Day 22: Holy Moly have we really been here that long??

I apologize in advance for the barrage of nonstop photos on facebook and insta... Actually I'm not that sorry. :)

Here's what's happened since last time: 

Thursday Sept 12: 

Had no classes today, but walked with my roommate to school to get some studying done. I supremely underestimated the amount of 'going out' clothes I would need for this trip, so a visit to Brandy Melville was necessary. :)

With two new dresses and a skirt/crop top combo in tow, we made way back to our apartment to get ready for dinner with our roommates Italian friends.

Of all of the restaurants in Trastevere, they picked (I kid you not) "T-Bone Station," the American restaurant around the block. T-Bone Station is part Chili's/TJIFridays and part stereotypical American dishes like hot dogs, chili fries, and an assortment of more or less stadium foods. But, it was still delicious. REALLY delicious. Danielle and I split an order of Nachos Supreme. Our new italian friends were completely disgusted with the concept of guacamole.

"Why do you eat the green?!"

After that it was time for the infamous G Bar then back home for the rest of the evening.

Friday Sept 13:

Our bus for the Campania trip through CEA was leaving at 8am out in front of our house. But first, COFFEE.

Uno Cappuccino Bellissimo

By the time the bus pulled up, all ~80 of us had to pile in for the 3 hour drive to Pompeii. Of course the caffeine had zero effect on me and I knocked out for the entirety of the bus ride.

Granted, I had already done the Pompeii tour with my family when we went on the cruise in 2008:

One thing I missed on the last family version of the Pompeii tour was the tour of the 56+ BROTHELS and the hundreds of phalluses carved into the pavements, decorating the walls that pointed visiting sailors in the direction of the whore houses. Seriously, I am not making this up. Pompeii Brothels

By the time the tour was over, I was melting in my Maxi dress. Thank goodness for my trusty water bottle, which I filled up at the ancient fountains around the ruins, with water being pumped in from ingenious aqueducts from before the time of Christ. Nuts. 

The granny bun was soon in full effect:

From Pompeii, we got back on the bus towards Sorrento, where our hotel was. We stopped at the lookout point and took some amazing photos:

You can make out Capri in the very back!

You can also make out the Royal Caribbean ship in the distance, which I am pretty sure will be the cruise ship we will be on for Spain!

Once we checked in, we had dinner at the hotel and the rest of the night to, as our advisor said: "drink all of the water we want!" 

{Break out Brandy outfit #2}

We made our way out to main street of Sorrento to see some of the night life. BUT, we were much too early. Even though we were out walking around at about 9pm, the real night life doesn't get started until after 11 in Italy. SO, we walked around the city. The weather was perfect; 70ish degrees and warm. So weird that it totally reminded us of main street in Disneyland. Everything in Sorrento seemed to be miniaturized, very clean, and pedestrian. Too fun. We settled on a kind of empty dance bar for some random dancing. On tables of course :) :

The night ended with the English Inn, a very very Americanized pub and bar that had the best of early-mid 2000s Rap and Hip Hop music. We all had wayyy too much fun dancing our brains out.

Too. Much. Fun.

Saturday Sept 14:

Free Breakfast. 

Ferry ride to Capri.

Somehow my roommate and I were under the assumption that there would be hiking involved (?). Wrong. Everyone else was in their cute beach clothes with beach towels and we were in our grungy norts and nikes. Woops. Assuming that we would be hiking, I literally did not bring anything with me on the island. Just the clothes on my back and my water bottle. Mistake. I had zero dollars with me because I left my wallet on the bus and they wouldn't let me get it out. Thank goodness for roommates. We split a pizza in Marina Grande and then boarded a guided boat tour around the Island. EXCEPT, we definitely missed the 'party boat' with all of our friends on it and had to catch the second one with the less than enthusiastic Providence College kids. Ughh.. 

But their crummy attitudes could not mess with the beautiful views, amazing water and unmistakably wonderful sensation of getting a nice tan.

Casually swimming in the Mediterranean

I am such a sucker for boats and the ocean. I was in heaven this whole boat tour. Literally too good for words. The water was gorgeous and the boat tour took us into caves and grottos to look at the coral reefs and stalactites that make the island look straight out of a movie. Incredible. 

Once back on the island we had an hour or so to kill. Gelato time duh.

Ferry ride back through Napoli.

Bus ride home:

We got back in Rome around 9pm and rallied to go out to GBar. Given that that time last week my roommates met a professional basketball player, I wasn't about to be a big baby again and go back to sleep. More of Venesha's italian friends came over with pizza, bacardi and Jager for all of us. Perfalerf. 

We went out and these are the only pictures I have from the pizza shop. Note: we had pizza 3 times that day. Normal. 

'Blowjob Shots' (aka Kaluha, Baileys and cream) set on fire

Sunday Sept 15:

Sunday= Homework day. It rained which was helpful. 

Monday Sept 16:

Class. 

The one good thing that came out of Monday was my killer pair of house slippers:

Our floors, and consequently my sheets, get SO disgusting. These bad boys were worth the 1 Euro investment. 

Tuesday Sept 17:

Tuesdays are my favorite class day. The morning started with Art History at the Museo Nazionale Romano. I am like a little kid in a candy store with anything art related. Today the student presentations included frescoes and bronzes. Heaven. I love Greco-Roman classical art because the level of craftsmanship is absolutely unreal. I also love art humor:

Ryan Gosling for the win

teeny tiny tiles

Note: I took this photos with my iPhone. Classical Sculptures all look incredible in black and whites. The details and craftsmanship is absolutely insane. To think that each of these pieces below once started as giant blocks of marble is mind boggling. Discobolos by Myron is one of my favorites. 

After the lecture, we had to book it to the Metro to get to our Food and Wine class on time. 

We did sans lunch. But I lucked out because today was our pasta workshop.

Yup.

We tried two kinds white wines and two pasta dishes that were incredible. Our professor has an italian friend who is part chef part classical ballerina named Claudia who made us Orecchiette with Broccoli. (Similar recipe here) and Rigatoni all'Amatriciana (Similar here). 

Uh-maz-ing. 

So so so so good. And free which always makes things taste better. 

So that's all folks!

A dopo!

Devotissimo Suo,

M