Early Friday morning, an adventurous group of John Cabot students joined Athletics Coordinator Marco Iorio on a weekend trip to the town of Sapri. Meeting in front of Tiber Campus, then making their way to Termini train station, they started their excursion.
Once they arrived in Sapri, the group enjoyed an appetizer prepared by "Mamma" Elena and "Papà" Gerardo, the owners of B&B La Spigolatrice – where they stayed over the weekend. The balcony where everyone ate displayed a beautiful view of the city and mountains. After building up some energy, it was time to hit the water! Taking a boat along the coast, the students found themselves at Grotta Azzurra, swimming in the caves. The boat guide was a fun, lively gentleman who was eager to engage in conversation, give information about the Grotta, and perfect his English. At the end of the ride, students had some free time to swim and do a little exploring before lunch.
Later that evening, a guided tour of Sapri was given by Gaetano, the son of the B&B owners. He was very excited to give the tour, and spent plenty of time studying up on the city's history in order to be as precise and informative as possible. Gaetano showed everyone ruins of what used to be man-made pools and bath houses built in the Roman Ages. He also led the tour to multiple churches, including the famous Chiesa Santa Croce. Since a day of swimming followed by an evening of walking can be tiring, the gang sat down for dinner and savored traditional Neapolitan-style pizza before calling an end to day one.
The following morning breakfast was served on the balcony just in time to catch the sun rising over the mountains. The meal consisted of jams, cakes, and more -- all of which were homemade by "Mamma" 
Elena. There was even freshly squeezed orange juice to wash it all down! Once the table was cleared and everyone was ready for what the day had in store, the group set out on a hike. The hike took them along the mountain side and through trails restored by guide Giamberto’s sports club Golfo Trek. These paths led the students to giant caves and natural swimming pools. Taking a break before ending the day and returning to the B&B, everyone had a chance to go for a swim or simply take it easy on the rocks and enjoy the view.
Later, before saying goodbye to the beautiful city, "Papà'" Gerardo had a few surprises for our Gladiators. To add icing to the cake (literally), "Mamma" Elena took it upon herself to bake some delicious dolce for everyone to enjoy while relaxing on the balcony one last time. Also, on the way to the train station, they decided to treat the group to gelato at their favorite shop!
All-in-all it was a weekend well spent, and the responses left on the JCU Activity/Trip Survey's prove that the Athletics Sapri Weekend Trip is one that is definitely worth while! Students all praised both the city of Sapri itself, as well as the people they met. "The place we stayed was wonderful as well!" says one of the attendee's. Another states that, "with a mix of adventure and education, it was a trip [she] will never forget".
"We loved Sapri and everything about it! Can we go again!?"
