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My trip to Pompeii


Klingan

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Well I have now returned from my trip to Naples where I was visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum. During the 4 days I spent at those sites I took well over 1300 photos so I can't upload them all and I'm far to tried by the trip to write everything down at the moment, so I thought that I would give everyone a chance to ask for if there's anything in particular they wonder or any place they want a picture of. Here's a taste of it!

 

My apologies for that the pictures ridiculous size. I'm just too tired to start resizing tonight.

 

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rm41ur.jpg

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Some nice shots and a good taster for anyone who hasn't managed to get to either site themselves.

 

Personally, I've got a fairly extensive portfolio from both sites but due to a camera fault I lost the ones I took at Cumae. So, if you managed to get across to the Cumae area as well, I wouldn't mind seeing some of that area included when you get around to posting more.

 

Melvadius

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Well I have now returned from my trip to Naples where I was visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum. During the 4 days I spent at those sites I took well over 1300 photos so I can't upload them all and I'm far to tried by the trip to write everything down at the moment, so I thought that I would give everyone a chance to ask for if there's anything in particular they wonder or any place they want a picture of. Here's a taste of it!

 

My apologies for that the pictures ridiculous size. I'm just too tired to start resizing tonight.

 

You could try a flickr or a Picasa gallery, the last's client has an automatic feature for putting all pictures online from your hardrive while resising them. I used it for my hundreds of pictures and have been very happy with it

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Nice pics Klingan, Cheers.

 

I've promised my daughter that I'd take her to Pompeii for her birthday in February next year and seeing your pictures I'm glad I did. I can't wait to get over there.

 

Which would you say was the better site, Pompeii or Herculaneum??

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Which would you say was the better site, Pompeii or Herculaneum??

 

I'm interested in your opinion on that, too. Also, Klingan, did you get to Ostia in your travels?

 

-- Nephele

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Which would you say was the better site, Pompeii or Herculaneum??

 

I'm interested in your opinion on that, too. Also, Klingan, did you get to Ostia in your travels?

 

-- Nephele

 

I missed Ostia this time but it should really be worth it.

 

Comparing Pompeii and Herculaneum is really tricky. Pompeii have the mass to give it the feel of a city, Herculaneum doesn't since so little is excavated. On the other hand Herculaneum is no doubt in many ways better preserved, especially the wooden and other organic objects.

 

I wouldn't miss any of the cities for anything in the world. However if I somehow had to pick, I think I'd go for Pompeii. (Please do understand that I dearly hope that I never will have to pick like that - It's very unfair to say that one of the sites are better then the other)

 

Anyway I have now resized and uploaded about 40 pictures, you may find them here.

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<SNIP>

Comparing Pompeii and Herculaneum is really tricky. Pompeii have the mass to give it the feel of a city, Herculaneum doesn't since so little is excavated. On the other hand Herculaneum is no doubt in many ways better preserved, especially the wooden and other organic objects.

 

I wouldn't miss any of the cities for anything in the world. However if I somehow had to pick, I think I'd go for Pompeii. (Please do understand that I dearly hope that I never will have to pick like that - It's very unfair to say that one of the sites are better then the other)

 

Anyway I have now resized and uploaded about 40 pictures, you may find them here.

 

Having visited a couple of times a few years ago I would agree that it is very difficult to compare both sites however personally I would argue differently and say that the very preservation of Herculaneum and the quantity of in-situ remains makes it a 'must see' if you only have limited time to visit the area. You can see the accessible remains of Herculaneum within a couple of hours while a couple of hours walking at Pompeii would only allow you to skim part of the site. (I have heard it described by someone as looking like a recent disaster site and they kept wondering where the rescue teams were).

 

In some ways the best use of time would be a morning trip to Herculaneum - getting in when it opens for a quick tour before it gets too hot, although I understand there is now a museum on site which could extend that time slot. Then walk up the hill to the Circumvesuviana (about a mile) and take the train along to Pompeii for a longish afternoon visit - there is a restaurant just north of the forum if you need to eat or alternatively there are a few take-away stalls just beside the station entrance.

 

We found that a very good guide to Pompeii if you can find it is a small booklet called "How to Visit Pompeii" Falanga Edizioni Pompeiane. It gives three different itineries for locations to visit depending upon how much time you have (or alternatively how fast you wish to walk).

 

BTW Klingon, one other point the photo's are very good but a brief description of where they are may help anyone who hasn't been there identify which site is which.

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BTW Klingon, one other point the photo's are very good but a brief description of where they are may help anyone who hasn't been there identify which site is which.

 

I will add comments as I have time :D

 

Oh another thing about visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum. Be there before the tourist groups if possible. And unless you are, do not listen too seriously to the guides, I heard some truly terrifying things while being there.

Edited by Klingan
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BTW Klingon, one other point the photo's are very good but a brief description of where they are may help anyone who hasn't been there identify which site is which.

 

I will add comments as I have time :D

 

Oh another thing about visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum. Be there before the tourist groups if possible. And unless you are, do not listen too seriously to the guides, I heard some truly terrifying things while being there.

Salve, K. Et gratiam habeo for such wonderful pics. I have copied them all (with their respective credits, of course). So I'm waiting for your comments, specially on the last one. Thanks in advance.

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Salve, K. Et gratiam habeo for such wonderful pics. I have copied them all (with their respective credits, of course). So I'm waiting for your comments, specially on the last one. Thanks in advance.

 

I will keep on adding and commenting the photos. Since you mentioned the last one, I'll fix it right away :D

 

If you want more high resolution pictures I could send the one you like to your mail or something. However without a very smart way to sending them I won't be able to send 'em all even as I wish I could.

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So I'm waiting for your comments, specially on the last one. Thanks in advance.

rm41ur.jpg

 

Interesting photo; 4 pipes all of the same size running in approximately the same direction, but one crossing under and then over the others. Where it crosses over the first of the other two it is fractured around the girth of the pipe and water or effluvium of some kind leaked out for a period of time, unhindered by soil or lava flow.

If they were all buried underground at the time of the volcano's eruption, the silt from that leak would not have been deposited as it was; thinly in a downward direction then onto the pipe. If it was buried in soil the water and silt would have been absorbed into it creating more of a thick crusty "lump" than a very thin 'distillation' as it appears to have done. If the pipe was already buried at the time of the eruption how is that accounted for?

 

If the pipes were never buried, the lead would've been taken by thieves long ago. (it suggests to me that upon excavating the pipe, water and some silt/effluvium drained out then.) Perhaps the pipe was even broken after excavation occured, and the silt deposit is recent. If the pipe was buried by the eruption, it seems the burial would

Edited by Faustus
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These pictures are very good, and I have a sudden desire to visit these sites again. I must say I preferred Pompeii - as you say Klingan, it has the feel of a city, and little imagination is needed to clear the weeds and put the roofs back in place. I think the best way to visit these sites is by oneself, or with sympathetic friends - many of my pics from these sites are marred by the presence of an individual whom I am now fortunate to be free from, but who insisted on being in most of the pics! :)

 

Anyway, I managed to salvage a few useable ones from the wreckage, and render others acceptable as reference pics by the use of various photo - editing software programmes: yours have filled the gaps! BTW, did you get the excellent DVD 'Voyage to Pompeii'?

Edited by Northern Neil
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