From: Hicken, GarrySent: Mon 5/16/2011 11:40 AMSubject: Pompeii
Hello All
I’d tell you all how nice it is to see all of you and to be back at work but I really hate lying! I’d really prefer to still be in Italy, eating Gelato, seeing sites, and in general, doing next to nothing. But apparently Sunnybrook won’t keep paying me unless I show up for work so there you have it. I’m back for another 6 months or so until I can earn enough money to allow Joani and me to take off again. I figured that people had probably seen and heard enough of Italy from me while I was gone, but to my surprise some people actually told me that they were disappointed not to hear from me in my last few days over there and asked if I could send out some pictures of our time in Pompeii. So that is what this Email will be. Some photos of Pompeii and Herculaneum. While most of you are aware of Pompeii, Herculaneum is a smaller town that was also taken unaware when Vesuvius blew its top. Unlike Pompeii, Herculaneum wasn’t burned, but buried under a mudslide of ash. So the destruction wasn’t as complete and actually left a better idea of what life was like 2 thousand years ago. I will tell you that if you haven’t been there, walking along streets of cities and towns that existed 2000 years ago, treading on cobblestones that were once driven on by chariots. The whole concept was surreal. While I was there touring these places I would occasionally close my eyes and try to Imagine what life was like back then. It was easier than you would think when I was right there. I have said before, I am very happy to be Canadian, living in the time I live. But to go there and be a Roman for a day!! It was quite exciting.
I have sent a picture of an outdoor theatre and the small woman in the center is Joani.
This is to give you a concept of the size of this place. It was for live theatre and could hold 20,000 people with preferred seating for the senators and an actual box seat for the emperor if he was to visit. There is also a photo of a tiled mosaic that was on the floor of a woman’s bath and was breathtaking.
The next picture I also found very cool. These are the lunchtime cafes or fast food joints that existed 2000 years ago. Think MacDonald’s without the burgers. The holes in these granite topped counters would be filled with hot coals, and pots of prepared foods would sit on top keeping warm. Since it was a café anyway, I asked Joani to go in to make me some lunch. All she could come up with was a drink of water.
The 4th and 5th pictures are of Herculaneum.
Hopefully they give you some perspective on how deeply this ancient town was buried under the modern day town of Ercolano.
The last photo has a story all of its own. We had spent a 2 or 3 hours roaming around Herculaneum and were amazed by a ton of things. The wall paintings or frescoes that they had 2000 years ago! The tile mosaics on the floors and walls! The gardens, baths and architecture as well as the lifestyles they led in general. It was an incredible history lesson and we were awed by it all. But after 2 to 3 hours we were fairly tired, it was getting late in the day and we were ready for dinner and our hotel room. But as chance would have it, just as we were getting ready to leave an Italian tour guide who seemed to be taking two other people on a much more extensive tour than we had been taking, moved a couple of barriers away from a restricted area to take his small tour of 2 people to an area that was off limits. He saw me and waved me to follow along. Of course Joani’s first reaction was “don’t go there, you’ll get in trouble”. Easiest way to get me to do anything, so I followed along. This tour guide moved another barrier made of rope and led us into a tunnel about 12 or 15 feet deep where I saw the Doric column that I took the picture of.
As soon as I took the photo I had an epiphany. It hit me like a ton of bricks and rather than turning around, I backed out the 12 or 15 feet of the tunnel. When I got to the entrance I took two more steps backwards and looked straight up. I had been standing directly under a modern day (200 year old) 12 story apartment building. That tour guide had brought me into a tunnel that led directly under the town that was built on top of Herculaneum 1800 years later. I was absolutely stunned. I had never completely understood archaeology before that moment. If you are a history buff like I am you can understand what I was feeling at that moment. Tired as I was, I couldn’t leave quite yet. I stood there looking at all these old houses, gardens, baths, everything else and just drank it all in. Think about it for just a minute. A modern day house is built to last 40 or 50 years. Just add 1950 years give or take and that is what I was standing in the middle of. I’m feeling quite young right now.
Can’t wait for my next holiday. Maybe in a couple of years; France!
Adieu
Garry
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