After we had a few days in Rome the three of us set out for the Amalfi Coast. We were there for a few days and based in Sorrento. The sights here were unbelievably beautiful! It was very interesting there. You can almost say that it was like visiting Italy’s Jackson Hole. The views were out of this world as were the prices, and it is a challenge to go anywhere else once you have arrived there. For our first day we walked around the town to gain a perspective of where we were and what Sorrento had to offer. There are some very cute little shops lining the streets and it is a very vibrant town. On our second day we traveled to the city Amalfi. We took a boat there because it is simply the easiest way to get around in that area. Amalfi is very busy and very touristy but really unlike anything you have ever seen. When we were there it was so hot that we decided to buy little crappy swimsuits (ones that I doubt I will ever wear in public ever again, I don’t think I have ever been that exposed while wearing a bathing suit). However, by the time we got our suits and had lunch it was a bit chilly and we ended up not swimming after all. The water there is a mix between aqua and deep blue. If you look at a specific spot you can see all the way through the water to the floor. We also went up to Ravello for lunch. I must say I prefer Ravello to Amalfi. It is much calmer and more personal. The prices are still higher than I would like but just walking around the town is much more enjoyable. And what did we find…. Ceramics! But we didn’t buy any this time. Before we knew it, it was getting dark and we needed to catch a bus back to Sorrento. Once we finally got on the right bus we were destined to stand for the next hour. The roads there are the most frightening thing I have ever encountered, and I have jumped off 600 meter cliffs! They are literally one lane with one side being the jagged mountain side and the other being the edge of a cliff dropping straight down into the Ocean. And they had large busses traveling this road! The busses can’t drive in opposite directions on that road so one has to pull over into the mountain while the other passes them before they can continue. We only had to drive about 20 Kilometers but it took forever! We got off in Positano for a few minutes because MJ and I were ill and we needed to get off the dang bus! We finally made it back to our hotel and I couldn’t be happier that we hadn’t rented a car for this part of our journey.
Sunday we went to Pompeii. I can’t think of any other way to describe it other than, it is a CITY that was extremely advanced that has been unbelievably preserved. The entire experience is unbelievable. Everything is so well preserved. The eruption occurred in 79 AD but most of the artifacts, painting, and buildings date back much further than that. There are houses, shops, food markets, temples, bath houses, official buildings, theaters, and so much more. They have found some of the most amazing things there. And 33% of Pompeii is still covered!!! You can walk down the street (original) and see the grooves in the stones from the wheels of wagons and carts. You can see pots and jars in homes. There frescoes on the walls, original piping in the walls, beds, ovens, jewelry, tools, and so much more. If you can’t tell I am a bit of a nut when it comes to ruins and mummifies objects. I think one of the coolest things about Pompeii is the people. You can see their faces, their expressions, and the position they were in when they died. You can know their story. There is a lady who was covering her face with a veil to protect her from the poisons fumes. You can see that she has a bump on her belly and that she was pregnant. You can see some people who were sleeping when they died or those who were running away. It truly is incredible. We spent a totally of four hours there and we didn’t see nearly everything.
We spend the next day in Sorrento just relaxing and exploring Sorrento a bit more. The most exciting part about that day was that we found a laundry mat. I have never been so happy to wash my clothing as I was right then. Now don’t think we had been wearing dirty clothing for a month. We had been washing things out by hand but there is a certain degree of clean that can only achieved with a washing machine. We also had one of the best meals of that week that night. It was simple Italian food with a twist and it was utterly fantastic. The next day we traveled back to Rome. Mom and I had to catch a flight to Barcelona to meet up with the rest of our family.
I miss Italy already to be honest. There is something about it that recharges your soul. Maybe it is the fact that I am not worrying about school right now and eating good food while ignoring it, but I think it is something a bit more than that. I can’t really put my finger on it but I have yet to find any place in the world quite like Italy.
