This past Sunday I took a virtual walking tour of Pompeii, Italy. (To think I was within 150 miles of it when I visited Italy.) Thanks to Prowalk Tours for sharing a 5+hour tour of the city frozen in time.
Imagine the summer morning in 79 A.D., when Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the vibrant Roman city beneath tons of volcanic ash and debris. Pliny the Younger (a lawyer, author and magistrate of Ancient Rome) witnessed the cataclysm from across the Bay of Naples. He wrote, "Darkness fell, not the dark of a moonless or cloudy night, but as if the lamp had been put out in a dark room."
Pompeii was a bustling city of 10,000 residents. many who vanished under a blanket of ash. The thick ash turned everything black, people couldn't see the sun. Piles of ash fell as deep as nine feet, blocking doorways and caving in roofs. The layers of ash helped preserve buildings, artwork, and even the forms of bodies as they decomposed and left holes in the ash.
Based on what they uncovered, scientists believe that Pompeii was a prosperous town popular with wealthy vacationing Romans. Streets had sidewalks and stepping-stones to keep pedestrians out of the mud. There were public baths, an amphitheater, and two theaters where the people enjoyed plays.
For those who love to travel, these walking tours are informative, probably more so than an actual visit would be. Virtual traveling is safe, costs nada, is easy on the feet and can be watched in increments, if not all in one sitting. One of my Venny friends was to Pompeii, and she showed me a piece of ash she picked up when she was there. Yup, I held an actual part of that volcanic ash in my hand, and it made such an impression on me, I just had to see it for myself.
Note: At the time of the volcano eruption, the people of Pompeii had no idea that Mount Vesuvius was a volcano.
Here's the link to the Prowalk Pompeii Tour if anyone is interested in taking a stay-cation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUYJ8LbF1Ys
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