Tredicesimo Settimana

Ciao everyone, 

After this past weekend I can safely say we saved the best trip for last. I remember planning our trip to the Amalfi Coast at the beginning of February thinking that weekend would never come. It came and went faster than I imagined. The weather was absolutely perfect for the days we spent in Sorrento, Capri, Positano, and Pompeii. It was also a completely different kind of traveling because there weren't historical sites to see or museums to visit, it was simply enjoying the beautiful beaches, the caves with bright blue water, the villas stacked up the island walls, and the cute beach shops with full of lemon cello, jewelry, and hand painted dishes.  

Capri

We went on this trip with a company called Bus2Alps, which made our traveling experience much easier considering they planned most activities during the day for us and arranged our transportation and hotel. We drove to Sorrento through the night on Thursday and although we were encouraged to sleep on the bus, I wasn't able to because the driver was going 20 over around corners of deadly cliffs. The night drive to the coast was very pretty but looking over the tiny guardrail next to the road was terrifying and I was forced to stay awake just to make sure we didn't drive off the edge.

From our hotel in Sorrento we took a short bus ride to Capri Friday morning. Here we went on a boat tour out of Marina Grande around the island which was significantly more enjoyable than some of the city walking tours I have been on. We were taken around the island and shown many different celebrity vacation homes. The boat also took us to the Blue Grotto, Green Grotta, and White Grotta. The Blue Grotto is one of the natural wonders of Europe and I am very happy I had the chance to see it. We were taken in small groups into the cave by rowboats and a tour guide. The cave entrance is only a few feet high depending on the water level. Most days it is impossible to even enter by rowboat, but we were lucky enough to visit on a day when it was open. Before entering the cave, the tour guide made everyone lay on their backs in the boat because sitting up you would hit your head on the walls. The guide laid all the way down too and pulled the boat through the entrance by a chain attached to the cave walls. Once inside, we were able to sit up in the huge sea cave. The sunlight entering from the entrance illuminates the entire cave a bright blue color, giving it its name. Our guide sang loudly in Italian as he paddled as through the cave because the acoustics were so good. In the Green and White Grottas we were able to stay in the larger tour boat as the driver backed us into the caves, getting close enough to the walls for us to touch them. The White Grotta is filled with limestone that appears to only reflect white light. A stone formation is in the middle of the cave that is said to be a natural statue of the Virgin Mary. The Green Grotto is named such because the reflection in this cave makes the water appear green. 

I determined that Capri had the overall feel of a classy Cabo. It had the same beach feel as Cabo but with more sophistication, wealthy travelers, and high end goods. It is somewhere I definitely need to come back to when I am older and can travel in luxury :) Most of the jewelry here was made with coral taken from the walls surrounding the island. On our boat tour we were able to see the different colored coral where the water meets the walls. The boat also took us through the Faraglioni, which are the three giant rocks sticking out of the water off the island. One of the rocks looks very similar to Lover's Cove in Cabo and our tour guide told us that the legend in Capri is if you kiss your love as you go under the arch in the rock you will be together forever. 

Green Grotto

Coral on cave walls

After our boat tour, we hiking from the middle part of the island to the top, Anacapri. There we had lunch and shopped around the city. The island of Capri is known for it's handmade sandals made custom for every customer. I didn't feel the need to spend 90 euros on sandals but the girls in our program who had them made got to pick their leather strands and the design of the sandal. On our way back down the island to Mariana Grande we took an open air taxi, something I've never done before. 

Open Air Taxi from Capri to Anacapri

Farglioni

Denzel Washington's Vacation Home in Capri

Granitas at Capri

The Amalfi Coast is also known for their granitas, which is a delicious slushy drink. I would choose a treat like this over gelato anyday. Because the Amalfi coast has fresh lemons and organes growing all over the drinks are especially fresh. They are made with lemon slushy and fresh squeezed orange juice poured over the top. This is a summer drink I can't wait to be recreate at home. 

The following day, we bused to Positano for a beach day. This day was the perfect relaxing day without any tours or sights to see. We laid out on the black sand beaches all day, only taking a break from the sun for paninis and a boat ride to go cliff jumping and cave swimming. Considering that water and heights are my two biggest fears I didn't cliff jump but I was the designated photographer for the girls who did decide to jump. After the cliffs, our boat driver took us to caves you can swim in because there are no jellyfish in the water there whereas they were everywhere in Capri. I am proud to say I actually jumped off the boat and went swimming in the caves. The swim was exhausting considering I am incredibly out of shape but it was well worth it. The cave was in the shape of a U so you were able to swim in one entrance and come out another. In the middle there was a tiny beach, just big enough for two people to stand next to each other on the little rock beach. If you looked up you could see a pile of giant rocks with tiny cracks of light coming through which was actually quite scary because it felt like the rocks could crumble down on top of you at any second. After I struggle back to the boat, we spent the rest of the day enjoying the water and sunshine before busing back to the hotel. It still amazes me that the bus drivers are able to drive stick shift buses on the narrow winding roads with terrifying drop offs. Most of the drive up and down from Positano I wasn't able to look out the window. 

Overlooking Positano 

Boat Trip through Positano

On Sunday, we stopped in Pompeii on our way back to Florence. Here we visited the ruins of Pompeii in the Naples region of Italy. The ruins there were created from an eruption of Mount Vesuvius and are very well preserved. It was very strange to walk through the ruins on streets that were once an ancient Roman city and be able to imagine what took place in the streets, buildings, homes, and amphitheaters. We went out lunch and got pizza here because pizza was created in Naples and therefore all the surrounding areas have the best pizza. Going back to dominos is going to be a  struggle for me when I get home after getting used to this.

After our weekend, we were lucky enough to have company in Florence again. My friends from Rome that we stayed with last week came to Florence with their program this week so we were able to hang out with them in the evenings that take them to a few of our favorite places in Florence. Unfortunately, I had the scary experience of being pick pocketed by a creepy Italian man in a club we went to with our friends from UW. Several people in our group got their wallets taken that night but the people taking the wallets were only stealing the cash and then ditching the wallets in the club. Luckily I was able to get my wallet back from the club two days after with my cards and ID still in it and only the cash missing. I am thankful to know my information isn't floating around Italy even though I had my cards cancelled immediately after I got home from the club that night. The situation could have been much worse considering I have everything back and my passport wasn't taken but the experience was definitely the scariest thing that has happened to me since being abroad. I'm so thankful for my parents who helped me figure everything out and my wonderful roommates who got me home safely.

I'm now down to single digit days left in Florence, 9! That means packing and finals are just around the corner... two things I am not looking forward to in my last week here haha

See you all soon!
Arrivederci!

Decimo e Undicesimo e Dodicesimo Settimana

Ciao all,

It's offical, I am terrible at keeping a blog haha. Time has flown by and I have three weeks to catch up on! The weather has been so nice here that it's hard to find time to actually sit down and write because in those rare times I'm usually catching up on homework.

Three weekends ago the weather really took and turn and we were lucky enough to spend the weekend in Florence enjoying the sunshine. After traveling so many weekends, it was really nice to have a weekend at home to sleep in and catch up on school and enjoy the sunshine on our neighbors patio. We spent most of the days laying in our swimsuits and soaking up the rays because the city center has become so crowded in the height of Europe tourist season. It is unbelievable how quickly Florence changed from a quiet city to roads packed with tour groups here for a weekend or a short day trip off a cruise. We also shopped in the leather market because although we walk through it everyday and often look at the many gifts we want, we rarely commit to shopping in the stands because it requires commitment to barter and deal with the vendors who are more interested in practicing their English flirting phrases than selling us purses and wallets.

View from a class field trip to San Miniato Church

Although we are lucky enough to have girlfriends with a patio connected to their apartment downstairs, laying on the cement without shade or water nearby gets exhausting and laying in the city parks in a swimsuit is completely unacceptable. So we decided to take a short hour train ride to the beach, Viareggio. Traveling by train here is so quick and easy, I wish I was able to do it more at home. They have the convenience of airplanes without the hassle of security, plus the scenic ride is much more entertaining. We spent the whole day at the beach, having pizza and beer by the water while making friends with some of the locals. By the time we finally left to head home almost everyone had gone, leaving only the Americans to enjoy the sunset. 

Viareggio

We also visited another beauty of Florence I hadn't seen yet, the Boboili Gardens. The massive park is located behind Pitti Palace and stretch on for miles. It reminded me of the maze in Harry Potter, the Goblet of Fire with paths linking together in all different directions. This is one of the few places in Florence I have seen so much greenery as well as people laying out in the fields with blankets and picnics. It was incredibly quiet all through the gardens, we felt like we couldn't speak over a whisper. Not all the flowers have bloomed yet so I hope to go back soon to see it again and maybe bring a picnic myself this time. On top of the gardens there is a porcelain museum featuring a bunch of hand painted china from tiny teacups to vases. 

Boboili Gardens 

Siena

Thermal Baths 

The following weekend was my 21st birthday celebration! We had a planned trip with our program in Tuscany. After the beach day in Viareggio Friday, we left for Siena saturday morning and Cortona on Sunday morning. In Siena, we went on a walking tour of the city and visited a spa with natural thermal hot springs. Although it reeked of sulfur, the mineral water was supposedly very good for your skin. There was a ton of different pools with lounge chairs out front and the opportunity to order spa treatments. The city of Siena was a hilly, Tuscan town with beautiful villas. We ate lunch in Piazza del Campo and visited many of the cities churches. After our Tuscan day, we stayed in a hotel in the middle of nowhere between Siena and the hill town of Cortona. We had originally planned to go to a bar at midnight and have a drink to celebrate my birthday but considering there were no bars in sight, we found a cheap appertivo and got wine to take back to the hotel for a night in celebration. I couldn't have asked for anything more than to be with close friends enjoying a weekend in Italy.

Sunday, on my actual birthday we took buses up the winding hills to Cortona, the city where "Under the Tuscan Sun" was filmed. I had little expectations for this small town, but I was pleasantly surprised. Its shops and villas were so far removed for the touristy areas of Italy which made it beautiful. After leaving the city, we went to a Tuscan castle outside the city on a vineyard. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and I could not have asked for a better location for a wine tasting event on my 21st birthday. After touring the vineyard and cellars, we were brought to the wine tasting room which was gorgeous. I was picturing my wedding reception in the room after a perfect outdoor ceremony outside of the castle. Unfortunately, the family that owns the castle does not host weddings there haha I guess I will be attempting to recreate a Tuscan wedding in Seattle one day. We were given 4 different wines to taste along with a dessert wine that basically tasted like whiskey. With each wine came different meats and cheeses and spreads.

Cortona

Cortona

First Legal Drink in Cortona

Birthday Cake After Wine Tasting

Wine Tasting 

At the Tuscan Castle

Birthday Girl

We had planned to go to my favorite restaurant in Florence that evening after we got home but after all the food and drinks at the tasting we came home fat and happy so we postponed dinner for the following night. My roommates, Tara, Kayli and Kari, and I went with some of our other close friends here, Jaden, Sydney, and Caitlin. At my favorite restaurant, Acqua al 2 we had a pasta sampler for the table which comes with five different pasta dishes that are determined by the chef. They bring each pasta out one at a time so the dinner is really long and you have time to taste and enjoy each one. After the first course pasta sampler, we ordered a steak sampler which comes with a blueberry steak and a balsamic steak. I am not a big steak lover at home but these unique marinates are to die for, the restaurant is known for its speciality blueberry steak. When Andrew visited me last month, we discovered this gem and I am so happy I got to go back. We also enjoyed the dessert sampler and several glasses of wine. Even though it was different from any birthday I've had at home, I felt so blessed to be where I was with the people I was with. I look forward to celebrating all over again this summer with my family and friends.

Birthday Dinner in Florence at my favorite restaurant, Acqua al 2

Last weekend, we returned to Rome for the weekend. It's crazy to think Rome of our first trip of the semester and now it was one of our last. I remember being in Rome thinking I have to come back, I'm in love! And I am so happy I did. This trip was a lot more relaxed than the first visit there because we had already done tours of the Vatican, the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain. Instead of stressing about seeing all the sites in a short period of time, we were able to enjoy the city and the friends we were with. Tara, Kayli, and I stayed with two of Andrew's close friends in his frat at home, Tyler and Mark. We had so much fun with them because we are desperately missing guy friends in our life here. We are surrounded everyday by girls, considering that our program has about 10 guys to 170 girls. Spending the weekend with them was the perfect taste of home and we are lucky enough to be able to see them again in a week when they come to visit Florence. On Sunday before leaving Rome, we went to the Vatican to see the pope speak. The last time we were in Rome a pope had not been elected so there wasn't much to see on Sunday mornings other than the anticipation of white smoke. The pope speaks every Sunday morning at 10 and noon from a top floor window in the Vatican. We arrived for the noon viewing after jogging half the way there only to find that all of Europe was already there. In 80 degree heat we pushed our way through the crowd, listening to people shout in hundreds of different languages, and rub their sweaty bodies against us. We finally made it to a place where we could see the window only to find out the Pope Francesco had decided not to speak out of the window that morning but rather, he drove around in the Pope Mobile and waved. In the end, all we saw was the top of his hat in the car as he waved and drove by but it was an unforgettable experience and one that I am happy to have experienced. It would have felt wrong to be in Rome and not see the pope in person if its at all possible. 

Pope Francesco

Yesterday was a national holiday, Liberation Day, so we had the day off from school. The night before the holiday is called La Notte Bianca, or White Night. This night is an all-night arts festival throughout the whole city. All the restaurants, bars, and museums stay open late hours into the night. In every piazza, there was different live music, art demonstrations, food and drinks for sale, and other activities. I have never seen so many Florentines together in the city at one time. It was fun to see all the kids who were allowed to stay out in the wee hours of the night with their parents. We walked from piazza to piazza singing along to live music and enjoying a hot air ballon show complete with women in costumes riding in them. 

White Night Festival

Dancing in the streets

Ballon Show in Piazza Santa Croce

I am now getting ready to leave for our last big trip of the semester to the Amalfi Coast, I can't believe it is here already! It seems like just last week we were booking this trip saying once we go to Amalfi our semester here is basically over. I also remember when I left home thinking the month of May pretty much doesn't count because we will be packing and taking finals and those couple weeks will fly by. Its May 2nd now and all I can say is I am definitely going back on my word and I'm going to make May count instead of just write it off. These last 3 months have been amazing and I'm going to make the last 3 weeks just as incredible! 

Talk to you all again soon, but more importantly see you all soon!

Arrivederci,

Kaity