Croatia

I'm finally able to sit down in an internet cafe and get online without having to use my ship minutes! I'm starting to wish I hadn't done this though b/c now I'm overwhelmed with all the emails! ahhh!! But I'll just let those wait until I get home! haha

Lainey, Taylor, our new friend Chelsie, and I are taking a day to relax from the eventful weeks we've had. We're making sure to save our energy for tonight to get to fully experience the Croatian nightlife, whatever that may be like! ( I honestly have no idea yet!) All I know about Croatia so far is how beautiful it looks from the boat. All the white brick houses with the red roofs look like something straight off a postcard.

Our adventures in Italy for the past week were numerous to say the least! We docked in Civitiveccnia and Naples, but spent most of our time in Rome. We explored the city, visited the Vatican, St. Peter's Square, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Treve fountain. That was in a course of two days! The rest of the days I went on Semester at Sea trips to smaller villages in the Italian countryside, which we amazing! If I could speak this language I'd definitley want to study here!

With all the places we've been already, I'm starting to feel more like a travler and less like a tourist, if that makes sense. We don't go around with maps, bulky bags, speak obnoxiously loud in English, and constantly ask for directions. For the most part, I think we can blend in pretty well-until we start talking! haha. Luckily enough though, many people in Italy speak Spanish as well , so the conversation barrier isn't as big a problem as I had expected it to be.

Our time in Capri was my favorite part about our stay in Italy though. The 45 minute ferry from Naples ( the dirtiest city I've ever been to!) to the island was totally worth it! We went on a chairlift to the very top of the island, where we were above the clouds and able to look out on all sides of the island into the clear blue water and into the city. It felt like we were in heaven up there, and I could have honestly spent my entire day up in the sky.

When we had about two hours left in our stay on the island we got the bright idea to rent a boat and go around the island to the grottos. It was totally worth it. Taylor, Chelsie, Elaine, our friend Greg, and I were living the life! It was like a music video, one guy driving a speed boat around a gorgeous Italian island in the sun, surrounded by four girls. He wishes he was so lucky though! haha. Once we got to the grottos we anchored the boat and took off swimming into the caves. The water was so green and clear I wish I could bottle it and bring it home...but obviously that wouldn't have quite the same effect!

I was going to write a little more, but I guess we're heading out to town in a little bit. Off to explore the mystery that is Croatia!

:) Caitlin