Pompeii
Lots of ruins surrounded us in Pompeii. Don't ask me to identify any of them.
Mount Vesuvius seemed to follow us around wherever we went while we were in Pompeii. You'd think the people of Pompeii would have taken a hint, but they didn't -- at least not until 79AD.
More ruins.
As we were gawking at the impressive ruins, we felt a presence behind us and turned around. There was Mt. Vesuvius still following us.
We went indoors to try to hide from Vesuvius. Walls were decorated with partially restored ancient decorations.
The vegetation the citizens of Pompeii grew still occupy some of the grassy fields. These certainly included lemon trees.
This served as a stage for the Rolling Stones in ancient Rome. They're that old.
A great courtyard for the potato sack races.
Pompeii was a dog town. Let me tell you, these stray dogs were everywhere, perfectly healthy and happy. We saw no food, so it's a mystery as to where these canines chowed down. I caught this dude in a picture as he trotted by. Note the position of the ears. Anyone who knows about dogs can tell that the dog was not about to rabidly leap at me.
Try to find Miller, camouflaged in the ruins.
Be grateful for the comfort of plastic seating next time you go to a stadium and complain.
Citizens of ancient Pompeii lined the streets long ago. Now, Pompeii is populated with just as many people, but they're all tourists.
And dogs. This one found a shady spot and no doubt wanted peace and quiet.
More ancient decorations unearthed on the ceilings of Pompeii's buildings.
The citizens of Pompeii were encased in volcanic ash, their eternal poses preserved as they rotted away. Archaeologists later filled these ash encasements with plaster, recreating ancient trauma.
It really stinks when volcanic ash prevents you from reaching the toilet.
I believe these little piles served as heat sinks. Normally I see them around bathhouses, so that's probably what these were for.
Much of Pompeii's artwork was sent off to museums around the world. All that remains in Pompeii are giant stickers on black plastic slates somewhat replicating what was there.
Many works of art remain, however, and often are protected by plastic sheathes, as shown.
Another dog, completely tame, just sitting there chilling out as you pass by. It's possible every so often he eats a small child, which would explain a lot.
Here was the obvious money-shot we found along the way. We were at a walkway that seemed made for taking this picture. In fact, there were signs saying "Scenic view", "Take picture here", "Instant post card". Keep in mind, Mt. Vesuvius is still following us.
Brainzzzzz....
Okay, I'm a dorky zombie. I'll still eat your brains, dammit.
More restored painted walls. Pompeii residents oft seemed to prefer simple, small decorations that floated on spacious white walls.
This is actually a mind-bogglingly intricate mosaic.
The shade from the ancient ruins sharply contrasted with the sunny courtyards and grass fields.
More ruins, decorated with terracotta jugs.
Bronze statues of angry little animals decorated these ruins.
During this picture, I no doubt was realizing how much my feet hurt. Pompeii was big. It took a while to reach the other side of Pompeii, where we saw fairly modern buildings, perhaps belonging to the dogs' caretakers. Who knows. After Pompeii, we made an on-the-fly decision to try visiting Mt. Vesuvius.