Matera.On the evening of June 30thI arrived at Bari Airport at about 18 o´clock together with Hendrik, the Norwegian boy. Our host-mothers picked us up and we went to Matera, the cultural capital of this year. We had dinner all together in a pizzeria with a nice view of the oldest part of the town. The next morning we started early to explore the beautiful center of Matera; we visited the cathedral and walked through the narrow streets, we passed at the old stone houses, Sassi, and watched an interesting movie about the history of Matera. We also visited a museum that showed us how people used to live in the rocks, how their houses looked like and which furniture they had. For lunch we turned back to our host families house and dinner was together in group in some restaurant. The next day, the second of July, was the day of the most important celebration of Matera, called “Festa della Bruna”.

I woke up at about 4.30pm in the morning and went with my host mother to a mass called “Processione dei pastori”. After the mass we met the other campers and went to see some fireworks and then we went back home to have a rest. In the afternoon we went to see the carriage with the nativity play above it. Later we watched the parade of many riders and the carriage from the roof of a nice restaurant where we had dinner.
The streets were illuminated in every colour. At midnight we went to see spectacular fireworksThe other three days we spent in Matera were amazing too, with a very interesting and various program.
On the 5thof July we left Matera and went by train to Catanzaro Lido.

Calabria.The days in Calabria were really enjoyable. My host family was staying in their summer house close to the beach with a great panorama over the hole gulf, it was named Golfo di Sant´Eufemia. The family had two children. Sol, the Mexican girl, was also hosted by them. On Saturday evening my host family made a big party in their house with all the campers and their host families and other members of the Lions Club. It was great fun.
The following day my host family and another host family made a boat trip with us, it was a sailing boat from the other host family. We went along the coast and often stopped and jumped into the clear water. We had lunch on the boat and came back in the evening. The next day we went in the mountains to oil farmers who showed us how and where they produce olive-oil and some cheese as well. They explained us everything about their products and later we went to a little village in the middle of the mountains called Tiriolo. We walked on the top of a mountain with some ruins of a castle and from there we enjoyed a beautiful view of both seas, the Ionian and the Thyrrenian sea.
The following Tuesday was already the last day we would spend in Calabria. We stood up early and went to the other side of the gulf. The first stop was a city called Pizzo. There we visited a church in a cave on the rocks, it was named Chiesetta di Piedigrotta.Then we went to Capo Vaticanoto a very nice bay called Grotticellewhere we stayed some hours swimming and diving in the clear water. On the return we stopped at Tropea and Pizzo.

Naples. On Wednesday, July 10th, we left Calabria in train and arrived at Naplesat midday. Our host family picked us up at the station and together we went to their home and had lunch. I spent some very impressing days at Naples doing a lot of sightseeing and enjoying the delicious meals. The very special flair of the City of Naples and the friendly behaviour of its population has always fascinated me.

Capri:On Sunday, July 14th, we left Naples at 8 o´clock in the morning by ship. At 9 o´clock we arrived in Marina Grande, the port of the island Capri. Marco and his daughter Eleana came to pick us up; we took the luggage in his car and then went swimming. Some hours later we went to their house in Anacapri, a very nice village with small houses and narrow streets. The house of my host family was in a silent area with a beautiful view of Naples, Vesuvius and Ischia. Later this afternoon we went to see the ruins of a roman building which was a very nice and silent place. On that evening we went to a light tower to see the sunset in the sea – it was beautiful, I like sunsets very much. 
The second day at Capri we went by chairlift on the top of the highest mountain of the island, called Monte Solaro. From there we enjoyed a unique panorama of the whole Gulf of Naples, the peninsula of Sorrento and the Amalfi-Coast with the Gulf of Salerno at the opposite side. We had lunch at Capri- village and after lunch we walked to PuntaTragara,a panoramic point with a marvelous view to the Faraglionirocks, the symbol of Capri. Of course we also went to the botanic park Giardini d´Augustowhere we admired the beautiful panorama of the Faraglioni and the southern coast of Capri. We walked back, passing at Marina Grande, and went directly to the beach to take a last swum at the famous island of Capri. We stayed at the beach until we had to go to our ferry that took us back to Naples where our next host families already waited for us. 

Cava de´Tirreni:the last five days we stayed at Cava de´Tirreni, a very nice medieval city. We had a very interesting and well-organized program: the first day we went with two host families to Paestum to see the spectacular Greek temples. At the following day, July 17th, we visited Pompei together with the Camp Vesuvio. On Thursday July 18thwe visited Ravello and Amalfi. From Amalfi we went by boat to a beach at the steep coast where you can only arrive on the water. It was very impressive to see the Amalfi-Coast from boat. On Friday 19thJuly we went by bus with Camp Vesuvio to Cosenza where every camper showed the flag of its nation while the national anthem was played. It was a very special and amazing day at Cosenza. We left Cosenza after dinner and arrived at Cava in the late night. On the following Saturday we made a trip to Salerno where we visited the old town, the cathedral and went along the promenade. This evening, the last evening of the camp, there was a big celebration at Cava with different parades with lots of riders and drummers, it was a nice and sad evening as it was the last one. It was a wonderful camp full of new and beautiful experiences, all my host families (and I think the others too) were very sympathetic and friendly. I am very happy that I was allowed to participate on this amazing exchange with so many nice people!!!