Going out with a bang...Amalfi Coast!

Last trip of being abroad...AMALFI COAST!! What a great way to end the semester. It was exactly what I had hoped it would be: warm, relaxing and carefree.

DAY 1: We took a train from Florence to Rome and then Rome to Naples. Once we arrived in Naples we had to catch a regional train [the Circumvesuviana] to Sorrento to find our hostel. In keeping with the trend of travel issues, let me give a brief recap of what happened. Devon and I made it to Naples no problem. We  found our way to the train, bought our tickets, and hopped onto the train that [conveniently] arrived 2 minutes after we got onto the platform. About 20 minutes into the train ride, I casually glanced up at the sign that displays the stops and realized very quickly that we were on the WRONG TRAIN going to the WRONG CITY [cue minor panic...now]. We nicely asked the people sitting across from us what to do and they told us we needed to get off at the next stop, ride the train back 5 more stops, get off again and then get on the train going to Sorrento. So, we got off at the next stop as we were instructed and headed to the other side of the platform to wait for the train. We heard the whistle of the arriving train and a man standing on the other side of the track told us that we were actually on the wrong side of the track to catch the train...naturally. We picked up our bags and sprinted up the stairway that led us to the other side and made it JUST in time to catch the train. PHEW. An hour and a half later we made it to Sorrento, glad to finally have arrived! We did a bit of exploring and eventually found our hostel, which coincidentally turned out to be more like a hotel! I'm talking marble floors, huge chandeliers, couches, tvs, indoor pool [it was closed for Easter...womp womp], spa, etc. Nicest thing about the hostel was that after we checked in and made it to our room, we realized we had been given a 2-bed room instead of the 8-bed room that we had booked!!! JACKPOT! We unpacked a bit, grabbed a quick bite to eat and then went to sleep.

DAY 2: We awoke at 7:30 am to enjoy the complimentary breakfast provided by the hostel. We decided to book a day cruise to Amalfi and Positano that left around 9 and returned at 6. Around 8:30, a man picked Devon and I up and off we went to catch our boat. They packed about 35 people on a midsize boat and off we sailed to our first stop, Amalfi. The views along the way were incredible and I was excited as ever to finally be out in the sun and relaxing!

En route to Amalfi 

We made it to Amalfi around 10:30am and were told to be back at the dock at 2. So we set off exploring and, after 30 minutes, were done.

At the harbor in Amalfi

The city is so small...we didn't know what to do with ourselves! We wandered around for a bit longer, waiting for some restaurants to open and for the sun to peak out from the clouds.

Lunch was delicious - I ordered a pizza that had peas, peppers and mushrooms and it was great! I would never have thought to put peas on a pizza but I might have to start doing it from now on! We also indulged in after lunch snack...a lemon crepe! The Amalfi Coast is very well known for their lemons and thus for their gelato, limoncello, lemonades, lemon sorbet, etc. It was fantastically light and refreshing and I had to use a lot of restraint not to buy another one!

After lunch we headed down to the beach, just in time for the sun to come out and grace us with its presence. We soaked up a few rays and then re-boarded the boat, eager to get to our next stop... Positano.

En route to Positano

As we approached the shore, I could already tell I was going to love this place. Houses perched on cliff-sides and the bluest water I've seen...I was in love. We B-lined straight to the beach and
 laid our towels down on the rocks. Yup, that's right...I said rocks! Apparently sand beaches are few and far between in the Amalfi Coast. Oh well - it still was a little slice of heaven. We laid out for a while and then, once we were sufficiently toasty, gingerly worked our way down to the water. As cold as it was, I braved the water and took a quick dip in the Mediterranean Sea. Definitely glad I took advantage of such a rare opportunity :).

Positano!

view from the shore at Positano

Around 5 we boarded the boat and headed back to Sorrento. Upon arrival, Dev and I showered and cleaned up nicely for dinner. We went to a restaurant recommended to us by our hostel and it turned out to be delicious! I indulged in both an entree (freshly made pasta with mussels and potatoes) and a contorno (italian for side dish) (eggplant and tomatoes sauteed with basil and garlic).

It was delectable and was such a fantastic end to a fantastic day. Exhausted and comatose from all of the food, we headed back to the hostel to catch up on some much needed z's.

DAY 3:
Instead of shelling out 65 Euros for another organized adventure, Devon and I decided to attempt to do the island of Capri by ourselves. We embarked on a 45 minute ferry ride that took us directly to the main port. Once there, we hiked for about 30 minutes and finally made it to the city center. The only things on our agenda for the day were a) go to the blue grotto and b) lay out on the beach. After some more wandering, we found a small cafe and decided to indulge in a caprese salad. It was delectable!

The next hour and a half were spent waiting in a line for a non-existent bus that was supposed to take us to the other part of Capri, called Anacapri, so that we could catch a boat to go to the Grotto. Annoyed and frustrated, we began exploring other options and finally found a boat that went to the blue grotto. We quickly boarded the boat, eager to beat the clouds that seemed to be rolling quickly in.

leaving Capri and heading towards the Blue Grotto!

Once we go to the entrance of the grotto, we got off of our bigger boat and got into smaller boats [4 people per boat] and waited in line to enter.

entry of the Grotto - you can sort of the see the captain laying flat on his back!

 In order to actually enter the grotto, the rower of the boat must lay essentially flat on his back and use a rope above his head to propel his boat into the cave. It was quite interesting, to say the least, and Devon and I were certain we were going to be accidentally kneed/kicked/slapped in the face [luckily, we sustained zero injuries!!] The Blue Grotto is a mystical treasure. It is a grotto, obviously, but because of the way the sun enters into the cave, the water illuminates and becomes a certain color of electric blue that I've never seen before. It is stunning and striking and magical and I can't really explain its glory because it is just too unreal.

INSIDE THE GROTTO

We made it back to the shore just in time to catch the last ferry returning to Sorrento and headed back to our hostel. After a quick shower and nap, we were picked up at 9 in the lobby for dinner. What's that, you say? Apparently, all of the restaurants that are outside of the center of the city will pick you up and drop you off at your requested destination for FREE! I am SO glad we decided to venture 20 minutes away to this tiny restaurant that had come so highly recommended. Hands down it was the best plate of pasta I've had the entire time I've been abroad [sorry Tarocchi!] Devon and I ordered hand made pasta with eggplant, tomatoes and basil and then each got a side of caprese salad.

 It was absolutely divine. I brought new meaning to the phrase 'member of the clean plate club' because I'm pretty sure there was not a molecule left after I finished. At the end of our meal, they presented us with a tray of complimentary Venezuelan dark chocolate and it was the perfect end to our extremely satisfying meal. Too tired to go out, we cuddled up in our hostel room and fell asleep to the sound of the wind whipping at the sea.

DAY 4: Today we awoke around 8 and headed to Pompeii!

Mt. Vesuvius

Inside the city 

bodies preserved by ash - frozen in the exact position from the time of the eruption

Pompeii was an ancient Roman city that was completely buried by volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. The mountain was far enough away that the lava did not touch the city, but the eruption was so large that the elements in the volcanic ash, heat, and fumes were enough to kill the cities inhabitants. Ironically, ash makes for a wonderful preservative, and when the area was accidentally discovered fifteen centuries later, there was a partially intact city under ground. What I find most amazing about Pompei is how modern the people of the time were. They had a fully functioning structured society filled with religion, education and fun. Relics I saw include temples, people, animals, bars, homes, plumbing, central heating systems, and even a brothel with a full menu displayed in tile images. 


Pompei is unreal. And I say unreal in the sense that if you read about it in a story book, you would never think it could possibly be true. After Pompeii, we headed back to Sorrento in hopes of finding a beach. Luckily, we hit the jackpot and not only found a beach but also found SAND!! We laid around for a few hours but, when the sun got to be too much for even ME to handle, we headed back home. [Random interjection: When we were on the beach, we randomly ran in to 2 girls that are studying in Siena that go to UVA! It really is a small world!] Anyways, after we cooled off a bit, we headed out for our last night in Sorrento. We stumbled upon a cute restaurant that was tucked away on a side street off of the main road. I ordered a Vegetarian pizza and we splurged and ordered a nice bottle of wine. The meal was, as you probably expected, really really good. I have to say that overall, I found the food in Sorrento to be the best of any place I've visited. Crazy, huh?

Sorrento's speciality - LIMONCELLO!

 After dinner, we explored a bit and bought some souvenirs in shops that lined Corso D'Italia [the main street, bustling with stores that were semi comparable to the San Lorenzo Market]. We also indluged in a dessert and each bought a nutella crepe [GREAT life decision]. We said our goodbyes to Sorrento and headed home for our last night in paradise. 


DAY 5: We awoke around 8am, eager to avoid any travel mishaps on our last train adventure of the semester. I guess the 23rd time is a charm because we luckily didn't experience ANY travel issues this time! Unfortunately, on our train from Rome to Florence, we were stuck sitting directly behind 2 screaming twin boys that literally didn't stop crying and yelling the entire time. Good thing my Ipod volume is really loud or else I would have been one aggravated passenger. 


Overall, the trip was great! The Amalfi Coast is a beautiful area of Italy that would be a great location for a quick vacation. The cities themselves are a bit on the boring side, as there isn't much to do other than pop into tourist shops and eat [great] food, but it's still a place worth visiting if you ever get the opportunity! 


On an unrelated note, I can't believe my semester abroad is quickly coming to an end. I've got 9 days left of this unbelievable adventure and I plan to take advantage of every moment of it. Sadly, between packing and studying for finals, I'll probably end up spending a good majority of it tucked away inside my apartment. BUT, nonetheless, I've made a list of places I want to revisit, restaurants I want to try, statues I want to see and presents I've yet to buy. My motto for the next week is officially going to be "why sleep now if you can sleep in america"! Classes finished today, thankfully, and so now it's up to me to make the most of my remaining time. Watch out Florence - prepare to be taken by storm :)