Rock of Gibraltar

This morning while floating off of the rock of gibraltar I saw dolphins!! There was a pod of them just swimming off the side of the boat. It was really peaceful to watch them. And weird just floating in the Mediterranean for a few hours.

We are preparing for Morocco and I am excited. We were told to secure our belongings in our room because there will be very rough water in the morning as we come into port due to currents. We were also warned about the tides. In the morning we will disembark the ship on deck five but we board the ship on deck 2. It should be interesting. Our port location is also unique because we are in a commercial shipping port that is a 2 mile walk from the port entrance.

Tomorrow I am off to Rabat the capital of Morocco. I'm very excited! I am fasting because it is illegal to eat or drink on the Moroccan streets during Ramadan. Then I will get to experience a traditional meal that breaks the fast. It will be a unique opportunity and I'm hoping for a great day and night.

The weather is going to be hot tomorrow, 115! Wow! I think that will be the hottest weather I have been in yet or maybe ever.

Update from Sea

Since my last blog from Turkey finally posted I decided to post an update from the past 5 days at sea.

We are on our way to Morocco currently and will arrive on August 1st. Tomorrow we will be in Gibraltar from 7:30am to 4:30. I don't know what we will be doing there but I know we aren't getting off the boat.

These past days at sea have been very busy! I had an exam in every class as I also have 2 papers and an assignment due tomorrow. But being in port will be so great!

They held the crew talent show. It was amazing! They had a talented band and some good dancing. There was a traditional dance from India/Nepal and from some Asian Islands. It we awesome to see the crew enjoying themselves instead of working. They also had a place to donate money to the crew fund which allows crew to have trips in port and have DVDs, CDs and other form on entertainment while on the ship. It was a great night but also a sad night because several of my favorite crew members are leaving in Morocco. But I'm happy for them because they get to see there families.

Last night I had the opportunity to attend a hunger banquet. It was a great experience and I can't wait to bring it to AU.

I also volunteered with the dependent children's program yesterday and taught swim lessons (sort of). The dependent children's program is for the children of professors on the ship, try do a variety of activities each day. It was hard with so many kids at so many different levels. It was alot of fun and I made some great friends with the kids. It made me miss The Y and Camp. I plan of swimming with them again very soon.

It's weird that my trip is winding down and there are less than 3 weeks left. It may seem like a long time but time flies when you are having the time of your life. I'm by ready to say bye to my friends, to traveling and the ship. On the other hand I am ready to bring what I have learned and my experiences home and to AU.

Tonight is Semester at Sea has Talent. It should be a good night. I'm excited to be in Morocco and the 4th continent of the voyage. Yay!

Hike from Hell

This was meant to be posted on July 25th but the ships Internet and email system went down so I'm giving it another shot.

Today I left at 7am for what was described as a moderate village hike. I was expecting trails with hills through a village or two. To my surprise it was a very challenging hike. We hiked 10 kilometers of rock climbing, steep hills made of loose dirt and no path to walk on. I have several battle wounds from this journey. I am proud of myself for completing the hike in 95 degree weather and very high humidity. I drank 3.5 liters of water and I am simply exhausted. It was tough but I did it and I am glad I did! 

Our guide was amazing he has summited Mount Everest so he had very high expectations. But he was also very knowledgeable about the plants and animals. He said we might see a gazelle but all we saw were turtles, fish, frogs and lizards.  We also saw cows and sheep. We hiked through a dry river bed and climbed what would be a waterfall if it was the rainy season. It was all very beautiful! I was just too busy trying not to hurt myself so I didn't take many pictures. 

Saying goodbye to Turkey was sad. I will miss the baklava, the tea and the culture. The call to prayer everyday was so cool to listen to and the city was so beautiful. But I am happy to be heading to Morocco for many more adventures. These next 6 days of class are going to kick my butt. I have 3 tests and 2 papers to finish. Just another day of SAS life. 

Turkish Bath and Another Bazaar Experience

Turkish baths are amazing! It was the most relaxing thing I have ever done in my life! The bath we went to was constructed by Sinan in 1584 and is called Cenberlitas Hamami. (I reccomend it if you are ever in Istanbul) the inside was beautiful but we couldn't take any pictures for obvious reasons. There is a men's section and a women's section. Both have saunas with floor to ceiling marble and domed ceilings. After sitting in the sauna for about 20 minute, it was my turn for exfoliation and a massage. It was disgusting the amount of dead skin that comes off your body but my skin is as soft as a baby's. I would love to find a traditional Turkish bath back home but I don't think that is very likely.

We wet to lunch at a chicken resturant...they serve boiled chicken, baked chicken, chicken soup and rotisserie chicken. So I had 1/2 a chicken with some rice. It was the best chicken that I've had so far on this trip. Very simple but delicious.

We went to the bazaar again and found some good deals. But the men were out of hand today. Being conservatively dressed does not stop men from saying things such as "your booty is better than J-lo's" or "Hey baby face come to my shop" or "Come to my shop so my eyes can wander your body" These bizarre experiences made the bazaar very interesting. We pretended to be from Canada, because they give better deals to Canadians. We observed that yesterday and it turned out being true.

I had fresh apple tea today an it was amazing!! I had some vaccines sealed so I an bring it home. YUMMY!

I went to Asia to watch the sunset and eat ice cream. It was beautiful watching the sun set over several mosques and the European side of Turkey. It's crazy to be in one continent and then 10 minutes later be on a completely different one. Jenelle and Meredith are laughing at me as I type this. All in all Asia was great.

Tomorrow I have an early start to travel to a small Asian community on the black sea to hike and see some waterfalls. I will most likely be exhausted but I will have 6 days at sea to recover. Turkey was fantastic! I want to explore the entire country at some point.

Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazarr and other adventures

Today Meredith and I headed off to this massive palace. It is basically a walled in city. The palace has two main areas the museum and the harem. The museum has several sections including an area with family jewels, armor, weapons and clothing from the sultan and his family. The palace was constructed in 1478 and was a residence of royals for 380 years. I really enjoyed seeing all the artifacts, but the harem area was very cool. The harem has 300 rooms for the sultan, his family and his concubines. The tile work in the harem was absolutely amazing!! The different patterns went from floor to ceiling and the windows had ornate designs in the stained glass. The harem had many beautiful copper and tile fireplaces in very interesting shapes. It also had several late courtyards with outstanding views. It was a great way to spend the morning.

We found a place to eat lunch an I had vegetable crepes that were covered in cheese and then baked in a stone dish with a tomato sauce. It was delicious!! I also had apple tea and some pita bread. A wonderful lunch!

We found a market by the Hippodrome, which is a nonexistent ancient area. It's kind of hilarious the hype that the Hippodrome has when in reality is has a column from Egypt and the serpentine column. But anyway this market is local venders only held during Ramadan. There was a man hand designing a copper platter with a mallet and a knife type thing. It was so intricate and wonderful to watch him demonstrate his talent. They also had other crafts and things.

We finally made it to the grand bazaar which is a giant maze of stores and people. You could walk in circles and see something different each time. Some venders are very pushy and I don't like it but others are just plain hilarious. "You look like a spice girl come to my shop" or "You have hair golden like an angel" or "Are you from China?" Just an assortment of random phrases and such to get you to shop. Bargaining is really fun though. I bought a skirt for 10 Lira or about $6. The bazaar is intense and a generally crazy time.

On the way out of the bazaar my wonderful day had to have a little time of insanity. Wet tile = Julie on her butt in the middle of the walkway. Yeah it was great and hilarious at the same time. Shortly after Meredith almost broke her ankle by tripping on the stone roads. But we survived.

Tonight we went to the Galata Tower and a soon as we walk in they closed the top observation area. Guess we should have researched a little more. Oh well, the tower was still beautiful. We found some ice cream and some more apple yea and had a wonderful night. There was a street band with 6 people playing various instruments and singing in various languages. It was awesome!!

Turkey Day Two

Last night we (Meredith, Britt, Joe and I) went to Taksim square which is a very busy area with restaurants, bars and stores. We took a taxi to the square and it was nuts! If there was a camera filming facial expressions I think mine would be the funniest. We bar hopped and found a bar with a local musician. Although I didn't understand a single word, I really enjoyed the music an the atmosphere. A lady sitting next to us was so inspired by the music she stood up and belly danced...that was interesting but I'm glad I saw it. We found a fast food restaurant and I got a chicken kebab but they made it like a burrito it was good and not what I expected. Meredith, Britt and Joe all thought they were getting a sandwich with fries and meat but it ended up to be a french fry sandwich.

Today we headed to the art market that is held every Sunday. There were so many booths with various art forms. Alot of jewelry makers and people selling scarfs and hats. I bought a beautiful scarf from a cute elderly lady. We had an interesting lunch including a tough language barrier and several miscommunications. We somehow ordered 4 of the same appetizers and when it arrived we tried to explain the mistake but they said we had to pay. We learned a lesson about being very vey clear on what we want.

We headed to the spice bazaar and tried some Turkish sweets. The baklava is so good here! They have 3 main kinds; walnut, pistachio, and chocolate. They are all delicious. I also tried turkish delight and it was good too. I bought some Turkish apple tea to bring home! Yay!! It is delicious and I will miss it when I leave Turkey. Tomorrow we are going to an even bigger bazaar. It will be intense!

Weirdest thing happened today, we took a cab to the art market and had a wonderful driver. When we were leaving the art market we waited for a taxi and who shows up...the same taxi driver! In a city of 13 million people I feel that the chances are small to get the same taxi driver twice. But I was content because he knew what he was doing and where to take us.

Busy day tomorrow, time to go to bed. Goodnight world!

Turkey! (the country not the food)

First, Thanks to everyone who is reading and keeping up with me. I enjoy receiving the comments but unfortunately cannot reply. Miss y'all and love you!

Today I went on a city orientation because Istanbul is ginormous! 13 million people in the city, which is the largest city we have been to yet. The tour was great! We saw many places on my list to see and had an amazing tour guide. We went to the Hagia Sophia museum, which was built as a Greek orthodox church then converted into a mosque and then converted into a museum. The architecture was beautiful and it was astonishing that it was built in less than 6 years especially since it is a very old building.

We also went to the blue mosque which was huge and beautiful! It's interesting being in Turkey during Ramadan, I feel weird eating because locals aren't eating. They also have special public places set up for people to break their fast. Anyway, the blue mosque has that name because the inside is "blueish" but I didn't think the inside was very blue, but all the people dressed inappropriately had to cover with blue fabric. I actually like wearing the scarf covering my hair. I feel respectful and glad to embrace this culture, the previous countries were similar to home unlike Turkey.

We went to another mosque that was designed by Sinan who is a famous architect. It was a simple mosque. A young man was training to become a imam and was practicing his readings. Listening to this was my favorite part of the day. He has to have a large lung capacity because he recited passages for log periods without breathing. I learned alot about mosques today and how they need to be decorated in the inside. I was also surprised by stained glass in the mosques.

We went to an old Roman Cistern which use to hold water from the aqueducts. The cistern is filled with columns, random columns that were being reused from other roman cities that had been deserted. It was interesting to see the many styles and parts a pieces of the different columns. It was a gorgeous place! It was peaceful and would be beautiful location for a wedding.

I really enjoyed Istanbul today! The weather wasn't too bad either. Tonight my friends and I are going to a cafe getting desserts and coffee and relaxing for the night. Tomorrows plans might include a Turkish bath and the spice market and the taskim tower. We will see where life takes me :)

Mykonos!

I am sailing away from Greece right now and these past 4 days have flown by! I spent Tuesday and Wednesday on the Greek island of Mykonos. It was a beautiful island and I am very happy I spent my time there. We took a ferry that was about 4.5 hours long. It was the perfect place to catch up on sleep.

The island was very mountainous and the land was desert like except in a few areas. Our hotel was gorgeous! It overlooked the Aegean Sea and had the most beautiful pool. Our room even had a view and the bathroom was almost the size of our cabin on the ship which was funny! The hotel was about 15 minutes away from the main town but it had a beach that was close. All the buildings are whitewashed and have accents of blue. I think that the matching style of the buildings made the town beautiful.

The town has many very tiny streets and is closed off to most cars. There were very cool shops and little restaurants. This local bakery had amazing baklava! I also tried honey fritters and they sprinkle cinnamon on top. Everything looked so delicious! I had great food experiences on the island. I enjoyed Greek salad and fell in love with feta cheese. The saganaki cheese was so good and different than American Greek restaurants serve it. I had a gyro (or 2) and they were amazing. They put fries on top of the sandwich! They were also really cheap! I had a lamb kabab that was so tender. I also love frozen greek yogurt. The hotel served us breakfast, the bacon was outstanding and so were the pastries. Fresh squeezed orange juice is very popular.

There was an olive wood shop that sold the most beautiful kitchen supplies and wooden art. The store owner told us about the oldest olive tree (over 1000 years) and it still produces olives every season. It was a beautiful tree. I went into a sandal shop where they make leather sandals and found a pair that I liked and were unique so I treated myself. I also found a necklace with the evil eye and this hand symbol which are culturally Greek. I was so excited I finally found one I liked.

My favorite part of the trip to Mykonos was finding the island mascot. In the 1970's a fisherman found a hurt pelican and nursed it back to health on the island. The pelican was named Petros and it was the lone pelican roaming the island until it died in 1998. Many island residents were upset so 3 pelicans were brought to the island to replace Petros. They were named Petros, Petros, and Petra. I ran into Petros/Petras two times on the island. I was so excited that I embarrassed my travel partner. Haha oh well. Petros/Petras has free reign of the island and wanders into restaurants and down the streets all the time.

The windmills on the island were so beautiful. They had them locked but it was the perfect place to watch the sunset. I can see why windmills would be beneficial on an island like Mykonos, the wind never stops blowing! At night by the beach it was like being sandblasted....not a nice feeling. But the breeze was nice especially since Athens was lacking this.

This breeze did come back to haunt me though. The ferry to go back to Athens was delayed two hours due to bad weather and high winds. It was the ferry ride from hell! So many passengers were vomiting and it took everything I had to keep it together. After 2.5 hours we made it to a port and then we had to take a bus back to the ship. I was so thankful for land! After living on a ship for a month, I figured I would be use to tough seas. Guess not.

Overall Greece was great. Time needs to slow down! One day at sea then I'll be Turkey for 5 days. I'm so excited for Turkey! I have lots of homework to do and sleep to catch up on tomorrow. Yay!

Greece Day One

Well today was scorching! It was 44 degrees Celsius today which is over 110 degrees. I drank over 3 liters of water was still thirsty. It's ridiculous. We left mid morning for the acropolis and it's a good thing we went early. Around 11 we entered the archeological site and started wandering and climbing up the very large hill. It was a tough climb especially in the heat. We spent about an hour and a half exploring and viewing a few amphitheaters and seeing the Parthenon. The marble steps have been worn smooth over the years and I was shocked that I didn't slip and fall. As we were arriving back at the ship we found out that authorities closed the Parthenon due to the high temperatures, so we were lucky to see it today.

We hopped on the metra and headed to the shopping/market district. We wandered looking for a place for lunch and we found a great local place! I had a chicken pita sandwich that had cheese, tomato, green pepper and amazing marinated chicken. I also ordered French fries and they were seasoned with many different herbs and absolutely delicious! I finally got to try the blue fanta, it is grapefruit flavored. I found 2 other unique flavors too! Clementine and green apple. The green apple one is pretty good and I haven't tried the clementine one yet. I also had Greek frozen yogurt, it was so good! Better than regular frozen yogurt and it was so refreshing.

We found the Athens flea market which was much more formal than American flea markets. It was still fun. I am looking for a necklace that is culturally Greek, it protects you from "the evil eye". But I haven't found one that I like yet.

The last part of our day consisted of visiting the Olympic stadium. It was cool to see the architecture but sad to see how it has degraded over the years. Alot of the area was covered in trash and graffiti, that was disappointing. We kept walking and we found the pool! It was an ah ha moment and Meredith did the funniest dance. We sat and just observed kids practice swimming and thought how cool it would have been to swim there. The Olympic stadium pulled through and turned out to be great.

Although the heat was unbearable, I made it! Early tomorrow I leave for Mykonos. I'm so excited!

Goodbye Croatia :(

We are pulling out of port right now, which is very sad. I loved Croatia. It was beautiful and totally different than Spain and Italy. Dubrovnik seemed like an intimate town unlike Barcelona, Rome and Naples which were a very hustle and bustle environment. I want to return to Croatia and also visit Bosnia and Montenegro in the future.

Today I finally got to ride a cable car! And it was totally worth it! The views were amazing. THe story of the cable car was interesting. During the Croatian War in the 1990's the town was shelled and the cable car system was destroyed. In 2010 they rebuilt the cable car. They displayed pictures of the area pre war, during the war and when they were rebuilding. It is odd to think that a war occurred such a short time ago and it isn't really visible in the city. When I think of war I think of devastated towns that could take many years to rebuild but the historical aspects of Dubrovnik are still present and very much intact.

I also visited a local market and found a variety of goods for sale. I really enjoy the local markets for a few reasons; 1. I like supporting actual people instead of companies and 2. the markets show more culture and diversity than any where else that I have found. I found the shop of a local artist who paints monochromatic Croatian landscapes. Although I wanted to buy an original painting, I couldn't afford it but I bought two of her prints instead. She was very talented. I also tried some local honey, jam and candied fruit. The market was thriving and not filled with tourists which is usually a plus.

I spent my remaining Kuna (Croatian currency) in the grocery store that was right next to port. I bought some yummy chocolate bars, croissants filled with nutella, 4 cheese bagel chips and some cans of soda. As students we can only bring on cans not bottles of soda. They had a blue fanta that I wanted to try but it was only in bottles. So I will never know what it tastes like.

2 days of ship life and classes and then Greece.

Snorkeling!

Today has been amazing! A beautiful sunny day in Dubrovnik and I was off to snorkel. We hopped on a small boat and headed to an island not to far away. I was expecting bright colored fish that I would usually see in the Caribbean but the Mediterranean has a totally different marine ecosystem. Instead of sand the environment is rocky, huge rocks cover the sea floor. Our site was amazing! I with I was scuba certified because we were above a ship wreck but the water wasn't very clear today so I couldn't see much. But I did free dive down a see a tiny bit of the wreck. The guides lead us to a underwater cave that opens into a lake on the island. You can swim down about 2 meters and go through a small passage to get into the lake. So of course I did it! And it was very cool! We crossed a small rocky passage to get back to the main snorkel area. We ha a large group and many were complaining about only seeing small fish but I knew better. I separated myself from the large group and saw so much sea life! I saw an octopus and some pretty large fish. I also saw a fish that camouflaged itself into the back ground which was super cool! I held a sea urchin and a starfish. The urchin walks on your hands it's so weird! I also saw an eel like creature but I don't know what it was. On the rocky shore there were bright red hairy clam type things that were also neat looking.

Although the fish in the Mediterranean aren't as bright, snorkeling was fantastic!! I'm glad I went off from the large group with a smaller group because I saw way more than other people. I'm glad I went early this morning because it looks like it might rain now. I'm so exhausted but I feel that napping in my room is a waste of time.

Tonight I want to go to old town and ride the cable car during sunset. Hopefully the plan works out. I've tried to ride a cable car in every port and have yet to succeed. 4 days in a port just isn't enough.

Well I'm off to explore some more!

Service Visit and the Beach

My morning started out with a service visit to a children's home and a hospital. It was different than I expected. The children's home was almost empty because in the summer the children are allowed to vacation with their families. The children are in this home because their parents have been deemed unfit by the court. But they are allowed visits and such. The home was very nice and was walking distance to a beach, where the kids often swim. But 46 students were very overwhelming to 12 children. I was sad because we didn't really complete any service and time with the children was very short. The hospital was also disappointing. We received a tour of the pediatrics unit and we each got a post card with art a child in the unit had made.

Later in the afternoon I headed to the beach to cool off. It is so hot in Croatia! And it is also humid. We found a rocky area with an entrance into the water and settled in. The water was thriving with fish and urchins. Sadly it was so hot the water didn't even feel refreshing. But I still enjoyed it. I watched a beautiful sunset over the port and watched some beautiful sail boats sail away. My dad would love it here! I had the best fresh bread today and strawberry jam! It was such a great snack.

I go snorkeling tomorrow! I'm so excited! I know it's going to be beautiful. I hope I see lots of different fish and other creatures.

Dubrovnik Day One

Today I had a required field lab for my cultural psychology class. We had lecture in the morning from a Croatian professor. It was very educational and interesting especially since I have never learned about the Croatian war before.

We headed into the old city to visit the war photos museum. It was incredible! They have different exhibits involving different wars. They also had books of past exhibits. The photos were heart-wrenching but really told the story. It was nice to see different perspectives surrounding many wars. And it also provided an artistic portrayal of many terrible acts. We also went to a palace in old town, that was for the rector. The Rector was a rotated position between elders. It was held for one month and meant for elders so no rash decisions were made. The palace didn't have very much because it has been ransacked 4 time over the centuries. Old town is very cool and only for pedestrians. It has lots of narrow streets and tiny shops. And it is surrounded by a fortified wall.

Dubrovnik is beautiful! The water is the bluest I have ever seen. It is so clear! I can't wait to go snorkeling. If it wasn't do hot and humid I would consider living here because of the sheer beauty!

Tonight is the opening of a HUGE music festival in the city. It lasts for 40 days. I think I might go to see what it's like. They have been setting up for it all day in the old city.

Capri

This morning Sean, Meredith and I headed to the ferry port to get to Capri. Since the public transportation system workers are on strike everyone was trying to catch a ferry. The station was hectic with no formal line and was simply out of control. But we got a ticket and enjoined the 40 minute ferry ride. The island was beautiful! The town has been built into sheer rock cliffs. There are several underwater caves near by too. But the island is very expensive so we decide just to enjoy the beach.

The beach was a rock beach and the water was a fantastic shade of blue. The rocks were weird to lay on at first but once I got use to it I liked it more than sand. The water was the perfect temperature and was also refreshing. Today was the day where I wish I would have brought snorkel gear. There was a wide variety of fish to see and the water was very clear!

The beach was wonderful and I had plenty of time to observe people, one of my favorite hobbies. On our ferry there was a man who looked identical to Mr Bean which was hilarious. And on the beaches it was interesting to see how free European people are. No one seems to care what the family next to them is doing a long as everyone is respectful. Women no matter what age, weight or body type rock a bikini with confidence. And there is definitely an emphasis on families. Not just a mom, dad and children but grandparents, cousins and other family is included. They spend the entire day together and just have a good time. I also observed why europeans have a general dislike of American tourists, sadly to say some fellow SAS people showed up at the beach inebriated and were simply disgraceful. They were extremely loud, throwing garbage everywhere, and publicly urinating. It made me sad to be traveling with people like this. I just have to accept that some people have different priorities.

Anyway, I enjoyed the sun a little too much today resulting in my first sunburn of the trip but it was well worth it. I have a test on Sunday, so I have some studying to do. And I also have some homework to finish before Croatia. One more day in Naples and then on to other adventures.

Love you all! And thanks for reading!

Naples Day One

Well Naples is interesting to say the least. I don't particularly like it so far for a number of reasons including the filth, the graffiti, rude men, and nothing exciting to see. Ok, done complaining.

Today after I attended a city orientation. A few friends and I made it to the train station to head to Pompeii. The train was packed and we stood the entire 45 minute ride. We had a late lunch and went off to the ruins. The ruins were different than I expected but it was cool to see active excavation happening. Mount Vesuvius in the background was breathtaking. There was some great tile work and other form of art that have been preserved along with bodies of people. The bodies were creepy but intriguing.

An interesting point of the day occurred when we tried to take the train home. There is a strike going on currently and the train didn't seem to be coming. We waited and waited and more people joined us. It had been over an hour so we started talking bout a plan b. Finally an announcement came on stating that a train would indeed run back to Naples. I have never been on such a crowded train before. It was scary!! I was in a location between two cars with about 20 other people, not safe I know but there was no other option.

Once in Naples we headed to a very famous pizza place! We had to wait a while just to get into the place. It was called athintica pizza de michelle, or something of the sort. It is where napoleon pizza was created and claims the fame of Italian pizza. Julia Roberts also ate here during Eat, Pray, Love....they had pictures posted and I'm pretty sure we sat in the same table. How cool would that be?!

Tomorrow I am off to Capri to enjoy the beach and the sea. Hopefully some time to relax!! My feet and my body need it for sure!

Rome days 2 & 3

Well Rome was exhausting that's for sure. On the first day we took the train from Civitaveccia to Rome and started at the Vatican. We got there early which was nice because the lines were short. We wandered the Vatican for a bit then we went to get gelato. My new favorite flavor is Bacio, it's chocolate with whole hazelnuts mixed in.

We hopped on the metra and headed to the Spanish steps. It was unbearably hot, no matter how much water I drank I still felt dehydrated. We walked to the Trevino fountain and it was very crowded and under construction/restoration. We found a cute little cafe for lunch and I had a amazing salad. We got back on the metra and made it to our hostel for check in around 3. The hostel was so nice and clean. I also felt very safe. We ha a private room and bathroom. We cooled down and relaxed and then left for the Colosseum in the early evening. The metra is so easy to work in Rome and also very affordable!

We found a small restaurant for dinner and had pizza. We headed back to the hostel which was only 10 minutes from the Colosseum. The hostel was in a v diverse part of Rome. It was like the China Town of Rome. Lots of people and shops from different cultures, mostly from Asian decent.

Day two in Rome we stayed in the diverse part of town in the morning and tried to find there local market. We couldn't find the market so we made our way to the train station to go back to Civitaveccia. In Civitaveccia we went to the farmers markets and found another gelato shop with the best gelato of Italy yet.

Today I am exploring Pompeii. Naples seems scary and dirty.

Italy Day One

Yesterday, I went to a cooking class at a small farm in tarquinia. It was lovely and just what I needed after trekking barcelona for 4 days. It was peaceful and relaxing. The farm was gorgeous and had a vineyard. We learned to make pasta with only an egg and flour and learned what thickness of pasta goes with what sauce and meat. It was a great time. We also watched a demonstration of how to make tiramisu, but they made a variation with orange juice instead of coffee. I was skeptical, but it was wonderful.

After the class we sat down and enjoyed wine from their vineyard and they served us a 4 course meal. It started with an appetizer of bruschetta, there were four different kinds. The second course was our pasta with a red meat sauce. The third course was web roasted chicken with potatoes and a salad. Then finally the tiramisu. The whole meal was wonderful and so filling! At the farm they make alot of products including olive oil, wine, jam, honey and fruit liqueurs. Everything in there store was very reasonably priced too. The farm was run by a family and they were so nice. There daughter is in the process of learning English. She was embarrassed to speak to us but she was doing so well!!

After the trip we returned to the ship for a cat nap and then we went into Civitaveccia. The town is pretty quaint. We wandered by the beach and had some gelato. On the way back to the ship we stopped at the Fort of Michelangelo. It is really cool looking an upon entering they were preparing for a festival. Some women were practicing for a ballet and it was gorgeous. It seems that the entire town is preparing for the festival. They have carnival rides set up and food booths.

Currently I am on a train to Rome. Meredith, Gabriana, Meghan and I Ate planning to travel around the city and conquer the public transportation system. We are staying the night at a hostel called Romangelo which is 10 minutes from the Roman forum. I'm excited it will be adventurous. I hope to send this blog in when I can get wifi. But the train provided the perfect time to write this post.

Update

Sorry for not posting in a few days. I have been fighting a cold and very busy. I watched the sunrise this morning over port. I have a cooking class planned for today in Tuscany. Yay! It is very humid here. I think I might go swimming today. The town is beautiful and an hour and a half from Rome.