Tuesday, September 23, 2014

A Weekend on the Amalfi Coast: 9/11/14-9/14/14



I remember sitting in class in Connecticut and receiving emails about weekend trips being offered during my time abroad. As I looked up pictures of all of the different places, I was in awe of the fact that I would soon have the chance to actually see them firsthand. In a few short months, I would have a chance to stand in these places and take and post my own photos, rather than seeing them all online or in magazines. Scrolling through the list, I booked a weekend trip to the Amalfi Coast with no hesitation. For me, the Amalfi Coast has always been one of those bucket list destinations. The months after I booked my trip flew by, and my weekend travels to Amalfi were finally here. 

I left Rome and began my four hour bus trip to Naples on Thursday night. I stayed in a hostel for the weekend- which was a new and very different experience for me.



On Friday morning, we had a 6:30am wake-up call before we headed off to Capri for the day. The island of Capri is off the Sorrentine Peninsula and is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places in the entire world. After seeing the Blue Grotto, Faraglioni, the Punta Carena Lighthouse, the Arco Naturale and the Grotta delle Felci on a boat trip to the city, we arrived in Anacapri. Anacapri, a commune on Capri, is at a higher elevation than the island itself. 

Anacapri had several shops and restaurants (with some of the best gnocchi I've tasted in my 20 years of life) and proved to be an amazing place to spend a day while in Amalfi. While here, I took a chairlift to the summit of Monte Solaro and was able to see the entire island of Capri from 589 meters above sea level. For only 10 euro, this chairlift- as “touristy” as it may seem- was the highlight of my weekend (in addition to the delicious pizza we ate in Naples that night. Pizza, afterall, was invented in Naples, so I was not leaving the city until I got to try it!)

On Saturday morning, we were off to Positano. I know every person who travels says this about every place they visit, but pictures of Positano do it absolutely no justice. This village and commune in Campania, Italy is home to many beautiful churches and has been featured in several films. I spent my day in Positano relaxing on the beach and would not have wanted it any other way. 

My last day of the trip was dedicated to a trip to Pompei, a city in Naples famous for its ancient Roman ruins. While it was awesome to be able to see these ruins, I was exhausted from my long weekend and was feeling a bit Rome-sick. My weekend in Amalfi was absolutely amazing and gave me the chance to see so many unbelievably breathtaking sights that I had always wished (but never really thought) I would one day have the chance to see. After exploring some of the ruins, we were ready to return to Rome and our air-conditioned and WiFi-accessible apartment. 







































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