Last weekend, I had the most amazing opportunity to go on a trip to the Almafi Coast. The group that I went with, Bus2Alps, I think around 100+ kids strong... maybe even more, I'm not so sure.
A group of friends and I left Trastevere (were my apartment is) around 7pm to get to Termani around 8 for our meeting time. After a 3 hour bus ride to Sorento, I made it to my little hotel and went right to sleep because we had to be up and ready to go by 6:50 the next morning.
Friday morning came to fast, but I didn't mind because we were going to the island of Capri! I got to go on a boat tour around the island, and during, I got to see inside the blue grotto, which was kind-of a rip off, because you had to pay 12.50 euro just to see about a 2 minute peek into it, but it was still absolutely breath taking. If you don't know what the blue grotto is, it's this little hole inside a cave that you can only go into when the water level is just right. To get into it, you have to sit in a little row boat, wait for the current to go down just the right amount, and the boat fits right inside this tiny hole. Once in, the space opens up into this huge cave, and you have to wait a second for your eyes to adjust to see the beauty of the white sand, on the bottom of the ocean floor, hitting the sunlight from the small hole in the cave. Because of this mix, the water is the most beautiful, bright, cerulean blue (my favorite color). It was absolutely breath taking.
We finally made it to the island of Capri were we got these awesome fruit drinks called granitas, which was this fresh lemon slushy with freshly squeezed orange juice on top. It was probably the most refreshing drink I've ever had. After walking around for awhile on the island and window shopping at places like Louis Vuitton, Valention, Dior, Fendi, and Dolce & Gabbana, we took off for another island called Anacapri. There, we were able to eat lunch, visit this little shop that sold hand-made leather shoes and limoncello, chocolates, and homemade beer. The shoemaker that we visited has made sandals for famous people all over the world, including Oprah and Jackie Kennedy! He was the cutest little guy I've ever met and was so nice, you wouldn't believe how down to earth and kind this guy was. After the shoes, we took a chair lift up to the top of the island that held the most beautiful views I've ever seen. It was a 360 degree sight that stretched from the cliffs and small towns of Anacapri, the surrounding islands, Mount Vesuvius, and as far as the eye could see across the Mediterranean sea.
Later that night, my roommates and I, (a friend I came with and two girls who were studying in Germany), went out to dinner. On a side note, I absolutely love going out to dinner here- it's a completely different experience than in the states- but it is the most expensive part of this entire trip, so I can only do it once or twice a week. Usually, the waiters take there time with you so it is more of a dining experience, rather than just another meal during the day. The house wine is usually brought out, quite frequently it's white because nobody here likes red, except me. I like the house wine the best because it's almost always the cheapest, and it's actually really good- not too strong, and it pairs with the food being served very well. But dining here is more of a social interaction, rather than a, stuff your face with as much food as possible, type thing. Tables are put very closely together, to save on room, but also to interact with other diners, and the wine being served loosens everyone up and gets the conversation flowing.
Then came Saturday, which was my favorite part of the trip, for it was beach day! They took us to this rock beach in Positano, which hurt my feet pretty bad, but at the end of the day, my feet were super soft- natural pedicure:) We were there for about 6 hours, so they had this option for us to go on a private boat and go cliff jumping and cave swimming. Well, the company either didn't think they would have so many kids interested, or there was a confusion with how large the boats needed to be, but they had a backup of about 50 kids that wanted to go on the mini-trip, and a lack of larger boats. So, me and my friends lucked out and got our own, private boat for the 8 of us, and our own driver. I went to get a change of scenery and because I love boats, but I ended up doing the cliff jumping, and swimming in the open sea and caves. The water was freezing!!! And I was terrified of getting stung by a jellyfish or bit by something else, but it was like there was nothing in the water (at the time) except for a fish here or there. The whole experience was a complete adrenaline rush and it was one of the most fun I've ever had.
Sunday morning began with an early breakfast but a late take-off. We had to pack up all our stuff and get everything ready to leave, so we didn't leave until around 10am. Finally on the bus, all I really wanted to do was sleep, but I forgot we were going to Pompeii for a few hours. Once we got there though, I had every intention to just walk around myself and take it easy, but because I had to learn about the grounds and ruins for my class, I decided it would be a good idea to pay the extra money for a guided tour through the ruins of Pompeii, and I'm SO glad I did. I just got to spend more time with two girls I hung out with a lot during the weekend, the tour guide was super funny, and I learned so much about the town. Little things that I would have looked over, like an ancient bath house and its accents of greek mythology figures painted on the walls, to the graphic sexual figures attached to the homes that were supposed to be ancient brothels... hahahahaha.
Overall, I had an incredible weekend filled with amazing views and experiences. The weather was perfect, the hostel was manageable, and the memories I made were unforgettable! I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.
Molte Benedizioni!
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