(4/5) I got up, checked out of my hostel, grabbed my free breakfast, and headed for the train station. I bought my ticket to Naples and ran to the train. When I got on and sat down I got a text message from Jessica, who just so happened to be on the same train. We hung out for most of the ride, which was about 2 hours. In Naples we walked towards our hostels, which were near only a few blocks away from each other. I arrived at my hostel and checked in, then hopped on the computer to check my email and Facebook. While I was surfing the web the owner of the hostel invited me to join him and his family for a homemade pasta lunch. I was so excited to eat a home-cooked Italian meal I can't even explain it. The family consisted of a husband, wife, and 2 daughters. The only one who spoke good English was the mother, so they just conversed in Italian the whole time and I smiled and quietly ate.
After lunch I walked to Piazza Plebiscito, which is a huge square with a church at one end and a palace at the other. I waited in the square for Jess and her mom to finish getting settled. When they got there we walked to the waterfront. On the way to the waterfront there was a little cart selling various food items, so I bought a slice of fresh coconut, which I thought was pretty odd for Italy. I ate my coconut as we wandered aimlessly along the water, taking in the city. When the sun was starting to set we headed back towards our hostels. As soon we arrived at my hostel Diego showed up. He had stayed in Rome for a few extra hours to go to Vatican City and see the Pope. After he got checked in we all got cleaned up and went for dinner. We ate at a small pizza place, which was delicious. After dinner we wanted to go out for a bit so we went to a jazz bar nearby. The music wasn't as good as I hoped for, but we still enjoyed conversation over drinks.
(4/6) After a quick breakfast Diego and I met up with Jess and her mom to catch a train to Herculaneum. Herculaneum is a town near Pompei that is full of ruins just like Pompei. When we got to the train station in Herculaneum we walked down some steps and caught a bus up to Mt. Vesuvius. The ride was pretty crazy, swerving right along the edge of steep dropoffs. The bus dropped us off a few hundred feet below the top, so from there we walked along a dirt path up the steep hillside. At the top we got to look into the giant crater left from when it erupted and destroyed Pompei. We hung out at the top for about an hour and ate a picnic lunch. After lunch we rode back down to the town and caught a train to Pompei.
In Pompei we went straight to the ruins, which were close to the station. The city was huge, with so many well preserved ruins. We spent around 3 hours there walking up and down the streets taking in the history. When we decided we had seen enough we caught the train back to Naples and returned to the hostels. Back in our hostel a group was forming for a night out on the town so we decided to link up with them. Our group for the night consisted of 6 girls and 2 guys from my hostel, me, Jess, Diego, and Jess' mom. The first stop of the night was a tiny little bar which is owned by the boyfriend of one of the people who works at my hostel. The guy gave us a free drink then it was off to the restaurant next door. Dinner was a blast and pretty tasty. This place was definitely a locals-only kind of place with a completely authentic feel. The atmosphere of waiters buzzing around and noisy conversation was almost better than the food. After dinner we went back to that bar had a few more free drinks, then headed back to the hostel to crash.
(4/7) After breakfast it was time to say goodbye to Diego, cause he was off to Greece. When he had left I met up with Jess and we walked to the docks to catch a boat to Capri. As soon as we arrived in Capri we hopped on a 2 hour boat tour around the island. The tour stopped at several caves and natural landmarks around the island, including the famous Blue Grotto at the end. Looking at the island as we motored around in the boat was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Capri is truly stunning, with huge cliffs that drop straight into the sapphire blue water. After the boat tour we grabbed some lunch, then walked up the zig-zagging streets to the city center, which is up on a hilltop. We browsed the shops as we walked along the tiny streets. As we crested the top of the hill we found a beautiful park, so we stopped for a break to enjoy the sun. After a little break we started the walk back towards the pier, grabbing a gelato along the way. When we got back to the pier we checked the timetables for ferries and decided to take one leaving an hour later. Since we had some time to kill we walked along the rocky beach, then laid down for a short nap until time to catch the ferry.
Back in Naples we went straight to our hostels to get cleaned up. The owner of Jess' hostel, Giovanni, was making dinner for everyone staying there so I was invited to come along. He made a huge portion of pasta and we all sat around and enjoyed. After everyone was done eating Giovanni broke out a guitar and harmonica and started jamming. He was surprisingly good and it was fun singing along with him. After dinner I said goodbye to Jess since my flight was leaving very early the next morning.
On my way back to my hostel I ran into the group that had gone to dinner with us the night before. They persuaded me to go out to the bars with them for a while. We went to the restaurant from the night before and they were just closing up. They remembered us though, so they let us come in and hang out after hours for a while. They gave us tons of free limoncello, which is like a sugary-vodka-lemon dessert drink. The owner threw on some salsa music and took turns dancing with each of the girls, which was hilarious. We we finally stepped out of the restaurant the girls talked the waiters into giving them rides on their Vespas. Finally, when everyone was back we followed one of the waiters, Francesco, to another bar nearby. We stayed long enough for 2 rounds then went back to the hostel. Back at the hostel we hung out for a while then crashed.
(4/8) I was hungover from the night before and slept through my alarm, thus causing me to miss my flight. When I realized I was definitely not gonna make it I sat down and ate some breakfast and tried to sort out a new plan. After an hour of searching online I decided to catch a train to Pisa, stay in a hostel for one night, and get the first flight out the next morning. I got all my stuff packed up and headed to the train station to go to Pisa. In Pisa I caught a bus to my hostel and dropped my stuff off. My hostel was only a block away from the Leaning Tower, so I went for a walk around the courtyard where the tower stands. After a quick walk I went to a restaurant next door to my hostel and wolfed down some pizza. I chased down my pizza with some gelato then went back to my hostel to await the owner's arrival. When he got there he helped me book a taxi for the morning. After that I went back to my room and talked with my roomie for a bit before passing out.
(4/9) I got up at 4:15am, grabbed my stuff and caught a taxi to the airport. I got checked in, grabbed something for breakfast, and got a flight from Pisa to Liverpool. In Liverpool I took a bus to the train station then caught a train back to Lancaster. It was sad to see the end of my travels, but at the same time it was relaxing to go back to Lancaster.
Naples Photos
Vesuvius and Pompei Photos
Capri Photos
Pisa Photos
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