Petrified!

Pompeii is the most extraordinary sight. Wandering though the streets we were transported to a different world and the Roman way of living.

We dedicated a day to this most iconic and in many ways bizarre place, where the only living residents are the stray cats, whose lives are punctuated by the arrival of hoards of tourists who wander the ancient streets on a daily basis.

With the ominous volcano keeping a watchful eye over the coming and goings, the very idea of the Pompeiians going about their daily business being literally frozen in time where they stood is strangely real – the scene being so well preserved.

As we walk through the streets, the market, the temples and glance into the labyrinth of houses, it isn’t difficult to imagine the reality of Roman life. I was particularly struck by how well the frescos and mosaic floors were preserved. Can they really be thousands of years’ old?

And then of course, the unmistakable casts of the bodies and animals. The cowering poses and contorted faces rendered their screams almost audible. Today our imaginations merged with reality as we stood in this most unique site of a great historical event.