4-9-09

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Since I had plenty of sleep I was up bright and shiny. We grabbed breakfast then decided to spend the day in Capri. We took the hydrofoil then once we got there Dad and I tried to rent bright yellow scooters. The man was about ready to give us the keys when he told us point blank, “if you don’t drive a scooter night and day I won’t let you drive one.” Even though Dad drove a motorcycle quite a bit it’s been a while and these roads are pretty peligroso so we opted for a taxi ride around. Also, Mom got to go with us this way! We hopped in one that slightly resembled a hearse and I was shocked how much we paid for but I was really glad we did.
First he took us to Anacapri which is at the top. We saw a pretty cathedral (didn’t pay to go in obviously, just peeked inside), then went to this awesome lookout near the 900 Roman steps. It was sooo pretty! Next the driver took us to the Mariana Piccalo or something like that. We saw a really pretty beach, cool rocks, the Gerber mansion at the top of the other side, and one of Mussolini’s mansions. Not too shabby! The last stop was Capri – a lower and busier town with lots of shopping. We wandered around a little and took some more pictures until it was time to go back down. Once again, we had some gelato then caught the hydrofoil back to Sorrento.
I can’t remember what we did for lunch (because I know you’re all DYING to find out) but then we took the train to Pompeii. When we got there we stood on the terrace that overlooks the whole site and debated whether or not to go in. It was pretty expensive and I felt like I could see quite a bit but we gave in and did it. I’m really glad we did because it was awesome inside and a lot bigger than we expected. We saw the pillars, forum, rooms, pottery, ovens, a temple, and even some preserved bodies. One was bent over praying and two were lying down with looks of horror and pain on their faces. It’s crazy how so much was preserved by a natural disaster. It was pretty warm out and I’m so thankful that we had three nice days when I was there! On our way back we ran into this couple we kept seeing all afternoon and it turns out the girl grew up near Council Bluffs – what a small world.

We came back to the hotel and I gave Mom and Dad their souvenirs and showed them everything I was sending home with them. We all walked down to the pool (since I flaked out on the last swim I was supposed to go on) but it was closed because they were setting up for our dinner. We went to the outdoor pool and since it was too cold to swim we just sat on the chairs for a little while. We came back up to the room, did a little packing, and then got ready for the final dinner. It was fun to get dressed up and eat a fancy meal. The setting was so pretty and I thought the food was excellent. [Since I’m so far behind on catching up my blogs, I just read in my journal the notes I wrote from the night, “beautiful. good food & conversation – I have good stories! So spoiled on Jones trips.” I’d say that pretty much sums it up!] It was fun to talk with the other people at the table – they were so sweet and interested in hearing about my experiences and it was nice to have some good stories to throw out there. I’ve said it already and I’ll say it again – Jones trips are amazing, luxurious, and I’m so lucky to have had the opportunities that I’ve had.