By: Abigail Eisner
www.cestlaviebyabigailmarie.
Ciao!
This past weekend was nothing short of a dream! On Thursday afternoon, Emily, Charlie, Chris and I hopped on a plane to Rome to meet up with around fifty of our classmates and head to a tropical getaway on the Amalfi Coast. Although we had just a few hours in Rome, we were determined to make the most of it! We ended up grabbing a bite to eat, and then visiting the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain to make a wish or two. On our way back to the train station we grabbed some gelato because when in Rome, am I right?
Then we met up with the rest of our Bus2Alps crew at Ciampino Airport and hopped on a bus to Sorrento! After arriving in the wee hours of the morning, we grabbed an hour or two of sleep at our hostel, Costa Alta, and started our day nice and early. I was so excited to be reunited with so many of my classmates! We took a boat to Capri, an island off the coast of Italy, and easily the most beautiful place I have ever been. The boat tour around the island was incredible! One of my favorite parts was floating by the Grotta Bianca (White Grotto) with a stalagmite that looks exactly like the Virgin Mary. The weirdest part is that it is totally natural! Although the weather was a bit too rough to visit the Blue Grotto as planned, the clear, aqua color of the water was astounding.
After our boat tour and arriving in the Marina Grande, we had the option to walk up the mountain to Capri town or take a tram up. By this point it started to pour, so a bunch of us opted for the tram to try and stay dry (to no avail, we were all still soaked). When we got to the top there was a stand with Granitas, frozen alcoholic orange slushies, and we eagerly jumped in line. After snapping some pics and sipping our fruity drinks, we hopped on the bus to Anacapri, the town at the very top of the island. The path to the peak was so windy and close to the edge of the cliff I honestly give the bus drivers so much credit! (Not a ride for the faint of heart). In Anacapri, we split up to explore. My friend Taylor and I grabbed some pizza at Le Arcate with some friends. I had been craving Italian pizza since the second I left Italy last Spring! Let me tell you, it was worth the wait!
Next, a bunch of us took a chair lift up to the highest point on Anacapri, Monte Solaro. This was my favorite part of the day. We walked around the peak and were LITERALLY in the clouds. The view both on the ride up and at the top was breathtaking. Some of the girls I was with brought wine and pizza to enjoy up there as well! I stayed up there for over an hour just enjoying the view and spending time with everyone.
I headed back down and shopped for some souvenirs. I’m a dork, and have a massive pin collection from all the places I have gone to since I was a kid. I’ve been trying to get a pin from everywhere I go here as well, so of course I needed one from Capri! After a while of shopping, and some much needed coffee, we all trekked down to Marina Grande to catch the ferry back to Sorrento. I have never walked down steeper stairs in my entire life, but the view was incredible. We were even lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a rainbow! (I swear I’m the luckiest girl in the world). After napping on the boat, we got ready at our hostel and headed out to dinner, and then out to English Inn, an awesome bar in Sorrento. I had one of the best nights of my life!
The next day we spent in Positano, relaxing on the beach and sipping bellinis. A bunch of us also decided to do a boat cruise. I got some great footage of it on my GoPro. We also took advantage of an amazing panini shop that the Bus2Alps staff introduced us to, Vini e Panini. Before the bus came to pick us up in the afternoon, we were able to fit some shopping in again. My favorite boutique that we stopped in was Antica Sartoria. Positano is famous for its lace products, specifically their gorgeous white dresses. Antica Sartoria had the best prices of all the shops we went in to, and a huge variety of products. I ended up getting an adorable beach cover up with pom-pom details. I only payed eight euros too, such a win!
When we got back to the hostel, many of us picked up some delicious pizza from a little pizzeria across the street. It was my third pie of the weekend and I am not ashamed about it one bit. Then we decided to go out again in Sorrento. Three bars later, and what seemed like a blink of sleep, it was morning and we packed up and headed to Pompeii.
We toured the ruins with a hilarious guide, and learned all about the residents of Pompeii. It was really interesting to spend the morning seeing a natural wonder, that I had studied about in school, in person. A sad, but uniquely intriguing part of the ruins are the plaster molds of the residents that were found in the ashes of Pompeii, frozen in time forever. The one that stuck with me the most was a dog that had been tied somewhere when Mt. Vesuvius erupted, and was fighting to escape but was buried. We also learned that around 20,000 people lived in Pompeii, but at the time of the eruption only 2,000 were present.
This weekend was probably one of the best weekends I have ever had, I’m so glad I got to spend it with so many of my classmates! This weekend I am happily staying in Madrid, but my next trip is Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. I can’t wait!
