We visited Pompeii today.  We took a train to Naples and then had a tour bus pick us up at the train station and take us to Pompeii.  There we met our guide and she took us through the ancient city.

Tucked near the Bay of Naples, the ancient city of Pompeii tells one of the most dramatic stories in history. Once a bustling Roman town, Pompeii was frozen in time when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, burying everything beneath a thick blanket of ash. Homes, streets, shops—even people—were sealed under volcanic debris, preserved for centuries.

Today, walking through Pompeii feels like stepping into a time machine. You can stroll the same stone streets once used by Roman chariots, peek into bathhouses and bakeries, and see vivid wall frescoes that still hold their color after 2,000 years. The casts of victims, made from the voids left in the ash, offer a haunting reminder of the city’s sudden end.

From grand villas like the House of the Faun to the massive amphitheater, Pompeii isn’t just an archaeological site—it’s a window into everyday Roman life, frozen in a single moment forever.

Tomorrow is Simon’s birthday and a bike ride down the Apian Way, the oldest paved road in the world.