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

Quick Ponder: Parental Reverance

Are these the moments of hard work and sacrifice, in front of my kids, that I hold my parents in reverence for? 

Sunday Sundown Rundown - 1/12/25

3 Up 1. California Fire Fighters - From nearby and even across international borders (some even imprisoned), a lot has to be offered to the firefighters who made their way to Southern California this week to help control this massive natural disaster.  2. Human Spirit - People who opened their homes to others. Businesses that provided free services and assistance. The outpouring of donations and so much more. People can be awesome at times.  3. Medical Debt - This seems like a pretty big deal, no?! Why should your health and the needs for your care affect your credit score?  3 Down 1. California Wildfires - Awful. There's not much you can place into words here that would capture so many people losing their homes, their lives, and everything. 2. Politicized Wildfires - As much as the human spirit took center stage, of course, we gotta make things political in this nation. Because, you know, there's an opportunity to do so.  3. Extreme Weather - There's just a whole l...

Dome Pondering Movie Review: Rio (2011)

What is it about?  Blu, a domesticated macaw bird from Minnesota is off to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in order to save his species by meeting, an independent macaw, Jewel. After meeting, the two embark on an adventure to reconnect with Blu's owner, but end up having an adventure that will change their lives.  Who is in it?  Jesse Eisenberg - Blu Anne Hathaway - Jewel George Lopez - Rafael