First, I would like to thank you for keeping up with my journeys thus far. Secondly, I would, again, like to apologize for my long absence from this blog. April and May have been fun-filled and exciting months and, as a result, I have been hard pressed for free time to write in my blog.
From the snowcapped mountain peaks and clear lakes of the north to the spender of the picturesque Cinque Terre on the coast, Italy boasts a vast and, yet, intriguing setting. Ruins of the most powerful empire the world has ever known is the cornerstone of the rich culture that this great country embraces. Words can hardly describe the beauty and awe one can experience in the beloved nation, but I will try.
After the family’s departure from Scotland, I had a couple of days to rest and recover before spending two and a half weeks in Italy. During this time, laundry and other chores were hastily completed prior to my departure on Wednesday morning. To make this trip more interesting, I guess, an ATM machine thought it would be good fun to destroy my debit card just two days before I was scheduled to push off! After a few stressful hours, Brittany decided to send a new card to Matt Carton in Germany, who was scheduled to meet me in Rome a week and a half into my trip. This meant that I was left with only the money in my pocket until Monday, when I was to meet up with my other friend, John Roberts, to explore the Italian coast. Needless to say, it was not a good start to the journey.
Anyway, I arrived in Milan late Wednesday afternoon and set off in search of my hostel. Luckily, I did not have too hard a time, and I checked in before nightfall. I then went searching for some famous Italian pizza but ended up only finding a franchised place. Oh well, it was still pretty decent. I knew that I would have plenty of time to enjoy pizza in Italy anyways.
The next morning, after wandering through the city, stopping at the Duomo, the Galleria, La Scala (the world’s most exclusive opera house), and getting lost in the fashion district, I jumped on a train bound for Lake Como (just north of Milan). This part of Italy was very authentic. I did not meet anyone, other than the owner of the hostel, who spoke English. Now, I’m not saying that this wasn’t a tourist destination, but I believe most of the travelers were from Europe. With this being said, I had quite a time finding the bus that was in route to Menaggio, where my hostel was located. Although no one spoke English, it was quite fun figuring out Italian. So, I did manage to get on the right bus and somehow jumped off at the correct stop. This was when I met the only other American that was staying in the hostel. She was traveling a few months before going to take a job in California. We proceeded checked in and head downtown (population 2000) to grab some REAL authentic pizza: it was delicious. The next couple of days I hiked the mountains and wandered through the neighboring towns. It was extremely beautiful and an amazing place to relax. This is probably why George Clouny has a villa on the lake! Overall, I had a fantastic couple days on Lake Como.
On Saturday, I took the train back to Milan where I met up with John. Even though I had to pay him back eventually, I had a source of money! We stayed the night in Milan and then took off for Camogli, on the Italian Riviera, early the next morning. It was a sight to be seen: a colorful town built into a hillside right on the Mediterranean. Even though we just stayed for a day, it was one of my favorite spots; so calm and gorgeous.
The next day found us on our way to Cinque Terre. Five small towns, located in a national park, are connected by a famous hiking trail. When arriving in Manarola, I could tell why this place had the reputation that it did. It was similar to Camogli, but the towns were quainter and built on steeper hills. We hiked the trail, which was way tougher than I thought it was going to be, and discovered the treasures of these small towns. Now, being on the Mediterranean, we thought we might be able to do a little swimming….not the case. The water was extremely cold, but none the less, it was an amazing part of the world.
Our next destination was Naples, but not before checking out the Leaning Tower of Pisa and a sketchy night in a train station. Now Naples is not the safest or cleanest city I have even been, but it was a great central point for exploring the area, most notably, Pompeii. If you remember from history class, Pompeii was coved in a deadly cloud of volcanic ash and almost perfectly preserved on August 24th, 79 AD. So when Mount Vesuvius unexpectedly blew, it created a fascinating archeological sight of an Ancient Roman civilization. Since I am a big Roman history buff, you can imagine that I enjoyed every second of seeing the preserved lifestyles of this fascinating society. That night, we ventured out to find the best pizza in the world, and I think we found it. Naples, known as the birthplace of pizza, did not disappoint the taste buds. During our stay, we ate at the two most famous pizzerias in the world!
Late Thursday morning, John and I boarded a ferry bound for the island of Capri. A hotspot for celebrities (although we didn’t see any) and fantastic scenery, Capri did not disappoint. With only two small towns on the island, Capri and Anacapri, the relax feel was a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of Naples. We explored the Blue Grotto, a remarkable sea cave with neon blue water, Villa Jovis, the ruins where Emperor Tiberius ruled Rome, and ate an authentic Italian dinner along the Mediterranean. I can image why Augustus fell in love with the island during his rein as emperor, the views were spectacular. But we could not linger, so we jumped on a ferry heading to the Amalfi Coast late Friday afternoon.
We arrived in Atrani and found the eccentric brothers who ran the hostel we booked. They mentioned the Good Friday celebration that was happening in the, almost, adjoining town, Amalfi. After grabbing some pasta before the events began, we headed to the church square, which was filled with the entire town. The street lights went out at 8 and a procession of the members and clergy was lead down the church stairs and around town. The group of about 100 carried a statue of Jesus and sang songs with the help of a small instrumental band; it was a sight to me seen. The next morning we took a hike to Ravello. Possibly the most difficult hike I have ever encountered and drenched in sweet when we reached the sleepy town, it was well worth it. Nestled in the hills and over-looking the ocean, we enjoyed the charm and spectacular views Ravello had to offer. We headed back down (not as hard as going up) and chilled on the beach until we took a bus back to Naples, where we rested our heads (and ate some pizza) before waking up early to catch a train headed for Rome to “enjoy” Easter at the Vatican.
