"I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea and at last wake up in Naples!"

Leave it to Ralph Waldo Emerson to sum up my first official day trip in Italy. The quote comes from his essay "Self-Reliance." It's an interesting piece that I read in high school. The line just before this one reads "At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty and lose my sadness."

The trip was organized by a company called Bus2Alps. It was convenient and a lot fun. I highly encourage you can check out their website, Bus2Alps.com. Pick out your favorite, and you're just a quick PayPal donation away from reading about all of these fabulous adventures on your

favorite blog! :D I kid, but I will definitely be budgeting for some of these awesome trips while I'm here.

We left the apartment at 6:30am. I think it was the first time we were up before the Roman sun and I was very excited. It took me back to my crazy swim team days when I had practice in the morning and reminded me why I retired. After a short bout of frustration, a medium spell of dazed confusion, and a decently long walk (we had a little difficulty finding the right stop) we jumped on the H bus and rode to Stazione Termini, which I have decided is pretty much the Union Station of Rome. Because we are so obviously on top of things and well organized, we got to the station early enough to enjoy a lovely breakfast of chocolate croissants and bottled water.

For you history buffs, Naples claims to be the true home of the pizza. And for you movie lovers, the staff of the parlor that Julia Roberts visits in Eat, Pray, Love claim the title of Inventors. So naturally, that is where we went. After we resolved the issues of missing forks, missing chairs, missing knives, and yes, more missing forks, we feasted! It was the most incredible pizza I've ever had. Well worth the three hour ride there. We were seated immediately and when we left we realized how well we had timed our lunch. There was a mob of 30 or 40 people waiting to get in. Apparently, that is the usual wait. Even for the locals. (The reason I look a little strange in that picture is because my mouth is full of pizza!)

After lunch we walked down to the shore. I didn't realize how much I missed the water. It gave me an overwhelming sense of awe and relief. It was like a reality check that put into perceptive the fact that I am actually living in another country and surviving pretty well. I was very happy, but it made me miss my Charlevoix, Michigan.

On the very tip of the coast is the oldest castle in Naples, Castle dell'Ovo. It was build on a little rock island. I couldn't find a date, but one of the signs said the construction of the tower of the castle began in 1154. We circled the interior, slowly climbing to the top. The view was fantastic from every angle.

After climbing back down, we grabbed some heavenly gelato and sat by the water. I got half Frutti di Bosco and half Cioccolato. Three stereotypical Italian men kept offering to rent us one of their little row boats for an hour. "Dieci euro per tutti!" As tempting as it was, we passed up getting soaking wet right before our bus ride back home.

Before boarding the bus, we walked around Piazza Plebiscito, explored the church of San Francesco di Paola, and saw the Castle Nuovo. We also walked around the Galleria Umberto which I thought was beautiful, but apparently the locals kind of see as their I.M. Pei "Damn Pyramid." Afterward, we boarded the bus and immediately gave in to total exhaustion.

Here is the gang at the Galleria: Megan, Tim, Anna, Rachel, Max, Becca, Dorothy, and Sophie!

What a day!