would never have seen or heard of before. The fear and terror they must have felt seeing the fire rise out of the mountain, to have the sun blacked out and the city in darkness, to hear the rocks and ash landing on their roofs, to be slowly dying from the poisonous gases, all within the space of one day. It really is not something we could ever understand. One of the amazing things about Pompeii is how they have been able to piece together who lived and worked in some of the places, and what the buildings were. The markings on the streets and buildings has helped this, but everything else must have involved so much research - and that I can appreciate! I was able to walk into a brothel, to see the stone beds that the women slept on, designed to keep the men there for only a little time; to see what was once a bakery with it's oven still intact; to see houses of the rich and the poor. It was quite an educational moment. There is one section within the town where the archaeologists have put items they've found still intact - plates, cups, jewels, and other items. And there, you will also find the body of a woman who is pregnant, a very moving sight. There are other bodies preserved perfectly also, but it is that pregnant woman who makes you realise just what was lost. We were given a guided tour around Pompeii but unfortunately; our guide wasn't very good which was a big disappointment. She did however manage to provide the tour group with some phrases that were said throughout the rest of the trip. Firstly there was the inflextion she put on the word "contiki" (imagine contiiiiiiiki) which was how she called to us to follow her. There was the infamous "mama mia!" moment (it sounded so funny to actually hear an Italian say it!) and then the very strangely worded "hurry up but take your time". And then of course, she inspired the dumb ass comment of the trip by Steve from Melbourne. After explaining to us that the city had been buried by ash from the volcano, Steve pipes up with "So what happened here? Like a war?" I will remember Pompeii for those few funny comments but more for the moving experience of being able to see what remains of this city, and to imagine how it once was. To anyone going to Italy, this is an absolute must do and it is something that I will always remember. After leaving Pompeii, we headed along the almalfi coast to the port town on Brindiski. The views we saw were similar to those in the picture at the top.