Day 14

                Today was one of the best yet!!! It was a free day but my girl’s professor brought the entire class to Capri (though you didn’t have to go if you didn’t want to…….as if!!!). It was so much fun!!! I even took a dip in the sea even though my girl protested greatly.
                Right when we got to Capri my girl went on a boat tour of the entire island with five other classmates. One of the best aspects of the tour was being able to go into the Blue Grotto!! It was magnificent!! The water glowed blue from the sun light filtering through the water into the cave…it was like neon blue! Granted my girl was forced to….snuggle….with two passengers to get through the door it was well worth it to go into the cave. (The cave opening was only big enough for the boat to fit through so everyone had to lay down, even the rower so my girl ended up squish between a couple sitting behind her and the rower). After that we ended up going to the Green Grotto that housed a stalagmite that looked like the Virgin Mary and added to that the water reflection made the ceiling of the grotto glow a light blue color.
                The whole tour took little less than three hours (the Blue Grotto took the longest) and left my girl and her friends enough time to go swimming in the sea. I had already went swimming in the Blue Grotto so I stayed nice and warm on the rocky beach watching my girl’s knapsack. And on the way back I was able to sit on her lap and not on the floor!!! The floor is so smelly but sometimes that’s the only place I can fit! I hate it but oh well…mygirl didn’t have the greatest time on the way back to Naples, this Asian guy that sat next to her kept bumping her as he himself tried to get comfortable. And let me tell you my girl was too happy…she likes her space…..

With love,

M.D. and Jazz

Day 13

PHOTO BOMB!! 

               Today my girl remembered me and brought me with them to Paestum. Granted it wasn’t as exciting as yesterday happened to be but it was pretty amazing to see three of the most well preserved temples here in Italy.

A field trip was going on the same time we were there

Class time!! Now where is my girl?

                Since Paestum is several hours away from Naples we took a private bus which is a great change from the metro and the trains…..I wished we had that the entire trip, less smell and less crowds. Although we saw more of the darker side of Italy, we drove past slums and the more derelict towns and houses.

Non lo so if you could walk on these. .. . . but we did!

Everybody climbed on these ruins

Wasn't too sure what this was but it was cool!!

Look at that masonry don't see that too often now.

Great place for picnics

Don't follow that rabbit!!

                Then added to our slightly dourer mood we got to Paestum and were attacked by bugs!!! My poor girl had to wear me to keep the bugs from attempting to nest in her hair (we found this out when one of our friends stopped and pulled bugs out of her hair). Needless, to say that my girl was completely paranoid and was constantly checking her hair.
                The bus ride was actually longer than our stay at the temples.

Please ignore the crappy (cheap) shades.

With bug infested love,
M.D. and Jazz

Day 9, 10, 11, 12

                So far my girl and I went to a museum here Naples that held artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum…..for those of you who don’t know those are two cities that was destroyed by the volcanic mountain Mount Vesuvius. The museum was more exciting for my girl only because they held different samples of four different art (I think they’re decorations) styles that will help her on her test. I however thought it was a bore and not at all eventful.

Smile for the camera!!!
The museum had a guest Egyptian exhibit

Atlas holding up the world

One of my girl's favorite mosaics

Hermes

                Tuesday was yet another boring day because we didn’t do anything……well I didn’t at least. The public transport workers went on an odd 24 hour strike that left all of us students to our own devices. My girl just drew and read and study……BORING……completely and utterly boring. So I stayed in the room and watched Italian cartoons and MTV with my girl’s roomies.

Welcome to Pompeii!!

"I wasn't doing anything! I swear!"

Casting of a citizen of Pompeii

That's Vesuvius in the background

                Now Wednesday was a little better the workers were off strike and we were able to head to Pompeii, unfortunately, it was hot and windy and dusty. I am soooooo dirty you would not believe and my girl can’t clean me cause the laundry mat doesn’t clean hats and it’s the only one in the area!!! The nerve of some people! I am a very excellent and well mannered hat! Now Pompeii is very beautiful……for a pile of ruins. Granted it’s a great historical find especially with the casts of the people who had lived there (they died instantly and were incased when Vesuvius  erupted). But it wasn’t for me….it was just another set of ruins though only more preserved because of all the volcanic ash.

Old and new Herculaneum

Be careful its a long drop

Very well preserved

You had to cross this bridge to get into Herc.

See how far we were below street level?

The buildings looked way better than Pompeii

Obviously belonged to a bathhouse

Most popular house in Herc.

Again that rail is street level........new Herc. was buil
 over the old city.

Preserved stairs that were torched from eruption

                Now today I was greatly disappointed!! Jazz left me in the hotel room!!!! Granted I may have hide from her cause I was tired and cranky and dirty and overall just didn’t want to leave the nice air conditioned room but that’s still no excuse!! Especially, since today was the most exciting day since last week. Jazz had climbed Mount Vesuvius with some of her classmates and got souvenirs!!! I want souvenirs!!!!! I have my boy back home……she forgets she borrowed me sometimes and I have people that need stuff too!!!!! But I am glad she had fun and enjoyed the hike…….she sprained her ankle on the steep hike up so you know………REVENGE!!!!!!!! *cough* I may have put a curse on her ankles…….not really……..I’m not that mean……………

That's the lava tracts from the eruption

Crater edge

Crater. . . . . don't fall in!

Amazing view

Love,

M.D. and Jazz