For our last day we woke early and took the train and subway to Naples and then to Pompeii.  It was definitely a long, terrifying, expensive excursion, but it was absolutely worth it.  I'd recommend definitely leaving really early, though, because the transportation system in this area is not marked well and we nearly missed our train when the ticket machine wouldn't cooperate with our credit card.   Also, watch you stuff.

There was a lump in my throat the entire time I was in the city of Pompeii.  Yes-- it was absolutely incredible, walking among the ancient world's most well preserved city, but the thought of the tragedy  was enough to make me almost sick.  The only reason this city still exists is because it was destroyed, buried for a millennia and seven centuries.Today the once-triangle shaped Mt. Vesuvius now lacks its tip after the fateful explosion in 79  A.D.  I was surprised to find out that 18,000 of the cities 20,000 had managed to evacuate on the first day, and the only reason the others died is because they stayed behind and were killed by the ash.  Still, 2000 people.



The Forum.  In the very back you can see Vesuvius, which is due to blow not too long from now.
Walking here I could only imagine how horrific it must've been for the beloved city to suddenly be plunged in darkness, in heat, in the cries of those who had no idea the mountain was a volcano.
Although it would've been neat to see an even more realistic view of how Pompeii once looked, they've taken away all furniture, pottery, statues, and other artifacts to protect from further destruction.  Unfortunately, although kept safe by the ash for such a long time, it's rediscovery in the 1700's has brought terrible disintegration of the town by looting and utter lack of management.    
I was utterly disturbed to find plaster molds of bodies among these shelves.  There was only two humans and one dog, and yet seeing the contorted forms of the dying frozen for eternity... this was enough to make one really think about their own mortality. 
Maybe it was just me, but it was so eerie.  And I swear to you there was a point when I was walking through one of the buildings and I just got this knot in my stomach, this feeling that someone died in the spot right behind you.
The front of this home reads "Beware of Dog" in Latin.
Inside the men's bathhouse.  The Pompeians were so clever that they designed the floor with mosaic tiles that would stay warm!  With an impressive plumbing system, they could supply themselves with all the water they needed for fountains, baths, etc.  Below you can see the giant stones in the middle of the road.  This is because the streets would be flooded in the morning to stay clean, and the citizens could simply cross by stepping stone.



 So just for kicks... I had this dream about a year ago that I was in Pompeii.  Usually the only dreams I remember are nightmares, all of which are largely based on emotion-- and let me tell you, this dream was emotional.  But when it started out, the catastrophe had yet to begin.  It was nighttime and there was a party going on, and I was sitting in the windowsill of one of the main buildings of the town square.  Call me a weirdo, but it was this windowsill. 



    After Pompeii, we headed back to Rome for one last night in the beautiful continent of Europe.  We walked around the Christmasy city with our gelato, soaking up the charm and the history but knowing that it certainly would not be our last time there.  It can't be.  It's too incredible.
It was a long twenty-four hour journey home {made better by the Amsterdam airport and the delicious food served by the Netherlands airline}, and it took me probably a week and a half to shake off the jet lag and go bed in the PMs.  But it was an adventure I will never forget.  I will forever look back on this trip as some of my favorite memories and greatest learning opportunities I've ever had.