Yesterday, I went with a student/friend to the beach in Gaeta. He kept warning me that in order to get to the beach we would have to go down/climb up 300 stairs. I thought it wouldn't be a problem. And it wasn't going down to the beach but afterwards, Mamma Mia! My heart was working really hard to climb back up. I guess I am not in as good of shape as I thought I was!
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| The steps... |
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| going down the 300 steps |
On our way, we stopped in a town on the way to the beach to get a cable and food for lunch. It was a cute town and I am sure during peak season it is full of tourists. During this period there weren't many people. It was nice not having to fight the crowds. Benefits of the spring season...
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| on our way to the beach |
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| on the road to the beach |
The ride to the beach was very scenic. Very beautiful. Once we arrived, we made our way to the beach. We plopped near the stairs which led to the bathrooms, shower and food. We were lucky enough to have rock climbers behind us during the whole day. My friend said that the girl climbing woke up in the morning and said "should I go shopping or rock climbing today?" It seemed kind of random to have rock climbers on the beach.
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| If you look closely you can see a rock climber.. |
We used the cable to listen to music. We had a stereo and the iPhone but needed the cable so it was our first purchase! We jammed to songs all day. The people near us and the people walking by were very grateful for the music I am sure. We added some rhythm into their lives. At one point, some nice relaxing music came on and both of us fell asleep. Note to self, never play that music again especially if you have white skin and are in the sun.
I managed to go into the water. It was cold at first but as the day progressed I got the courage to plunge in. The problem was that I couldn't plunge into the water. It was an excellent beach because it was very shallow for a long length into the sea but difficult if you just want to dive in. I managed to float for a little bit allowing myself to soak up some sun and relax in the water.
After 4 hours of being in the sun, I started to feel some pain so we decided to head back. On our way home, we passed a lot of "casefici" (cheese shops). I asked why there were so many in this area. My friend said that it was where the best mozzarella di bufala was made. He asked if I wanted to buy some and I said sure because I wanted to try the best mozzarella! And it was! When I came home it was my dinner and it was delicious!
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| The Mozzarella |
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| A guy selling Granita |
Overall, I had a great day. I saw new scenery, relaxed on a beautiful beach, had many laughs, ate delicious mozzarella and had to keep pinching myself that I was in Italy! Sometimes it just seems unreal to be experiencing all that I am!
Grazie Valerio!
I managed to go into the water. It was cold at first but as the day progressed I got the courage to plunge in. The problem was that I couldn't plunge into the water. It was an excellent beach because it was very shallow for a long length into the sea but difficult if you just want to dive in. I managed to float for a little bit allowing myself to soak up some sun and relax in the water.
