And yet more labels for 2020

Island of Capri

We woke up this morning to a beautiful sunny day! The Lemon and Orange trees in Sorrento were shining with the morning sun! After a brief breakfast, we all boarded the bus to the Sorrento Port! Our destination was the Island of Capri. We boarded the Jet Boat that was a one-way trip to Capri.

So there we are, waiting for the boat to arrive, watching everyone turn around and look at us to stare in amazement at how tall we are! Pictures were taken and excitement rushed through our bodies; for a brief moment we felt like what it must be like to be a celeb!

Finally, the boat arrived and we all boarded the jet. We sat patiently, ready to leave Sorrento. As we were leaving, the whole group was shocked at how big of a boat we were in and more importantly, how fast a boat like this can move!! The ride was amazing as we were flying across the Mediterranean Sea.

When we arrived in Capri, all of us got off the boat trying to imagine what would be waiting for us. I really wanted to learn the history behind the Island, and that is what I would learn almost instantly. We took a private boat across the outskirts of the Island. On this trip we got a first hand look at all the Grottos that exist along the outer walls of the Island. We also learned the history of Tiberius, who was a past Emperor of Rome. He was the only Emperor to live on the island as he was always in fear of someone trying to kill him. Legend has it that Tiberius would walk his women up to the edge of the beautiful cliffs under the notion of a romantic walk. Once there he would push them off! Apparently no one got the message and he did this for many years!

We also learned that there were a lot of natural arches and parts of the Island were actually sinking as the other side of the Island was lifting up (like a see-saw). After the private boat ride, our personal tour guide, Anthony, showed us around the beautiful island, from the expensive hotels (upwards of $3,000 U.S. dollars per night), clubs that cost around $100 dollars at the door to enter (Beyoncé frequents this place), beautiful gardens (with killer leaves), nice restaurants and a tram ride up to the city center. We took a bunch of pictures amongst ourselves.

After the quick little tour, we took the rest of the morning to shop eat and enjoy our friends. Looking back on our day I really appreciate the time we spent together because learning about the culture as a group can make us grow in so many ways. Ways that we will cherish forever.

Sorrento and the Beach!

MEALS

Today we had lunch in Pompeii; the two choices were pizza and pasta. The pizza is thicker than in Rome, it is called Neapolitan pizza. In Rome, the pizza is much thinner. One of the other things this region is known for is their lemons. Not only small lemons, but big lemons too! The lemons in this area can be as big Katie Tucker's head. Lemon ice drinks are common, and we had the opportunity to taste the common drink. Gelato is a nice sweet dessert that we all have had the opportunity to have almost every night! Tonight for dinner we had penne pasta with fried eggplant and mozzarella cheese. For dessert we had chocolate cream puffs.

The authentic Italian food here is different in many ways! For starters, the pasta is almost always cooked al dente, which is a little firm! The sauce also contains a bit more olive oil than the sauce we are used to, and the tomatoes give it a much sweeter taste! The food has been AMAZING!

ANCIENT CITY OF POMPEII

Our next stop on the way to Sorrento was the Ancient City of Pompeii. This city was destroyed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. and was almost perfectly preserved under the lava rock. In 1860, the city was discovered by some archaeologists and has been made to look as it did in its hey day. 

At the time of the eruption there were 11,000 people in ancient Pompeii, only 2,000 bodies have been discovered though. Many of these bodies, including some pets, were mummified by the lava and were frozen in their form when they died. This amazing feat of nature really allowed us to imagine what was happening when the eruption hit. The ancient city of Pompeii originally had roofs and different stories on their houses but due to the volcanic ash it was mostly burnt down to just walls.

An amazing engineering display was the aqueduct system that allowed water to get to the entire city, much like a well for tap water used in houses today. Walking on the roads, ruts could be seen from the ancient carts that transported large amounts of goods throughout the city. We got to see the laundromat where slaves washed clothing with urine as well as the old world fast food stops complete with wine and other food items.

ARRIVAL TO SORRENTO AND BEACH EXCURSION

After we left Pompeii we took a relaxing drive to our new hotel, the Sisters Hostel, a new hostel in Sorrento that was a bit of an upgrade from our last hotel. The rooms were very big and the lobby is very pretty. After we settled into our rooms we took a relaxing break. Mr. Churchill, some of the group, and I decided to go to beach. We gathered in the lobby and marched single file along the road until we got to the side of the cliff and walked together down a zigzag patterned road to the beach. Once there, we decided to take our shoes off and walk in the warm black sand. 

We took a fair amount of artsy pictures on the rocks, did some yoga and watched Mr. Churchill take a polar plunge in the freezing cold water. While walking back from the beach, I made the naieve decision to walk barefoot in an attempt to save my white converse from discoloration. Katie and I arrived to the hotel and decided to wash our feet in the bidet, and blood started leaking from my foot. Long story short, my feet suffered a minor operation by Mr. Churchill. After a quick shower we went to dinner and had a classic Italian meal.

A Country within a Country!

The Catacombs
Our third day in Italy started with a 6:30am wake up call, a croissant or two, and our “whisper” walkie-talkie devices hanging around our necks. Fabio always began our tour with the famous “ENDIAMO!”. We marched up onto the bus and drove to our destination, which was the largest underground cemetery, known as the catacombs.

Many of us had mixed emotions about visiting the catacombs because we didn’t know what to expect? "Will we be seeing their actual bodies?", "Can we touch them?", "I’m not going in there Mr.Churchill!... I refuse to see dead bodies".

The catacombs were created and designed to hold an unlimited amount of bodies underground, underneath, and around a church. We learned that the higher-class people were buried the closest to the church and the lower class citizens were buried farther away from the church. Unfortunately, many bodies were dug up and removed, so we were only able to see their dugouts. The majority of the students in our group had trouble fitting through the underground tunnels, which were filled with a collection of human bodies from left to right.

The Catacombs were measured to be 15 miles long, 5 feet 6 inches in height, and not even an arms length in width. The guys in our group from the basketball team measure from 6'10" to 7' tall, so very few of us were able to simply walk through the tunnels without crouching or struggling to fit. Many struggled throughout the 15 to 20 minutes that we were in there, and some experienced being claustrophobic and anxiety from the moment they walked into the tunnels.

St. Paul’s Basilica
After our trip to the Catacombs, we were treated to an experience at St. Paul’s Basilica in Rome, founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the latter part of the 4th century. The Basilica is the second most important Catholic Church in the world, second only to St. Peter’s in the Vatican (more on that later…), and it is one of only four major Basilica’s located outside the walls of the Vatican.

We were immediately impressed by the size and scope of this amazing creation to honor the great St. Paul. The first incredible feature that you notice when you enter is the imposing statue to honor the Saint that sits in the courtyard to greet you as you enter the church. When you walk through the doors, the impressive features continue as you see a line of portraits across the entire top of the building to honor all 265 past and current Popes. To see the history of this position come to life through these images is quite amazing. Another special feature is that Saint Paul is buried beneath the altar at the church, and you can see his sarcophagus as you kneel before it to say a prayer. Even those of little faith can’t help but be in awe of this great historical figure and the amount of years that have passed since his passing. The church also holds a Holy Door that is only opened every 25 years during Jubilee. This visit ended with a yummy lunch at the restaurant located on site! Panini’s for everyone today!

The Vatican
After going to Saint Paul’s and having lunch, we went to visit the Vatican to learn about the paintings and statues that are in it. After arriving, we first learned about Michelangelo, how he went from being a sculptor to being a painter on the Pope’s orders, and the controversy of his paintings for the Sistine Chapel. After that we walked through the Vatican and went to an exposition of sculptures, dating from ancient Greece to the renaissance years. Something surprising was the huge baths carved out of solid pieces of rock, where even Jimbo could lay straight in.

After this we went through the Sistine Chapel, with Michelangelo’s huge paintings, and also walked through Saint Peter’s Basilica, which had a sealed door that was only opened every 25 years for the Jubilee, the last time being in the year 2000. We left the Vatican, enjoying walking over the border between Italy and the Vatican state well over ten times in a row.

Jubilee FOOD!
My experience in Italy has been amazing so far! Bright warm weather with a perfect breeze, beautiful sights to see to take pictures of with selfie sticks, and awesome people to create these memories with. Aside from that, the food is bomb! There is such a great variety of foods, which I love but hate at the same time because I think I gained 10 pounds and it’s the third day. The pizza is mouth watering with just enough sauce and the perfect amount of cheese; that is a taste I will never forget. The pasta is unreal and very filling with a choice of sauces and cheeses. It doesn’t end there though, the sandwiches, Paninis, are awesome. Panini's are great to snack on or as a meal. I tried a salami and mozzarella Panini and I wanted another one.

Something else that I really enjoy is the shopping because of the different brands and new collections of styles. My favorite shopping experience so far has been going into the Zara Department store with 6 floors! I never saw a store that big and it was like walking into heaven. Although I tripped and bruised my knees, I still bought really cute things and at the end of the day I was happy!

Vatican Street Life
We were given free time to roam the streets of the Vatican City following our tour of the amazing churches and religious monuments. We walked throughout the thin avenues past an abundance of little shops and restaurants with our very important concern of whether each one had Wi-Fi or not. Often for restaurants, workers were posted outside, suggesting we check out their menu, along with a few offering a mutter of “ciao bella” followed by a wink that usually made us walk a little bit quicker. Most people stopped to get a gelato because it really is irresistible, but Kori and I stopped for cappuccinos. It was the first cappuccino I had ever had and it was very delicious. I’ve noticed that with a lot of coffee or gelato shops there often is no place to sit, which is very different from the US. Crossing the streets in the Vatican City feels like a life or death experience because, as we have experienced in all of Italian traffic thus far, cars go very fast and really only stop if it is absolutely necessary. I don’t think I’ve ever sprinted across a crosswalk so quickly while simultaneously fearing for my life. All in all, the Vatican was a very beautiful place and the streets and shops within it offered a new perspective on their street culture.

Sorrento and Olive Oil!

The group arrived in Sorrento, Italy this afternoon after a great stop at the ancient city of Pompeii (more to come on this soon)! The road heading into Sorrento was AMAZING as you drive on a narrow road with a thousand foot drop to your right! The buildings are old world and beautiful! The sea air hit us with a heavy odor of salt and put giant smiles on all of our faces! After a couple of quick stops to take some photos and check in, several of us headed to the beach! The water was a little chilly, but worth the effort! Enjoy the pics and stay tuned for a more detailed explanation of our amazing day south of Rome!

Ancient Rome and the Selfie Stick

I need to start by apologizing to all those people out there waiting on the edge of their seats for the latest and greatest coming out of Italy! We are desperately trying to beat the bad internet availability, but are constantly hitting walls everywhere we go! We will stay vigilant, so keep checking!

Here is some information from day 2 where the group visited the Colosseum and the Roman Forum and had many other fun adventures!

Breakfast
Breakfast in the hotel was a lot different than your typical American breakfast. We enjoyed a breakfast that featured cereal (Corn Flakes) and a variety of flavored breads. There was no meat or eggs being served. The Italians tend to stay away from those foods. A lot of yogurt and crostada (a jelly filled pie).

The Roman Coliseum
After breakfast the group headed to the Roman Coliseum for a tour. Personally I was extremely excited to be visiting such a historic venue such as the Coliseum. I had a feeling that it would be an awesome sight, but when we got there I was completely blown away. It was absolutely stunning. Before the tour we had some free time to take pictures. The Coliseum is a great spot for pictures. Inside the Coliseum, an Italian tour guide took us around. She enlightened us on the history of the Coliseum. Being inside of the Coliseum gave me the full effect, a feeling that a picture could not give. I could picture the gladiators fighting in front of the 60-80 thousand people watching and cheering. It was a very surreal opportunity.

Forum and Lunch
After Visiting the Roman Coliseum, we walked with our tour guide a short ways to the Roman Forum. The Forum was a gathering place used by the Roman people for many different things such as politics and economics, and it is also where the courts where located. The architecture of the courts inspired many of the designs of the churches. Julius Caesar had a house for the Senate built in the forum. The Forum was the hub of ancient Roman life. In Ancient times there were shops in the middle that were surrounded by restaurants. Being able to see the forum gave us great insight to what Roman life would have been like.

When we were done with the forum, we took another short walk to the Piazza Venenzia, the Italian equivalent of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. When we got there we were given free time for lunch. A few of us found a little snack bar where we got a couple sandwiches, which were very delicious. I got a prosciutto with mozzarella and a pepperoni with greens and mozzarella and a coke. The lady that served us was very sweet. After that we found, almost right next to the snack bar, a very modern looking gelato shop which was also was very good. I got hazelnut gelato with nutella mixed in along with Lemon. Both were very refreshing.

The Selfie Stick
Here in Italy, while roaming the streets, the group has been approached by at least 30 different street vendors. All of them selling the same useful yet annoying tool, the Selfie Stick. This is how it goes. A vendor walks up speaking Italian (which none of us can understand), points the stick at us, and says either “10 Euros?” or “15 Euros?”. The answer is always no because 10 or 15 Euros is an outrageous amount to pay for one of these sticks. Yesterday, the group decided that we should try to see who could get the vendors to sell us a stick for the lowest price. We each began to bargain prices with the vendors. Some of us got the prices down to 8 Euros, some down to 6 Euros. Zai got one vendor to the lowest price the group has seen yet, 4 Euros. The overall total number of selfie stick purchases on the day added up to 6. Mr. Churchill even participated in the bargaining. He seems to be the most excited about his selfie stick purchase. Since he’s gotten it, he pulls it out and takes group selfies at every venue.

When in Rome...

Day one is in the books! After two very smooth flights, thanks to Lufthansa Airlines, we were able to get our trip off on the right foot! The inflight entertainment was top notch and the food was worthy of a fine city establishment! On top of all that, our “taller” travelers (no, not Mr. Sampson!) were very thrilled with the real estate they were given as they were able to stretch out and relax! 

After many hours of travel we were met at the airport in Rome by our tour guide Fabio! This meeting quickly put the group at ease as Fabio won us over with his thick navy-blue down jacket; a jacket that would make any New Englander envious! We quickly established our itinerary for the day that would include a stop at Piazza Navona, the Pantheon (with lunch nearby), the Trevi Fountain, and finishing with a walk on the Spanish Steps. The sites along the way would prove to be more than we could imagine and provided us with an amazing first look into the ancient and extremely rich Roman history and culture. After an amazing three-course meal at a local Italian restaurant, our group was begging to go to bed to prepare for our big day tomorrow! Stay tuned to the NHS Project Week blog for more updates!

Have 36 Hours in Rome?

New Hampton in Italy!

The Italy group is very excited to be taking in sights like this in a few short days! The group has been getting excited for the trip as we have several fun things planned on top of visiting all the amazing historical and cultural destinations of Rome and the Sorrento region!

While in Italy, the group will be working on a travel guide for those wanting to visit Italy in the future. The hope is that this guide will offer an objective look at places to eat, things to do for fun, and detailed information regarding the historical sites.

Check back for more information as the group will be departing on the 9th from Boston and returning on the 16th!