Italy Week 3
Lots of photos from this weekend, it was just too hard to choose.
The Almafi coast was an unforgettable, busy weekend. It is one of those places you only see in the movies and in post cards. Me and my eight friends bought a package with a travel group so that we could just show up and have everything planned out for us. Little did we know how packed our weekend would be. On Thursday afternoon we got on a bus and took the eight hour trek down to the beautiful Amalfi Coast. We arrived at “Sister’s Hostel” at 3:30 in the morning. We had to be up in three hours for our packed schedule so we quickly fell asleep. At 7:30 on Friday morning we headed on a water taxi that took us to the island of Capri (they are famous for lemons, and coming up with the Caprese salad). After we got off the water taxi we boarded our next boat which gave us a tour around the whole island. We went into the Blue Grotto, saw the most photographed lighthouse in the world, saw the cliffs of the island that dive directly into the blue waters, and also went through the tunnel of love. This boat ride was so unreal, I still cannot believe I was there. Once we got back to the town of Capri we started to slowly make our way to the top of the island. Capri has three main layers, with each layer the more wealthy and fancy it gets. We took one bus to the second level where we got amazing granatas at a small stand. We then went up to the top of the island on another bus. At this level there were a couple of places they pointed out to us, like a famous sandal making shop where they make sandals that fit your feet exactly (a lot of famous people have gotten some there). There was also an adorable jewelry store up there where I got a cute pair of earrings. We then went to lunch up there. I got a caprese ravioli which was really good and rich. We were all so hot that we left immediately after lunch and went to the beach. To get to the beach we took an open taxi, It is a car with the top cut off and a sunshade on top. The water was so blue and refreshing. We hung out there until it was time to leave. After taking the water taxi back to the marina in Sorrento we walked up some switchbacks to get to the hostel. We then took showers and went to dinner at an American restaurant where we got burgers, fries, ribs, and chicken. We headed back early to get some sleep before the next busy day. On Saturday we went on another boat to Positano. Along the way we stopped to jump in the water, but had to be careful because there were a couple of purple jellyfish in the water. Some people got stung on their backs but it wasn’t too bad I guess. Thankfully I did not get stung. When we arrived in Positano I was shocked by all of the flowers everywhere. Everything was so beautiful, like a movie. We went straight to get water and then laid on the beach for a while. Once we could not take the heat any longer, we walked around the beautiful town, which was all an uphill climb. We were there for about three hours and then departed back to Sorrento where we went to dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant. I had a shrimp zucchini pasta which was so good. On Sunday, we left early in the morning to head back toward Florence. We made a stop in Pompeii on our way back and I had a guided tour of the ruins. It was huge and amazing that something so big and old is still there. To hear about the history of the city and to get to understand some of it was really interesting. This trip, although exhausting was unforgettable. Monday we went on a food tour of Florence with the group that took us to Amalfi. We got free gelato, pasta, wings, beer, panini, and wine from local restaurants. On Tuesday and Wednesday we decided to take it easy and rest up from the long weekend we had. On Friday we explored Florence and went to lunch at a huge Italian chain called “Eatily”. I would strongly recommend going and getting a cannoli there if you find yourself close to one. They have a couple in the United States. Yesterday I got back from Verona and Mantova with the school but that trip will be on the next one. Midterms this week, wish me luck.
Ciao