Today was by far the most tiring, longest, but also best day I’ve had in Italy. At breakfast, I found out that Nutella to the Italians is like peanut butter to us. They put it on EVERYTHING and have gallons stored in the kitchens.
After breakfast, we headed to the Sorrento bay (Sorrento is the city we’re staying in) and boarded a boat that sped us to Capri. Capri is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Spotted with a few luxurious estates, the island was fortified by rocky cliffs that surrounded almost the whole island. We then went on a boat tour around Capri. I learned several things about the island. The lighthouse could shoot a beam out 15 km, the corals made the water immediately surrounding the island a bluish color with a tinge of lime-green (I was almost about to jump in, it was so clear and inviting), there was a huge rock near the coast where lovers could kiss while floating through a hole in the rock. We made a joke about that, of course, and offered kissing gestures to each other when we passed through. I also saw the house of the Gerbers, owners of Gerber Baby foods. I also saw the luxury ship of the prince and princess of Qatar, which had a helicopter on board. We came across a stalagmite that looked like the Virgin Mary as well, and a rock in the shape of an elephant. The Last landmark I saw on the boat tour was a cliff where the emperor Tiberius threw people who displeased him into the rocky waters below.
Capri
Next, following the dazzling boat ride, we took a train up a mountain to a town center, where I had lunch with Claire, Catie, Austin, Aman, and Dakota. I ordered Risotto (Rice), a sort of fried rice, Italian style. But I was very jealous of Aman’s calamari... A 45-minute hike (or more accurately a climb) to Tiberius’ villa followed, though, so I burned off all the calories I had accumulated at lunch, and probably even some of breakfast. The hike was no ordinary one, though. I hiked/climbed through narrow streets winding through the landscape up the mountain, and we blindly followed the road, which variated drastically, both horizontally and vertically. The walk was ridiculously long, but wonderful views showed up, of the bay as well as of the small “villas” jutting from the 3-foot wide street.
Risotto Paella
But the walk was certainly worth it. After reaching the Villa Jovis (Tiberius), I walked around the extravagant ruins and got a picture with my classmates at the peak of the mountain, the top of the House. The view was serene and stunning (note the alliteration!).
Walking down was much easier than walking up, and I had gelato when I got down. We took a boat back to Sorrento, and sight read some of Tacitus’ Annals before going out to roam the shops at night. I had my first crepe tonight, filled with Nutella, and I almost dropped into the Adriatic as I munched on the sugary treat while gazing out over the sea from a cliff. I must thank Dakota for forcing me to buy one.
<-- Night in Sorrento- with a crepe
Returning to the hotel, I could barely stay awake to start writing my journal. However grueling this day was, it was certainly the best so far!
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