The Amalfi Coast: The Last Hurrah!

Leading up to this trip was a bit of a challenge, but it was, once again, an amazing weekend with my new spring semester friends. Seventeen of us from Parma booked this trip to the Amalfi Coast on Italy's Southwestern side through Bus2Alps. This company plans trips for college students studying abroad, but they tend to be a bit overpriced. It was a little painful for me to spend what I did for this weekend as it was, but two days before we left we were told we have to pay an extra 70-euros for our transportation, which we were not informed of when we purchased our tickets. Soooo I was emailing and calling the managers to sort this out and am still communicating with them about this unfair extra charge. At this point, I doubt I'd get any money back, but I don't want future study abroad students to have to do the same thing. Fortunately, I didn't let this setback ruin my weekend at all.

Grotta Azzura

Our bus from Parma to Sorrento took about 10 hours and also picked up kids from Florence and Rome. We watched several movies and I slept for about 3 hours, which I was very grateful for since we arrived around 3am. We slept for another 3 hours and had a very early start that morning to the island of Capri. I later regretted not getting a Caprese salad here, but I did enjoy a delicious granita, a shaved-ice drink with lemon and fresh orange juice (most popular in Sicily). We took a boat around the whole island and took a rowboat into the Grotta Azzura, or Blue Grotto. This water-filled cave is one of the natural wonders of Europe and, once inside, the water glows light blue from the way the sunlight hits it. We headed up to the town of Anacapri where I ate delicious tagliatelle with lemon and shrimp (this area is known for its lemons and seafood) and tasted Limoncello, a popular digestivo of the area. It's too sweet for me, though. Once our tastes were satisfied we took a chairlift to the top of the island for a beautiful an unforgettable panoramic. When I looked down at the cliffs and saw the birds circling beneath me, it really looked like I was in Jurassic Park.

Faraglioni rock formations ("rock of love" in center).

Chairlift above Capri

Leap of faith!

 On Saturday, we went to one of the favorite places I visited and one of the most beautiful places I've seen in Italy: Positano. I have only ever associated that name with a pizza place in my town, but after going cliff jumping (sorry, Mom) and cave swimming in the actual city, it's safe to say I'll think of something different when I hear the name now. The two cliffs were 20 and 40 feet...jumping off the higher one was actually scarier for me than jumping out of a plane two summers ago. The adrenaline rush was great and was only diminished by the jellyfish sting I got at the shoreline. I also ate a great focaccia sandwich from a place called Vini & Panini...so there was really only one downside to the day.

Kelley and me in Pompeii

Before heading all the way back to Parma on our last day, the group stopped in Pompeii for a guided tour of the ancient city. The volcanic ash from the nearby Mount Vesuvius preserved the ruins of the city that still stand today. There is so much to see there; we barely scratched the surface in an hour and a half! We ate at a recommended place called Pompeii Pizza, but New Jersey's Positano's might actually be better. I was very disappointed with the gelato in Pompeii, but I made up for it the following (final) week in Parma.