I just finished a bookkeeping marathon. Is it just me, or does Amazon try really hard to make their reports obtuse?
But enough about that – I’ve got to finish summarizing Italy! Let’s go to Pompeii:
Of all that we saw, I guess Pompeii left me feeling the most disappointed. I was really looking forward to seeing it, from a geological perspective as well as human tragedy. And really, it’s a very impressive site. It’s just so… touristy. It was so crowded, there were places we had to shuffle elbow-elbow through the streets. And there’s an entire village of vendors selling piles of generic crap from China, most of it centered around Pompeii’s “erotic position” tiles that were found in a brothel. Evidently this is the main attraction.
No, if you really want to see Pompeii, I suggest you sign on as a volunteer with the research teams still excavating and restoring the site. That would be cool.
The vendor issue bothered me throughout Italy. All the important places were overrun with these folks and their pitiful wares. I know – we all need to make a living. But it ruins the experience of seeing these beautiful places.
Sorry – end of rant. Here’s a final picture of Pompeii, with Vesuvius looming in the background. You can see they probably loved the beauty of their home. But wow – to me, this is chilling.
Marlene Dotterer 