Skip to main content

The European Chronicles - 6/4/14

Day Nine. 

Pompei, Italy.
Travel, travel, travel, and more travel. That pretty much what summed up this day here in Italy. We boarded a bus from Assisi to make the 292 kilometer trip south to Pompei. After a two-and-half walking hour tour of Pompei, we then boarded the bus again to Naples where we caught a boat that would take us over to the island of Capri. This was a 45 minute boat ride.

So yes, it's been a long day. And like much of the Chronicles, will be written in an inspired but tired spirit, and a tremendously lazy eye for catching grammatical and spelling errors. To those of you who have put up with those, I sincerely apologize, but I hope you understand the short amount of time I have to squeeze in these posts. 

As always, here are some photos taken today on the trusty mobile phone. Click to enlarge each photo. 









Also, here are some quick thoughts on today's adventure: 

- I know I said Assisi was a tremendous view, but it is also a tremendous area to trigger your allergies and sinuses. I've been struggling all day today. 

- I forgot what it was like to be able to sleep on a buss for four to five hour drives. Sort of made me miss my college baseball days of travelling from town to town and from city to city. 

- I'm starting to get the hang of some key Italian language words to assist in ordering and asking for something around the country. You also really see many of the natives appreciate your attempt to say things such as "grazie" and "bongiorno" instead of "thank you" and "good morning". It also gives me a different perspective on helping others with the language barrier when tourists hit NYC. 

- Pompei and the site of ruins that sits atop the volcano was awesome. It was cool to see such a civilization's remains and how they built their homes, what was their culture, and how they ultimately lived. Even cooler was being able to see this up close and real - no books, hear say, or determinations. The proof was right in front of you. 

- The boat we took to Capri is the coolest boat I've ever been on. Ever. Not counting the ones I was on for the New York Boat Show many years ago. I'm actually referring to a boat in the water. The seats were like plane's seats, and you barely felt as if you were on the water, or even traveling by sea. Amazing stuff. 

- What is there to say about Capri? Stunning. Just stunning. Another city on a hill. Another spectacularly, awesome view. Unbelievable. I can't wait to hit the island more tomorrow. 

- Finally, had Limoncello fr the first time...let's just say it was good, but each sip burned like heck going down. Yup, shortlisting that for the duty free shop at the airport. 

Another 6:00am wake up tomorrow, it's been several days and I'm still not a morning person. Regardless, we hit the island of Capri. Should be fun. 

Recently Read

Would You Rather: Questions 121-130

This edition of "Would You Rather" is credited to the NBA Would You Rather NBA Account on Instagram ( See Here ). Adding to the fun, this edition (and possibly future ones) are all NBA basketball questions.  121. Who would you rather have on your favorite NBA team - Giannis Antetokounpo or James Harden?  Seeing how I'm a lifelong suffering Knicks fan, the thought of any of these guys in blue and orange is hard to believe. With that said, I'm taking the Greek Freak for this reason - I enjoy watching him play a bit more. Nothing against Harden who is amazing as well, but at times, the ball sticks and that isn't always fun. Plus, I feel like we haven't yet seen a finished Giannis. 122. Would you rather have Giannis Antetokounpo with no driving ability or James Harden with no Three-Point shooting ability?  This is definitely a weird and unique one, but I'll take Harden. Giannis without his strength doesn't offer much. However, if Harden's d...

Sunday Sundown Rundown - 2/15/26

Sunday Sundown Rundown returns! Going forward, I'll be sharing thoughts and ponderings in a format of three simple thoughts, opposed to the former "3 Up, 3 Down" of the past.   Mother of Savannah Guthrie I haven't been closely following the developments. I've checked in here and there, mostly hoping that this horrific story comes to an end. I simply continue to sympathize with concern, as not only are the emotions of having one's mother kidnapped for ransom more than enough to bear, but to have it played out publicly, before the nation, helplessly, is an unfathomable reality to understand. And of course, as all things in this culture, the story has been manipulated, pulled apart, and coerced into political representations that are not true, or at the very worst, worthy of discussion considering that someone's life - a person's mother - is at stake.  Winter Olympics It's not my favorite. Summer Olympics are my jam. Nonetheless, this Winter Olympics...

Dome Pondering Move Review: Say You Will (2017)

What is it about? A recent high school graduate cares for his mother while attempting to navigate his first relationship following his father's suicide.  Who is in it? Travis Tope - Sam Nimitz Katherine Hughes - Ellie Vaughn Favorite Scene: [spoiler alert] Sam plays his song for his mom. Favorite Quote: Ellie: "I wish we could have met down the road, maybe when we were like 27." Sam: "I think we needed each other now." Review:  Say You Will was an absolutely pleasant surprise of a watch from the Amazon Prime offerings.  I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with this one, but after the credits rolled, it was a movie that provided authentic characters and a great lesson on life. We don't always have to have everything figured out, and it's okay if you don't.  What makes Say You Will so beautiful is that all of the characters are carrying some inner struggle that connects them in the moment and time that helps them through whatever it is. The unlike...