Before we could even get to Italy we were all mistaken by an idea of resting on our day off. I thought I'd get some homework done and relax. No, they had a day long "olympics" planned. There was limbo, syncronized swimming, crab soccer and various other events and we had to spend the day cheering our teams on. Our RA's actually were rounding people up. Therefore, I didn't get any homework done, which was a little stressful, but okay because today we arrived in Naples. The people are absolutely loveable here, but I wish I could say the same thing about the city. Truth is that there is so much graffiti it's depressing, and more trash than I've ever seen in one place. However, that didn't seem to matter when this giant pizza came out with fresh mozzarella and basil....margherita :) yummmmm it was only 24 euro for two giant pizzas and 2 beers. I did really well, I bought a pretty turquoise necklace while I was at pompeii and I had food for only a combined 20 euro the whole day. Pompeii was a highlight of my life. I'm sure this trip in general will be up there for the rest of my life. But pompeii was just like a portal back in time, not just a few hundred years, but to buildings from Jesus' time. They were built before the valconoe erupted, and it buried the town in 79 A.D. If you don't know the whole story I definitely recommend looking it up. It's quite fascinating, but I'm also a bit of a nerd like that.They have a few journals with accounts of the appearance of the original town, so they had a lot of flowering trees of different kinds, and umbrella trees that were said to have been there back when people enhabited the city. I promptly picked a pretty white and pink flower and put it in my hair and received many complements on it from the Italians, I guess that's different and people around here don't do that...I do it all the time, and there were millions of flowers. The smell was amazing, especially compared to Naples. There were so many nooks and crannies to explore in Pompeii that I wish I could have spent more time there, the trips I prepaid for are good, but you have to do things at their pace and not your own. Thankfully I will get to hike Mount Vesuvius on Monday on one. After Croatia (our stop after Italy) I don't have more than 1 FDP (comparable to excursions) per port. I like that they're preplanned but after the first two countries we're getting good at getting to places on our own. ...back to Pompeii haha...They had marble and volcanic rock structures but what was really interesting to see were things like the crack where their doors used to drag across the terracotta bricks. Also the streets were built low so that water would flow down them, and trash would be stored there so they had big stones to walk across the street that were similar to stepping stones in a creek. The carriages were built high enough to go over those stones so you could see the tracks from where the wheels would go almost 2,000 years ago. It was mind blowing. Then to see the preserved skeletons in the plaster of real people and a dog, really showed the reality of what happened. Not to mention everywhere is dusty still with volcanic ash. It was a gorgeous day, probably about 90 and a bit humid. I got a nice tan :) They have modern water ways/sanitation hooked up to the fountains in the ancient city, so you could refill your water bottle or drink from the fountain. Also the brothel was interesting because it had a "menu" of frescos you could still see on the walls of very descriptive different sex positions and such. This was so foreigner's could pick what they wanted and from who. Not to mention there was a penis etched into the road here or there because it was their good luck charm for fertility back in the day. Also the wheel trail was the deepest near the brothel. That just shows how open about that sort of thing people back in that day used to be. My friends and I took some funny pictures and some quite serious ones while we were there. We also had a tour guide who gave us each an ear piece that she told us back ground information on everything. The theatre and public baths were also interesting, but like I said I wish I could have seen more. This trip is amazing due to its comparitive nature, country to country, seeing how cultures are similar or different. But at the same time, just as you start to get to know a city it is time to leave. I guess the curiosity in me keeps me wanting to explore. Hopefully I'll have a good enough job some day that I will be able to travel all over and share my love of travel with my future family. On a more "now" note, I have internet really close bye to the ship, and after my trip to Capri tomorrow I will post a few pictures. I will only pick a few because I've already taken a few hundred. Capri will be expensive, but it's also the go to spot of the rich so I was expecting that. I was considering spending the night in Rome, but I think even one night won't be enough. Not to mention it'd be in a Hostel and I don't want to risk losing my passport, or getting my stuff stolen I may just have to have a goal to come back some day and really see the city. Unfortunately it's almost 2 and a half hours from us in port, but I am taking a day trip there, so I will get a taste for it. There is so much I want to see and so little time. I intend on having another cappucino as well, it was absolutely amazing. If I ever have a coffee addicition it will be with a traditional espresso maker and a milk steamer, and I will order it from Italy. :) haha Well I need to get to bed early, my bus is leaving port at 7:45 a.m. and I don't want to miss capri and anacapri, it was my most expensive trip after all. Love to all....and buona sera.
Me
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