Or it's this website...

Try this for the same pictures as well:

http://s672.photobucket.com/albums/vv89/morrisse/?albumview=slideshow

To check out some pictures....

Hey! I had a chance to upload a few select pictures here at an Internet Cafe in Croatia... here is the link:

http://s672.photobucket.com/albums/vv89/morrisse/

Hope it works!

Love, Erika

Notes...

A few other things I forgot to mention about Italy: We rode the trolley in Capri down to the harbor. It was way cool… quite unique, as it was positioned at a steep slant. It felt almost like we were boarding a roller coaster! And being one of their common forms of transportation, (like a small, slow subway) one would have thought that it would level out… but no, it never did. The track went down the cliff of the island. It reminded me of the thing I took in Australia to get back up the Blue Mountains. Pretty nifty!

And one thing that pissed me off… I wrote out lots of postcards –to home, Grammy and Grandpa, Memere and aunt Michelle, and friends. And are they going to send?! The purser said there is a good chance they will not and there is nothing I can do! I guess stamps bought at the Vatican can only be sent there or in the surrounding area, since it is its own city. Ugh! I just picked up stamps there because we had passed the post office and it seemed easy to grab them there and then mail the cards on the ship later. I am very upset over the whole situation… I wish they had communicated this important information to us beforeee we spent the money and time on writing them! Not to mention the stamps cost .85 euros each… which is well over a dollar (The stamps we bought and Italian stamps cost the same… so what is the difference?!) I guess a lot of people did the same thing as I, including Anthony, and we can now only hope for their delivery.

Good thing I went to sleep early (even though everyone made fun of me for laying down around 9 p.m… they said I was pathetic) because the whole ship got woken up around 7:30 am by an announcement stating that were sailing the through the Messina Straight… which is right in-between Italy and Sicily! So right away Shannon and I went upstairs for breakfast outside on the deck. It was such a beautiful morning, with the entrance of the straight in the horizon, and Sicily and Italy on either side of the ship. With that view, I think its safe to say that breakfast set the bar pretty high for lunch and dinner…Allllthough lunch on the ship wasss chicken fajitas… one of the best meals yet! And I was able to sneak some pears out for later!! Yumm!

I guess that’s all… sorry for the mumble jumble of a blog today… but Ant and I are going to try and play scrabble now… so talk to you later!

Love,
Erika

Capri and Anacapri!

After spending time in Rome, Civitevecchia, Pompeii, Sorrento and Naples, we spent our last day in Italy visiting the Island CAPRI!  Kate, Becca and I were in the same group so spent the day together, and we couldn’t have asked for a better trip! It was seriously SO amazing! A playground for the rich and famous, it was a sight to see.

I cannot express how happy I am that I kept this trip! I would have been very sad if I sold it, which I almost did after hearing a scary story from my EU Professor about his journey on the narrow, twisting roads to Anacapri. Three people offered to buy it from me, but for a cheaper price, so I said no. Sometimes I am just too much of a worrywart…
Our tour guide was a younger fellow named Sasha. He was crazy, but is good at what he does. He was knowledgeable about the Island and was very funny (my only complaint was he said Hellllloooo way too many times!). He wanted us to have a good time, and we definitely did…

To get from Capri to Naples, we took the hydrofoil, which is the fastest ferry. We left at 8:35, and it took about 45 minutes (I dozed off a little on the way, so it seemed shorter). Upon arrival to the island, we immediately drove up to Anacapri. For the ride, our group was split up into two tiny buses, crammed tight with about 25 people each. It took about 20 minutes…and was one of the most ridiculous drives I have ever been on! The roads are extremely narrow and HUG the cliffs all the way up (which of course boasts spectacular views!) There were lots of twists and turns, and I’m not going to lie I was a little scared (but I was before thanks to my Mr. Wilkerson, my EU Prof.). But, I conquered my fear and it was well worth it!

While in Anacapri, we took a chair-lift ride up to the highest point. The chairlift alone made the whole trip to Capri worthwhile! The sights were INCREDIBLE; breathtaking. I could go on and on but I feel no adjective would do it justice! It was a little scary at first, as we were extremely high up! And the chairs just held one person, so we had to go in singles. It reminded me of the Aladdin ride at The Great Escape, except it kept increasing in height. It was extremely relaxing, and I was able to capture great video clips as well as pictures. It was a round-trip lift, but we were able to get off at the top and take in more amazing views. Looking down from this angle, we could see a different side of the island, which was much more private. The teal water glistened, and huge yachts freckled the sea. I desperately want to meet the people in those things! I guess that area has many private beaches and restaurants that can be accessed by private boats only. The rich and famous party hardy there over the summer, and often end the night with firework displays. Um… Yea…. That would be the life.

Everything is Lemon in the towns surrounding Naples! Sorrento grows giant Lemons, and so does Capri. Lemonchello is everywhere; in all the shops and restaurants. I was also able to try melonchello on the island – which I liked much more. I wish I could have brought some home with me. I am just too scared to try and sneak it on the ship. Anthony apparently snuck some on… and I think it would be really easy to get past security… but you know me… I worry…In addition to the liqueur tasting; we were able to try milk, white and dark chocolate infused with a lemon flavoring. You wouldn’t think its good… but WOW. It was good. The dark one was my favorite. We all wanted to buy some, but figured it would melt by the time we got back to the ship because it was HOT outside.

Lunch was included in our tour and I was extremely impressed! It was much better than the one included with the Pompeii and Sorrento tour. To drink, everyone received his or her own carafe of white wine. And to start, they had had amazing rolls. Then a huge bowl of penne pasta with tomato sauce and basil came (like the size of an Olive Garden dish!), followed by chicken parm (2 slices) and french fries. I didn’t want to eat the french fries. I didn’t. But she put them in front of me and then they disappeared!  Then, of course there was a dessert; a slice of chocolate cake covered with powdered sugar and a small scoop of vanilla gelato. I ate everything…and I just cannot believe how much food I ate!

Since where on the topic of food, I just want to say that I DO NOT THINK I HAVE EVER BEEN THIS FULL! Italy has destroyed me… I have ate more in these past 5 days than I do in weeks… and write now, as I am writing this, I am SO uncomfortably full. But I’m not the only one, as everyone is in accordance. The food is just that good. And yesterday, when I ate dinner on the ship trying to save money… nope, I just went out and bought a second dinner. I had a whole margarita pizza with some beer and wine. About six hours later, at breakfast, I had cereal with milk, 2 fried eggs and mixed fruit. For snack, we had those chocolates and melonchello. Lunch, which was part of our Capri tour, was described above. For dinner…well… dinner was THE 4th of JULY BBQ!! The ship went all out for it…and there was so much food I didn’t know where to begin. I wasn’t even hungry but still managed to wolf down a Cheeseburger, huge slice of cake, ice cream and ribs.  I’ve never been a fan of ribs before, but boy they looked good and tasted even better. They had a huge fruit display so I managed to grab some apples for tomorrow. Hopefully I’m done overstuffing my self.

It was a perfect day, with blue skies and the sun shining (like most of the days have been!). Alas, instead of shopping around Capri during the afternoon… most of the SAS kids and I (along with Sasha) rented a boat at the harbor and took it out for a cruise around the island! Ahh it was so awesome! It was a small private boat, and we were able to pull right into some caves. We saw amazing red and pink coral, hidden statues, expensive yachts, gorgeous homes, and gigantic, stunning cliffs. We even sailed under the arch of a famous rock near Porto di Tragar (the rich, quiet part of Capri), and then the boat stopped so everyone could jump off the sides into the sea and go swimming! It was so refreshing, and a surreal experience! The water was amazingly clear… We could perfectly see our feet as we swam in the warm, salty water. It is a great memory to have of Italy, & I hope one day to be back there! Anthony loved the island just as much as I did, although he explored it alone today. I was sad he was not with the group, but so happy he got to experience it! And when we saw each other later on the ship, he came into my room and said, “I knew how much you must have loved Capri, so I bought a little something for you.” – while handing me a small photo holder of a ships anchor with CAPRI written across it (I LOVE IT). I am so fortunate to be able to share this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with such an amazing friend and caring person.

It is sad to leave Italy, but I think I am ready. I was not impressed with the city of Naples, and our port is not only confusing, but also located in a sketchy part of town. The beauty of Capri and the idea of lounging around the beach have attracted me to our next port of call, Croatia. I eagerly await our arrival, and am more than excited! We will be there the day after tomorrow!

Until then, I will be trying to catch up on some much needed rest (and of course back to classes tomorrow). Hope all is well with everyone! XOXO

Love,
Erika

Pompeii and Sorrento!

Happy 4th of July!! I hope everyone in the states had a great day, filled with family, friends, fireworks, and a good BBQ! Can’t wait to take part in those festivities Labor Day Weekend! But for us, our 4th of July will be tomorrow night after we get back on the ship to depart Naples. They have a BBQ and other special activities planned for the whole shipboard community on Deck 7 starting at 5:30. It will be good to have a hot dog or hamburger… It has been a while!

But today, I took part in the SAS trip to Pompeii and Sorrento. It was so nice not having to worry about how we were getting somewhere, what to bring, etc. We just walked right off the ship at around 9 this morning, and there was a coach bus waiting for us. And everything was planned for us! It was quite a different feel than the exhausting trip to Rome. Bo and Kevin both went on the same trip with me (although they got it for free from the donation box! … SO jealous!), and we were also in the same group (bus #6). Becca and Nina we saw sparsely, as they were in another group. It was one of the first days we were all kind of separated and were not all together. Anthony, Shannon and Kate all hiked Mt. Vesuvius with SAS, the active volcano who’s past eruption is responsible for the burying of Pompeii. With the weather the way it was, and all the walking we have done since arriving in Italy, I am glad I did not sign up for that! I do not know how I would have done it!

But after boarding our buses in the a.m., our energetic tour guide, Paulo, explained what our day would be like. We first went to Sorrento, a popular seaside town with jetting cliffs about an hour and a half away from our dock in Naples. If we didn’t go there first, I guess we would have been waiting in traffic for hours, as there is only one way into Sorrento and since it is the weekend it was to fill up with beachgoers. And oh did those beaches look amazing! They were lined with pretty colored lounges and umbrellas, and the water looked so inviting. People had floats, slides, and some were snorkeling. With the weather the way it was today (VERY HOT!), I wanted to go in SO bad! But hopefully we can do that and more in Croatia!

So instead of swimming, we shopped. Sorrento was filled with cute little stores, and is I guess known for a beautiful type of woodwork, their music boxes, lemons, and olive oil (which they do not export out of the area). The music boxes really were gorgeous, but the prices were a little too high for me. We also got a free shot of limenchello in one of the shops, which is a lemon liqueur extremely popular in Sorrento. It was a little strong tasting, but still good.

After walking around and taking lots of pictures of the scenery, we ate lunch at a lovely outdoor restaurant. The few from my seat included a plethora of colorful flora and lush green trees that lined a dark cliff. Of course I took pictures there as well! So… great setting, but not so great food. Well, a lot of people enjoyed it, but I did not. For starters, we had no options. Everyone was served the same meal. To start with, we had a small plate of ziti with marinara (my first plate of pasta in Italy!), with some type of meat-filled shell. After that, there came fish… with a small helping of buttered potatoes and a vegetable tossed in vinegar. We guessed it to be spinach at first, but it was definitely not that. I guess I will never be sure what I ate. But, I can say that I definitely did not eat the fish. After that, dessert was served, which was a small slice of a lemon cake. I ate it, and it was okay… just very lemony for my liking. It was also a disappointment since Bo and I had been craving coffee and tiramisu! Oh well. I had eaten a HUGE breakfast in the dining hall earlier anyhow, thinking we wouldn’t eat until 2 or 3, so I was fine.

After filling our stomachs, we departed Sorrento for Pompeii! I was super excited to see it! The ride took about 30 minutes, and it was filled with twists and turns. I tried to sleep for a little while (I had about 4 hours sleep last night!), and may have nodded off for a second or two, but mainly the constant sharp turns of the roads kept me from doing so.

We walked around Pompeii for about two hours with Paulo leading the way. He was a good guide; funny, who spoke English pretty well. Pompeii was a thriving, rich town back in about 700 BC, which is SUCH A LONG TIME AGO! It was ridiculous to see the excavations of such a huge and elaborate city (about 163 acres) with my own eyes. They had theaters, religious centers, shops, and elaborate decorations and paintings still preserved on many walls. For being so old, the society seemed so advanced. I was truly amazed. They also had many brothels, with explicit paintings showing erotic scenes. That was weird… but I guess it was an aspect of their life. We also saw four people still preserved by the ash in the positions of their death. Very eerie. It is really sad to think of the thousands of people who lost their lives in such a catastrophic event. Nowadays, scientists carefully monitor Mt. Vesivius (which is huge!), and they should be able to tell about 20 days ahead of time if an eruption is coming.

Although Naples is where Pizza originated, we still all ate dinner on the ship. I swear the ship has such better food when we are in port rather than at sea! They probably expect no one to be there so they whip out the good stuff then. Tonight alone I had teriyaki chicken, ripe plums, and cheese tortellini with a creamy tomato sauce. Yum! There weren’t too many people there… (I’m sure everyone is off eating PIZZA!), but I was able to save some money. And we all still plan on going out and exploring Naples later tonight, so I hope to get a slice and maybe some gelato then! Until then… nap time!

XOXO

-Erika

2nd Port: ITALY!!

HELLO ITALY!!! We docked in Civitavecchia, Italy on Wednesday morning, July 1st! It was about time after those three long days at sea.

We took the train from Civitavecchia to Rome, which took a little over an hour. Rome is a gigantic metropolis, full of a variety of different people, including tourists, business people, religious professional… etc. We of course stood out with out our huge backpacks and cameras. But Oh how it was it amazing. It definitely stands out from other large cities… as ruins, such as the coliseum, can be found throughout. The city just has so much history, and meaning, I cannot believe I was there and saw everything with my own eyes. It is so different from experiencing it first hand versus learning about it in a textbook.

Did our hostel situation work out like we planned? Of course not. The owner flipped out on us when we tried to sneak eight people into a four-person room. There are to be no visitors what so ever, so as soon as he saw them go up he called our room to tell them to leave. Luckily, Kate, Rachael, Dinello and Kevin were able to find a 20-euro a person hotel near to us with availability. I was so happy that it ended up all working out.

Seriously… I have like overdosed on Gelato… if that is possible. Yesterday alone I had it four different times. But oh it is SO YUMMY! Most of the time, I get crème caramel… I do love my caramel. The triple berry and cookie flavors are close alternatives. Most gelato I have found in Rome ranges from 2 – 3 euros, but we found a great place in Civitavecchia where it only costs 1 euro! What a steal!

In Rome, we went to this awesome Gelato place by the Spanish Steps…it is by far my favorite one thus far. The workers were super nice… and it was like a one-stop shop. We had Viagra, Whiskey shots, and Gelato all in one! Haha… no, not viagra the drug, but Viagra the ice cream. It is the title of their most impressive, delicious gelato. Supposedly, it won first in an international taste-testing contest. It was extremely chocolately, and the workers were giving us sample after sample of it! We joked around that they put something in it because they were just trying to get rid of it… and with the name of course, we wouldn’t have been surprised. & I guess the named it that on purpose…  But anyway, at the same place we also took a round of whiskey shots… when in Rome! 

The sights in Rome were breath taking. The coliseum was my favorite. Kate, Becca and I spent 22 euro on a guided tour of that , but our 2nd tour guide was super hot! He actually is a very successful Shakespearean actor… and has been in several films and T.V. shows. He helped train the models of America’s Next Top Model to be Gladiator fighters for a shot… in addition to work in Gladiator, Troy…etc., … he recently auditioned for the next installment of the Twilight Film… I hope he gets it! He was so nice… joking with us, taking our picture, and giving us advice about Rome and Italy. He is originally from Scotland, though, so his English was perfect.

The Pantheon was amazing to see. It had a circular hole in its roof, allowing the sun to shine through it. The floors had wholes to allow for the drainage of the rainwater.  It was spectacular… It was so old, and stood out like a sore thumb. We saw it about 40 minutes before it stated to down pour… it would have been something to see it rain in the Pantheon. Instead we were on our way to the Trevi Fountain… another amazing site of Rome. There were tons of people there, in addition to TONS of gelato places… just absorbing the beauty of the fountain. I really wish I could explain the artwork… it is just phenomenal.

Who said you had to wait in line for the Vatican?! We didn’t! It was ridiculous seeing all of the amazing artwork inspired by the Catholic religion. The statues… the faces, the maps, the artwork, the SISTINE CHAPEL… Just AMAZING! Seeing the work of Michealangelo sent chills through my body. It must have taken him forever to do the detailed work that he did. He was an extremely skillful and talented artist, and admire the work he did. Although we were forbidden to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel, my camera was about to die as I tried tirelessly to document every other aspect of the Vatican Museum. I guess one hears the expression “Rome wasn’t built in a day”… and you really understand it once you have been there and seen the Vatican. Honestly I do not know how the ancient Romans did what they did… It will remain a mystery to me.

Kate and Becca were lucky… as they got to see the Pope himself speak as they got dropped off for the day (SAS trip, Rome on your own). The rest of us just got to see his window as we explored and took pictures of the St. Peter’s Basilica. It was Beautiful. I can’t wait to see the movies Angels and Demon’s now… as so much of it takes place in Rome!

I guess wherever I am I always end up running for the 10:09 p.m., there is a train that departs from for Citivecchia. We all plan on taking that, . The train is departing from Bin 28 (a.k.a. Track 28)… but we have NO idea where that is! We did see a couple of signs for 25-29, and followed them, but they were confusing! We ended up jogging through the station at about 10:07 trying to catch the train… I for sure thought we would miss it. We ended up catching it… I don’t even know how we did it! Anthony ended up sticking his arms through the doors of the train car as we tried to get on… allowing all five of us to get on. Seriously, we would have missed our train if we took a second longer. As we took our seats, we laughed, caught our breath and reminisced what a close call it was. We were grateful to make it… And do they check tickets on trains? They did not check ours on the way to Rome or on the way back… so hmm… We just had our metro passes and assumed they worked… But could we have rode for free to say Florence?! I wonder…

The last day in Civitavecchia, we kind of laid low. We attempted to explore the small town after sleeping in and lunch on the boat, but really there is not much to do.
On our third day in Civitaveccia, after two tiring days in Rome, we ended up spending most of our time on the ship. We chilled and sunbathed for a while up on deck seven, enjoying time by the pool. It was just so hot out, and our port city was a small town, that it was nice to relax and finally go in our pool. Although there weren’t many people who were on the boat, it was still nice. Citivaveccia was really a let down, (a small fishing town), with really a small beach with mainly a rocky shore and no swimming signs everywhere (although everyone was obviously ignoring it).

Before on-ship time at 9 p.m., where we depart Citevecchia for Naples, we went out to dinner and ordered some drinks. They were delicious. And Bo, Becca, Shannon and I splurged on a 2-Euro personal bottle of Posseco each, which is a type of Sparkling Wine from Northern Italy. I was excited to drink it as we learned about in our European Union class… (our Professor loves wine, let me tell you!)… & I myself find the whole industry extremely interesting also!

On our way to Naples, Bo, Anthony, Rachael, Nicole, Kate, Shannon, Kevin, Nina, Becca and I piled into a room to watch Slumdog Millionaire. Great film. I’m jealous that other SAS trips visit the Taj Mahal! Oh well…, I shouldn’t complain, as tomorrow I will be visiting Pompeii and Sorrento on my first SAS trip yet! I am so excited I cannot wait!

I know I have been ALL OVER the place with this blog… But seeing the touristy sites takes A LOT out of you! I hope to explain a lot more during or after our time in Naples… or one can just read Anthony’s blog (so Jealous of it!)….

-       Other notes in this port: I was able to call my mom, dad and Annmarie from a phone center! Yay! … So glad to hear there voices!

Until then,
XoXo

-Erika

In the Mediterranean!

UPDATE…we are OFFICIALLY sailing the seas of the Mediterranean!! (I’m a little behind… we have been now for about 2 days) They have been extremely calm thus far, (which is good, because = no rocking), and the weather has been HOT! We were still in the Atlantic when we were docked in Cadiz. We did not pass through the Straight of Gibraltar, which connects the two bodies of water, until the morning after Spain. While there, we also stopped for about six hours to re-fuel for the first time since we departed Halifax. Where we were while that occurred, we had AMAZING views! Our ship rested right in between Spain and Morocco! I had no idea the countries were that close together that one could see the other from the other! So, here we were, eating lunch with a view of Morocco on one side and Spain on the other. And we were close to both countries! They each had little coastal towns built up on them, with mountain ranges in the background. The views, the many other ships refueling around us, and the beaming rays of the sun made for quite the gas station! My favorite one thus far!

Besides for refueling, this three-day stretch back on the ship after Spain has been a little difficult. For starters, no one wanted to leave Spain! And these three days have been quite long, as we are all impatient for the next port after we had a taste of what it was like! In addition, they were jam packed with papers, quizzes, and exams. But with two major exams and papers finally out of the way… I can enjoy my time stress-free, hang out with friends, and anticipate our arrival! Which is: TOMORROW MORNING! AHH!! So in about 15 hours we will be in ITALY!! I am so excited that I get to spend 5 days in this beautiful country! Our first port is Citeveccia, the gateway to Rome, followed by Naples.

Our plan is to disembark the ship as early as possible, probably around 9:30 a.m., and then get the first available train into Rome. I have my little travel guide and pocket phrase book with me, so we should be good to explore! Yesterday, nine of us booked a hostel for the first night in Rome. Well, we booked a four-person room. We are hoping that our hostel will be as nice as the one we had in Sevilla, Spain, and that we will be able to sneak the remaining five people in. It cuts our prices in half, and worst comes to worse, we figure we can just buy another room in the same hostel or somewhere near by. Heck, it’s an adventure! But yes, I don’t think I got a chance to describe our hostel in Sevilla. It is a small chain in Spain, and if they had it in Italy, we would definitely be staying there! We really didn’t have one complaint. We got a free welcome drink, free Internet, a free flamenco show, and maps, advise, etc. The staff was super friendly, and always willing to help. The best part by far though was the room! Kate, Rachael, Anthony and I had our own four-person room, with a kitchen, washer, and super nice bathroom! There was even a bidet. Besides for there being bunk beds, it resembled a hotel, but for only 20 euros. In addition, we had three windows…and these were no ordinary windows. They had green shudders that closed, locked, and went down to the floor. They were a little shorter than my height. When open, there was a little extension of the floor and a small black railing, so that we could stick most of our bodies and heads out of and watch the people in the streets! Our room was located on the third floor, and there were shops below us. I felt just like a local Spaniard, and loved the sun shining through the open shudders. I hope that description did the hostel justice and everyone reading can kind of imagine what I am talking about. Anyways, I hope that we luck out with a similar one in Rome…

After the first night in Rome, we plan on winging it. Maybe a train to Florence, then down to Naples to meet the boat? You have to love that type of traveling… it’s the best. And, of course, my diet will consist of Pizza, Pizza, Gelato, Pizza, Pizza… and maybe some pasta. CANNOT WAIT!!

And I also forgot to mention that a bird pooped on my while walking around Cadiz on the last day. And did I notice? Nope. Not until way later anyways, and it was all down the back of my white shirt and on my leg. Gross. But I guess it’s a sign of good luck… so I’ll take it!

Until next time,
xoxo
Erika