My favorite part of today is the most definitely absolutely the CATS. They are all so chill, not bothered by the human. I love how they would just groom themselves after someone pets them, they could’ve bitten the hand or run away if they didn’t wish to be pet. Such thoughtful babies!!
The black cat, which spotted in pompeii, turns out to be a celebraty cat on RedNotes. By observing the toe beans, I confirm that these two are the same cat! I could spent my whole entire day sitting next to her. If If we were to say Rome is the territory of the birds, then Herculaneum and Pompeii are definitely the territory of the cats. Would you rather be a bird living in Rome or be a cat living in Herculaneum/Pompeii? Woo, decision, decision.
The lararium functions as a sacred space for the house resident to leave worship offerings to the protective god of the house(P9).
Visually, the appearance of the lararium looks like a reasonably-sized dollhouse perfect for figurines. It reminds me of a popular trend in Asia, “Oshikatsu(推し活)”. Where fan of a certain thing, character, or person engaging in fan activity to support what they like. Sometimes these fans collect goods of their interest and display them in their household, similar to the lararium.
The Fanta here tastes much better than the one in the U.S., and it also looks healthier. Flavor-wise, I personally felt the Italian version has more of a sparkling texture.
I forgot what kind of pizza I got for lunch today. However, I do remember I couldn’t finish it, so I ended up taking it to go, shared a to-go box with Khadija with her half of the pizza. Both pizzas are forgotten at the hotel in Pompeii. We were all in the rush, trying to catch the train on time. It was not much of a big deal at the end of the day, but I still feel guilty for wasting food, especially food that is delicious.
With the limited time spent in Pompeii, I understood why our class chose Herculaneum over Pompeii: this place is huge, and it is impossible to see everything in just one morning. The ruins from both locations share some similarities, from the house structure, fresco, mosaic, and even cookware.
There are two things I want to see the most in Pompeii: the male genitalia sign carved on the road and the Lupanare di Pompei.
Lupanare di Pompei is one of those places I have to visit. I just happened to know so much about this place, it would be a shame if I missed this opportunity.
In Latin
- Lupanare = brothel
- Lupa = She-wolf
- Lupanare also contains the meaning of “wolf’s den”
Lupanare di Pompei is most famous for its well-preserved erotic frescoes that are located above the entrance of each room on the first floor. These frescoes provide sexual fantasies as well as an option for the customer to choose from. In each room on the first floor, there lies a stone bed, and some sort of mattress material would be put into use when the Lupanare was operating. These Stenosis rooms are where is sexual deal is made.It is also important to remember that these women, most of whom are slaves who are forced to work for the owner of the brothel. Some of them are captives from defeated countries.
Unfortunately, I did not spot any male genitalia sign carved on the road of Pompeii. And again, there always will be a next time, somewhere in the future.
I’ve been struggling with deciding which images are appropriate enough to send to my family, especially when I know that some of my family members are conservative and my parents will for sure share these pictures with them.
Another tiring day. Pompeii, one day I will come back to you.
Rome via Brooklyn 
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