There was a pretty average pop song almost ten years ago called Pompeii. The chorus went, “The walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love.” I had some music on in my classroom one day at lunch or something, and some of my students were really enjoying that particular song. The popularity of the song coincided with the release of a movie by the same name.
One of the students who was in my classroom at the time was a boy named Mike. Evidently, Mike thought the song had been the sole inspiration for that film. When he asked me if I was aware that there would soon be a movie by the same name, he seemed surprised that I guessed the topic. He said, “Did you know they are making a movie about this song?” I couldn’t help myself- I had to say, “Let me guess- is there a volcano?” I swear, Mike said, “Oh, have you seen it?”
I didn’t have the heart to say, “lucky guess.” That’s the thing about being a teacher- you can make a few jokes, but you have to stop short of being a complete jerk.
Yesterday morning, we got up, had a very quick breakfast and hopped in our bus. We have had the same bus driver the whole time on this trip, and he has been amazing. His name is Mauricio. He can unflinchingly handle the elements of Italian traffic that I find terrifying, and as we get closer to Rome, I am grateful that our tour company has employed him. There are apparently some very strict rules regulating those in his profession, as well. Evidently, tour buses have an electronic record of the speeds they travel, and if he were to be puled over in traffic, the police could check his records to see if he had been speeding all day. Additionally, drivers are strictly regulated as to the number of hours they can work per day. The long haul from Assisi to Pompeii apparently pushed Mauricio over the line, so we had a substitute driver come in and take us up the many, many twisty switchbacks to our hotel. He was good, but I really have developed a lot of fondness and trust for Mauricio. No worries, we get him back today.
When we got to Pompeii, we had a two hour walking tour scheduled. It was very interesting, and a lot more detailed than my previous understanding of the city. We saw how the roads were organized, what shops looked like, how both the rich and the poor lived, and some of the decorations that amazingly survived the blast.
The famous plaster casts that everyone really remembers are in a museum. The people who had a hand in excavating Pompeii realized that the falling ash landed on people and animals, either burning or suffocating them to death. One of the people years later who was digging out the city saw that those cavities once contained a person who had since decayed, leaving a gap in the volcanic ash. This guy injected plaster into the gaps, waited for it to dry, then dug out the shape of the people who had once been there. Kind of a remarkable idea, if you ask me, and it was jarring to see plaster shapes of people trying to make it through what I am certain is a scary death.
After our two hours walking around in Pompeii, we had our substitute bus driver come to take us up the mountain. I know that generations of American mothers have worried over generations of American kids who want a motorcycle or a scooter, but the ones who should actually worry are the Italian moms. Wow. There were scooters who squeezed between buses on small roads. There were scooters that snuck over to the wrong side of the road to creep past cars, only returning to the proper side seconds before pending doom. Italian scooter riders are a whole other kind of crazy. I loved riding my motorcycle, but put me on one here- hey, I have too much to live for.
When we got to the hotel, we had a very nice dinner with a lemon cake, and we all just stood up afterwards and walked outside to watch the gorgeous sunset. I am sure this is old hat to those who live here, but we don’t watch the sun set over the Mediterranean very often. When something like that is in front of you, you take the opportunity.
Today, we have a trip to Capri. It should be amazing. It blows my mind that this is a Monday, and people here are headed off to work, but that is most certainly true.
For us, it’s Capri followed by whatever hijinks we get up to in Sorrento, then it’s off to Rome. A week from today, I have a work-related Zoom meeting and I have to be an adult again, but right now, I am sitting on a balcony with the sun coming up in Sorrento, wondering if I got a good recipe for Limoncello from the hotel bartender last night. I want to give it a try when we get home, so I have something new to make when life hands me lemons.
Here are our many photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8
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