Post #7
Intersession
Saturday, October 20, 2018 through Thursday, October 25, 2018
Saturay, October 20th, 2018
Michaela and I woke up early and caught our train to Naples! We were a bit confused because our train tickets had a coach and seat number on them. All of the trains we have previously taken had just been normal trains where you hop on and sit wherever. To our surprise, we booked one of the newer luxury trains and it was cheap because we bought one seat and got the other free! The train ride is only 2 hours and 55 minutes, so we should be in Naples by 12:30 in the afternoon!
Upon arrival in Naples we checked into our Airbnb which was only a five minute walk from the train station!! The room was great! We rented a room with a private bath in a b&b and it ended up being just like a hotel room. It was very modern and updated which I appreciated.
After settling in Michaela and I wanted to walk to port to see where we would be going on Sunday to catch the ferry to Capri. The 40 minute walk was very unpleasant. Unfortunately, pretty much the whole area around the Napoli train station is pretty ghetto/sketchy. Once we got to port the area seemed to be getting a bit nicer, however we didn’t want to keep walking in the opposite direction of our Airbnb because we were already uncomfortable and on edge. We walked around closer towards the way back to the Airbnb for a few hours and stopped for some nail polish and remover, and got McDonalds to take back to our hotel. We spent the evening watching some movies on Netflix and giving ourselves much needed mani-pedis. I also took a shower at the Airbnb and it was SO nice! It was one of those rain shower heads and it felt wonderful.
Sunday, October 21st, 2018
Michaela and I had to wake up at 6:10 am to get to Porta di Massa by before the 7:55 am ferry departed! Thankfully, once I was able to fall asleep I slept very well. The bed at the Airbnb was SO comfy!! When we were ready to leave it was still dark out, so we decided it would be best to take a taxi from the train station right down the street from us. The taxi was 15 Euro and we ended up being nice and early for the ferry!
Capri was beautiful and apart from the overcast sky, the weather was wonderful! Once we arrived we got a croissant, ate by the water, and walked around in a few shops while waiting until 11:00 am for our boat tour. When 11 rolled around we discovered it was just Michaela, myself, and 3 other passengers, plus the skipper of course! We were told that there would be a max of 12 passengers but the boat definitely could have held about 16+. It was great! We all had plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the amazing sights. The second we left port, the clouds parted and out came the beautiful warmth of the sun! It took us roughly two hours to drive around the stunning island, with our skipper pointing out interesting locations and fun historical information. We stopped at a cove where we were able to jump in and swim through/underneath some gorgeous caves. The water in the cave and around the whole island was some of the most blue (and salty) water I have ever laid my eyes on. It was absolutely fantastic!! After the boat ride we grabbed some lunch, ate by the water, and walked around a bit more. In the afternoon we hopped on the ferry back to Naples where we had dinner and watched some movies after a well needed shower! I’m so grateful for such a perfect day in Capri! Tomorrow we go to Roma! Wohooo!!
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Monday, October 22nd, 2018
Ciao ROMA!!!
Michaela and I woke up at 9:45 am, got ready, and went to a cafe around the corner for a coffee and croissant with a voucher from our Airbnb! Unfortunately, it was the opposite of good but I suppose it was better than spending money. Our train from Naples to Rome left at 11:20 am and we arrived around 2:30 pm. Upon arrival, we met our Airbnb host around 3:00 pm!
Our Airbnb host was extremely sweet and showed us all around and even pointed out some important locations on some tourist maps that she gave us! The room is once again, great! It’s another B&B type apartment where once you walk into the apartment there is a little reception area and then 3 rooms, each with a private bathroom! The place is clean and the location is perfect! Today we wandered around a bit, went shopping, got gelato, (because we wanted lunch and all the places were closed for the Italian version of siesta) and stumbled across the Colosseum! Afterwards we walked around a bit more, got dinner (I got pasta with artichoke and bacon) and some cannolis, and then went back to the Airbnb for a shower and some shut eye! Today was much cooler than it has been (around 60 today) but tomorrow should be back in the middle/high 70s which will be great! Can’t wait to see some more sights!!!
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018
Today Michaela and I had a jam packed day of sightseeing!! We got two-day tickets for the Big Bus, just as we did in London and once again, it was great because the busses bring you to all the major stops (or close-by) so you can get to all the important places faster and easier! We started our day at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore stop right near our Airbnb. From there, we went to the Colosseum where we waited about an hour to get in! It was only €12 and was really amazing to see! From there we hopped back on the big bus and ended up grabbing lunch at Hard Rock Cafe around 2:30pm. Michaela and I split a burger, fries, and a chicken tender appetizer, and we both got a drink, I got a yummy Hurricane and Michaela got a Southern Rock. It was SO delicious, I was in the mood for a yummy burger! After lunch we walked to the Spanish steps and then to the Trevi Fountain. The fountain was PACKED and it was SO beautiful! Michaela and I threw in tons and tons of coins!! Rumor has it, you are supposed to throw in 3 coins. The first will guarantee that you will return to Rome in the future, the second ensures a new romance, and the third ensures marriage! PLUS the 20 others that we threw in for the photo opportunity. Let me tell ya, throwing the coins is harder than you think because from right in front of the actual fountain there is a barrier that keeps you a good distance, and I didn’t want to whip them so hard that they hit everyone around me. However, when we moved to the side it was much easier to get the coin in the fountain.
After the Trevi Fountain we hopped back on the bus and stopped at Piazza Venezia where we saw the “Altare della Patria”, or Altar of the Fatherland and took a short walk to the Pantheon. From there, we got some gelato before walking back to the bus. When we hopped on a new bus we took it around the whole loop, ensuring that we saw everything we needed, and headed back to our Airbnb around 8:30 pm. What a magical day!!
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Wednesday, October 24th, 2018
Today Michaela and I started our day by taking the Big Bus to the Vatican. We first saw St. Peter’s Basilica from the outside and did not go in because it was closed due to it being over capacity. We went into the museum and the Sistine chapel and I will not lie, it was a bit underwhelming, however I am glad that we went. I used my FUA student ID and was able to get in for just €8, compared to the full price of €17 which was great! From there we went back into the big bus for lunch and I got prosciutto and melon and prosciutto tortellini... SO yummy all around! After that Michaela and I did some more sight seeing and window shopping before heading back on the big bus for an evening tour. After our last big bus ride we went souvenir shopping and I got my magnet and keychain that I have been collecting from each stop. Around 8:30pm we tried to go to the pizza place below our Airbnb because reviews said it was great, however it was closed and we were forced down the street. Michaela and I shared a pizza and it was delicious!
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Thursday, October 25th, 2018
Michaela and I woke up at 8 am to get ready, pack, grab breakfast, and get to our train for 10:05 am. Naturally, we were at the train station about an hour early just waiting for our train. We had been a bit nervous because we got a notification from FUA letting us know that there will be a transportation strike affecting Rome starting at 10pm on Thursday. With our train being earlier on the same day, we were nervous but ended up being be all set!! We made it to Florence around 11:45 am and went directly to drop off our bags at our apartment. From there we went to get gelato (we were missing our favorite place while we were gone), then to top off Michaela’s phone because she was running out of data, to the leather market to pick up a few things ;), and then to the grocery store to grab food for dinner! When we got back we both worked on our blogs and did laundry. It felt good to have a relaxing evening without running around!