ITALY

ROMA

We arrived in Rome mid-day today after leaving the ship and taking the train from Civitavechia. On our way to our hostel we met Deadmau5 (deadmouse) the DJ we would be seeing later in the night while hailing cabs from an upscale hotel concierge. He was less than friendly and when we told him we'd be at the show that night he simply replied, "ya, me too" Some hotshot i guess...Once we got settled at the yellow hostel we set out to see a few sights. Our day of touring included La fontana de trevi, the trevi fountain, going inside the Pantheon (beautiful)  from which we walked to the Spanish steps and then onto a large square where the statue of Romulus and Remus is located. Once back to the hostel we took a hot (no a/c) quick nap and re-grouped for dinner and Deadmau5. Decked out in funny concert proof outfits we hopped on the train to the venue, we ran into many other sas kids who were headed the same way so it was fun ride as you can imagine. The show was great and we all had a good time! Getting back was miserable because the train doesn't operate past midnight so we had to take a series of city buses back to Rome to get to the hostel. Once there we all said goodnight as we had a big day ahead.

7/3 this morning we woke up around 9 and rallied for a full blown day of sightseeing. We were able to pack in the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel, st. Peters square, and the Coliseum. These structures really allow you to appreciate the historical significance of art and architecture in Rome. In other words, it's much better than a picture in a textbook! Following our full day we went out for a hole in the wall dinner which was incredible, and very cheap! Since a few more friends had connected up we decided to walk around some more and get gelato. We walked back to the trevi fountain and sat for awhile, it was way better at night! We also stopped by the pantheon one last time before calling it a night.

7/4- happy America day!!

We rallied this morning and went directly to the train station to head south. We decided we will spend the next 3 days exploring the Amalfi coast area with day trips to Sorrento, Positano,  and Capri. At the time of writing we are about an hour from Napoli where the next leg will begin. Ciao!

Once to Napoli we did some navigating and condensed our group to a solid 12. We were able to get a train down the blue line to Sorrento, which took about an hour and a half, total sweat fest but the views were awesome. Once we arrived we set out to find a hotel and ended up at a great spot where they are only charging us 25eu per night. We have some AC and can do wash in the sink which is great. Later on we went out and found an amazing small restaurant for a seafood linguine dinner then sat outside for some more wine and conversed for a few more hours.

7/5 capri

We slept well and had a quick breakfast at the hotel then walked on down to the marina to see if we could get out to Capri. We all bought some ferry tickets and rolled out to the beautiful island. Upon arrival we walked away from the gypsy tour center and found a little stand that would take us on a swimming tour of the island for only 300 euro, alot right?? Not divided by 12, only 25 a person. We grabbed sandwiches and a bit of vino and headed out on the boat. What followed was the best 3 hours I have ever spent in my entire life. He took us into the grottos, let us swim as we wished and our group had no hesitation to bare all through the crystal blue grottos as we laughed all the way along. It was truly a day of memories, pictures, and awe as we made a lap around Capri. Everybody napped on the ferry home and now we are gearing up for another great dinner, Easily the best 25 euro I have ever spent! Tomorrow evening we will head back toward the Explorer with possibly a hike somewhere along the way. I hope to reach an Internet cafe on Saturday in Naples to upload these posts and a few pictures. All the best to everyone back home, can't wait to laugh about these funny days over a few at the Pirates Den.

7/6 Positano

After checking out of hotel Eden in Sorrento we hopped on the bus through the mountains toward Positano. It was a beautiful drive looking down at the water most of the time. We spent the day eating lunch and exploring the village shops which were everywhere. Later on we took a swim then started to plan our return to Naples. We hiked up into the hills to catch a bus back to Sorrento where we grabbed a ferry to Naples and wouldn't you know it, pulled up literally next to the MV. So exciting to see her after a week of travel. We are back now unpacking our stank gear and enjoying the AC of our cabins. I had some mail from Mom and Dad when I got home which was so great! Especially the pictures of Breezy. Tomorrow we are probably going to relax, figure out some laundry and study a bit for our midterms. We depart late afternoon but we will definitely get into town for some famous pizza Napolitana! Italy was amazing and the food is like nothing else. I hope to return to these small coastal villages someday and to those who are venturing to Capri, pay the guy to take you around the island with some friends and not on public tour, so much fun!!