CONTIKI ITALY PT 2 ~ (GOPRO)
MUSIC:
Owl City – Verge (Feat. Aloe Blacc) (Contiki DAY Song)
ARIZONA – Where I want to be (James Carter & Levi Remix)
Haim – Falling (Duke Dumont Remix)
Phoenix –1901
I do not own or claim to own any rights to these tracks. All rights go to their respective owners.
UK/CONTIKI EUESCAPADE SERIES// PART 6 of 10.
Buongiorno e benvenuti to my second series up on my channel.
This time round, I set off across the world to travel around UK/Europe all by myself. I’ve been so excited to begin editing all my footage and memories from the GoPro 2/iPhone I captured while over there during my summer all around the UK and Europe on Contiki. Continuing around Italy, our next two stops included Rome, Vatican City & Venice, which makes part 6 of 10 in my contiki series. Here’s an overview of the sights, memories and pasta filled next three days of my travels.
Rome –
The bus from Florence to Rome was the quickest. When I woke at 2pm, I was disorientated and jumped off the bus with my things to find out, we were doing a 2 hour walking tour around the ancient sights of Rome. We began up the steps of Piazza Del Campidoglio with Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aureliushe, onward to the trajan’s Markets (Roman Forum), the hub of Rome, Piazza Venezia, the Trevi Fountain, The amazing 1,890 year old Pantheon and lastly we grabbed some pasta with view of Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) in the Piazza Navona. The best way to see a city is by foot, ask anyone! Which we’re able to soak up all the rich Roman history and architecture. Stacey, our tour guide took us to the place where Julius Caesar was assassinated, before jumping on the bus to our Contiki Camp site in the outskirts of town, with chic wooden cabins to get big nights rest for the following day.
Vatican City –
Day 2 in Rome might have been more exhilarating. As today we had a scheduled guided tour in the very busy but spectacular Vatican City. When standing in the Sistine Chapel, 5 gospel singers we’re singing a beautiful hymn, till an Italian Guard shouted ‘Silenzio!’.
Also, that afternoon we headed over town, see the Roman Forum before we walked over to the breathtaking Colosseum! This had to be a highlight of italy, it just felt so significant being present in the moment, standing at the top tier overlooking what once was the battle grounds of heroic gladiators during the Roman Empire.
Funny Story (Had to be there moment): On our way home, we had bit of trouble with the language trying to understanding the metro system hopping on and off stations to get back, however the train we thought was going to stop at our station, expressed passed meaning, we ended up at a metro station in little suburb of Bolgonetta waiting an hour for the train to take us back to original metro station. After our third exchange we finally stop at our rural train station, causing for a quite hilarious memory!
That night at the campsite, our group was hosting the traditional Contiki I ♥ Roma Party 2 hour’s early despite being held up by the train fiasco.We all got markers to write hilarious messages on each other's singlets.
Venice –
Venice was our last stop in Italy and we only had one day to explore. By the time we got into the campsite, we had a quite night as the following day we ventured across the ocean to explore the magical canal city. Our tour of Venice was run by a hilarious little French lady, who took us through the narrow maze like passageways and sights through the city, ending up at the Realto Bridge (which was under construction, like all the other monuments around Europe.) Before going on a nice gondola ride with the group.
MY CONTIKI TOUR INFO//
I did the 25 day, High Energy European Escapade. If you want to find out more information on this specific tour and what Contiki has to offer, check out the link to European Escapade //
If you like what you see, don’t forget to keep an eye out for the following parts in my Europe series, there is sadly only 4 more parts. Thank you so much for supporting my creativity and watching! After more travel videos, also check out my other videos already up of all my travels in 2015.
THAILAND APRIL 2015
HUA HIN //
BANGKOK //
KOH SAMUI/ PHUKET & SINGAPORE //
UK/CONTIKI EUESCAPADE SERIES JUNE/JULY 2015
UK ~ LONDON //
FRANCE ~ PARIS/CHATEAU DU CRUIX //
SPAIN ~ BARCELONA //
FRENCH RIVIERA & MONACO ~ ANITBES, NICE & MONTE CARLO //
ITALY PART 1 ~ PISA & FLORENCE //
Riserva Naturale Regionale Punta Aderci - Spiaggia di Punta Penna
Su una corona di giganteschi scogli che si elevano a picco sul mare, si trova Punta Penna, protesa nel medio Adriatico come una propaggine di uno dei tratti più belli dei 18 chilometri di litorale che Vasto può vantare.
Punta Penna delimita con una superficie di circa 2 kmq l'area più a sud della Riserva di Punta Aderci, per poi degradare dolcemente fino allo scalo ferroviario del Porto di Vasto. Sull'altura che guarda il porto è situato l'omonimo faro. Subito a nord del molo si accede alla magnifica spiaggia dunosa di Punta Penna, una splendida spiaggia di soffice sabbia dorata, tra le poche zone del litorale abruzzese a conservarsi ancora selvagge.
Punta Penna è la zona della riserva di maggiore interesse naturalistico. Le dune sono punteggiate da piante assai rare e popolate da animali come il gabbiano reale, il gabbianello ed il fratino. Il mare è turchese, cristallino e trasparente, con fondali digradanti e sabbiosi, ideale per fare il bagno, nuotare e praticare diversi sport acquatici.
La parte sommersa della scogliera è disseminata di molluschi come mitili, vongole, natiche, telline, cannolicchi, pettini. Sulla battigia si può trovare il granchio corridore e tra le cavità formate dalle alghe coralline vivono diverse spugne incrostanti, madreporari e celenterati. Un anfiteatro marino che ospita anche numerose specie avifaunistiche: l'airone cenerino, l'airone rosso e la garzetta, l'allodola, l'averla capirossa e il luì piccolo. Tra i rapaci, si possono facilmente avvistare il falco pecchiaiolo, il falco di palude, l'albanella minore e lo sparviero.
La zona della Penna ha anche importanza storica. Concordi notizie di Plinio e Mela la vorrebbero sede dell'importante città frentana di Buca, alla quale succedette di Pennaluce, in epoca medievale. Nel territorio d'Erce esistevano delle fortificazioni che resistettero alle scorrerie dei saraceni e dei turchi, parte delle quali è tutt'ora visibile sul costone di Punta Penna in zona Colle Martino.
Sul promontorio ventoso, a circa m. 30 sul livello del mare, svettano, accanto al faro alto 73 metri, una torre di difesa, fra le 366 che il viceré di Napoli fece costruire fra il 1563 e il 1568 per porre un freno alle scorrerìe dei turchi, e la graziosa Chiesetta romanica di S. Maria di Pennaluce con un basso porticato ogivale e mattoni in vista, memoria rimaneggiata del borgo medievale di Pennaluce.
Punta Penna is situated on a crown of enormous rocks that rises vertically on the sea. Stretched out in the middle Adriatic like a spur, it is one of the most beautiful expanses of the 18 km seashore Vasto can be proud of.
Punta Penna delimits with a surface of around 2 sq. km the most southern area of the Reserve of Punta Aderci, descending gently down to the railway station of Vasto Port. Up high, overlooking the port is the lighthouse with the same name. Just north to the port, you reach the wonderful dune beach of Punta Penna, a superb beach with soft golden sand, among the few areas of the Abruzzo seashore that has kept its wild aspect.
Punta Penna is the reserve zone of great naturalistic interest. The Dunes are dotted by very rare plants and populated with animals such as the yellow-legged gull, the little gull and the Kentish plover. The sea is turquoise blue, crystal clear and transparent, with sandy and sloping sea beds, ideal for swimming and aquatic sport activities.
The sunken part of the reef is freckled with shellfish like mussels, clams, naticas, small clams, razor clams, St James's shells. On the water's edge it can be found the runner crab and among the cavities formed by the coral seaweeds live different demosponges, stony corals and polyps. A marine amphitheatre that hosts also numerous bird fauna species: the grey heron, the purple heron, and the little egret, the skylark, the woodchat shrike and the chiffchaff. Among the prey birds, one can easily see the honey buzzard, the western marsh harrier, the Montagu's harrier and the Eurasian sparrow hawk.
The zone of the Penna has also an historical importance. Concurring news from Plinio and Mela believes it to be the seat of the important Frentani city of Buca, succeeded by Pennaluce, during the Middle Ages. In the territory of D'Erce existed some fortifications that resisted to the raids of Turks and Saracens, part of which is still visible on the ridge of Punta Penna in the area of Colle Martino.
On the windy cliff, at about 30 meters above sea level, next to the lighthouse 73 meters high, a defensive tower stands tall, among the 366 that the Viceroy of Naples had built in between 1563 and 1568 to fight off the raids of the Turks, along with the lovely Romanic little Church of S. Maria di Pennaluce with a low pointed arch and concrete bricks, the renovated heritage of the medieval village of Pennaluce.