Pompeii and Beyond--by Sela

Story by Sela, pictures and captions by Kelli

Today we started off at Oplontis, the villa of the second wife of the emperor Nero. We explored the site and especially enjoyed seeing the frescoes on the walls. This was more intact than other places that we have visited, so it gave us a better idea of what these villas would look like as we were walking through it.

Villa Poppaea in Aplontis

Our second stop today was Pompeii. Out of all the ruins and museums we have visited, these were probably the most intact. Walking through the city, we were able to see for ourselves the detail and layout of a town from this time. This was the first time we were able to walk through architecture that looked so similar to the way it did when it was being used. Because it was so much better preserved, it gave us a better idea of what ancient Roman towns were like. 

My favorite part of this was the gladiator barracks. Because the city is so well-preserved, we recognized what they were right away, and I liked how we could actually look inside the rooms and see exactly how big they were when they were being used.

Pompeii:

Mt. Vesuvius 

The Dog of Pompeii 

Vibrant Frescoes

Then we visited the ruins of Cuma, a Greek colony that the Romans eventually took. I found these to be really interesting because Vergil wrote about this place in the Aeneid, which is what my Latin class is reading now.  I liked how this was so relevant to what we are learning, and it was really cool to be able to see places that the book is referencing. 

Cuma, near an opening to The Oracle Sybil's Grotto. 

Translating with Trevor

The view from the Acropolis. 

Monday in Naples--by Becca

Story by Becca, photos and captions by Kelli

Our first full day in Naples was a major relief from public transportation. We were all extremely appreciative of the charter bus which drove us to various sites in Naples. The day started at the Naples Museum with a scavenger hunt designed by Trevor. This gave us a chance to explore art from places such as Rome and Pompeii.  

On the scavenger hunt. 

Lauren checks out the original bust of which there is a replica that she sees

each day in her Latin classroom at Overlake. 

An ancient "beware of dog" sign in mosaic. 

The intricate mosaics in the museum's collection (like the one above) were breathtaking. 

After that, we grabbed a "quick" snack which for a few of the guys turned into a full meal. While searching for food, I noticed how few people speak English in Naples in comparison to Rome. 

A quick break at a cafe for a pastry while we wait for our next tour reservation in the Naples Underground. 

Next, we headed onto a tour through the underground city. In the first portion, our tour guide led us through an ancient Roman aqueduct which served as bunkers for Italians to escape the bombing of the city during World War II. By candlelight, we squeezed through the narrow pathways and learned about the history of the aqueduct. 

How the slaves excavated the aqueduct block by block. 

Teacher selfie #2, this time 30 meters below ground. 

The second portion of the underground tour led us through a Roman theater which was discovered in the cellar of an old woman's apartment. That experience put into perspective how ancient ruins are still being found to date. 

To top of the first half of our day, we enjoyed a delicious lunch, where we got a taste of the famous Neapolitan pizza.

Pizza!

Eating at the Villa

So far the homemade meals at the Villa have been remarkable! At the end of dinner last night, Harry opted for fruit for dessert--plucked straight off the trees that surround the Villa Vergiliana.  

On the Bus to Naples

Trevor warms up the audience on the way to the Naples Museum this morning, then Caleb presents the history of the city to start our visit there. 

Cappuccino Accounting

Cappuccino, hot chocolate and pastries made for a quick snack break between our morning activities in Naples. 

From Rome to Naples on Sunday--by John

Story by John 

Today we entered the second half of our trip by making the journey from Rome to Naples on a bus ride full of many adventurous stops. We started with an early morning and set off to Hadrian's Villa, which was around an hour drive from the Casa La Salle. Although it was beginning to rain at this point the villa was still beautiful. This villa was not just a typical Roman vacation house, but the permanent residence of the emperor Hadrian. When he moved out of the city, the villa was turned into a hub for the empire's political operations outside the walls of Rome. This site, one of the largest we have visited, housed beautiful gardens, artificial lakes still stocked with fish and turtles, expansive libraries, luxurious guest houses (with beautiful mosaic floors), and a theater. Most of these buildings designed by Hadrian, an aspiring architect, himself. 

Photos of Hadrian's Villa:

After Hadrian's Villa we continued on our way to Naples and stopped at a truck stop for lunch. It was not a normal American truck stop, but a large grocery store connected to a really tasty restaurant. When the group saw Angus burgers on the menu it was an obvious decision after a week living off of pizza and pasta. The grocery store even had foot long chocolate bars for 4 euros (I am learning chocolate is a staple in this country). 

The most delicious truck stop ever.

After lunch we stopped at Sperlonga where we visited Tiberius' grotto. The rain's intensity increased from a mist into a downpour as we made an exciting run across the beach from the bus to the grotto. Tiberius' villa surrounding the grotto did not seem well persevered but the cavern itself was really cool to explore. Originally we planned to swim in the Mediterranean from the beach near the grotto, but not in this weather. The Mediterranean looked more like the Pacific we see from Seattle with intimidating big waves. Although the weather was anything but beach weather, Sperlonga still looked picturesque with white apartments and open restaurants lining the coast.

From there we made the last leg of our bus ride to our newest home, Villa Virgiliana. After a day full of rain the sun broke through the clouds the moment we arrived at the villa. It was a very pretty site best not described but seen in the picture below. 

Photo by John

The rest of the day was spent exploring this incredible villa with its comfy library, fortress like roof, and surprisingly fun makeshift ping pong table. 

To end this great day was a great homemade meal from the villa: lasagna, veal, salad, grilled eggplants, and Easter pastiera (a traditional Italian cake made with ricotta cheese and fruit).

Now settling into the Villa Virgiliana I am excited and motivated to take on the second half of this already incredible trip.