Tuesday, May 24, 2011

May 23rd-Sorrento & Pompeii, Italy


Mt. Vesuvius
      It is 79 A.D. It's 1:00 pm in the afternoon. Seven miles away, downwind, the earth shakes, the sky darkens and within hours, the entire town of Pompeii is engulfed in sulfuric gases that suck the oxygen from every living thing on the ground. An estimated 23,000 people perished, though only 2,000 have been "found" under the 75 feet of volcanic ash that blanketed the area for the better part of two millennium. When carefully unearthed, the volcanic ash tombs had formed perfect encasements which preserved life as it desisted. Around living beings, it cocooned bodies with every detail, as they decomposed inside. When found, several of these cocoons were carefully refilled with plaster to re-embody their long lost souls.


This young slave boy whose teeth have been eerily and perfectly preserved, speaks to us through the ages, of his agony of being chained to the wall  during the lunch and siesta hours.









This young pregnant girl died trying to shield herself

Beautiful temple remnants were unearthed. This bronze statue of Apollo found intact.




The Brothel

The Bakery
     Life rambles on...just twenty miles down these Roman roads, Sorrento swirls with the colors and aromas of eternal Italy. Our guide points out the 5 pm traffic of workers returning to work from their "siestas." No Problems! I'm not sure the European Central Bank sees it that way, but a good argument for that "Que Sera" attitude that makes life more fun around here.

Some gnocci ala Sorrentino (baked with homemade mozzarella and fresh tomato sauce) a glass of wine and sit in the main square to people watch all evening. 

   Sorrento boasts the powerful liquor and digestive Limoncello, made from these giant native lemons.

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