Chiavari, Conscenti, Zerli (The breeding grounds of my Italian Heritage)

So this post comes before my highly anticipated Interlaken video post due to high demand. the next 2 posts after this will be strictly videos. So this past weekend might have been the most gratifying and satisfying weekend of the trip i guess...no heavy drinking, no big partys, no girls, yet still was one of the best weekends of the trip

This trip started on a limb due to the fact that Prague fell thru again, so rather than stayin and in the english infested florence, i gave my cousin sergio a call and saw if he was free for the weekend, and he was.
So it begun with that, i rallied my long lost cousin paul(who is related to sergio as well) and hopped on the train friday afternoon. Train ride was highly enjoyable as it was very spacious and had some great scenery of some past favorite towns: Viareggio, PietraSanta and Cinque Terre. Around 7pm we arrived in Chiavari too find Sergio browsing thru the local periodicals.
For those who do not know, Chiavari is a sick little sea side town and reminded me a lot like lido and cinque terre. Chiavari was lot cooler than i had originally pictured it.
That night Sergio set us up in his moms apartment all to ourselves.. he completely remodeled the place and it was truly a sick pad. the shower was amazing, it was more of a jacuzzi shower as ther were jets from the sides hitting u while under the shower..also all the blinds r monitored by a remote control..very fancy. we walk in and sergio had all these pastries and donuts waiting for us for breakfast the next 2 morning and a carton of milk. cant get that type of hospitality in any hotel or hostel

After we put our bags down and toured the place we would stay for the next 2 nights, he drove us to Conscenti, a town bout 7 minutes inland from Chiavary, to show us his house. There i met his family and we all went out for a huge italian dinner. they had never tried the testraunt before and it was truly amazing..some of the best ravioli i have ever tasted. after that we got some pesto and some fried plate where i believe i ate cow brains, to this day i do not know what it was, but too be honest it really wasnt bad, atleast to the point where i believe i was told it was cow brains and sergio joking that it was testicles..so yea, either way it was great and a extremely filling meal.
After dinner Sergio went home cuz he was not feeling good and to sleep. Me and Paul went with the girls for a ride in the car to bordering towns. Believe the coast town we stopped in was called Sestri Levante, gotta double check that. So we strolled along the ocean then headed back as we were full and tired. brought me and paul back to our place and passed out in our comfortable beds

Next day after the exciting shower and pastries, we met Sergio around 11 and went to cruise around Chiavary, including some open air markets and fruit stands. lotta fun, THen after our time their we headed to Portofino, stopping at the towns Rapallo and Santa Margerita. Portofino is known for its spectacular waterfront views and for being extremely expensive(5 euro an hr for parking, 10 euros in the summer). we stayed ther for bout an hr, just cruisin and doing a small little hike to Castello Brown that overlooks the port and the rest of the Mediterranean coast. fun times


After that we began our coast drive back to Chiavari. We then went back to Sergios house, after tellin him our enjoyable vespa ventures, he then showed us his 1963 Vespa that he has kept in fabulous condition. took a while to get it started, but worked great after that..

Sergio rode it around for a bit then asked paul if he wanted to drive it, being that paul knows how to drive manual. so he hoped on and cruised then i got on the back and we went for another great vespa adventuregot another great vespa vid on the way. So after our ride we went to the house where Sergio grew up at. The house is now transformed into 9 apartments that he rents out but it was great to see where he lived as a kid. He showed us his 1965 Fiat 850. once again, Sergio keeps it in great condition and has completly restored it with a new engine and motor all with his own 2 hands.

After that he took us to the cemetary where many of our relatives our buried. This cemetery was full of Garibaldi's and Noceti's(Pauls last name). it was fascinating and to even think that i am probly somehow related to almost half of them. i think. I then saw where my grandmothers parents were buried and Sergios mom. It was very emotional as this is where my immediate family started and was truly a satisfying moment. really meant alot to me and hit me deeply.

After the cemetary we continued onward to the town of Noceto, where pretty much all of the Noceti's originate from and where pauls distant relatives grew up. Very small town yet comfortable and tranquil. looking outward from Noceto you could see the house wher my grandma grew up, details to follow

After Noceto we continued up the mountain to Zerli, which is my grandpa's home area. We headed to the town of Gosita to visit with my cousins, more specifically the wife(my dads Aunt) of one of my grandpas brothers, and her son Giuseppe. They run a small restraunt in Gosita which is open 3 days a week and has some great food. I did not get to eat ther because my trip was too short in advance as they already dinner reservations, however when i go back in december, i will be there filling my stomach. It was before dinner, so they were preparing the food. WE sat around and talked for bout an hour and it was enjoyable to meet them and cant wait to go back and try their food.

It was getting late and we headed back to Sergios where we had an amazing dinner of pesto pasta and pizza. once again filling. that night we ate late and was around 1130 so bein that we had a long day we headed to bed

Train left at 3 on sunday so we started the day early. We headed to the house where my grandmother grew up, i forget the village name, however like i said before very close to Noceto. So we arrived and met Stella, who now lives in the recently added house right next to the old house where my grandma grew up. She was very nice. my grandmas house has been preserved and has not been altered at all. Stella was kind and gave us a tour of the house. got to see the room where my grandma slept, wooden floors, and cobwebs on the roof. it was truly amazing and words cant even describe it...definitly somethin special.

After visiting with Stella for awhile and seeing where my grandma grew up as a child we hoped back in the car to go back to Zerli where my grandpa lived.
So Sergio is a great an aggressive driver, and these dirt roads in the mountains r narrow and curvy. sergio takes them without caution. this one turn we came inches from a head on collision with another car. they exchange some words and they recognize they know eachother and drive on..it was about a 4 second interaction. 5 seconds later Sergio says: shit that was ur other cousin! yea it was..name was Benedetto and i made eye contact yet never got to meet him. Fortunately for me ill be seein him in december when we go back..but one of the craziest things of the weekend..to think of the chances, and just passing right by one of my cousins.

So yea funny and unfortunate at the same time. I saw the town and from a distance the house where my grandpa grew up but did not have time to go to it(in december i will). So instead we went to another cemetery to find once again just a myriad of Garibaldis and Nocetis..mostly Garibaldis however. This time i got to see the resting places of my grandpas parents and his brothers. trully remarkable as the pictures look so alike to that of my grandpa. once again very emotional and heart taking.

After the cemetery we had to get back to the train station as our train left soon. and that was pretty much the conclusion of the weekend. here is a picture of Paul and I with Sergio and his 2 daughters

This weekend was up ther as one of my favorites, and all though it ws not as entertaining as my other weekends, it was gratifying in its own unique way. As far as Im concerned family is the most important aspect of life, this weekend was tutta famiglia and it was fine by me. trully meant alot to me

to think that this is only 1 part of the family..still have about 10 more days with the entire rest of my family in Milan and Gallarate. cant wait for that as i know that too will be an extremely enjoyable and satisfiyng experience

leave for Rome with our program tomorrow..should be a interestin and fun weekend..
hope i can get these videos up before i leave but no promises...today is halloween and is also my first italian soccer game..gonna be wild

Peace out and Happy Halloween

INTERLAKEN

This post comes 4 days late as this week has been hell and its been the first time ive let school and stress effect my time here..its bullshit..first time ive busted out a research paper longer than 10 pages...and my other 10 page paper was due yesterday, however i got an extension due to both papers bein due on the same day...well yea so heres the interlaken recap

Train left at approx 11:06 from Firenze and we were on r way.. had another sleeper car and as always it was gonna be a long ride and a grand old time. arrived in interlaken on friday morning at 645. second we stepped off the train it was chilly...probly like 35 degrees...
Walked about 2 miles to one of europes top 10 hostels...Balmers. truly a great establishment and will be goin back ther someday,

So Friday was an early morning and didnt get much sleep on the trian but ther was stuff needed to be seen...so the first day we hiked to Harder Klum, which overlooks all of interlaken and provides some spectacular views. Unfortunately, the weekend we went ther was pretty bad weather...as far as tons of fog, and haze, therefore hindering these spectacular views. the hike to harder klum was a heavy breather but i wasnt goin to interlaken not expectin some tough and long hikes... 2hr 45 min to the top straight incline
you can barely see it but thers restaurant on the top of the hill in this picture..thats where we climbed too..pretty remarkable

Heres the restaurantso after we chilled up top for a bit, we began the treck downwards(ther was a tram goin up the mountain, however were not pussies and we didnt want to spend 20 euros when we could do it for free) ..plus hikes r always more satisfying

That day when we hiked the trail we saw a little campfire place on the trail, so we planned to go back ther late that night and do a bonfire, so thats what we did. Hiked up liek 10 minutes and sparked a fire. it was great times...the bonfire pit was located on a ledge that overlooked all of interlaken..tons of fun and a great night

Next day we went to Schilthorn, one of the many mountains in the area. Took a train to Lauterbrunnen , took a bus to Gimmelwald, and then embarked on about a 30 minute gondola ride to the top of Schilthorn. dont know wher this pict is from..i think gimmelwald

So on top of Schilthorn is the worlds first revolving restraunt. also a James Bond movie, forget the name, one of the older ones in the 60s or somethin...was filmed ther

Unfortunately, like i said the weather was not too good, therefore hindering some the spectacular views of the other monstrous landscapes. however it was like that all weekend and ther was no way of knowing how it was gonna be beforehand..either way it was cold and it was a good time bein in the snow...we sat in the revolving restraun for a bit, ate some lunch, had some hot chocolate, and watched some of the james bond flic..good times

That night we went to the local bowling alley..pretty fun, then after that we went round 2 on the bonfire pit overlooking interlaken. countless memories of just chillen around the fire.

Next day(Sunday) we embarked toward Grindalwald to head up to First...this was goin to be another fun filled day of gondalas. bout a 45 minute ride in a little 6 seater gondola. stopping at random towns on the way up to the mountain

Once we got to First we did an hr hike to Lake Bachalspee, which is known for its beautiful crystal clear reflections of the mountain scenery on its water...but as we expected the weather would be shitty and those views would not exist...however still cool and freezin in the snow but we made the best of it,
Interlaken had plenty to see with great scenery and i know i didnt do half the things i wanted to, so i will definetly be goin back ther and doin those things...really reminded me of Canada(Banff) and a bit of tahoe and yosemite here and ther.. either way really relaxing.

Srest of Sunday we just relaxed and hung out at the hostel for a bit and hit up Balmers bar before we embarked on r night train. great weekend

Once again i got some more videos comin up..should have them by monday

this weekend i was supposed to go to prague again but funds were low, so this weekend im goin to see where my grandparents were born and stay with my relative sergio..lookin foward to this as this is my heritage and i will HAVE to speak italian the entire time

CIAO peeps

Svizzera

wat up peeps, got into Florence from interlaken this morgnin at 6am..good train ride...now i got a midterm in 3 hours and 2 research papers due on wednesday..gonna be the longest 2 days of this trip...school wise)...no update till probly wednesday...all u need to know for now is that it was another good weekend.

Places i will return to in the next 3 years
Munich for Oktoberfest
Switzerland

VESPA VIDEO!

Shitty weekend turned Adventurous

So pretty much as all of you, my Prague trip got cancelled. I was very bitter, and still am bitter to a point, but ill have you all know i will be goin ther within the next 2 months...so what better way to spice up our boring weekend in Florence than to go round 2 on Vespas for an ENTIRE 24 HOURS....wow what an insane experience. Riding them along the coast is one thing, renting them in an urban city is another.. Besides, the places we went, Fiesole, San Gimignano, Siena, ect..would have cost around 30-40 euros anyway..and vespas only cost 55 for 24 hrs.

So we got our vespas around 730 on friday....what better way to kick off the rental than riding in and around florence, getting lost and heading up to piazza michaelangelo to take pictures of the beautiful city at night.. Then after that we head up to Fiesole, a town north of Firenze which also overlooks Florence at a farther distance...riding bikes at night is a whole different experience.
Heres some picts we took at Fiesole.


So we cruised around for a bit then headed back to Florence to call it an early night as we were goin on an epic adventure the following morning.
Got up at 630 the followin morning(saturday) and hit the vespas by 730...Florence is extremely confusing to drive around. Finally got out of the city by 830...seriously got lost so many times, but whatever we got on the road we needed to be, and were smooth sailing.
We took a beautiful ride on Chianti road, basically a nice little road that goes thru tuscany with wineries on all sides of you with hills of green and the smell of a billion wine grapes...also saw a sweet golf course with some nice morning dew all over it...as you can imagine these sights with the combination of being on a little scooter with cold ass air breezing by ur face was awesome...yet this was only the beginning of our day

Picture from Chianti Road

So we took chianti road for awhile then headed towards Siena. About an hr and half 2 hr trip..great stuff..Siena was pretty cool. reminded me alot like Florence. lot of tourists and streets look the same.

Siena's duomo was unbelievable..could be my favorite so far...wanted to go inside but line was bout an hr long and we had a strict moped schedule to follow

Next off was San Gimignano, a town very similar to Siena due to its gothic and Romanesque architecture....its also famous for its towers..once had 70 towers at one point , many of them r still ther but most didnt last.
Heres a picture from the road of the great San Gimignano...pretty sick view..might need to click on the picture to see the city more clearly. We also sat at this lookout and ate some bomb sandwiches we brought from our favorite little deli in florence.Once we arrived to the tower town, we paid to climb the tallest tower in the city which pretty much overlooks all of tuscany..pretty cool.

Stayed ther for bout an hr, then hit the road again. THis time we had it in our gameplan to reach the coast...which was atleast 2 hrs away. Our destination was Livorno, little coast down south of viareggio. Once again the scenery was awesome, just crusin thru random italian towns where we would get wierd looks, but whatever we were rollin on our vespas. All of a sudden wwe pretty much never saw any directional signs towards livorno..but whatever we were just ridin the highway. Not to worried cuz weve been lost before nad always have gotten out of it...keep in mind our map was a p.o.s. and had none of the road or towns we were supposedly in. The fact that we never wanted to stop goin the wrong direction hurt us..as we got drastically lost and we pretty much on empty for fuel.
We were drastically lost and we knew it..with barely any gas left..and gas stations arent too common, specially in the middle of wine country on barren roads. So we came upon a town and managed to spot an italian lady..had to create some good italian to ask here where the closest gas station was. All i know is the first word she said was "lontano" meaning far...wow. we then asked how to get ther..and kind of understood...then her husband came out and we started talkin to him...then he was like wait a second..goes back in the house..we thought it was to get someone who spoke english..but he came out and went to his car...then we thoought he had a gas container...wrong again..this little italian guy got in his car..and told us to follow him.. Sure enough he was showin us how to get the the gas station and wher we needed to go to get back to florence..r bike rental was up in 2 and half hours...We followed this italian for bout 30 minutes..till he led us to the gas station..honestly was a baller..nice guy and everything..felt guilty not payin him for his help but he looked like he was more than happy to help some americans out.
So we filled up and he told us where we needed to go back to florence. So r effort to reach the coast failed but im pretty sure we were only bout 20 km away from the beach..so essentially i can say we made it. The way back was absolutely crazy..r little 100cc vespas got on the superstrada. the speed limit was 90km/hr and r things could barely push 65 km/hr and keep in mind that this superstrada is a 1 lane highway for several minutes...good god..dangerous and scary as hell but what an experience. suprisingly only got honked at once but probly pissed off every driver. We were on the superstrada for bout 2 hrs, and made it back to the scooter rental with bout 10 minutes left on r rental...worked out perfectly..what a day

to this day, we really dont know where the hell we got lost to..as the old italian man and his wife didnt even know where they lived on the map. We're currently try to google earth r travels, let u know if we figure out where the hell we were..either way it was a 12hr bike ride and my ass was very sore...for a good cause tho as it was quite the adventure

yep..thats it. Switzerland in 3 days..peace

yea soo...

well yesterday was the f'in worst day of this trip/experience... got out of class rushin to go pack for glorious prague little to find out that the damn trip was cancelled....im tryin not to be bitter bout it but seriously it just took the life out of me...if i would have known this like 2 days b4 r trip, there would be no problem and could of rescheduled alternate trips...however the weekend is shot and just extremely unfortunate...every time i think bout it i just get heated as i know this really screws up my travel schedule cuz im definitly still goin to prague..and weekends r limited so i have to scratch out something else

so alternativly heres what ill probly do this weekend

Friday:hang around florence and get started on my 2 research papers due in 2 weeks
Saturday: goin to San Giminagno and Siena..maybe even back to the coast
Sunday: no damn idea..probly studyin for my midterm..

over and out

pisst off joe

FUCK THIS

my trip to prague was cancelled...bus crashed down..coulldnt find a cheap train route alternative....dont know what im doing this weekend..just now my whole weekend trip plan just got entirly more filled up and im probly gonna have to sacrifice an international weekend..fuck this...most bitter ive been the entire tripp..bs.

quick facts

some random stuff ide like to update on

-this place is great
-contacts r sweet
-my newbalances r the best shoes ever
-i leave in exactly 2 months
-time is goin by way to quick=gay
-traveling is fun but way to expensive
-i'm mad i missed the blue angels
-schoolwork blows when ur studyin in another country
-leave for Prague tomorrow

OKtoBerFeST

so to the suprise of some probly...i made it back from Oktoberfest alive, however with tons of beer still in me, 2 stines from the hofbrau and paulener tents, a tshirt, and memories to last a lifetime

lets go day by day update shall we..included with many pictures and a video

Thurday...so thursday i got out of class at 530..went to ristorante chinatown..phenomenal..then decided to go and get my first florence haircut..turns out thers a barber shop right outside my apartment..ran by 2 old italian men who dont speak any english...quite the experience...12 euros..not gonna lie was scared at first but it turned out ok..(after i told him he forgot to cut the front of my hair so i could spike it)..great experience..look foward to goin back ther in a month or so
so r train departed from Florence at 945 at night...turns out that most of us were in teh same sleeper cabin on the train...we had a 9hr trip in front of us..so what better way to start oktoberfet weekend then to drink some fine beer on the train,..(letting u know right now this will be a very long update...sry but way too much to cover)

Paul, Pablo, Stu

so we chilled for couple hrs..had some fun..the train lady was pardon my french the biggest bitch of all time...she was some german lady.and was gettin all anal how some of us had switched rooms to be all together...all she could speak was german..and she was dumb enough to think we understood her..i was gonna slap her in the face..so that was a bad way to start with embracing the german culture...so after that drama..we got in r beds and slept for 4-5 hrs as the biggest festival in the world was ahead of us.

Friday...got into munich about 630 in the morning. Munich from what i saw besides oktoberfest is a nice city.with exceptionally clean and fresh smelling air. Took a taxi to r holiday in..changed in the bathroom, checked r bags to the front desk, and got r grub on to fill r stomachs with something other than beer.

Got on the underground(i took the wrong one and got lost in munich for bout 20 minutes) and embarked for the festival..got there around 84..weather was misty and kinda raining i recall and all i remember is just having the biggest smile on my face...roller coasters, log rides, bumper cars, and a dozen beer tents. Made r way towards the Hofbrau house as i heard from recomendations and other travelers that this beer tent is the best of its kind and provides the best entertainment..plus tons of other americans go ther.

so we get ther..and the dorrs just opened..plopped down on a table and waited for r beer...didnt serve till 10. and then it came..r haggard lady carrin bout 7 stines(1 liter each).The First Beer of Oktoberfest

Inside was nothing i ever imagined..although it was more packed on saturday..there just just a plethora of beer drinkers..it was quite a site..and i felt like each and everyone of them were my best friends

Countless songs, countless beer cheers(Prost!), countless beers, countless ppl pukin, and countless memories

heres a video..just to show u(please dont mind the terrible and offbeat singing..rather just the scenery and me and my friends..and some crazy drunk guys




So friday ended fairly quick as we made a mistake probly almost everyone makes ther first oktoberfest...gettin thru the entire day...there were some complications but im talkin about being tired and too "faded" before 4 oclock in the day time...we were all tired and went back to the hotel to passout..i regret this however i blame it on my lame friends and that damn train ride..that night we walked around munich for a bit and prepared ourselves for the next day..mentally and physically...

Saturday: got up early, took the underground..second i got near oktoberfest i knew that this day was way more packed than the day b4...and i was motivated..not only for some more great beer..but to make it all throughout the day...Friends were at the Hofbrau tent again so i went ther..this time however i could not get inside the tent..so i stumbled around frustratingly to try and sneak myself but that failed..so as i was walkin around i found some friends on the outside(they had tables outside)..so sat down and started drinking some nice cold beer...chilled ther for some time and managed to find more friends..after that me and paul walked around the tent tryin to find more..as we did there was a break in security and ppl bullrushed the tent..so we plowed and managed to get ourselves inside..it was crazy in ther..bout 2 times more packed than the day b4 and about 10 decibels louder..and it was great

fantastic times...and i had one of the best rotisserie chickens of my life their..maybe it was the combination of beer or just the atmosphere but i honestly think it was the best tasting bird ever. i had 2 bratwurts..but i dotn remember them being that good..the chicken was definitly the highlight

the middle of the day is kind of a blur..all i know is whatever i did was fun..and i dont have pictures...it seems like my pictures skip from mornin to night..unless i was in the hofbrau tent for like 8 hrs which could have been a possibility.

So that night we decided to mix things up by trying out some other tents...went around to some and could not find any room...finally found an empty table outide of the Paulener tent..where these older ppl (mid 30s) had room...sat down and began the night festivities....i liked the Paulener brew better than the Hofbrau..bit lighter an went down better.

the 30yr old couple we sat with were cool..they worked for the airforce in germany and london..the guy was the biggest tool ever..however i gained some respect for him as he bought us all a round of beers....definitly a white trash guy..who acted like he was 21 who wanted to be black..aka a wigger...either way it was funny and didnt take away from any of the enjoyment..more songs..dancing..and beer

that is seriously pretty much it..that night dont really know how i got home but i did..with a stine a stole from paulener...and i remember i managed to talk my way past a cop with it..i told her in italian and english that i actually paid for it at the tent..it was about a 2 minute ordeal..and somehow she just let me go..either way..fun times

words cant even describe this weekend..not even pictures. i will be back Oktoberfest..o yes i will...met so many ppl..drank so much beer..ate alot..got fat..and unfortunately didnt go on any rides but i guess that wasnt the reason i was ther.

leave u with my favorite picture of the weekend..man it was fun..this i still have about 2 million more words..so u got any questions ask me..and i can go into more detail...peace out and sorry for the long ass post..prague in 4 days..wow

Oktoberfest here I Come

no need to explain..be back sunday night..take care and go 9ers.

Video Repost

being that not a single one of u commented on my video..i decided to repost it..know having it on a youtube player..rather than a blogger one. nothin special but the fact that i threw it together so quick and it came out pretty well im pretty proud of it...and for those of u that r selfish..i made it for u, the ppl who read this blog..not for me..so enjoy it.

POMPEII and VESPAS

So Sunday was our last day on the Amalfi Coast...and something i never planned on doing occurred..(well i always wanted to..but never thought i could sack up and do it)--RENT VESPAS aka motorinos..aka scooters.

The day was higly overshadowed by these fascinating litte vespas...sickest experience of this trip to date...and it only cost 30euro. got it up to 95-100 km/hr which is bout 65mph...it was fantastic. scary and dangerous yet adrenaline...so we took this little rebels to Pompeii...best decision ever and surprisingly never got drastically lost.

So unfortunately with all the Vespa fun...we only had about an hr and a half to explore the ancient ruins of Pompeii. never realized how big it was...needed about 4 hrs there i feel.. however i learned alot and it happened to be free as it was the last sunday of the month. truly amazing how they have preserved this town after all the years and all the escavation processes


as u can see..pompeii was really sweet and was definitely a stop favorite. however most of us were all anxious for the ride back on the vespas. words cannot explain how much fun i had on those things...even though they provide alot of stress of being alert every second on the ride..gettin on those bad boys and flyin down the street solo and air whistling past ur face, gettin hit in the face with numerous insects..it was priceless. priceless.

so yea that was it...held up r group bus by 45 minutes dealing with the rental place when we got back.but honestly i could care less bout holden them up...all good and no regrets

the 7 hr bus ride back flew by as entourage kept on rollin'

peace..oktoberfest departure in 2 days..and 2 tests and paper outlines tmw..shiitt

Night of Capri and Positano

so the night after the day on Capri...i managed to rally myself and hit up the local bar scene in Sorrento....ironically enough we went to The American Bar...not too many bars in Sorrento..this was was pretty fun as they had live karaoke. so yea that was fun

Next day we embarked to another amazing town-- Positano. left the bungalows at about 11 and took a 1.5 hr busride...ride was very curvy and crazy..as bus driver just tore it up around the turns...quite proud of myself...the day b4 i was the only one that got sick...and on this crazy bus ride about like 20 ppl got sick..worse enought to take a ferry back to Sorrento..it was funny.

Positano was beautiful..not to much to do but good sites...ate some lunch, got some gelato..chilled on the beach a bit, and just cruised and took pictures.

bus ride back to sorrento was great..and was overall a great little day trip

Sorrento-Capri

so the weekend began on thursday night...got out of class at 530 and the bus departed around 615......

background info:::: raining cats and dogs in florence on thursday...was very bitter bout the weekend as amalfi coast is always nicer in the nice hot sunlight...so very skeptical bout the trip....
bus ride was about 9 hours long (traveled with Euroadventures) a sick little company 2 guys from Gonzaga put together to help students plan trips at affordable prices. Owners r real cool guys..bout 24-26yrs old..love to party and r living the dream goin on weekend trips with tons of college kids. so beside that bus ride was great...watched bout 6 episodes of entourage and Knocked up. got to sorrento bout 1am. hotel was great...stayed in a 4bdrm bungalow with Stu and Paul and another kid..

Next morning we embarked early for Capri. the rain had stopped...yet still a storm was still passing...waves were crazy.as of course we had to take a bout ther..keep in mind i get sea sick. Waves were huge and the boat was goin everywhere...however i did fine and made it too beautiful Capri without any issues. i left on a different note..details later

So we got to Capri and about 7 out of the 25 of us decided to do this strenuous hike to basically the highest mountain top of Capri...was not bad at all but a tougher hike than Cinque terre....2 chix had to back off after 10 minutes into the hike..only 1 survived. the view from the top was amazing

gettin my hike on

Ahh the rewarding satisfaction after an hr and half uphill climb. sick sick place.


as i noted b4..heavy storm the day b4...so i knew the sea was rough...and i had a good guess that one of the most beautiful wonders of the world "The Blue Grotto" was most likely closed.....and as it turned out it definitly was. definitely a huge bummer but i was expecting it...cant get everything u want

So euroadventures(and my travel book) highly recommended a boat trip around the island. i knew the seas were extremely choppy and i get sea sick..however i try to live by the motto "no regrets" on this trip so i sacked up and went on the boat cruise... as i predicted really couldnt take it and got extremely sick...funny and crappy at the same time. The views other than the side of the boat** were spectacular and i jumped in the water several times. so yea was very sick for the rest of the day..however i have no regrets from the boat cruise and all in all Capri was sick.

3 part update

so here comes the intense flow of updates which includes this past weekend...Sorrento-Capri.....Positano, then Pompei