Thursday – I had my last midterm – Installation Art. We had a written test with two parts. The first part was short answer and the second part was an essay question on a documentary we watched called “The Czech Dream.” If you can find it on the internet I would suggest watching it. It demonstrates an interesting take on global consumerism. Anyway I think I did well depending on how Lukash grades. After I went out to eat with Charity, Ashley and Jen and went to the computer lab.
Friday I woke to quite a surprise. I woke up to a crash and when we went to investigate we found that out water heater had fallen off the wall! We went to housing – thank god it was still open! They called our landlord to get it repaired. I left to run and shower at the gym then do some more work at the computer lab. I cleared all the old documents off my computer so I would have more memory and got some things organized for spring break and some other trips. By the time I got back Jessica and Emily had left for Spring Break and the men had finished working. I went to dinner with Ashley at Ganzo then went to bed early. It was nice having the apartment all to myself.
Saturday I ran then went to Piti Palace with Ashley and my friend Jessica from my Installation Art class. We saw the castle, the art exhibit, the costume exhibit, and the gardens. After we got gelato and I found my mom’s hotel and finished her surprise. Then I went home and got caught up on Parks and Rec, 30 Rock and How I Met Your Mother….this also went into Sunday. I got some work done on resumes, budgets, class scheduling, etc. as well
Monday I did laundry, packed and met up with Ashley to get ready for our trip. I slept on her couch so we could leave early the next morning for Naples!
Tuesday we arrived in Naples after a 3 hour train ride. I love the train though and the longer rides don’t bother me. I love getting to watch the countryside pass by and to just relax and read or sleep for a bit. Arriving in Naples was a little nerve-wracking. We got turned around at first but eventually we found out way to our bed and breakfast – Robby’s House. All the rooms were decorated by a color theme. We were in the yellow room. We also had a balcony overlooking the street. After getting checked in Robby helped us find out way to the metro station and a good route by the ocean and the historical area of the city. We took a train and walked all along the coast. The view was breathtaking! Naples has a bad reputation but you have to see its coast at the very least. We stopped for lunch after a while at a restaurant by the ocean. I ordered four cheese pizza and as we sat “What a Wonderful World/Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Kamakawiwo’ole came on. I couldn’t help but cry. My song for my grandpa. It just made me feel like I was being looked over and that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. After we kept walking until the road departed from the sea. We walked through the historical district and saw the square and a few other things. We were back at the B&B by around 5:30. We passed out after a long day! When we woke up we had our left overs and I read my book – Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter before getting to bed early.
Wednesday we got up early to go to Pompeii! It was about a 45 minute train ride from Naples but easy to navigate. We stopped in the Tourism office and they gave us a free book….which appeared to be from 1960 but I don’t think much of the ruins have changed since its publishing. Then we made our way to the ruins. If you don’t know Pompeii is huge and takes hours to get through but it is well worth it! It is amazing to see what has survived the centuries. Toward the end we got a little lost and ended up walking up a path that lead out of the park. Ashley spoke to the men and they let us re-enter the park….through the ruins! My favorite were the casts of the bodies and the coliseum. I made sure to get my post cards and key chains after we left and we stopped for more gelato. I got melon – cantaloupe which I must say, besides pistachio, is one of my favorite flavors now. After we headed back on the train to Naples. We took another nap and after we got dinner at a restaurant called Dai Medici. The owner – Mama Medici is friends with Robby and she takes special care of his guests. She bought us a free appetizer…I can’t remember what they were called but they were basically fried salty dough balls. And they were delicious! I ordered Risotto with fresh seafood and Margareta pizza as well. If you are ever making a trip to Naples I suggest stopping here for dinner because you won’t get better food in all of Italy! Made with a mothers love. We also told her where we were from and when I said Indiana she scurried off to the back and brought back a letter addressed from Indianapolis! A family that had eaten at her restaurant while they were in Naples had written her. It was an amazing coincidence. We got a picture with mama before we left. Ill add it when I get it from Ashley. When we got back we had oranges for dessert. Best I have ever eaten. I read again and we retired for an early night.
Thursday we left Naples for Sorrento. Only an hour train ride and our B&B owner – luigi picked us up from the train station. Casa Mazzola – the B&B where we were staying was actually in the hills of Sant’Agnello so Luigi offers a service to take his guests into town. There is also a bus which we opted to take a few times not to both him. Sant’Agnello is only a few minute walk from Sorrento so it worked out perfectly once we were down the hill. Worth it to stay up there though because out view was again breathtaking. After we checked in, Luigi took us into town and we headed to the beach. The beaches aren’t like you imagine though. We had to climb down a cave path to get to the docks and the beach. We laid out and swam in the Mediterrenian….in March! It was cold but it was clear and you could float without the slightest effort because of the salinity of the water. After a few hours we walked through Sorrento. Getting there we stumbled upon an orange and lemon grove which was free to walk through. I again added to my post card and key chain collection and I was tempted to keep shopping but I refrained. Sorrento is a very posh shopping resort as well as a mecca for crafts especially wooden music and jewelry boxes which they are famous for. We stopped for dinner at a restaurant off the beaten path. I ordered carbonara (with eggs). Luigi picked us up when we were ready to go and we relaxed in the room and watched BBC news – in English!
Friday we paid for a private car tour of the Amalfi coast! We left at 9:30 and didn’t get back until 5:30. Our tour guide – Giovanni drove us from our B&B to all the coast towns and we had time to stop for a few hours in Positano,Ravello and Amalfi. We also stopped for pictures on the way between each town. The road is somewhat scary but beautiful every mile. We stopped first to look at the Siren islands and the island of Capri from a good spot just outside of Sant’Agnello. Then we made our way to Positano. We stopped and walked along the beach and just enjoyed the seaside. The Hotel from the movie Under the Tuscan Sun is located here….and Hotel California…one of them anyway. On the way to Ravello we stopped at the Grotto della Emeraldo – a cave found by an Amalfi fisherman in 1932. Only 5 euro for entry and a boat ride, the cave is famous for the lights that make the water appear blue and emerald when the water is disturbed. You can also see the stalactites that form on the cave ceiling. After we headed to Ravello, one of the last towns that is part of the Amalfi coast. It lies high in the mountains and has an amazing view of the sea that lasts for miles. We walked around the city here and had lunch – lasagna. The owner of the restaurant was born and raised in London but had Italian root so he moved back to Ravello where his grandparents were from. Finally we left for Amalfi where we spent the last few hours of our tour on the beach again.
Saturday morning we enjoyed breakfast made by Luigi’s wife – breads of various sorts including banana bread! And Toast with butter and jam. After checking out we had Luigi take us to the beach again where we laid out and swam for four hours before heading to the train station and back to Florence.
Today I enjoyed most of my day outside. We sprung forward an hour so the time difference is back to six hours but it doesn’t get dark until 7:30 now! I finished my book and started Frankenstein and booked my trip to London and Dublin with my friend Matt for the weekend after my mom comes. She will be here now in less than two days!
