Bari was gorgeous, after a brief visitation of several churches and the medieval city, we were free to wander on our own. I had chosen a small spot on a beach to sit and catch the last rays of sun. Following this I had great seafood at a restaurant called Opera (if you are ever in Bari I would highly recommend you go there!). The next day we found ourselves visiting the highly scenic and isolated Castel del Monte. It was big. It was beautiful. People of various ages were participating in a marathon (?). And there were a bunch of dogs sleeping around the lower fields that people had enjoyed petting. We set off for Pompeii, and I was completely taken aback at what we had seen there. I had figured it would be another one of those overhyped tourist hotspots or the architectural equivalent of the very underwhelming Mona Lisa, but it was actually pretty impressive! Almost the whole city had been preserved in various states of integrity under several feet of ash and hardened lava. All of the organic matter had been destroyed by the settling ash following the explosion of Mt. Vesuvius. But in the process, they had formed to harden a cast around the no longer existing matter which architectural conservator-restorers (the official name apparently!) were able to pour plaster into to recreate wooden frames for doors, furniture, and even people! Contrary to popular belief, only 10% of the population died, and while still unfortunate, the majority of the city was able to escape. We boarded the bus, in awe and sleepy in the setting sun, and headed for Napoli as we settled into our chairs for our afternoon naps.
Photo by Andy Chen
Omar Dairi