L'Ultimo Viaggio

It is hard to believe that I just returned from my last trip of the semester. The school Bay of Naples trip seemed like a world away this entire semester and now that it has passed the reality of my semester abroad coming to an end is finally a reality.

View of the Bay of Naples from our hotel balcony.

The Bay of Naples is an area known for its picturesque views, aqua blue water and Mount Vesuvius. Unfortunately the dark storm clouds decided to roll in just in time for our trip there, and boy did they bring buckets and buckets of rain.

The ancient city of Pompeii, known for being buried by Mount Vesuvius's eruption, is a place that I had always dreamed of visiting since I was in elementary school. All 70 people from our program braved the rain in an army of umbrellas to see what was excavated in this city. The weather gods must have felt bad for us, so they stopped the heavy rain so we could explore the ruins with Dr. Corrado, the history professor in our program. 

Dr. Corrado brought us through the entire city, explaining how the debris falling from the sky after the eruption buried the city, and how so many things such as pottery, tools and art were preserved because of how the city was covered. Since Pompeii was not located right next to the volcano the lava did not destroy it, instead, the ashes and rocks projected that into the air are what caused the damage to the city.

The Loyola Rome group in Pompeii. (Photo credit to Dr. Snow)

After Pompeii we took a very windy drive along sky-high cliffs to our hotel in Sorrento that overlooked the Bay of Naples. My friend Alyssa and I stayed in a triple room that had two balconies, a living room and a gigantic bathroom. We nicknamed it the “Kapua Suite” (in reference to Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and found out that we had a very luxurious room compared to everyone else’s. A three-course meal brought everyone back together that featured gnocchi a Sorrento, chicken with roasted potatoes and vegetables, and torta limone (lemon cake).

After dinner everyone walked into the main part of Sorrento for a night out lead by Dr. Dawson himself. We decided to check out the karaoke bar, complete with Dr. Abela and his wife singing a duet for everyone. (Dr. Abela is one of the professors from Catholic University teaching in our program this semester).

A brief moment of clear weather in Capri.

The second day of the trip was left unplanned for everyone to do whatever they wished. We had the choice to climb Mount Vesuvius, visit the island of Capri, explore the Amalfi Coast or stay in Sorrento. Most of us decided to head to Capri and experience its beautiful views and luxurious town. Due to the recent rough weather the ferry ride over to the city proved to be very difficult and uncomfortable for many of my friends. Luckily I have spent a lot of time on boats and was able to power through the constant rocking of the boat and uneasy ride that made many people sick. As soon as I stepped off of the boat it began to rain and my umbrella split into two pieces. After the very necessary purchase of a light blue and flowered umbrella a bunch of us decided to hike up to the center of Capri and not take the funicular (which would have been the more intelligent choice).

It is said that whichever way you face in Capri a stunning view of clear aqua blue water and high cliffs await you. I would have loved to see this on a clear and beautiful day sans rain and dark ominous clouds, but I still was able to see some beautiful sights during the scarce periods of no rain. Around lunch time we found a small restaurant tucked away on a small side street that promised a home cooked meal and it was probably one of the best decisions that we made all day. The caprese salad was so fresh and delicious featuring fresh red tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella with a vingarette glaze. Afterwards we followed our noses (literally) to a gellateria that made homemade waffle cones that were simply amazing.

Naturally as soon as we disembarked the ferry back in Sorrento the blue sky and bright sun emerged from behind the dark clouds to reveal a colorful rainbow over the bay.

Dinner and a show, thanks Loyola!

That evening Loyola treated us to dinner and a show in Sorrento. We were greeted with glasses of champagne before heading to our private tables that sat above the stage. Everyone dined in style splitting bottles of wine, enjoying a four-course meal, and sipping on limencello during the live show featuring traditional Neapolitan songs and dances.

Our final day of the Naples trip was spent in some of the oldest parts of Naples. A school-sponsored trip led by Dr. Dawson would be incomplete with at least one trip to a church, so naturally we visited the Duomo of Naples. We then all enjoyed a fully paid lunch at a pizzeria that sold “Pizza Vera” where I enjoyed a margarita pizza and Coke. When looking to experience pizza in Naples it is important to look for the “Pizza Vera” signs that have the stamp of approval from the government that authentic pizza is served at the restaurant. Pizza was invented in Naples and originally was only bread and sauce, no cheese! The margarita pizza was created years later when the queen Margarita wanted cheese on her pizza, and as a result, the margarita pizza was developed.