This morning, after a breakfast of really thick hot chocolate that tasted literally like melted bars of chocolate, we departed to hear our prophecies from the Sibyl. However, our hopes were cut short when we came up to a fence blocking off the path to the Sibyl’s cave. Although I was very disappointed, we still got to see the temple of Apollo and sight read the Aeneid, Book VI, 1-44. Of particular interest was the line “Excisum Euboicae latus ingens rupis in antrum, quo lati ducunt aditus centum, ostia centum, unde ruunt totidem voces, responsa Sibyllae” (The side of Euboican cliff was cut into a huge cave, into which one hundred broad entrances lead, one hundred mouths, whence just as many voices rush, the responses of the Sibyl).
Funny sign at entrance to Sibyl's cave
We then headed to the beach again, where I built a Colosseum sand castle with Dakota and had to continuously dig ditches in front of the castle to keep the water from flooding it. After the beach, we briefly visited the Monte Cassino World War II memorial cemetery in our sand-filled flip-flops. However, once there, a serene feeling overcame me and the sand in my shoes disappeared. No one was talking, only looking and thinking. There were many anonymous soldiers who died on the same days, a common one being May 23, 1944.
Monte Cassino cemetery
After the cemetery, we visited the Monte Cassino monastery, situated on top of a mountain overlooking a beautiful valley. I desperately wanted to clean my flip-flops of the sand, but I decided not to stain such a holy place with my impatience.
Monte Cassino Monastery
Finally, after a very long day, we retreated into the mountains to the Hotel Olimpus, the nicest hotel we’ve been in yet. Apparently, we’re only going to be staying in this hotel for one night before going back to Rome tomorrow... There was a plastic mat in the shower that got on everyone’s nerve, though. It kept on sliding from underneath your feet, and a few people, not including myself, fell in the shower. The hotel also had a piano, but dinner, which lasted two hours from 9 to 11, did not allow me to play the piano in the dining hall. I guess I’ll have to wait for tomorrow. For dinner, we had tuna, anchovies, ham, penne pasta with extra basil, fried potato balls and chicken with wine sauce, pana cotta, and puffed pastry with crema anglaise. It was quite the dinner.
I’ve also forgotten to mention all the Italian words and phrases I’ve learned: casa = house; piazza = square; eria (ending) = shop; di = of; monte = mountain; ciao = hello, bye; grazie = thank you; prego = your welcome along with many other things; salata = salad; trattoria = home-made food restaurant; andiamo = let’s go.
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