Herculaneum and Pompeii—by Jake (Photos by Kelli)

Herculaneum

There are some places everyone has heard of. Locations and events that are universally known. Today, we encountered the wonder that is Pompeii. 

This morning I woke up in the Villa for the first time, which I found very pleasant. It truly is a home away from home; we all room adjacent to one another and spend quality time together. After eating breakfast, we left for Herculaneum on our exclusive charter bus. 

With this group, the journey is nearly as interesting as the destination. I was confused upon arriving in Herculaneum, seeing only the typical Italian scenery. Soon I realized that the whole excavated site lied as much as a hundred feet below ground level. 

Descending into the town, we explored the meandering streets, venturing into numerous villas and other edifices. It was astounding how well the buildings were preserved - there were still many visible frescos, mosaics and tiled floors decorating the households. 

Fast food Roman style 





Well-preserved mosaics 

Near the end we went to what once was the harbor of the city. We found many skeletons lying in the caves on the shore, waiting for rescue ships that never arrived. This was a somber reminder of the lives lost amidst the deadly chaos of the natural disaster. 

Driving once again, we found ourselves at the gates of once of the most famous sites in the world: Pompeii. After eating the lunch graciously prepared by the Villa staff, we went in. It was hard at first to appreciate the scale of the city. It was a entire Roman town, and we seemed to be able to walk around for hours without seeing the same place twice. Notable locations included: an arena that until the construction of the Colisseum stood as the largest amphitheater in Italy; a forum housing multiple temples, including an inspiring Temple of Jupiter; and the Villa of the Mysteries that, to the bewilderment of scholars of today, contains impressive visuals of the mysterious Rites of Dionysus. The whole time the imposing figure of Mount Vesuvius loomed in the distance.

Pompeii graffiti 

The more I wound through the maze of streets, the more vividly I could imagine the life of an ancient Roman. All the aspects of daily life were there in Pompeii, from the ornate home decorations, to the public kitchens, to the common baths. I felt a real connection to what life would have been like for them, which is amazing to consider. Additionally, Pompeii was not exactly what I pictured. While I thought it would be alone in the countryside, it was surrounded by modernity, its gates meters away from Italian homes. And again, I was simply caught off guard by how much it felt like a city instead of a collection of ruins. It exuded a powerful presence that more than lived up to all I had heard of the legendary city. Some of us noted that while the apocalyptic event was a terrible tragedy for the people of Pompeii, it was in a sense a gift for the rest of the world. So much of what we know about ancient Roman culture and history stems from our discovery of Pompeii. Although it came at a cost, the perfect snapshot of Roman life, preserved for millennia, remains invaluable to this day.

Tombs along the road to the Villa of the Mysteries 



Walls of the Villa of the Mysteries 

Following this, we returned to the Villa. Given an hour of free time, I soaked in the beautiful views of the Mediterranean from the roof, engaged in a lively ping pong showdown, and passed around a soccer ball on the expansive grounds. 

View from the roof deck of the Roman amphitheater below the Villa and Ischia Island in the Mediterranean. 





Will keeps up his soccer skills at the Villa during free time. 

Dinner came shortly after. I particularly am grateful for the excellent gluten-free food they prepared :) 

Now I rejoin my friends chatting happily downstairs, a rewarding end to an unforgettable day.