My weekend on the Amalfi Coast

Friday morning Erinn and I ate breakfast in our hotel over looking the Mediterranean with Mt. Vesuvius in the distance. At 8:30 sharp, we left the hotel with our group to meet the other group, who was staying at another hotel, before we got on the ferry to Capri. The 30 minute ferry ride to Capri was beautiful. It was a sunny, beautiful day and from that I knew it was going to be a wonderful day.

Once we docked in Capri, we immediately got on another much smaller boat to take us on a tour of the island. On our tour took us around the entire island and our guide pointed out all the good spots and gave us the history of Capri. The captain took us super close to a lot of small caves so we could be as close as possible to the beautiful blue, clear water. I couldn't believe how blue the water was. It was so beautiful. As we passed the Blue Grotto we found out it was closed for the day and we wouldn't be able to go. Bummed we couldn't go but amazed by everything else we saw, we got off the boat and went to find lunch.
From the port, myself and a group of people from my school took the bus up to the main square in Capri. Some people stopped at the first restaurant they saw once they got off the bus but I knew that'd mean an overpriced, tourist meal. I kept walking, accompanied by my friends Katie and Kailee until we had found ourselves in the middle of local neighborhood at a little place called Michel'angelo Ristorante and Mozzarella Bar.
I'm so glad we kept walking because this is the second best meal I've had in Italy. I had  Gnocchi with mozzarella, tomates, and basil served in a parmesan bowl. It was so delicious that I didn't even pick out the tomato chunks. I ate every single tomato! That's a big step for me and I usually don't like tomatoes if they aren't made into a sauce or hidden inside something. The waitstaff were so kind and made us feel right at home.
We finished our lovely meal and headed back to the piazza. While sitting enjoying the view of Capri, my friend Gavin appeared out of nowhere. I invited him to come down to the beach with us and he happily accepted. We joined with another group of people from our school and headed down to the beach. Instead of taking the bus we walked down all the way down. It was a great walk. We found a snake, a beetle, and a few lizards along the way.
Once we got to the beach, half of the group went in the water and half stayed on the shore to relax. I stood in the water up to my knees looking for sea glass and aquatic life. The freezing water got to me pretty quickly so I sat on the beach in the sun, reapplying sunscreen regularly, till we got back on the ferry to go back to Sorrento. We were on our own for dinner so Erinn, Kailee, Jamie, and I went to dinner at the restaurant next to our hotel. We had a great dinner before heading in for the night.
Saturday we were free to do whatever we wanted. Everyone but Angelina and I went to Positano to tan and drink on the beach. Angelina and I went back to Capri so see the Blue Grotto. We took the ferry back to Capri and got on a small boat headed to the Blue Grotto. Once we arrived outside the Blue Grotto, we got in an even smaller boat. With only 4 of us in the boat, our guide rowed us into the Blue Grotto and we were both immediately stunned. 
The Blue Grotto is absolutely stunning. To get inside, you have to go through a small opening to the cave which you need to lay down to get fully through without hitting your head. Once inside, the sunlight illuminates the water turning it from a deep blue to an iridescent, turquoise. The men rowing the boats all sing the same
song while inside the cave so all
their voices echo around creating
a magical atmosphere.
You're only inside the grotto for a little less than 5 minutes but it's completely worth it. The little boat took is back to our boat which took us back to the dock where Angelina and I waited for our ferry back to Sorrento. With half the day left and wanting to explore more, Angelina and I took the bus to Positano.
We arrived with just enough time to walk all the way down to the beach, put our feet in the sand, turn right back around, and hike back up the mountain. The walk up and down was worth it and just what Angelina and I wanted to see. We were waiting for the bus and 2 buses passed us without stopping because they were packed to the brim. All seats and standing room full. But the third bus was our lucky charm as there were seats for all of us.

Since we couldn't get on the first 3 buses, we were slightly behind schedule and had to rush to get ready for dinner. We met up with our school group in the lobby to walk to dinner. My school organized a group dinner for all those that went on the trip. It was delicious and well deserved after a long, wonderful day. After dinner we headed back to the hotel to go straight to bed as we had an early start for our next adventure.
Tired but excited for the day ahead, Erinn and
I got out of bed and got ready for the day. We packed up our bags and headed downstairs to get on the bus to Pompeii. I napped the whole bus ride and arrived ready to explore Pompeii. We were split into small groups for a guided tour of the ruins. The ruins were fascinating and I'm so glad I had a guide to tell us all about them. Our tour ended a little early, giving us extra time to use the restroom and I have lunch before getting back in the bus to go to Mt. Vesuvius. Again, I napped on the bus.
Mt. Vesuvius is a dormant volcano and I was beyond excited to hike it! I've always wanted to look down into the center of a volcano and I did this past Sunday. The hike up had no shade and the ground wasn't to stable but it was so worth it! And it felt so great to hike again. I didn't realize how much I missed hiking. From the top of Vesuvius you can see for miles. I wish I was living closer to there so I could hike it again. With a train to catch, I hiked down Vesuvius and got back on the bus to the train station.
Now I'm back in Florence going to school and doing homework until Thursday when my next adventure starts.