POMPEII

Inseparably bound by history with Vesuvius is the town of Pompeii, which was horribly buried beneath that terrible ash cloud and its debris. Nothing really prepares you for a visit there. All the photos you see, the guidebooks, the literature you read can't quite convey the immensity, the atmosphere, the colours, the desolation. And even the masses you encounter on first entering the site, which soon thin out anyway, can't detract from the amazing spectacle. You have a strange, eery, feeling of noseying about in real people's houses, exploring their rooms and their gardens. The whole site is so extensive and there are so many fascinating bits, I didn't even manage to see half of it although I suppose my favourite part was (maybe naturally ;p) the quiet and secluded botanical garden.