Pompeii (Warning: Archaeological tangent ahead!)

For me, Pompeii was in fact one of the hardest posts to write, simply because it was so overwhelming. There was simply so much I saw, and it was such a large site, I hardly knew where to begin. Because of this I have decided to select my highlights, and talk only about specific things lest this post completely run away from me. 

Pompeii was a site that I had always wanted to visit, ever since I learned of its existence as a child (and soon decided that I was going to be an archaeologist - after discarding my prior chosen profession of a lady farmer - I was a strange child)

One of the hardest things I always find with archaeology is the monumental task of it. There is so much still to be discovered, so many artifacts to be sorted and categorized, and so many of them simply sit in storerooms gathering dust. There is simply too much material culture (and this is only with the small percent that has been discovered) to do anything with it. Museums take the shiniest, fanciest pieces, researchers will look at others, but the majority of it simply left in boxes. Lack of funding is the biggest problem of course and not one I see being solved in the near future.

 For now then, I shall content myself with peering through the bars, affording a glimpse into the enormous storerooms that lie neglected. 

The history of the excavation of this site is an interesting one, as it was discovered very early on in the profession of archaeology. One thing I don't want to do is go on about the history of this place (suffice to say in 79AD Mt. Vesuvius erupted, decimating the towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii, burying them so completely that they soon passed out of human memory.) Excavations  properly began in 1748 (which is really ridiculously early when you think of it and meant rather early techniques were applied) these were mostly at random with no plan or system in place and occurred sporadically over the years. (Indeed excavation at this point in time was more of a 'ooh something shiny! Keep it for the museum!' whilst throwing anything not eye-catching away, than the field we think of today). 

 The turning point in excavations at Pompeii was in 1863 when Giueseppe Fiorelli took over as head of the excavations, systematically exploring and documenting the site for the first time. Fiorelli is also the one who came up with concept of stratigraphy - working downwards through each archaeological layer, documenting each one and with the supposition that what was found lower down is older than the layers above. (Whilst not always true, this way of thinking is what most would call the beginning of modern archaeology)

Perhaps Fiorelli's most ingenious work however lies with the plaster casts of Pompeii. Excavators noticed hollows in the ash where human bones lay and realized these were the impressions left by people's bodies, long since decayed into nothing. Fiorelli therefore came up with the ingenious idea of pouring Plaster of Paris into these empty pockets. Once the ash around was removed, they were left with perfect replicas of people at the moment of their death, from their positions down to what sort of clothing they were wearing. In the 1980s another technique was developed using resin so as to make the cast transparent (and thus be able to see any jewelry within the cast) despite the advantage of this however, such a method is difficult and expensive to do, therefore it was unfortunately abandoned. (Oh Archaeology why are you never funded enough!?) 

Although 1,150 bodies were discovered at Pompeii, only 100 were preserved in plaster casts (a depressingly small number). What is interesting is what has been done with those remaining casts as new technology brings new discoveries all the time. In 2015 for example, CAT scans carried out on 30 of the casts revealed the excellent condition of their teeth as well as the fact that many of them suffered head injuries from falling rubble in the earthquakes accompanying the eruption. 

The Baths was probably my favourite building in all of Pompeii. Staring into the great basin with shafts of sunlight slicing the air in front of me made me feel like a real life Indiana Jones hunting for treasure in stunning archaeological ruins (minus the traps of course) this lasted until the hoards of tourists caught up with us and we had to flee (slightly less dramatic than Dr. Jones many escapes)

The brothel is always a popular tourist spot, and although I enjoyed looking around (stone pillows! That can't have been comfortable!) It was so packed that we soon fled in search of quieter places.

I expected to enjoy the villas however be fighting the crowds to see anything, and in this I was pleasantly surprised because they were empty. It was a long walk to them from the entrance of Pompeii and we had long left the tour groups behind, so perhaps it was for this that they were so quiet. Whatever the reason, I enjoyed wandering the rooms peacefully, taking in the shockingly colorful and well-preserved frescoes adorning the walls. 

Is anyone else reminded of hideous '70s style bathroom decor here?

I knew there was still much more we could have explored had we had more time, and even more buildings, roads and villas blocked off from the public which we would not have the opportunity to enter, however the day was getting late, and we were footsore and tired. Therefore instead we began to make our way back to the campsite, our icy cold bottles of Prosecco calling to us. I can without a doubt say Pompeii was worth the visit, and was indeed one of the most amazing archaeological sites I had ever been to. My lasting image of Pompeii in my minds eye is this one, the one grand buildings laid low, and Mt. Vesuvius still dominating the landscape, slumbering in the distance. It made me only too aware that it is simply sleeping, and could one day wake again.

To end on a lighter note, look at my feet! I have the unique ability of getting the dirtiest wherever I go (from flour on my elbows when I cook to toothpaste in my hair) and Pompeii was no exception, my feet so dusty my skin had changed colour! Yannick and Necia of course had no problems. How it happened is a mystery.

The Amalfi coast

One of the great things about the Amalfi coast (aside from the stunning views and beautiful beaches) is the culture of pastry; the history of the different delicious desserts from each town was amazing (and tasted pretty fantastic too!) Minori was our first stop, it was a cute town but it was mainly because of the bakery we had heard of there. Not only did they have delicious focaccia, but we also gorged ourselves on three different desserts! I felt extremely full but rather happy afterwards.

Although we saw many beautiful towns and views on the twisting roads on the cliff side, I simply sat back and enjoyed them therefore my next photos are from our stop in the town of Amalfi. It was a surprisingly small town for the fact that the entire coast is named after it, and I was sad to learn that although it had once been a maritime power and center of trade, in 1343 half of the town and its people sunk into the sea without warning when hit by an earthquake. 

However one of the surviving squares was dominated by the Duomo and retained its beauty of old, Saint Andrews Cathedral was built in the 11th century and was stunning to behold. 

After a lovely dessert from a bakery on the corner of the square (the candied chocolate orange slices were divine) we headed along the coast towards Sorrento until we were unexpectedly stopped in a traffic jam as above us a forest fire raged. We passed a burned out car and I wondered if it was the cause of the fire or simply a victim of it. 

Because of the traffic slowing us down we ended up deciding to stay in Sorrento, once named Surrentum by the Romans. Funnily enough we camped in the very same camping ground that I had stayed in when I first made my trip to Italy with my best friend. It was an odd feeling being back in the same place but having done so much since. We even wandered back to the very same quiet garden I had stumbled across with friend Shyla before.

I posed in the gardens to capture the same shot as last time, although here my legs look strangely more tanned than the rest of me (how does that happen?)

One of the most stand-out and unexpected things we saw here was the Valley of the Mills. Until I saw it I had no idea what to expect, but when I finally laid eyes on it, it was to realize I had seen it before, many times in fact! If you have every visited the website Pinterest and looked at ruins or abandoned buildings, this is one of the most popular photos you will see. And to think it was only a few steps from the main roads of Sorrento! These buildings once milled all the flour of the region taking advantage of a natural stream that ran through the valley, however this work was eventually shifted to nearby pasta mills and eventually these buildings were closed and left to be reclaimed by nature. 

Sorrento will always hold a special place in my heart (and not just because it was supposedly founded by Ulysses and Circe's son!) it is a place where every-time you turn the corner you discover something new, the food can be to die for (a restaurant of all things Bufala mozzarella, heaven!) and if you like limoncello it's produced here! There's something special about walking down that hill from the campsite towards the town, the lights and sounds of the harbor on one side, a tall cliff face with a small grotto carved into it on the other, illuminating a statue of Mary looking dolefully down at us. 

The Importance of Italy: Pastry and Duomo

Taking the ferry from Montenegro to Italy was hellish as expected, although unlike my ferry to Greece they didn't try and forbid us from sleeping in the corridors, thank goodness for small mercies. It felt so exciting to be back in Italy again! No matter where in the world I go, there is something special about Italy. The land of gelato, the best pizza in the world, crazy driving on mopeds (and just crazy driving in general) not to mention a plethora of history, ruins, smelly streets and beautiful beaches. You just can't help but smile in Italy.

The town of Salerno was our first stop, mainly for the deliciously pink dessert that originated from there called Scazzetta which involved - among other things - strawberries and cream and liqueur (you can't really go wrong with ingredients like that!) We then wandered to the Duomo (because Italy!) which was built in 1076 and had some interesting architectural styles. Look at those archways!

The small display of coffins and statues in the courtyard also caught my interest, and I spent some time wandering by each one admiring their relief work. (If only I could remember my Latin from University!)

And then we were off again, towards the Amalfi Coast!

Stari Bar (With a distinct lack of bars, how disappointing)

Our last stop before taking the ferry to Italy (our plans to go to Greece were foiled by border closings and immigrant problems) was at Stari Bar where we passed a pleasant afternoon waiting until we could board the boat.

For a town I had never even heard about (and nor apparently had anyone else judging by the lack of tourists) it was totally breathtaking. The town had a long and conflicted past, having changed hands a number of times from the Venetians to the Ottomans to a number of different powers, all of which have left their mark on the town, from Turkish baths to renaissance style buildings. 

Pillars like this is something I always look out for, as although I cannot say why, the engravings found on them whether they be pristine or tumbled over and forgotten always fascinate me, I feel like they are a facet of ruins that are often overlooked. 

The sun was beginning to set and we found the second half of our wandering somewhat rushed as we were beginning to run out of time. At the beginning I had not realised how large this site was, truly an entire town abandoned. 

Wandering down upturned cobblestoned lanes and into tumbledown buildings, we were free to explore as we wanted, and it was brilliant. The lack of other people also made it something special and unique to me. 

This awesome structure looked like it was something straight out of Lord of the Rings, a place where Frodo and Sam wandered the lost and beautiful land of Ithilien to carry the ring to Mordor. (Best seen in the extended edition of the movies of course!) 

And last but not least as we neared the exit of this ancient town, some rustling alerted us to this little guy who shyly made an appearance for us. What was he doing there? 

Kotor: Colossal cruise ships and Kittens (Couldn't we just steal one!?)

Kotor was invariably a tourist town, however it was still very enjoyable and filled with many cats. An outer defense wall and an impregnable looking fortress (much of which was built under Venetian rule) stood at the top of the hill however we decided we were too lazy to walk up and simply admired it from the bottom. 

The view looking across the valley just before entering the town also interested me, as it for some reason reminded me of the Tintin in Tibet comic - why I really have no idea. 

We soon stopped for lunch and enjoyed some rather nice grilled chicken, however the real crowd-pleaser were the kittens. Frolicking in the nearby grass these little cats were utterly adorable and seemed to belong to no-one. After discussing the possibility of a camping kitten (we could take it for walks and it could guard our tents whilst we showered!) we reluctantly left them behind and continued on. 

Due to the towns extreme busyness we decided to return in the evening to try and see it in a less touristy light. I found this much more enjoyable as everything was lit up and there was a jovial atmosphere leaking out from the bars as locals got overexcited about football. One of the most impressive pieces of architecture was the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon built in 1166 to honor the patron and protector of the city. 

After retiring to our apartment where the friendly owners gave us some of their homemade cheese (which Necia couldn't get enough of, Yannick hated, and the more I ate it the more I liked it). In the morning follow the advice of the kindly apartment owner we drove partway up the mountain to stunning views. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to drive all the way to the top where apparently a Montenegrin king is buried, however it was still well worth the drive for the views of Kotor far below us, and the ever present cruise ships. 

Montenegro Begins

Sadly bidding Croatia goodbye, we began the next leg of our journey, entering into Montenegro which admittedly was beautiful in its own right. We began in the town of Herceg Novi. After a sweat-educing walk up hill, we surveyed the beautiful views and enjoyed wandering around the fortress (free entrance! Although I don't think it was meant to be. Woops) 

Rather exhausted by the heat, we retired to the shade of some palm trees for a cold drink. The church next to us was emitting some solemn sounding chanting and when we walked past I noticed a man and a woman standing before a priest each holding an extremely large candle. Some sort of interesting local custom perhaps?

There was little else to see in the little town so we headed off to our next destination. We were in search of a lovely sounding restaurant but Montenegro's road signs proved to be as elusive as Croatia's and no matter how hard we searched we couldn't find it. All was well however as we found a bakery with Burek and had an impromptu picnic by the water. After our tranquil lunch we decided to go in search of a beach (notice a re-occurring theme here!) and settled by this little bay that we had almost to ourselves, the water almost as good as Croatia. Some elderly locals had their chairs out on the wharf and were drinking beers together. Not a bad way to spend your retirement!

Reluctantly we left the beach behind as the day began to cool and headed for the town of Risan.  After settling in to our spacious and cheap apartment, we headed off to see the town's big attraction, the Roman mosaics. During Rizan's most prosperous time in the 1st and 2nd centuries the Roman's built resplendent villas - almost the only vestige of this wealth that remains are these beautiful mosaics which were built sometime in the 2nd century and were used until the 4th century. 

These mosaics were discovered in the 1930s and thought to be part of a Villa. One of the most interesting mosaics found was this one, featuring the Roman god of sleep -Hypnos- in the middle. Although named a Villa by the original excavators, later research deduced that this building was in fact an hotel built at the crossroads of the street leading down to the harbor. Additional excavations carried out in this area have yielded interesting finds, including a coin hoard and a large variety of Greek amphorae and bronze nails. The information board mentioned that research into these finds was currently being undertaken. 

The next day we carried on as there was little else to do in Risan. Our next destination was the town of Perast. One of the notable things about this town is how close it lies to two islands, one natural and the other man-made. The natural island is impossible for tourists to get to as it has a still running monastery - I'm glad those who live there get to spend their time in relative peace, but I feel bad that their tranquility must be constantly disturbed by tourists in boats heading to the nearby artificial island. 

Once part of the Venetian republic, the architecture and churches were reminiscent of this style which I very much enjoyed. However pretty as it was, it was also teeming with tourists so after a pleasant wander we soon left. 

The view from the town as we headed out, looking back it again struck me as very picturesque and pretty.

We then headed for the town of Kotor, the main town in the bay. The drive there afforded us with stunning views and it's at times like this I feel so lucky to have traveled with a car rather than having been stuck on main transport routes by train or bus. 

Dubrovnik: More on the war and a smug monk

Our time on the islands gone too soon, we headed off to our last town in the beautiful country of Croatia: Dubrovnik. Another town that we knew had been heavily bombarded during the war in the 1990s, I was interested to learn more about its history. 

The drive was scenic as usual, and we stopped for a quick look at a recent forest fire which spread out from the road like a scar on the landscape. We also had another important stop where we pulled over to the side of the road to buy some rather delicious wine from a little wine shop clearly selling what they produced directly. 

We didn't arrive until the evening in Dubrovnik, and thus we passed a rather enjoyable dinner dining on our excellent wine and an antipasto that Yannick arranged artfully. Tired by this time, I decided to have an early night whilst my travelling companions went to see the city by night; to hear about their adventures you will have to read my comrade Necia's blog which can be found here

We woke in the morning to another day of sunshine and exploring. Dubrovnik is a beautifully fortified old city, which made it very enjoyable to wander around although it was very touristy. 

We also went to another photo gallery with more photos depicting the war, specifically the siege of Dubrovnik which occurred in 1991 after Croatia declared independence. It was extremely interesting and in my mind, definitely worth going. 

Civilians affected by the brutal siege. 

One of the most eye-catching photos from the gallery for me was this one, enemy fire engulfing the ancient city in a hellish glow. 

We also visited the Sponza palace which dated from the 16th century and had a variety of different functions through history. Nowadays it holds a small memorial to those who died in the siege, and some utterly traumatizing modern art (oh my eyes!)

It's funny how new graffiti is considered such a problem but old graffiti is treated as history in its own right and is actually pretty interesting, often being the only mark left by the everyday people of the past. This piece of writing, whether it was graffiti or the mark of the architect or something else entirely I couldn't be sure (though I imagine it would have taken a long time to carve the letters so deeply!) was rather striking to me. A piece of history within history if you like. 

 After examining this smug monks nose which has clearly been rubbed a few too many times for luck, we fled the tourist crowds.