User blog:007Jamesdean/Volcanic Trip Part 2

Part 2: ITALY

Vanzilla 2.0 is in Jet Mode flying to our next destination.

Lincoln: (To the Viewers) Our next destination is Italy and I heard the pasta and pizza is awesome.

Lori: I've always wanted to go to Italy Lincoln. The food is literally awesome and the city of Venice is supposed to be awesome.

Nicole: You guys are gonna love Italy. Not only is the food awesome but it has some of the most awesome and most famous volcanoes in the world.

Jessie K.: It also has history that dates back to 3700 B.C. and it is awesome.

Lola: I heard that the Roman Colosseum is one of Italy's most famous landmarks and also the oldest.

Jessie K.: It is Lola. It was built back in 70-80 A.D. and it was used in alot of Gladiator Fights until the fall of the Roman Empire.

Me and Lynn Sr. are putting together a puzzle.

Me: I've always wanted to see Florence because it was once home to Dante Alighieri almost 900 years ago.

Lynn Sr.: You guys are gonna love Italy. Me and Rita went there on our honeymoon.

Rita: It was back when I was pregnant with Lori.

Varie: Wow. That's amazing Ms. Rita.

Rita: It sure is.

Lily: I love pizza and dad's Lynn-sagna and it is delicious. I heard that Italy has some of the best pasta and pizza in the world.

Laney: It does Lily. Italy is where they all came from.

Lana: I love spaghetti and pizza.

Aylene: Hey Lily how are you gonna keep your job at the Krusty Krab 2 while we're away?

Lily: I already thought of that. I have a Blood Clone working there in my place until we get back. It's gonna take care of everything around the house too.

Naruto: Very clever Lily.

Sakura: Great job though.

Lily: Thanks.

2 hours later we arrived in Venice, Italy.

Me: Venice, Italy. Home of the Gondala rides, great Italian Food and also some of the most beautiful scenery in the Mediterranean Sea.

Lisa: Yes Indeed 2nd Big Brother.

Nicole: We have three volcanoes in Italy to see. Our first stop is Mount Vesuvius.

Laney: That's one of my favorite volcanoes. It's loaded with history.

Nicole: Oh yeah.

We later arrived at Mount Vesuvius.

Nicole: Here we are. Mount Vesuvius.

Lincoln: It sure is beautiful.

Brittney: It is but this Volcano is loaded with history.

Jessie K.: That's right. In 79 A.D. it erupted and destroyed the ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Nicole: That's right.

Linka: Wow. That's awful.

Lucy: The people of Pompeii and Herculaneum had no idea what the power of a volcano could do so they embraced death with great love.

Luna: That is awful dudes.

Leni: Totes. But why would this happen to them.

Nicole: Volcanic Ash Clouds ran down the volcano and destroyed much of the town with pyroclastic flows and superheated ash.

Lisa: Correct.

On the slopes of Mount Vesuvius at a farm and vineyard we saw lots of good grapes. A man was guiding us on a tour of his vineyard.

Penny: These grapes look good.

Shanan: They are Penny. Many people build farms near volcanoes because the soil is perfect for farming.

Nicole: That's right. The Volcanic Ash is a great fertilizer for the land and it provides key nutrients that are perfect.

Jared: Also guys, Italy is known for having some of the best wine in the world.

Jessie K.: That's right. We've been making wine for more than 9,000 years. It was China that helped us start getting into it.

Laney: That's right.

Laney picked a grape and ate it.

Laney: Mmm. Sweeter than normal grapes and tougher too.

Me: That's because unlike table grapes, the grapes we use for wine are tougher and sweeter and have seeds in them.

Varie: That's right.

Laney: I taste them. (Spits the seed out)

Lana: I heard that long ago we used to take tubs full of grapes and squish them with our feet.

Jessie K.: That's right Lana. It's called Grape Stomping. It's a traditional method used in making wine. It was created in 3rd Century A.D.

Lola: That's an interesting way to make wine but Ew!

Linka: That's cool though.

Vince: We still do that method to this day though.

Carol: That's right. How long does it take for the grapes to become wine?

Shanan: It can take up to 4 days to 12 months. They have to wait for the sugar in the juice to become alcohol and they have to age it.

Lori: That's right. I've read about this and it's very interesting.

Shanan: Yeah. Wine is very expensive too. It can range from $10.00 a glass to $200,000.00 a bottle.

Everyone: WOW!

Me: That's right. It's expensive stuff.

Cody: That's amazing.

Vince: It sure is.

Hercules: It's also good for cooking too.

Zoe: It sure is.

Nicole: Lets continue on.

We were in the town of Pompeii.

Lisa: Pompeii, Italy. One of the most ancient cities in Italy.

Nicole: That's right Lisa. This town was completely destroyed by Mount Vesuvius. It's right over there.

Nicole pointed to Mount Vesuvius and it was not far away from it.

Me: I'll never forget seeing that when I was here. That was both amazing and awful at the same time.

Lana: That's very close to here.

Hercules: That's really close.

Zoe: It sure is.

Nicole: Here's another thing Pompeii is known for.

Nicole showed us a disturbing spectacle: Pompeii Bodies.

Lucy: Gasp!

Lisa: These are the famous Pompeii bodies.

Nicole: That's right Lisa. Mount Vesuvius buried the people in ash and volcanic debris and killed them. Their bodies were perfectly preserved and here they are 1,938 years later.

Laney: It's amazing. I can't believe that Mount Vesuvius did this to them.

Luan: This is Ash-ful! (Laughs to Rimshot) Get it?

Most of us laugh while everyone else groans.

Me: (Laughs) That was a good one Luan.

Eddy: (Laughs) Good one Luan.

Varie: (Laughs) Good one Luan.

Lily: Very funny.

Later we set out for Stromboli, one of Italy's most active volcanoes.

Nicole: Stromboli Volcano. This volcano is one of my favorites.

Fu: It's beautiful.

Lincoln: It sure is.

Janeen: This volcano looks both amazing and dangerous.

Ember: It does doesn't it?

Nicole: Yes. Stromboli is one of Italy's most active volcanoes.

We climbed up to the top of the volcano and we had Volcano suits on.

Lincoln: These suits are really cool.

Nicole: It's what volcanologists wear to protect themselves when they get close to volcanoes and they block out the poisonous gases that come from them and insulate their bodies from the intense heat.

Linka: What gases comes out of Volcanoes?

Lisa: Sulfur Dioxide and Hydrogen Sulfide.

Nicole: That's right.

We saw Stromboli erupting and it was intense. Globs of red hot lava, ash, pumice and tephra exploded out and rained down.

Laney: Wow that is loud!

Lily: No kidding!

Lilly: This is unbelievable!

Janeen: This is incredible!

A glob of lava landed by us and Nicole and Lisa cooled it down and put it in a container of study.

Jared: Wow! This is intense!

Next we went to Mount Etna in Sicily.

Nicole: This is Mount Etna. The tallest volcano in the Mediterranean Sea and also the most active.

Jessie K.: Mount Etna is Italy's Kilauea.

Anna: That's what I've heard.

Lynn: This is so cool.

Ash: It sure is.

Serena: Lets hope it doesn't erupt.

Me: It's Italy's most active volcano. But it's not one of the most violent volcanoes.

Varie: That's a relief.

Laney: Yeah.

Yuko: How tall is Mount Etna?

Nicole: 10,922 feet.

Yuko: That's tall.

Sailor Mars: It sure is.

Nicole: It is. Like Hawaii on the Pacific Ocean Plate, Italy is on a hot spot in the Eurasian Plate. This is because of something called Plate Tectonics. The Earth's crust is broken up into huge plates and they move really slowly. These plates are also what shaped our planet into what it is today. More than 90% of the Earth's Volcanoes can be found on the edges of these plates. The most active plate of them all is the Pacific Ocean plate. Most of the planets volcanoes are along this plate. There is an area of volcanoes along it. It's called the Ring of Fire. It's the most Volcanically and Seismically active area on our planet. From New Zealand to Southern Chile this has been one of the most geologically active regions on our planet.

Lincoln: That's amazing!

Lynn: It sure is.

Terra: The Earth is an amazing planet and it is also very active.

Gabrielle: (British Accent) It sure is.

Cody: Our planet is an amazing marvel.

Nicole: Lets head back to Venice.

Lori and Bobby went on a moonlit Gondola ride and the Gondolier was singing the Italian Ballad Santa Lucia.

Gondolier: (Singing Basstone)

Sul mare luccica l’astro d’argento. Placida è l’onda, prospero è il vento. Sul mare luccica l’astro d’argento. Placida è l’onda, prospero è il vento. Venite all’agile barchetta mia, Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! Venite all’agile barchetta mia, Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

Con questo zeffiro, così soave, Oh, com’è bello star sulla nave! Con questo zeffiro, così soave, Oh, com’è bello star sulla nave! Su passeggeri, venite via! Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! Su passeggeri, venite via! Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

In fra le tende, bandir la cena In una sera così serena, In fra le tende, bandir la cena In una sera così serena, Chi non dimanda, chi non desia. Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! Chi non dimanda, chi non desia. Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

Mare sì placida, vento sì caro, Scordar fa i triboli al marinaro, Mare sì placido, vento sì caro, Scordar fa i triboli al marinaro, E va gridando con allegria, Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! E va gridando con allegria, Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

We were watching from the window.

Laney: Isn't it romantic Lincoln?

Lincoln: It sure is Laney.

Lynn: That is so romantic.

Fu: Italy is an awesome country.

Naruto: It sure is Fu. Loaded with all kinds of history and more.

We took pictures of the breathtaking history and landmarks and more and it was awesome.

Continues in Part 3.