Sunday, April 17, 2016

Day 4: The Island of Capri

This might be my favorite group photo yet....there are a couple of strangers reading a map in the frame too.


We did pretty good today.  First of all, we were all up and ready for breakfast at the correct time. It was pretty common to the breakfast we had the previous day, but I was a little late and missed out on the Nutella filled croissants.  I got a jelly filled one instead.  It was pretty good too, so I wasn't upset.  We also boarded the bus on time and hit the road.  John had informed us that we had to meet our ferry at a certain time, but that we would also be stopping at a truck stop.  The law here requires bus drivers to make mandatory stops every two hours.  

I can appreciate that law.  We have been going non-stop since Thursday at 11:30am.  I barely slept on the plane, but I think last night, I had even less.  I don't think it was anything more than a poor combination of too much caffeine and being overtired.  I was able to catch a few Zzz's on the bus and a few more on the ferry to Capri.  I am not the only one running on fumes and I am thinking I will not be the only one turning in early tonight.

Even with being tired, we've had an unbelievable day.  

Boarding our new extended length bus. More on that later.

Our walk along the port of Naples to arrive at our Ferry

A fort built along the Naples port.  There was an older one much higher on the hill.

Pranaav trying an Expresso.  He loved it.
The ferry was not packed.  There were plenty of open seats and I was able to sprawl out for a bit.  Apparently, according to Mr. Bemis, a couple of young people photobombed my sleeping.  I haven't seen the evidence, but I'm sure it is hilarious.  The ride was quicker than I expected and the ferry was moving faster than most of the kids I talked to thought it would be.

Boarding the ferry looking for the perfect seat.

Arriving at Capri was amazing.  The water was crystal clear.  The sun was drenching us with warmth.  We left our ferry for a little boat which would take us on an island tour.

I am not going to leave a long narrative about the island tour.  I will let a series of pictures do the talking for me...but the kids took non-stop pictures, so be sure to ask to see theirs too.


Our boat for the island tour.

Vesuvius.



A look up from a cave at the Capri Sun.









Our guided tour was led by Flavia.  She instructed us on all of the cool spots on the island tour and then took us up the Funicular.  This elevator-like contraption pulls a cable car up the side of the mountain so that you don't have to walk.  They exist in Budapest, Paris, and Lisbon...among other places, but this is the first one I've ridden.  I do not like heights, but I made it without too much concern.


In the Funicular headed to the top of Capri.

Our car arriving at the bottom before our ride.
As we walked through the streets of Capri, Flavia reminded us that the island was expensive.  Many of her stories centered along wealthy Romans and/or Italians.  It was clear, from being there, that this place has been paradise for thousands of years.  Emperors, movie stars, and wealthy industrialists have used this island to relax throughout history.  The island, like this region of Italy, grows many lemons.  The lemons are used in such a wide variety of manners that if you can think of it, they probably make it.  One of the biggest sellers is Lemoncello.  (Google is telling me I spelled it wrong, we didn't try any, so I am sticking with what I wrote).  Another hot commodity is perfume.  A lot of students stopped along the way to smell the scents and buy some eau de capri.  

Gabby smelling some perfume.

The view from the top of the hill.

Flavia explaining the origins of the park we were sitting in.
Capri was amazing. Please don't let the brevity of this post fool you.  I loved it...and so did the kids.  I am keeping things short to ensure an early night for me.  I did want to share a couple other thoughts.  First, Flavia and John recommended a restaurant for lunch.  It offered a fixed price and a bunch of options.  Most of us went there.  I ended up with pizza.  I only ordered it because we were close to Naples and that is where Pizza was invented.  The kids chose from all of the available options. There was pasta with eggplant, roasted chicken and potatoes, salad, and swordfish.  I grabbed pictures of most of it.

My pizza

Fried Swordfish...It got two thumbs up!!!

Roasted chicken.

Eggplant and Penne
Begrudgingly, we left Capri and boarded our ferry for Sorrento.  A secondary adventure to get to our hotel started.  First, we walked...up a lot of stairs.

 
And then we boarded our bus.  This new bus seats 60 people.  So, while we have more room, our new bus driver has less room.  The Sorrento streets are really narrow.  We had to stop and back-up and change directions numerous times.  Eventually, an old timer on a scooter drove to us from the hotel to help us navigate the streets, but it didn't really help.  The bus, as Julia exclaimed, had to do a 7,000 point turn to maneuver into its parking space.  It was nerve racking for many of us, but we soon entered our new hotel.  It is really nice, but the wifi signal is not strong.  If you are worries because you haven't heard from your children, please don't be concerned.  All are well...and they are being forced to unplug for a bit.  It's not the worst thing ever.

We have had three birthdays since this trip began.  Lexie celebrated hers while we were traveling. Amariah had hers yesterday.  Today, Adrianna turned 17.  It is really cool for us chaperons to be able to celebrate occasions like this with the kids.  We know, and appreciate, how tough it is for those back home to say goodbye.  We hope that these days become some of their best memories.  I am told there are more birthdays on the way.

Adrianna posing for her birthday.
Tonight, I ate with some seniors.  While I met a couple last year, on tour, and have got to know the others this week, I never taught these young ladies.  They are all really nice and they engaged me in quick conversation.  We had eggplant penne and lemon cake, but that wasn't as important as our conversations.  We chatted about Capri, and sunburns, and high school stuff...but we also chatted about nonsense.  They asked me where Ameliah Airheart was...I told them I teach a class on conspiracies for the high school, and so, I obviously know where she is.  Random, I know, but they wanted a shout out...now, they have one.  

Thanks for your time...sorry for the short post.  I hope you enjoy the photos. If you haven't checked it out yet, there are more pictures on my Facebook page.  Here is the link:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154770872165760&type=1&l=0f921bd2d4

Mr. Lavoie, sitting in the lobby of another European hotel.  I've become quite accustom to planting myself down for a few minutes of reflection each day.  I am so grateful for the opportunities I've had in my life and that I can share them with so many students.

3 comments:

  1. I am so glad you post these pictures! I am enjoying your trip along with you. Remind me to sign up for the next one!!!
    Keep the pictures and dialog coming....it makes me so happy to see all of these kids having the time of their lives!

    Kathy T.

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  2. Love reading this every day-makes me miss my daughter less k owing all the adventures you are having together

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  3. Plain and simple. I am jealous of your success and your experiences. You do the young people a credit, sir. And you have blast at the same time. Bravo!

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