Amalfi Coast//Pompeii & Vesuvius

Final day in Amalfi was spent in Pompeii and on Mt. Vesuvius. In 79 AD Mt. Vesuvius exploded and blanketed Pompeii in ash and smoke, killing 16,000 people. The people were naturally mummified and look as though they are made of cement. Other elements of Pompeii like clothing and houses are also incredibly preserved. It was eiree and amazing to walk around the historical ghost town that was packed with tourists. I think it would have been more upsetting if the bodies looked closer to reality. It was easy to disassociate them because they looked like statues. We left our hostel, bringing all of our stuff with us, and took the bus to Pompeii. We got in around 10:45 and were told we could meet at 12 for lunch back in town. My friends and I declined because an hour was just not enough time to spend in this amazing city. After seeing a brothel, tons of houses, including the Villa of Mysteries, and preserved bodies we had lunch. I got a sandwich with prosciutto, mozzarella and arugula (because honestly i don't eat much else), a salad and espresso.

Afterwards we started a wild goose chase orchestrated by yours truly. I had learned about a fresco of the Greek poetess Sappho and wanted to see it. We didn't have the best map and we spent the rest of our time running around to different areas (because everyone we asked said something different), never seeing it. I must admit I was bummed, but I had made it a bigger deal than it was. It's just such an amazing feeling to see something in person that you've learned about in text books! 

We left Pompeii at 2:00 and drove to Mt. Vesuvius. It's impossible to climb the whole thing, so the bus driver took us the majority of the way up. We "hiked" the last bit and were at the top within twenty minutes. I've never been on the top of a volcano before and was disappointed when there wasn't Mt. Doom lava everywhere. Movies have ruined my perception of Volcanos...We spent about twenty minutes at the top observing the view and taking photos before heading back down. At the bottom I bought a set of carved rabbits out of volcanic rock for myself and a tiny, glitter-covered Virgin Mary for Katherine (I know I'm an excellent friend). We left directly from Vesuvius to go back to Florence. The bus ride back was a breeze! I didn't sleep because I didn't want to mess up my schedule and instead watch Iron Man and then Wayne's World (excellent). 

Amalfi Coast//Positano

This post is absolutely a picture overload, but I can't help it! On Saturday we got up and took a bus to Positano. The road that took us there is called Nastro Azzurro, the blue ribbon. It's a road that winds along the cliff overlooking the beautiful ocean. While we were there we drank beer named after the road! Positano is an area known for their customized sandals, but I didn't get any. Instead we walked down to the beach and spent the day there. First we rented a boat, it was Chloe, Olivia, Grace, Vero and I and we went with another group of girls we didn't know because they didn't have enough boats. We bought Nastro Azzurro beers to drink while on the boat. The girls we met were really nice and it worked out well for pictures! We stopped to swim in the ocean, which is crystalline blue and surprisingly warm. Then the man driving the boat took us to an area where we could "cliff jump," which in reality was just jumping off a large rock. It was a blast though!

After the boat ride we spent time on the beach before going to get inexpensive, gigantic sandwiches from Vini Panini. There wasn't a list of options like most sandwich shops, you just went up and said what you wanted. I got a sandwich with prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato and pesto! I'm not exactly sure why I decide to eat the heaviest meals while in a bikini, but I was smart enough to take pictures BEFORE eating a pound of meat, cheese and carbs. After taking a nap on the beach we took a bus back to Sorrento. Once again, we didn't go out. Instead we went down to the bar area and played cards, which is all I wanted to do.

I'm pretty sure my eyes are closed

There were strays everywhere! They're all photogenic too. 

Olivia and a dog bonding

Amalfi Coast//Capri

This weekend I went to the Amalfi Coast with some friends through Florence for Fun. I've decided to post it in three parts due to the large numbers of pictures and information! We left Florence at 6:30 PM on Thursday on a bus and didn't get in until 2 in the morning. The hostel we were staying in was called Spicy and was located in Sorrento. Six of us were traveling together and we all ended up in a hostel room together which worked out well. On Friday morning we woke up early and ate breakfast at the hostel. We walked down to the docks where we took a ferry to Capri. When we got there we took a boat tour around the island. The sights were beautiful, but the tour guide was awful! He repeated the same things and then made awkward kissing noises as we passed under the lover's arch. Unfortunately the blue grotto was closed because of the high tide! I was looking forward to it and was bummed! 

Once back on land we took a tram to the top of Capri and then walked down to Marina Piccola beach through a windy path with breath-taking views! Before going on the beach we stopped to eat at a restaurant called Gioia. I shared a caprese salad and then got spaghetti and mussels with arugula and shaved parmesan. It was AMAZING! Although it was very heavy and not the best food to eat prior to being in a bikini/swimming. It ended in a lot of awkward photos and nausea while in the water. We got to spend time at the beach jumping off rocks and swimming before we headed back up. We had a limoncello tasting at the top of Capri. I tried regular, creamy and melon limoncello. We walked back down the other side of Capri where we got back on the ferry. We were all completely exhausted and all fell asleep on the ferry ride back. We had dinner included in our stay at the hostel and then went to bed early! We had the option of going to the local pub, the English Inn, but decided to take it easy! Stay tuned for part two!

Do I look like Richard?

So sleepy