Gaeta

The school took its first overnight trip from Thursday to Saturday. We met in the parking lot of the Questura at 8:15 AM on Thursday and boarded a double decker tour bus for a three hour trip south to what is sometimes referred to as the “Odyssian Coast”. Our first stop was the port town of Gaeta where legend has it that Aeneas’ wet nurse Caieta was buried as described in the first few lines of Book 7 of the Aeneid. NATO currently has a base there, but they have withdrawn to an almost skeletal presence so that the town in its current incarnation is essentially dying. This is especially true during the off season for tourists. We had only a few hours to explore and eat lunch. Unfortunately, we had our first unacceptable dining experience of our entire stay so far. Absolutely indifferent service, mediocre food and then a “misunderstanding” about salad which resulted in an additional 6 euros added to the bill. All this and it took every minute we had, leaving us no opportunity to explore beyond taking pictures of the duomo and fortifications on the hill.

Next was a stop at the Montagna Spaccata or “Cleaved Mountain”. It is a spectacular arched, cave-like feature which opens to the sea. Legend has it that when Christ was crucified the earth was so horrified by what had been done that it split the mountain. One might have thought the natives would notice a cave as big as this one before that time. Later, a Turk who did not believe, came to the site and placed his hand on the wall of the cave. The imprint of his hand remained in the rock and he left a converted believer. He must have been a fascinating person since he clearly had five fingers and no thumb based on the impression in the rock! While there, Amy’s AP Latin class gave a dramatic reading of the section of the Aeneid referring to Caieta.

Our domicile for the trip was the Le Palme Village Campground in Terracina. Fortunately, there were no tents involved, just a very nice, two bedroom, mobile home near the beach. Goofing around, swimming and water aerobics ensued followed by dinner, games and bed.