2 posts in one day?!  Wow, aren't you lucky to have so much reading material!

We had a shorter day than usual.  We took the nearby train (more like a metro, called the "Circumvesuviano") to Herculaneum for 3 presentations on houses and a little tour of the site.  Herculaneum is much smaller than I had thought, only a small amount of the Roman town has been unearthed, because it has been so difficult to excavate the site.  Herculaneum was hit faster and harder by Vesuvius in the eruption of 79 than Pompeii, so it's actually in better shape, but it requires drills and axes to break the rock surface that now covers it.  Because of the way the lava hit Herculaneum, the city still has original walls, roofs, wooden beams, and wooden furniture--amazing!  Even though Pompeii is impressive in the extent of its ruins, Herculaneum is special for its state of preservation.

Typical road in Herculaneum; in the background are modern houses

One of the most interesting houses that has been partially excavated is called the Villa de Papyri ("House of the Papyrus").  Although we couldn't see it today, it is worth a mention because in it were found almost 2,000 carbonized papyrus rolls which are still being deciphered today.  I just can't believe that we've still got authentic ancient writings from 2,000 years ago!  Two nights ago we saw a neat documentary video about it that I think I may buy for classroom use later on.

I've noticed how great a role Mount Vesuvius and the other volcanoes/mountains in the area have played in Southern Italy's history.  Vesuvius dominates the skyline, and even now as I look out the window of our computer room I see water and Vesuvius towering above.  I've never spent much time in this region of Italy before, so I've learned much more than I thought I would since I've been here.  Southern Italy was founded originally by the Greeks, so it still retains that Greek flavor.  It even reminds me of Greece, with its mountains plunging right into the see with towns squeezed onto their hillsides.  Because I can't help myself, here is another picture of Vesuvius from my window taken just now, with a part of the Bay of Naples in front of it:

Tomorrow is our second free day of the trip.  I think I will be going with a group to Sorento and Positano (on the Amalfi coast!), which are farther away from Vesuvius.  We barely have had free time on this trip, since we go touring usually from 8am to 5pm or so, and then we have a translation and discussion session from 6:30 to 8pm usually, and we eat dinner from 8 to 9.  Usually by the end of the day I'm ready for bed!  I hope tomorrow will be filled with eating, sunbathing, slow walks, and perhaps a few glasses of vino.  I've also heard that these 2 towns sell some of the best souvenirs, like unfiltered olive oil for Charlie, so I'll be stocking up while I'm at it.  If you have a request, let me know!