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Day 7 highlights. Dad, peep the entire pig at this Buffett
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Day 8: Archaeological Museum
Today was definitely the easiest day we’ve had this trip. We left our hotel at 8:30 for the city of Naples. There, one of the most important archaeological museums is found. In it, we saw many artifacts from both Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were destroyed by mount Vesuvius. Our guide took us through the mosaic art that they decorated their floors and walls with. My favorites were probably the small portrait of the rich woman and the picture of the dog. Apparently, there is a similar picture still at Pompeii with the inscription cave canem, which translates to “beware of dog”. She also showed us the Roman statues that lined the streets and homes of some of the most important people. Some villas had both mosaics and statues, and gave me the impression that these people were extremely wealthy. Unfortunately, they do not have the casts of the victims of the eruption on display. I guess I understand because these are actual people, but I was under the impression that they would be displayed. After the museum, we took a bus tour around Naples. Our guide didn’t want to take us on a walking tour because it is one of the more dangerous cities in Italy. The mafia still has a huge influence there, and there are also lots of pick pockets. It does have parts of it that are very pretty, but there were also parts that reminded me of bad neighborhoods in the US. After we left Naples, we began our journey back to Rome. On the way there, we stopped at a gas station to get lunch. Now, this was no where near the better lunches we have had on this trip, but it was 100% better than any gas station I have been to in the US. It was clean, orderly, and had lots of healthy food options. After buying lots of chocolate for the road, we were back on our way. When we finally arrived at our hotel, we all got our keys and went to our rooms. Mom, Maria, and Lauren went to check out their “spa area”, while everyone else stayed back in their rooms. I think the sheer amount of food we are eating has finally caught up to my stomach-- I was not feeling it today. After a couple hours, we went down to our farewell dinner. This was a very cool buffet that had food from all over the world. So I got southern food, chinese, and japanese food..... wait, did I say my stomach hurt? I tried the old boot and rally for one more meal and it worked. For dessert, they also had a huge display, but I only had one thing. Tomorrow, our shuttle leaves at 6:45 and our plane leaves at 11. I’ll make another post this weekend to sum up the trip.
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Day 7: Pompeii
Today, we went to Pompeii, which I was really looking forward to. We left the hotel at 8:30, and arrived at Pompeii, right underneath the volcano known as Vesuvius. This was definitely the most touristy place we went to, but as one of the most visited archaeological sites in the world, this is understandable. Our local guide took us around, and although it was blistering hot, I had a blast. She showed us the ruts in the lava roads from the carts they used, the original mosaic floors of homes, the locker rooms they used to change after working out, and even a business that sold food “on the go”, aka the first fast food restaurant ever. It was so interesting to see how advanced the Romans really were. As our tour guide said, we really haven’t invented anything since. Tomorrow, we visit the museum itself, where the casts and other artifacts are found. I already got to see one cast there, which was so interesting because they are so defined. You could see the layers of fabric and the smoothness of the person’s skin.
After Pompeii, we went to a wine tasting. This is a special area that can produce Lacryma Christa, known as “the tears of Christ”. Because the soil surrounding Vesuvius is so fertile, this area is well known for it’s wine. I do not know much about wine, but I could taste that this was very well made. The pasta that was given along with it was also very good. After this, we had the afternoon to ourselves. We all went down to the pool, which felt amazing after a scorching day in the sun. When we both got cold, Mom and I went to read our books by the pool with the beautiful pool in front of us. Doesn’t get much better than that. We went back up to the room and relaxed before we went down to Vietri to have dinner. We got down to the town at 7:30, and eventually found a restaurant. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the people here can’t really speak english, and our waitress at this place was no different. She eventually was able to explain to us that we couldn’t all order something different. She wanted us to pick two or three dishes, so the chef could make a lot of it. As our tour guide had explained to us earlier, no one in Italy pre-prepares a dish. So when a customer comes in, the chef will have to make their order by scratch. Usually if we were eating with the group, our guide would get our orders a day earlier, but even when we were eating alone, this had never happened to us. So, we just had appetizers and went to a different restaurant, which served us but took a very long time. By the time we were ready to leave it was past 10. They couldn’t call us a taxi, so we couldn’t figure out how to get back to the hotel. Luckily, we walked to where taxis usually drop people off, and we were able to get a ride up. It is almost 12 right now, and we have to have our bags out tomorrow by 7, so I have an early day. I am very excited for the museum tomorrow and already wish we had more time. Until next time, ciao
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Day 6: Capri
Today, we went to one of the most touristy and well known place in Italy. The island of Capri was an hour and 45 minute ferry ride from the port of Salerno, which we had left for at 7:50 am. This ferry ride was beautiful. It stopped to pick up and drop off in Minori, Amalfi, and Palerno, the three towns on the coast that we had stopped in just a couple days ago. Seeing them from the water was impossibly even more pretty. When we arrived at Capri, Lauren, Nica, Maria, and I were going to divert from the tour to take a boat ride to the grottos, especially the most famous blue grotto. Mom and Aunt Karen were going on the boat ride but not into the grotto itself. But at the last second, Mom, Nica, and I decided to go back with the tour. We didn’t want to spend all that time away from the town, and to be honest, did not want to have to go without a plan. To me, it is so much easier when you travel with a guide who arranges transportation and destinations for you. As we took the bus up to Anacapri, one of the two towns located on the Island, we learned that the blue grotto was closed because the water was too rough. Nica and I were, at that point, very happy we didn’t go. But Maria, Lauren, and Aunt Karen had a great time on their boat ride; Maria and Lauren even got to go swimming near some of the smaller grottos, so everyone was happy.
We walked through the main road in Anacapri, which wasn’t really a road because mopeds and vehicles were not allowed through there. This made it much more pleasant to walk through, because you didn’t have to constantly be on the lookout for these perilous. There were cute little shops along the way, and finally we arrived at an amazing panoramic view of the Marina Piccolo (their main port which we docked at that morning). We got some cute pictures, and then had free time. Nica and I decided to go up on a lift to the highest point of the island. This was exactly like a ski lift and was so fun to ride up on! It took about 15 minutes to get up, and by that point, we were actually above some clouds. The views there were probably the best I have ever seen in my life, no exaggeration. The pictures I will share will not do them justice. What an incredible experience. When we got back down, we grabbed a quick panini sandwich before reconnecting with the group and being shuttled down to the main city on the island, also called Capri. Capri had incredible views (particularly the cliff faces), so we again took some pictures. There, we got some delicious lemon slush (the equivalent to Del’s frozen lemonade also, this was something we wanted to try because the lemons are famous here), which really hit the spot because we were basically dripping sweat. Then we walked around the shops, which were very expensive and high end. You can tell this island is very touristy because lots of things were actually written in english. After only about 45 minutes, we traveled back down the the harbor by something called a funicolare. My best description of it would be a cross between a train and an escalator. When we arrived back to the harbor, the group had to leave on their ferry. We got to stay longer because we had arranged to come back on a later ferry. Maria and Mom went out shopping, while Aunt Karen, Nica, and I got sea food from a nearby restaurant. I got muscles and clams, which were pretty good. Also, as if to remind us again how tailored this island is to tourists, we got real American ice cream, which is much different from the rich gelato. As it came time to board our ferry, we rushed to find it. Apparently, Italians don’t feel the need to put up any sort of sign-age. Luckily, we made it on our ferry. The ride back was less crowded and just as beautiful, especially as the sun set. I got to sit on the side of the boat with the wind in my hair, and it felt very peaceful.
We arrived back to port, where our bus driver was kind enough to go out of his way to pick us up. Both him and our tour guide have been wonderful with meeting everyone's accommodations and by keeping us safe. We got back to the hotel, and everyone rushed to take a shower to rinse off the salt and sweat. I didn’t even go down to eat dinner with them because I was so full from my two lunches. I will get another “early” bedtime tonight at 10:15. Ciao
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Day 5: Paestum
For only doing a couple of things, today felt just as long as all the others. We got an extra half hour of sleep (yay) and left at 8:30 for a tour of a farm that is famous for it’s buffalo mozzarella. To be honest, when I heard buffalo, I always assumed it was the kind of buffalo we have here in the American Midwest, otherwise known as bison. But as I learned, these are actually water buffalo, the same kind that are sacred in India. This was honestly a very cool part of the trip. First, they showed us the mozzarella being made. Then, we got to go into the barn where they house them, and the women told us about the things they do to keep them happy. Since they enjoy the water, the have “showers” (mist streams) over where they lay, water running through the aisles, bristle machines that they can use to get a massage, and are even played Mozart for a couple hours each day. They have a machine that they can enter themselves whenever they feel ready to give milk, which the American’s really should adopt. They don’t have to wait for a farmer to milk them. Whenever they feel the need, they can just go. Everything at this farm is also organic, so they grow the corn that they feed them, and they are also not artificially inseminated. We all got to pet them, which was an interesting experience. Then, they showed us some old tools that they used. Finally, we got to taste the mozzarella balls. The woman told us that they always sell the cheese fresh that day and never the day after. It was by far the best mozzarella I’ve ever had. Unlike many other things here, nothing in the States really compares. You can taste how fresh and well made it is.
After this, we arrived at the ancient Greek/Roman city of Paestum. This was a very cool experience. They have some of the most well maintained temples from the Greeks out of anyone-- even Greece itself. The structures are so large, I can’t imagine how they could make something that large with just manpower. I also learned that, despite these temples being the most ornate and intricate, only the priests were allowed inside them. The common people could only place sacrifices on the altars, which were outside the temples. After the Greeks left, the Romans took over and built a small amphitheater, which was cool but could not compare to the Colosseum. Our local guide took us inside to the museum, which housed artifacts from the temples and city that were found in archaeological digs. They learned that these temples were originally fully painted, making them stand out even more. To me, the most interesting discovery was a tomb that they uncovered which featured a man diving into a body of water (I will attach the picture). They do not know who the body in this tomb was, but they have to believe he was an important man. It was almost funny to see something that we think of as so modern on something so old. Overall, this day was to me (and Mom), the most interesting. We could have spent the whole day going through that museum.
We came back on the bus, and got home early enough to actually relax before dinner. we all went down to the pool, and I just lay there and read my book. It was a welcomed moment of rest between the constant rush. At 6, we were brought down to Vietri and had some free time before dinner. We wandered around the countless ceramics shops and walked through the neighborhoods. Like I said before, Vietri is really not touristy. I would say we were really the only tourists there, the others were inhabitants of the town out to buy goods at the pharmacies or bakeries. It was very cool to walk past open windows with clothes hanging out, old ladies gossiping on benches, and kids playing soccer in the street. We had dinner at a place in town, and came back up to the hotel. It’s 10 right now, which will be the earliest I’ve been able to go to sleep. Until next time, ciao.
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Day 4: The Amalfi Coast
Just like every other, today was a long and hectic day. We left our hotel for the coastal city of Sorrento, a very touristy area known for its many shops and wealthy residents. Our guide wanted to take us to an inlaid wood factory. Their products were gorgeous and extremely well made. They also had homemade ceramics, which are very popular and are made locally in this area of Italy. Everyone bought something, and then for the next hour and a half we were free to explore on our own. We made our way to the part that people call “old town”. We walked down its main street, which was bustling with tourists and clogged with goods and souvenirs hanging out of their shops. This was so cool to walk down, and again, everyone found something to buy. Besides the ceramics, this area of Italy is also very well known for its lemons and limoncello. So all up and down the street were lemon soaps, dresses, alcohols, and candies. The lemons they grow are huge-- bigger than my hand or a child’s head. After buying gelato (of course), we met up with our tour guide again and headed back on the bus for the Amalfi coast. The coast is made up of all these little villages. We drove through a majority of them, but stopped in Positano, Amalfi, and Minori. The views are absolutely incredible. They are everything they are made out to be. But I would never go back again. Why? There is one tiny road that in any town in America would be considered one-way, that winds throughout a cliff-side. So everyone--the megabuses like the ones we were on, the mopeds that speed in between these cars making these dangerous turns, and any other kind of vehicle-- everyone is forced to use this one road. At one point, a megabus was coming out of a tunnel and we were trying to go into it with another one behind us, so we had to stop traffic, start backing up(?!), and let cars go around us. This took a good 45 minutes, and the bus drivers, including ours, had to get out and direct traffic! The police of course did not come. At one point, a car was trying to go around us and a moped was trying to go through it’s lane, and they almost hit each other. Naturally, they proceeded to get into a screaming match, and then other people came and started yelling at them... Moral of the story: this was the most Italian thing we will see on this trip.
After reaching Amalfi, we went to a restaurant and went shopping again, and then stuck our feet into the Mediterranean Sea. It is very blue water, and the sand is large, black, and grainy; much different than any New England beach. Minori was right next to Amalfi. Here, we learned how limoncello was made and got to do a tasting. I don’t know how Dad enjoys it; I think it is too sweet and too alcohol-y. After this, we were able to sample a pastry and then got back on the bus to get home. And if we hadn’t already had enough road drama for the day, our bus and another bus tried to squeeze past each other. Now, this had already happened many times on this trip. Usually they narrowly get past each other. This time, the other buses mirror scraped the windows right where Nica and I were sitting. They got into an accident, readjusted, and then kept going like this happened all the time. They didn’t get out to check, didn’t acknowledge each other, and again, the police were not called.
Back in the safety of the hotel, we all had dinner outside with our view. It’s safe to say we are all very tired, so no late nigh exploring for us. I’m hoping for a long, deep sleep tonight.
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Day 3: Arriving in Vietri
Today we arrived in Vietri, where we will be staying for the next 5 nights. We departed from Rome early in the morning and had a long bus ride out to our first stop, the first Benedictine monastery located in Montecassino. First, we drove through the countryside to get to a rest stop. Thats really what anywhere outside these towns are. It’s not as if the large metropolis is surrounded by populated areas and people commute in. People just outside the city limits live in shack-like houses. Our tour guide told us that a majority of Italians are poor. In the area we are in now, around Naples, it is one of the poorest parts of Italy. The trash and run down building do make it seem like you’re almost in a third world country. We arrived at the rest stop, which we all agreed was even worst than one on the New Jersey Turnpike. It is probably the most popular time for Italians to go on holiday, so this place was flooded with Italians who I don’t think even knew what a line is. The Benedictine Monastery is literally on the highest point of a local mountain, so imagine our surprise when our megabus began to wind its way up this little steep road. The views were breathtaking, but you couldn’t pay me to drive something that big up that small a road. When we arrived, we were told of the abbe’s rich history. It was originally a pagan temple to the sun god Apollo that Benedict decided to convert into a church. It had been destroyed 4 times; twice by barbarians, once by an earthquake, and lastly in WWII. The allies believed the Germans were hiding in the structure, so they dropped multiple bombs on it. Unfortunately, it was all a mistake. Townspeople, mostly women and children, were hiding there because they believed it was the safest place to go. Around 400 people died. The only ones who survived were those hiding with the monks in the lowest level where Benedict once lived. Because of these disasters, a large part of the structure was reconstructed. Saint Benedict’s sister, Saint Scholastica, also lived with him there.
After this tour, we went to lunch at the Master Steak-House. Almost paradoxically, the most American sounding place had no one there who spoke English, so our tour guide had to help us order. No one got steaks, but I saw hunks of meat that Dad would have salivated over. After this, we went to a cameo store, which sold the traditional cameo jewelry, made of carved shells, pearls, and carved coral. I got nice pearl earrings. Finally, we arrived at our destination, hotel Raito, which is absolutely gorgeous and has an unbelievable view. We were able to relax for an hour, then were served dinner at the hotel with the beautiful view. Lauren, Nica, Maria, and I went out to the town afterwards and went looking for gelato. This was very interesting, because Vietri is a small town with few tourists who actually leave the hotel and enter the city. We walked around their neighborhoods and got a prime look at real Italian life. We were out late, and I have an early start tomorrow, ciao!
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