last stop

We visited Pompeii on our third day in Italy so it really was not the last stop. It did mark the first time I posted on the blog from there (see 11/6) and actually, I wrote while riding the bus to the ruins. It was a very rainy morning and if I remember correctly, Capri was the scheduled destination; it was not a day to be on the water, so our tour guide made some last minute changes to the itinerary. I was so excited about going to Pompeii because I couldn’t imagine anything surviving being buried under volcanic lava. I just had to see for myself. When I stepped off the bus, I felt tingly like I did in Egypt when I stood before the remarkable remains of cities, tombs, etc. from a time that I really could not fathom. I was anxious to walk the grounds and became quite alarmed when I heard some murmurs about the site probably not opening to tour due to the rain. No way! But I snapped as many pictures as I could from outside the locked gates just in case…

…and indeed the site was closed at least for the morning, so we left for Naples and when we came back in the afternoon, the sun was beaming…so was I…

…I found these completely in tact mosaic floors to be incredible and was amazed that they used the replication of a dog to tell people that animals lived in the home…

…and these countless artifacts on shelves, walls and the floor took my breath away, especially when I noticed the body of a man, and truly made me think of the great museum in Egypt…

…I couldn’t help but take some photos of the surrounding area because like Egypt, the site was in the midst of regular life, something that always felt strange to me…imagine looking at fashion-forward laundry hanging out to dry, modern day restaurants, and contemporary buildings while standing on the remains of things built thousands of years before…kind of like a mind you know what…

…and before we leave, let’s take a look at what created this historic location…

…Mt. Vesuvius was looking quite peaceful when I snapped that last photo and I do have to say that the one disappointment for me was the day we were to climb to the mouth of the volcano…we road all the way to the place where we begin the 15 minute walk and it started to rain…back on the bus before it got muddy and we were not able to reschedule…bummer (I got over it!)

I hope you have enjoyed the visit to the Amalfi Coast as seen through my eyes as our stroll through Pompeii is the last of the photos I will post from this vacation…ciao, at least for now, so...

keep your peepers open!®

benvenuti!

Though I could not speak the language, I moved about easily at each location we visited in Italy. I roamed with and without purpose, explored and was intrigued whenever I came upon a place that seemed to welcome a photo but left me wondering what was behind what I took. Take these doorknobs. As my hand traveled over each one, I was tempted to turn or pull them, find out who lived there… 

  

 

  

…my favorite was from the Roberto Cavalli shop (which fortunately or unfortunately depending upon how I look at it, was closed the day I came under the spell of this huge prism and took one perfect shot) that has now come to symbolize endless possibilities due to its resemblance to a huge sparkling crystal ball of color.

Because so many places I visited in Italy were in the hills, there were countless entranceways and alleys with staircases and paths leading to I wondered where. I was drawn to the curve of an arch, began to become a little obsessed with trying to capture the shadows and finally started to formulate my own stories about what was beyond the gate, up the steps, or behind the door...

…so it only seemed fitting that when I was fortunate enough to find an artist in his shop, I was drawn to a bin with several of his pastels similar to the pictures I had taken…I finally uncovered the one that each time I look at it, takes me back… 

 ...until the next time…

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b&w and brown

There were moments while in Italy when I felt as if I was suddenly transported back in time and I’m not referring to when we walked the ruins of Pompeii. What I mean is I noticed how the decay and moss on some of the buildings and pottery gave those objects an old-world feel…

And then there were scenes that asked to be seen in black and white…

…or some shades in between.

 

But perhaps this is my favorite as so much about the Amalfi Coast including the art captured a piece of my heart. There's still more to see so…

keep your peepers open!®