Pompeii Archeological Site
We booked a private tour for Pompeii using a company that specializes in tours for kids.
https://italytoursforkids.com/pompeiitourforkids.html
We were scheduled to meet our driver at 8:30. We ordered room service for breakfast: cereal for DD, croissant and coffee for me, and some fruit.
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Then we were off. I made sure I packed our cooling towels and water.
Our driver was waiting right outside the gates with a sign. Super easy. DD was a little tired, so she rested on the drive. To be fair, after seeing Vesuvius, there wasn't much to see since Naples is very industrial.
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When we arrived by the ruins, we stopped to buy a bottle of wine that our driver kept for us during our tour. We met our guide and got in line for tickets. The ticket windows weren't open yet so we had to wait a bit. Not bad though. DD had to wait in the line though so the ticket seller could see she was really a kid who got in for free. She was really good about it though.
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Then we started our tour. We started by talking about Pompeii's history, economy, etc.
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We also talked about the previous volcanic eruption as well as how long it took archeologists to even find Pompeii.
Then we headed into the main area. The city is huge! Looking at the map, you could see why it would take weeks to really see everything.
Out first stop was the Pompeii coliseum.
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We also saw the cells where gladiators were kept.
Then we went to the smaller amphitheatre.
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In there, we played with the accoustics. Our guide showed DD how to clap and hear the sound echo back. Once she learned this, it became a regular practice for the rest of our trip.
Then we moved to the main theater. The number of people who could sit in that theater is one way that archeologists estimate the population of Pompeii. Since the seats were numbered, they had a pretty good guess.
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The space for each seat was tiny. Apparently Romans were very small.
We exited the top of the theater and started walking through the actual town.
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I'm not going to share pictures of every little thing, but it was so fascinating. We learned how to tell the difference between a business and a house. We saw a variety of businesses including a lunch counter type restaurant and a laundry (they cleaned clothes with urine!) We also saw old political posters and a section of the ruins currently being excavated!
It was funny for our guide to show us grafitti on the walls though. Teenagers, it seems, have been the same throughout time.
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My decision for breakfast was a problem here. Cereal just was not enough for DD and her hunger combined with the heat to create a small metldown.
There are also dogs in Pompeii. We were told not to let them, but they were clearly comfortable and well fed.
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Next up: Pompeii, Naples, and back on board