Naples.....

New years day......wow...this past year...crazy...looking back...so much has happened...and in hindsight it went fast....wow...1st January 2013.....and i am in Italy...in Napoli....what better place to be...we all know i LOVE Italy.....and off i was going to Heracleum....the second most famous city that was covered when mount Vesuvius errupted in 79AD.....the tour departed at 8am....early...but manageable....the bus ride...20min...chop chop....as we arrived, there were no other buses, cars....so peaceful....the guide we had....amazing...what i loved was that she kept comparing Pompeii to Heracleum...so we could understand the difference.....the major difference is that Pompeii was covered in ash while Heracleum was covered in a mud slide...and thus much harder to excavate....and in actual fact only one third as opposed to 80% (Pompeii) has been excavated....because.....here comes another difference....the modern town of Heracleum has been built on top of the old town while the modern Pompeii was built besides the old Pompeii...interesting...not?....well i thought so....the first view we got was from way above...30m...cause that is how much mud went over...unlike Pompeii which was max covered 12m.....so the view from above...quite impressive....here is a pic

Then we started our walk...descending 30m...and we entered into the town of Heracleum where the sea and beach front used to be...saw where the fisherman boats used to dock and then walked through the original path from the sea into town....while Pompeii was a commercial town...Heracleum was more a residential town....

Here is a pic where you can clearly see how much Heracleum used to be covered...and it was dug out from the mud....

Again...what i also learnt when kim and i went to the underground tunnel tour...we saw again here...the architecture of the diamond shaped bricks and then the horizontal ones on top...to protect the walls against the earthquakes...interesting also...the diamond shaped ones...were sharp...the shape of a cone...so one could easily slide them in..sharp in front...i love little facts like that....here is a pic of a close up...

Then we saw the take aways shop, an artistocrat's house....what impressed me the most was the mosaic and the paintings and wooden doors that were still in tact...wow...impressive....here is a pic...the black doors are the original wooden doors....

Then we took a further strole where we saw the market square, the church and the baths....the mosaic in the baths....wow....amazing.....it def deserves a pic in this blog...so here it is....

Then a short walk back through the main street...i think its just so amazing to see...i mean both Pompeii and Heracleum are like 2000 years old....yet they dont look look like it...it seems so surreal....and the guide great because she was actually the same one that took kim and me to Pompeii...what luck.....and if you remember, i said she was so passionate...and again...she really was...also so many facts...and we all know how much i like that...when i got back to the ship, had a quick coffee with my parents and then i sent them to go and eat a Pizza in Naples....i said...just find a spot that is open, seeing that it was 1st Jan, and eat Pizza......i would have to go to work...they loved it....hmmmmm......and tonight.....Teppanyaki.....

I was so excited, cause this was my first time at Teppanyaki.....so we made the booking for the 7pm table....you share a table for 10 people around a huge hot plate and then you have a personal chef.....so....appetizer was the edame beans...i like those just because they are covered with salt.....then we had to give our orders for mains cause he would start to cook infront of us....me..i chose the seafood option...scallops, lobster and calamari...the others had fillet and prawns.......first off we got our starters....miso soup...then seaweed ginger salad.....both delicious.....then time for the chef to start his coking....rice....eggs were juggled then added to the rice...garlic was fried and added...man the smell...i was getting so hungry....and the chef was doing a show...so much fun to watch, here is a pic

Mains....nice...i was a little worried...not very high expectations cause have heard that it all just taste of soya sauce....hmmmmm...anyways.....so good....and no, it didnt all taste of soya sauce...then again..the chef probably has a lot to do with that......we all had a really good time and enjoyed our last evening...but before i end the blog....yes there was dessert...either fruit skewers or green tea cake with green tea ice ceam....of course i went with that.....and so did Mutti an mom...durprise dad went with fruits...and no he was not sick...i ended upmeating half the dessert from both my mom and gran...so yes...i was a little pig...here some pics...

So...2013 has started...and soon my last cruise would start on all my own...everyone gone...hmmm...i dont think it will be easy..but something i have zo do i guess.....goodnite.....

 

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