Pompeii

They say it's your birthday! It's my birthday too, yeah! It poured rain most of the day and it was freezing cold. Not ideal conditions to explore the ancient city of Pompeii. With a baby. Trust.

On our way to Pompeii, we stopped in the town of Vietri, on the Amalfi Coast, to visit one of the factories that produces the famous ceramics of the area. Here is Ceramica Solimene designed by the architect Paolo Soleri in 1951, the artisans, and the product:










I thought I would hit you with some pretty pictures of bright pottery first, seeing as my pics of Pompeii are pretty bleak. I was really excited to be going to Pompeii but the weather put a damper on things. Pompeii is a city of ruins that have been buried under volcanic ash for around 1800 years. There really wasn't anywhere to take shelter from the spitting rain and cold. Also, Oliver doesn't like to keep his mittens on for very long. I was very worried about his warmth and it also took some time backtracking a few times trying to find his mittens that he dropped in puddles. I had loads of fun. Really. On my birthday.
The forum with Vesuvius looming in the background:




The Villa of Mysteries and its frescoed walls:




The House of the Tragic Poet with the mosaic in the entryway warning people "Cave Canem". Translation: Beware of the Dog.


House of the Dancing Fawn:




The Stabian Baths:




The Great Theater: