I guess I forgot to add the Amalfi Coast trip onto my last post so here it is!  The weekend I spent in the Amalfi Coast has probably been my favorite.  I found that both physical and emotional beauty are found in Sorrento, Capri, and Positano.  On Friday, our adventure started by taking a ferry from Sorrento, to the Island of Capri. 

We got off the ferry, boarded onto smaller boats, and took a tour of the island by sea.  Here are some pictures, including the different grottos found surrounding the island.  The most famous, the blue grottos, were closed due to rough seas so we could not enter them. The rest of the island was beautiful enough to make me forget about this.  The picture below shows us the Lover’s Arch, which we were able to go underneath!  The tour lasted a little over an hour but with how rough the waves were, I was ready to get to land.

After the boat tour of the island, we took it by foot.  We wandered from the top down to the bottom making sure we stopped by the high end stores, then we took our time walking down the winding roads to the beach.

Once we got to the beach, we ate (I had the most amazing seafood risotto) and relaxed a little, ready to call it a day. 

On Saturday, we woke up to pouring rain.  This wouldn’t have bothered me if the plan for the day hadn’t been to a gorgeous beach town called Positano.  We tried to make the best of it and went anyway.  While it was raining, a few of us grabbed panini’s at a local shop with an exuberant shop keeper who put his own touch on every sandwich.  After lunch, being the shoe fiend that I am, I had to get a pair of the custom made shoes!  They are probably the comfiest sandals I own now.  Soon after, the rain cleared and the original plans were back on!  I guess I forgot to tell you them… we were dying to rent a boat for the day!  Once we found a good deal, we all boarded on with our captain, left Positano behind us, and he took us down the Amalfi Coast.

As the day got hotter, the captain let us stop and jump in.  We swam in a cave that was black as can be before you went into it but as you swam, the water behind you became bluer and even more beautiful. 

I couldn’t imagine spending a day in a beautiful area any other way than with all of my friends I’ve made in Italy.  Although the morning started out rough, the day quickly became the most amazing one of my trip.  Our captain was even a blast!  He let us drive the boat and gave me the chance to practice my Italian.

On Sunday, we went to Pompei and Mt. Vesuvius!  Pompei was so hot but everything I’ve imagined!  It was like the day the volcano erupted just held everything the same way.  The ruins were like nothing I’ve ever seen and the pictures don’t do it justice!  To stand in the streets where so many died and stare at the mountain that I would soon climb, felt unreal.  This feeling was even more prevalent when we got to see all of the people’s forms.   


I knew I wanted to see Mt. Vesuvius but seeing the town really made me want to climb the mountain so that’s what I did next.  The drive up the side was nauseating and long so I was ready to get off the bus!  As we climbed, it got foggier and foggier from both the steam and the clouds.  At one point I looked over the edge and it was completely white!  Once I got to the top, I looked down into the basin and was astonished by what I saw.  The massive crater was a fertile land, with small trees, shrubs, flowers, and more.  Certain areas even had steam seeping out of the rocks!


After taking in the scene within the crater, I realized the scene looking out over neighboring Naples was just as amazing!

Location: Florence, Italy