I ended up in Capri again this weekend, my third time visiting the island and still I haven't gotten enough. Two weeks ago I came with my sister and her friends, last weekend with my friend Lauren who was visiting from Spain, and this weekend on a spontaneous Sunday with my American friends here. Three sketchy Circumvesuviana (the regional train) rides to Sorrento, three ferry rides from Sorrento to Capri and three incredible experiences.
This past Sunday, my friends and I woke up at the unfortunate hour of 6:30 to take the train to Sorrento. My friends are lucky I don't know them like my family, otherwise I would have been full on grumpy gills. Our first activity on Capri was to go to the Blue Grotto so my friends could explore. However, when we got to the town and climbed the steps down near the entrance, we were informed it was closed for the day because the water levels were too high.
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| Steps down to near the Blue Grotto entrance |
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| Right before a wave came up to my shorts and soaked me |
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| Kelly, Brendan, Monica, Rachel, Cailtin and Jody |
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| Testing the water |
Our next adventure was back up to Anacapri, the more tranquil and less touristy town than the main town of Capri. We took the rickety chair lift up to the top of Mount Solaro, the tallest point on the island. Every time I visit Capri I always find more and more vistas and incredible views to admire the island from. The top of Mount Solaro was beyond anything I'd already seen.
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| Anacapri |
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After a fabulous lunch where we each ordered our own pizzas (and each finished them with much enthusiasm) and wine, we relaxed on the rocky beach for the rest of the day. Brendan, who was the champion at falling asleep anywhere possible, immediately passed out while Rachel, Monica and Caitlin waded into the sea. I was the official photographer for the day, so I was in charge of taking pictures, and my black stockings prevented me from joining them splashing around in the water. I wasn't very good at my job, however, because I missed Rachel being knocked over by a wave and plunging in the salty sea. We couldn't stop laughing.
One of our favorite toasts to make here is "To great wine, great friends and the best experience of our lives" and I think this day embodied our declaration.
Last week, our class took a day trip to a local vineyard, Cantina del Vesuvio. It's located at the bottom of Mount Vesuvius and produces some of the most prestigious wines in the region. It's so renowned that it's only sold at the vineyard. The vineyard has been family owned since the 1950's. Previously, they'd focused on mass production of the wine. However, since the current generation has taken over, they've put an emphasis on quality over quantity.
The soil that the vines grow in are rich in minerals from the volcano which adds a unique flavor to the wine. That, and the sea air from the Bay of Naples. The family grows both red and white grapes. The red grapes are grown in lines, whereas the white grapes are grown in a canopy fashion because they are more delicate and more susceptible to the sun. Harvesting season is during September and October, so right now the vines are cut back and bare.
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| White grapes vines |
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| Red grape vines |
The family doesn't use any pesticides. The way they tell if the crop has been affected by anything is to plant rose bushes at the end of each row. If the roses have been affected, the vines have been affected.
Next came a wine tasting at their restaurant. The first wine was an aperitif white wine. Apparently, an option during wine tastings is to spit out the wine after tasting it, but it was just too good to waste. We had the first wine with bruschetta, cheese, and bread with olive oil.
We were next served a rose with our appetizers, which is pictured above. Our next course we were served a red wine and ate spaghetti. The picture below depicts a simple spaghetti and tomato sauce dish, but I have to say that it was the best spaghetti and tomato sauce meal I've ever eaten. I shouldn't be surprised it tasted so well, as the tomatoes and olives for the oil were grown on site and everything was fresh. We were also served a reserved red wine, stored since 2007.
We finished our meal with dessert and a shot of peach liquor.
Day Trip to Capri
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| Marina Grande |
With Frank Sinatra's famous tune 'Isle of Capri' in my head all day, I (along with my sister and her friends who were on their spring break trip and spent two days with me in Castellammare, Sorrento and Capri) set out on an journey to the lovely isle of Capri off the peninsula of Sorrento. We felt the warm breezes and clear skies of summer on our ferry ride over to the Marina Grande, the main port of Capri. I'm fortunate enough to set foot on the island for a second time, as I visited it on a school trip in my junior year of high school. It is exactly as I remembered it, and remains to be my favorite location in Italy so far.
Capri is famous for its cliffs, the blue grotto and its all over beauty. After a failed attempt to rent scooters to tour and scour the island with, our first adventure was to the Grotto Azzura, the Blue Grotto, a cave who's clear blue water reflects onto the rocky ceiling. The boat tour took us all around the island, past the towering cliffs littered with houses, green shrubs, shrines and mountain goats.
We arrived at the entrance of the blue grotto, where multiple boats took eagerly awaiting tourists through the minuscule gap between rock and water.
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| Entrance to the Blue Grotto |
Us four blondies (and one red head) piled into a boat, along with an elderly Italian man and of course, the driver/rower of the vessel. Though charming at first with his lulling, Italian voice and entertainment of song, he quickly became obnoxious, making farting noises that echoed off the cave walls. But we laughed. No picture could do the grotto justice, but at least it is an introduction to the unique color.
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| Ducking into the grotto |
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| Inside the grotto |
Capri is a large enough and populated enough island that just wandering narrow, white-walled cobblestone streets can entertain you for hours. We stumbled upon a ruin that is now a high school, a church at the top of a hill that was giving away books in exchange for an offering, and the Gardens of Augustus. From these gardens, we had a view that reminds me why I am obsessed with towering vistas.
We missed our opportunity to take the chair lift to the top of the island from Anacapri, as it closed at 4:00 and we arrived fifteen minutes after. We spent our last few hours leisurely strolling the Marina Grande, before we were seduced into having drinks at the restaurant of a dancing, bald Italian man who was slightly infatuated with my sister.
The trip ended all too suddenly, and Kelly and her friends had to make their way back to Milan to go home. I've speculated on how I can home back to the island, and have come to conclusion that I'll become rich enough to retire to one of the villas on Capri overlooking the Mediterranean.
Climbing the Volcano that Destroyed Pompeii
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| From the top of Mount Vesuvius |
Today, along with a few other JWU students, I made the climb up the famous volcano, Mount Vesuvius, located just outside of Naples. I was under the impression the hike would take a few hours, but the starting point was already mostly up the mountain. It only took a half hour of steep climbing on gravel to get to the top where the crater is.
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| Climbing |
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| The crater |
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| Smoke coming from the inside |
The volcano is most famously known for it's destruction of the ancient city of Pompeii in 79 AD. The last eruption out of Vesuvius happened in 1944 and it is overdue for another one. If it were to erupt today, the few million people living the Naples and surrounding area (including me depending on the intensity of the eruption), would be buried in lava. Over the years, the eruptions from Mount Vesuvius have destroyed many towns and killed many people, yet the Neopolitans keep rebuilding because they can't imagine leaving the area.
Benvenuto to Italy!
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| View from my dorm room, with Castellammare di Stabia below |
I am in paradise. A cold, but sunny and picturesque paradise. Castellammare di Stabia (meaning "castle by the sea" in Stabia) is quaint town 45 minutes outside of Naples, the city where pizza originated (my kind of place). I'm studying and taking classes on tourism management, international tourism policies and tourism marketing while here. Already, it's a nightmare trying to concentrate in class with this view in our window.
Don't be fooled by the palm trees and constant sunshine. Castellammare di Stabia is much colder than it looks at high 50's to low 60's. Italians are still donning their winter coats, boots and jeans (all dark). Italians aren't one for colorful fashion, and most of their clothes are a stylish black.
Being here almost a week, I've made some primary observations on Italian life, and I will post my final observations at the end of the trip as well.
1) The stereotype of Italians always speaking with their hands is true. Whether the debate is passive or lively (it's sometimes hard to tell), Italians will use hand gestures to embellish what they're saying. I think that's why I see elderly Italian men with their hands locked behind their backs when they stroll, so as to stop their wild hands.
2) The young people know more English than I thought. Maybe the Italian gelateria woman doesn't know what I'm saying, but conversing with the people my age is not too difficult. We've met some Italians our age who say they all learn it in school now. Their knowledge of the English language is far from extensive, but it's enough to get by. However, I am learning Italian here and hope to be able to speak to them in their beautiful language soon, which they are very proud of.
3). In the evening, around five or six pm, many people with go to the center of the town and stroll along the boardwalk. It's called La Passeggiata and is done all over Italy. La Passeggiata is a way of being seen and seeing the people of the town.
4) Siesta's are the best. A siesta is the time between 1pm and 5pm when most shops close down. The period of time is meant for naps and relaxing before opening back up again. In our case, they are a time for naps. A culture that socially accepts and designates a time of day for naps is my kind of culture. Since dinner is around 8 or 9 at night, most people don't go to bed until 12 or 1 am, on a good night. We have to, however, wake up early for class, so taking a short nap during the day is what's going to keep me sane.
5) People in Castellammare get excited about Americans. Since it is a smaller town that doesn't attract too many tourists, the Italians here are happy to say Caio and talk to you. When I say excited, I mean run-out-of-their-store-to-introduce-themselves kind of excited. Everyone is welcoming.
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| Pizza Vesuvio |
6) Italian food is everything you've ever heard and more. Our meal plan includes fresh, local ingredients prepared daily in the form of two 3-course meals. The only reason why I'm not going to gain 20 pounds on this trip is because of the steep hill from my school down to the center of town that I walk everyday. The first course is usually a pasta (my favorite so far is a pasta and fresh pesto dish). The second is a meat with veggie meal, and the third is dessert. Decadent cakes and pastries aren't eaten much for dessert in Italy, so fruit is usually eaten. And of course, pizza. I ate a pizza vesuvio (pizza filled with local, mozzarella cheese made from buffalo milk, and ham) and I thought I'd gone into gooey, carby, cheese, indulgent heaven. The classic Margherita pizza, named after Queen Margherita, with mozarella, basil, tomato sauce and the dough, is a staple here. Most of the wine sold is local, and you can buy a bottle of wine for as cheap as a euro.
Kalmar and Öland
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| Kalmar Castle |
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| Beach in Köpingsvik |
I set out to Kalmar on an early morning train ride by myself. It was the first weekend trip I've taken by myself, but it was more than nice to get out on my own. I went to Kalmar because it's the city on the mainland across from Öland, and my Aunt Linnea suggested I visit the small city, and a great suggestion it was.
The first place I went to in Kalmar was Kalmar Castle, which, despite being somewhat small compared to other castles, was one of the prettiest I've ever seen.
The castle used to be a fortress, used mainly against the Danish who were constantly fond of attacking Sweden. When it was made into a castle, Eric XIV, who I mentioned in my previous post about Stockholm, a son of Gustav I, spent his time in this castle and on Öland as well.
The photograph above is of the church inside Kalmar Castle. It is on of the most popular wedding churches in Sweden. By the looks of it's beauty, there is no doubt why.
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| Inside Kalmar Castle |
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| From the castle |
The rest of the day was spent exploring Kalmar and what it had to offer. Kalmar is a small port town on the sea with the island Öland across from it's shores. I walked along ports and visited the cathedral. There were many shops that specialized in Swedish glass in Kalmar.
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| Kalmar Cathedral |
The next day I went to Öland, where some of my Swedish ancestors are from, specifically Köpingsvik. The first town I went to, however, was Borgholm, next to Köpingsvik. The main attraction of Borgholm is it's castle, which is a lot like Kalmar castle but more in ruins. It was also a fortress turned castle.
My favorite part of the castle, besides the fact that it was completely deserted and I had it all to myself, was the incredible views it offered. The Kalmar Strait, that divides Öland from the mainlaind, could be seen if you climbed a few stairs.
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| Kalmar Strait from Öland |
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| Town of Borgholm from Borgholm Castle |
When I was done exploring the castle, I walked for more than an hour to get to Köpingsvik, the town where my Swedish ancestors are from. Thanks to my fantastic Aunt Linnea, I had some information about my relatives there before I came. Unfortunately, after trying to get in contact with them for a few months before I came to Köpingsvik, I came up short and couldn't contact them. It was still nice to explore the area.
Köpingsvik reminds me of a small, tourist beach town. As I walked down the main street parallel to the water, I must have walked past four or five different campgrounds. Local businesses lined the other side of the street.
Walking along the beach in Köpingsvik was my favorite part because I kept picturing my relatives, even my aunts and grandparents and mother who visited, walking on the beach or just around town.
I spent the next few hours sunbathing on the beach. It was the first weekend in Sweden where the sun had really shone. In fact, when I got back to Gothenburg, everything was transformed. Grass turned greener and buds formed on trees in a few short days.
I left Öland and Kalmar the next morning. I was so fortunate to see one of my ancestral hometowns. My only regret is that I wish I had more time to explore Köpingsvik.