It's a rainy day in Sorrento. We are off the the Island of Capri where we will hop on to a ferry that will take us to our boat. I plan on jumping off of that boat into the Mediterranean Sea. I am a little scared. But, you know what they say..."When in Rome." Well, at least..."When in Capri." I hope a shark doesn't eat me!
September 20, 2011 Day 3 in Isola Di Capri, Italia.
The photo above was taken while we were touring the Island of Capri. I liked the little rainbow floating on the water.
Faraglioni is the name for three rock stacks located off the Island of Capri in the Bay of Naples. The stacks have been given their own names: Stella, Mezzo and Scopolo. The photo above is near where I braved the blue waters and went swimming.
I just returned to my hotel room from an afternoon in Capri. I took a boat ride around Salto di Tiberio, Grotta Bianca, Arco Naturale and went swimming near Faraglioni. Due to the recent rain storms the water was a bit choppy. It was was a beautiful blue color and very inviting. So, I decided to swim. The water was extremely salty. I swam for about 2 minutes and was enjoying myself. But, for some reason I started to panic. I felt as if the sea was pulling me under and the boat seemed to be drifting farther and farther away. I started to yell for help and no one heard me the first few times. But, then a woman came to my rescue and pulled me to the boat. Thank you wherever you are!
After my near drowning experience, Kelly and I had lunch and walked around Capri and made pictures.
We found an amazing cafe where we sipped caffe lattes and I found my second cannoli. If that cafe latte was a man, I would marry it, have many of it's children and promise to do the dishes everyday. It was the most beautiful cafe latte that I have ever tasted. It was so pretty. Following the sweetest drink on Earth, I starred at the sea for awhile.
We took the ferry back to Sorrento and ate Bruschetta for dinner. Bruschetta is an antipasto that dates back to the 15th century. It consists of roasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil. Variations may include toppings of red peppers, tomato, vegetables, beans or cheese.
We visited Sorrento today. Sorrento is a small town in southern Italy. It is famous for the production of limoncello, made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar. It is also home to the PIZZA! We dined at the Ristorante Terrazza delle Sirene and drank a glass of rosso vino while looking over the Bay of Naples. It doesn't get much better than this!
We also walked through the city of Pompei. It is a partially buried Roman city near Naples. Pompei was destroyed and completely buried during a long volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The eruption lasted for two days in the year 79 AD. The eruption buried Pompeii under 15 to 20 feet of ash and it was lost for nearly 1700 years. It was accidentally rediscovered in 1749. In the photo above you can see the haunting Mount Vesuvius in the background.
The ancient ruins of Pompei are filled with amazing artistic heritage!
My hand touching the walls of Pompei.
The view from my hotel window in Sorrento. This is life!
I am going to begin my journey by talking about a man, a very beautiful man. His name is Al Pacino. Now, don't get me wrong, Mr. John Lennon is always my main squeeze. But, if Mr. Pacino came a knocking on my front door, I would cancel all of my appointments and without hesitation. So, as I ventured off to Italy I was sure to keep my eyes peeled for his pretty face. One of my favorite movies is 'The Godfather.' In that series of movies there is a quote... "Leave the gun, take the cannoli." Oh the cannoli's!!! Oh, Mama-Mia..Fantastico!
September 18, 2011 Day 1 in Roma, Italia.
Arrived in Rome with my friend, Kelly Scofield. Kelly and I met in college at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1995. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
So far Rome looks a lot like Pittsburgh, with the highways and byways, big buildings and honking horns. I cannot wait to take a shower! We arrived at The Hotel Lux and I am so sleepy. Kelly is asleep already. The photo above is of Kelly's feet while she sleeps.
View of Rome from my fourth floor hotel window.
Getting used to using a different form of currency for the next few weeks.
After napping, Kelly and I went for a walk around the city. We ate pizza with arugula, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese and had tiramisu gelato for dessert. It was a long walk and I purchased some postcards.
It's 3 a.m and I am wide awake. I am sitting on the floor in my bedroom, looking out my hotel window. I had a dream that I received a half written post card from an old friend. It's funny that I still think about her after all these years. I am thinking that someday I will be an old woman, perhaps with children and grand-children. I will be tending to my older woman responsibilities, whatever they may be. I am going to someday stop and think about this moment. This moment when I was 34 years old in Rome and looking out this window. I am content. Harmony