Naples to say the least was "trashy," I mean literally. Apparently Naples is having some sanitation problems leaving the appearence of the city a bit to be desired: heaps of trash on every corner. Our stay in Naples consisted of stopping at an ATM and a gas station. We did not stay long. We took a short drive to Pompeii where we took a tour of the ancient city.
The city cannot be adequatly described with words. We saw things over 2,000 years old. There were mosaic tiles and paintings that depicted everyday life in Pompeii. The city had been covered with 26 inches of volcanic ash, smothering all existence of life. There were casts of people that were found when the city was unearthed. The positions of the people sent an erie feeling across everyone. I could not believe the workings of the city! They had what I would consider modern day water systems, well thought out roads, a red light district, and an ancient version of McDonald's or Starbucks. It mades me wonder where our world would be today if that intelligence had not been lost in a sea of ash.
We had some free time after our guided tour to explore and eat at Pompeii. We went on to Sorrento from there. The drive was absolutely breath taking! I cannot possibly explain the view we saw from the side of the cliffs! The pictures will not be enough to show you either the expansive beauty Sorento welcomed us with!
We arrived at Hotel Michelangelo where we were greeted by beautiful rooms! I myself am happy to talk about my room.....I am sharing it with three others, Kari R., Rachel K, and Marie A. We were greeted with a large suite! One bedroom has a queen sized bed in it and a single with a bathroom down the hall. The next bedroom has two single beds and another bathroom down the hall....no 1' by 1' shower tomorrow for me!
We were given the rest of the day off to explore the city. I did some shopping and a lot of walking. We ate at the hotel restaraunt tonight and it was delicious! Afterwards Emily D. and I walked the entire city (I may be exaggerating a bit) to find this internet cafe. On our way we did find some amazing things... We stumbled upon this beautiful garden overlooking the sea just as it was becoming dusk. Also, a personal favorite of the night, we ran across a man playing the water glasses! Yes, I said playing the water glasses! It was brilliant: a street musician and a beverage bar all in one! The last of our day ends here telling you all good night and Ciao until tomorrow.......
Written by: Ashley Ballou '09
