Today we visit Naples fleet landing where our liberty boats tie up and let all us sailors inundate the community with our shopping and want-not activities.  In the picture a cruise ship is tied up at the little pier that Naples had in 1960's.  I don't know if things have changed because I haven't been back there recently!  The Aircraft Carriers of today are WAY TOO Large to get up close and personal. They are most likely anchored quite a ways away.  Notice the little float.  That is where the boats on and off load the sailors.  The little "kid guides" would always meet us at the gate for a chance to make a nickel or so per person to get us in the bars.  Rough life, but they were really working hard at it, when the big Navy ships came to town.

Naples, Italy fleet landing

About 45 minutes from Naples is Pompeii.  Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and is one of the most well known ancient eruptions in the world and may have killed more than 16,000 people.  Ash, mud and rocks from this eruption buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.  Pompeii is famous for the casts the hot ash formed around victims of the eruptions.  The unfortunate people suffocated on ash in the air, which then covered them and preserved amazing details of their clothing and faces.  As we walked around, we were seeing amazing paintings on the walls of their homes, etc.  There were signs that they were a decadent society with paintings of male and female body parts displayed.  It wasn't graffiti either. Gives thought to a deviant life style for sure.  The one thing that I thought was truly amazing were the ruts in the stone streets!  They were deep and the ride must have been slow and bumpy!  I was told they were made by the chariots.  As you can see, it wasn't a smooth ride at all, and it had to take a long time to wear down those stones!

Ashen person of Mont Vesuvius' wrath

Chariot rutted road of Pompeii

Mount Vesuvius is still hovering over the town like it is waiting for another chance.  I really got a lot to think about how the ancient societies lived and worked. Of course the Roman empire with their building knowledge, and with Rome only being up the road a bit toward the north a few days ride, I think that this was very interesting in seeing first hand the marvels of their building, and the awesomeness of how nature wrecks it so easily.







Pompeii was an interesting place and I was glad I took the time to visit.


Pisa has been mentioned in previous Posts.  My visit there was another "once-in-a-lifetime" event.  When I was there, it was 1965 and they had the tower still open to visitors.  I understand the tilt has made it unsafe for tourists, so it is closed.  IF I find the picture of me on the top of the tower, I will post it.  Right now I can't seem to come up with it.  So these pictures will have to do.  Notice the walls around the outer part of the streets surrounding the complex.  There are vendors, shopkeepers, etc. selling their trinkets, etc. on weekends and holidays as the tourists are in town.            The streets of Pisa are immaculately clean. No trash at all.  Very nice visit.  The people there were very nice.  Glad I went.



We are so blessed to be living in the United States of America.  We have so many resources to make our lives comfortable.  Looking at foreign cities and the people that live there keeps me thinking...they are happy with what they have, which in many cases is much less than the average US citizen has.
These countries that I have seen in my blessed time of serving the United States of America and being allowed to see these wonderful Ancient cities and countries of our world. Why is it we (the USA) seem to be on a path of self destruction when we have so much to live for and have so much to share with the rest of the world.  I am not talking about GIVING anything to anybody that doesn't really need it.  I am talking about commerce.  Trading with other countries to do business with.  Countries that actually LIKE us and want to be business partners.  Countries that have the same goals and dreams and respect that we have for others.  People are basically all the same.  It is when greed and politics get involved, is when we start to stray.  It is when we allow God to be the center of our lives that we focus on each other and living in harmony that we can attain peace and happiness.  Not to be pushed around, but to be understanding.  For those old enough to remember, remember in the 50's when people were building businesses after World War II ended?  People were being hired by these new business, and everyone was working together to make nice lives for themselves.  Then Government started to get greedy and started to overstep it bounds with programs that required funding, etc. ....much against their Constitutional mandates, such as to PROTECT the STATES from outside invasion, etc.  That is about all that the Federal Government was authorized to do, as I understand it.  Look at where we are now with all the Fed regulations that are not even supposed to be there.  I will stop now, before I get too wrapped up in the turmoil that is being created by such an overgrown and corrupted Federal government.  Get us back to common sense, and get all these people back to work, off welfare, and get PRIDE and RESPECT back as a common bond between us all.  That is the AMERICA that needs to be reborn. . .  somehow.

Through it all . . . Keep singing, keep praying . . . and above all . . . .Keep smiling

Blessings,
Gary