Italy 2016: Day 9

After an early wake up call, we once again climbed aboard the bus, driven by our illustrious bus driver, Fabio. A short drive and too many stairs for eight in the morning later, we arrived at the harbor in order to catch our boat to the island of Capri. Overall, the waves were smooth and the ride enjoyable. Once we arrived at the island, we changed boats and took a “mini-cruise” around Capri. It was the bomb.com until it started raining, and everyone struggled to put on their raincoats and open their umbrellas. After we had safely found our footing on land again, we took the funicular up to the higher part of the island and took a walking tour, which was followed by multiple artsy photo shoots over the Capri cliffs. Then for lunch, some of us had quick caprese sandwiches while the others opted for a nice sit down lunch. We then took some time to explore Capri on our own before finally taking a boat to Naples. We found Fabio and our beloved bus and took off on the three and a half hour drive to Rome where nearly all of us fell asleep. When we arrived at our hotel in Rome, we ate a lovely dinner and then prepared ourselves to return home the next day. I feel like I can speak for all of us when I say Italy was an amazing experience that we will hold fond memories of for a long time.

Arrivederci, Italia!

-Maria Sallee

Italy 2016: Day 8

We left Roma this morning and took about a four hour drive to the outside of Pompeii with the occasional stops. We stopped at a gas station that was stocked full of beautiful Easter candy and Italian souvenirs. Once we got to our designated stop, we have a delicious lunch (a choice of pizza, pasta, or fried calamari). After lunch, we walked to the next meeting area and watched how the original jewelry of Pompeii was made. It is called cameo and is made by master artists who carve the pieces out of seashells. After seeing the jewelry, we ventured around the original, excavated city of Pompeii. Pompeii was absolutely amazing and we could see Mount Vesuvius, which is the volcano that covered Pompeii in volcanic gas and ashes, killing all of the inhabitants. We wandered around and explored the ruins with our local guide. We saw ancient bath houses, residences, temples, and the courthouse (basilica).
After Pompeii, we took a short drive along the Italian coastline to Sorrento to enjoy some free time strolling through this small coastal town. We were allowed to eat, drink, or go shopping. We tried Sorrento’s traditional dessert, a light flaky pastry filled with lemon-flavored ricotta cheese. As the sun was setting, we left Sorrento and traveled to our hotel for dinner. Tomorrow we have an early wake-up call for visiting the island of Capri!

-Asia Gibson

Italy 2016: Day 7

The first thing we did was see the Colosseum. It could fit 60,000 people. The size of it made me think of how small things actual are. The entire experience of being in a building that was constructed countless centuries ago really blew my mind. It was definitely my favorite part of the day.

Went through Roman Forum after we left the Colosseum. It was spectacular. I felt like I stepped back in time and was walking with the ancient Romans.
In the afternoon, we went to the Trevi Fountain and we all made our wishes and then had some great gelato. Whilst there, Omar tried to through his coin (according to Roman tradition) but he threw it from the top pier in front on the fountain. He almost hit a French man in the forehead on his first try and then on his second he missed the fountain completely. He gave up after that.
The best part of the afternoon was running up the Spanish steps with Preston, Aiden, and Alfred. It felt like I was the victor of a great race or like was a movie movie star.
Then we went to the Parthenon. The architecture blew my mind. The fact that people who did not have modern technology achieved such a feat is incredible. It was absolutely breathtaking. Outside the parthenon, were two men. One was singing opera style while the other one played a guitar looking instrument. They were really good.

Italy 2016: Day 6

Italy 2016: Day 5

Ciao Bella!
We awoke this morning to our first day in Rome. We hit the ground running, and after a delicious breakfast, we loaded the bus and headed for downtown. Right away, we broke off into groups, and the vast majority of us braved the Roman Catacombs, which was decidedly exhilarating despite the cold. These ancient burial grounds were the resting place for over 150,000 Christians. That having been an optional excursion, the other portion of the group had free time, got some shopping done, walked around the Campo di Fiori, and ate lunch. This group then headed for the Basilica of St. Paul. We learned about this Cathedral’s rich history and admired its beauty. Because this year is a holy year dedicated to St. Paul, there is a special door that was made specially for this beautiful building. After this, both groups reunited and headed toward The Vatican (which, as it happens, it its own independent country that functions with its own currency.) Once in The Vatican, we hopped in line to visit the museum that is inside, and saw some astounding exhibits. As part of this museum, we visited the Sistine Chapel, and admired the beauty of its ceiling, painted entirely by Michelangelo. Although we were unfortunately unable to take pictures to commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I am sure that I do not speak only for myself when I say that it will be a memory to keep forever. After leaving the Sistine Chapel, we entered the Basilica of St. Peter, the largest Catholic Cathedral in the world. And magnificent it was. As we learned, the Cathedral is as long as two football fields placed end-to-end. We explored this beautiful record-breaker and admired the art that it housed. After perusing a Religious Relics shop, we ate dinner and headed for the hotel. Tomorrow we will explore some of the most well-known and most recognizable locations in the world, such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon.

Buona Notte!
– Jensen Lewis