Southern Italy and 100+ Views of Paradise

Well hello all!

Sunday afternoon here in Rome, its rainy and COOL! I do believe some sort of cool front is arriving and we may be getting a nice taste of "fall" in Rome for the next week or so. Definitely not complaining.

Last Tuesday our whole group embarked on a trip to Southern Italy. In a way it was kind of like our fall break because we didn't have classes and two of the days were pure vacation like days. We traveled my motor coach to six different cities/sites and visited many historically significant sites and got to experience much of ancient Roman culture. We also had the pleasure of spending two days in paradise while traveling along Amalfi Coast and spending a day in Capri while witnessing some 100+ views of what heaven must looks like. Those five days were simply wonderful, a perfect mix of educational experiences and historical investigation (walking around ruins and excavations) and leisure. Each day was packed from start to finish and our amazing tour guides (aka professors) and program director deserve a huge job well done for planing the trip and making it go as smoothly as it went. Here I will try and describe to you a little bit of my favorite parts of each day in Southern Italy and highlight the things that were just really spectacular.

Herculaneum and Pompeii
Day one was spent in Herculaneum and Pompeii where we adventured through the ruins and excavations while listening to presentations by our fellow class mates and being further intrigued by the insightfulness of our Art History and Archeology professors who also served as the tour guides during our trip. Wandering around ruins and excavations all day is very beneficial for the imagination and for the adventurer that is in each person. I always find myself trying to imagine exactly how each of the cities and areas were constructed and what kind of communication and interactions were going on. In Pompeii we walked along the original cobblestone streets (rather difficult because they are large stones, some chipped some some jutting up) that ran down the middle of the excavations and ruins so it was like you could almost put yourself back into time and envision yourself as a part of the society and culture of Pompeii. One of the ruins that we came upon had the word "HAVE" which means welcome spelled out in tiles just outside and would have been equivalent to a welcome mat that we have outside our houses today. I thought that was pretty nifty.

Colleen and I take on Pompeii 

After we finished at Pompeii (they actually had to shoo us out of the area because we were all just so eager to stay longer...not really we still had presentations to finish) we got back on our bus and headed to our hotel! Our hotel was in the city of Pompeii and so it was situated just in the middle of all the places we traveled, about one to two hours from each place, which was perfect. The dinners that the hotel served us were so great. We ate at 7:00 each night and each of the dinners lasted two hours, I am not kidding. Definitely learning the art of patience and dinner talk as well as experiencing and participating in the effects of tired, slightly immature Saint Mary's girls who have to sit at a table for two hours after a long day. We really appreciated the dinners at the hotel because they always replaced our empty water bottles and we didn't even have to ask. We all have become slightly annoyed at the fact that in Rome when you ask for tap water you get an annoyed look and then they bring you a small pitcher of water that must be shared among 6-8 people and last through out the whole dinner. No wonder we are so dehydrated and have more wine in our bodies than water....sheesh.

One of the best things about our nights in Southern Italy were that we didn't have anything to do because there was crappy WiFi (sometimes nonexistent) and we didn't really know our way around the area so everybody was in bed by 10 or 11 each night. Man it was amazing. Granted we did have to get up around 7am each morning.

Amalfi Drive and Coast
Day number two started out with a continental breakfast which we all devoured and appreciated so greatly. For the past six weeks most of our breakfasts have consisted of fruit or a cornetto and maybe a cappuccino so to have a variety of breads, and rolls, and toast (oh how I have missed toast and butter) as well as EGGS, and yogurt and orange juice to drink was great. We looked forward to this breakfast so much we even got up 15 minutes early one morning so we could make it there before all of the good food was gone. We loaded our bus and sat back as we enjoyed an hour of the most beautiful, breathtaking, paradise like and heavenly views I have ever seen. We had to take two smaller buses because the roads along the Amalfi Coast were too narrow and winding. As we neared Amalfi the views just got more expansive. The sky was a gift from above. Bright blue and the only signs of clouds were the transparent wispy kinds that lined the sky like a painter had just lightly stroked them in. Amalfi, amalfi, oh my. Little pink, blue and white houses lined the sides of the massive hills that overlooked the coast of the sea. We arrived in Amalfi around nine and we were able to spend around five hours there. During our time we toured a Cathedral in which Saint Andrew was buried, we walked through the shop area and we also spent time sitting on large rocks on a pier.

Amalfi and Capri are both known for limoncello so of course we all had to get some. There were specific shops that were filled with hundreds of limoncello bottles, lemon soap and the most wondrous lemon candy that I have ever tasted. We went into one shop and together we all bought so much limoncello that they lady kindly gave us a discount on the lemon candies. I can assure you that on that day Amalfi's limoncello business spiked immensely from the amount that all of the Saint Mary's girls bought.  That wasn't even the best part. After we bought our limoncello and had lunch we all went to the pier and one of my friends and I poured ourselves a small amount of the drink in these cute little limoncello wine glasses we bought. We clinked our glass and toasted to the most picturesque moment that we created. Sitting on a pier on the Amalfi Coast in November with the best of friends and a small glass of authentic Naples liquor. Before we left we also got to wade in the water on a small little beach. The tide came in and out as the salty water cooled our feet. Was this real life? Yes it was and I felt like one of the luckiest gals in the world.... yes I am blessed beyond belief . We left Amalfi and headed back down the coast towards our hotel. By this point everybody on the bus had about 1000 pictures just from Amalfi alone and of those 1000, about 90% were pictures of what heaven is going to look like. That is how I am going to describe the scene to you. Just that. Andree's heaven.

Limoncello with Kate on Amalfi Coast. 

Paestum
On day three we headed to Paestum where we visited a museum and spent time in some more wonderful excavations. If I am being completely honest, the museums didn't do very much for me....there are only a certain amount of tomb paintings and ETRUSCAN POTS that I can take. One of our friends has such a dear connection with these Etruscan Pots that she couldn't contain her joy and began crying after being so overwhelmed by the masses of pots. It was rather touching ;) After the museum we spent the rest of our time in the excavations marveling at the grand temples (Temples to Hera I and Hera II, both of which we studied in class) and I really enjoyed my time doing that! It's one thing to study the temples from a book but you get a completely different perspective by seeing and experiencing the effect that the temples have on the their surroundings.

Capri (another new love of mine)
Day four was the much anticipated trip to the island of Capri just off the bay of Sorrento. We all waited on a dock for a boat (called a hydrofoil) that would take us to the island. Once the boat came a group of us decided to stay in the back on the lower dock that was open to the air and the views (also because we heard it was the best place to stand to avoid getting sea sick). The trip out to the island was so fun. We all stood in the back of the boat as it whisked though the waves and created a nice rhythm as we sung and propped ourselves on the side of the boat and looked over the edge as our hair whipped back and we closed our eyes as we enjoyed the breeze and the warmth of the sun. Yes, it was that cliche. We pulled up to the bay and unloaded from the hydrofoil and we walked right over to another section of boats and waited for our private boat tour to arrive. About a third of our group decided to take advantage of this boat tour which was 110% worth it for the price. When the tour boat arrived we all piled on and sat as we toured around the WHOLE island of Capri accompanied by a driver and a young very tan man who was our tour guide. One of the main attractions on this tour was the Blue Grotto. All along the island there are these little grottos with different names and we got to stop at them all and look down through the clear bright blue water to the rocks bottom. The blue grotto was the last grotto stop and it was unbelievable. When we first pulled up to the area I was a little confused because I didn't see any grotto like thing for us to go into. Well thats because the grotto that we were going to go into was a small little hole that got completely covered by waves every five seconds as the tide came up and down. So we all got into little row boats (three people per boat) that were waiting for us and then ever so trusty row boat driver rowed our way towards this little hole. We literally had to lay flat down in this boat so we wouldn't not scrape our heads on the rock as we were trying to get through the hole. We were just up at the opening of the hole and the driver grabbed a hold of a skinny chain that was attached to both sides of the rock and at just the precise time, when the waves were as low as they would be and the hole to the grotto exposed, the driver pulled on the chain and he himself laid flat as he pulled our boat into the grotto. OH. MY. GOSH. Coolest experience I have ever had the pleasure of partaking in. Once we were in the grotto all we could see were the outlines of the other small row boats making circles though the grotto and the blue illumination of the water as the sunlight shined off of the limestone in the grotto. It was a surreal experience. After about three minutes we were out of the grotto and back on our tour boat. We were so awe with the whole thing.

Before we arrived back at the dock the boat driver made a pit stop kind of near the island and some of the girls jumped off of the boat and went swimming. It was all great salty fun! After our tour we took a funicolare (little lift/train thing) up the side of the hill to a part of the island with shops and bars. Here we met our archeology professor who took about six of us interested girls up to the highest point of the island to Tiberius' Villa. It was closed, but us being wonderful Saint Mary's girls with great luck, the man let us in and so we toured around the villa for free and with nobody else in sight. The views at the topmost peak of the island were as far as the eye could see and more beautiful than any camera could ever capture. There was one point where the view was completely panoramic and the sea stretched out so far in its light and dark blue wonder. Of course we all snapped millions of photos but I also tried to enjoy this view for myself without a camera. Once again I am pretty sure these are the views that I will see when we I to heaven. By the time 4:00 rolled around it was time to head back to Sorrento. We all piled back on the hydrofoil and headed back. It was so hard to leave Capri we had become so attached in such a short period of time, it was almost painful.... it was that beautiful of a place. The sun was just setting on the day as we got off the boat and make our trek back to the hotel.

View of Capri coming in on the hydrofoil 

View from the top of the island at the Villa

Cuma
Day five was kinda anti-climatic after the experience we had in Capri the day before. Why did we have to end our trip with another museum?! Nevertheless it was still relatively interesting. The museum we went to was all statues so no pots which was a relief. After three hours in the museum we were grumpy and tired but fear not because we were in Naples and Naples is known for their outstanding pizza and coffee. So what did we do after the museum? You better bet we scavenged for a pizza place and we sat down and enjoyed some of the best Italian pizza accompanied by a cappuccino. We were so happy after our meal. Our final stop to finish up our trip was to Cuma which is the entrance to the underworld. Some of the mythology students gave presentations and we walked through what was thought to be a cave but apparently is a huge cistern (so said our archeology professor). We only spent about an hour or so in Cuma and than we all got back on our bus for the last time and make our way back home to Rome.

It was about a three hour trip home and boy were we all so glad to finally be back in Rome again. There is no place like Rome. Where there is nightlife and where we have our albergo home to come home to. It was comforting coming back to our room, we really missed it. We rested for a little while and than decided we deserved to go out and enjoy the night so we made our way to Trastevere and than to Scholars Pub for a night of being crazy and jammin' out to American hits. Much needed to put a cap on our very busy but incredible five days.

Oh! So I have reached an achievement that I think is pretty blog worthy if I do say so myself.....
Over the course of the six weeks I have been here I have been on almost every type of transportation (Vespas are not being included in a type of transportation because they are a sub type of transpo and also because I haven't ridin' one yet so there...)
Plane, train, metro, motor coach, city bus, taxi, bike, boat (row boat, small motor boat and also a hydrofoil. BOOM) and a funicolare (little lift thing we took up to a part of Capri). Now thats pretty cool isn't it?


Today has consisted of mass and relaxing in the hotel room (aka staring at Facebook and this blog and uploading millions of photos and ohhing and ahhing at all of the photos that everybody else is uploading while also struggling to decide what picture to use for my next desktop background because they are all so freakin' magnificent).

Ok I have said enough to make you all very satisfied I do believe. This week we have classes (blah) and more Rome livin' and than I am headed to Switzerland on Friday! Sometimes I cant believe that the things I write are actually true and are actually things I did or things I am going to do..... we are all some of the luckiest most blessed girls to have these experiences and participate in a program as wonderful as the Rome program.

I hear there is Christmas music and Christmas decorations already showing up back in the States. Even I, Andree the Christmas fanatic, says that November 11th is too early for that. We haven't even started listening to Christmas music here in Rome yet.... just give us another few weeks then it will begin...

If you would like to see more pictures of all the views and places we went to just go on Facebook, there are an endless amount for you to indulge in :)

I will return with more after our trip to Switz.....

Ciao!