A seven hour bus ride later, we arrived in Sorrento where we checked into our hotel. I can honestly say that I have never experienced a hotel quite like that one. It made our apartment back in Florence look like a luxury flat. We walked a block on the side of a busy highway to get there at about 1 in the morning. The place was quaint. We did not have hot water which might not seem too bad, except our water was not just lukewarm our simply cold. The water was like doing 10 minutes of the ice bucket challenge. After our ice bath, Jacki and I found ourselves spooning in the twin beds that were merely 2 inches apart. So the hotel was pretty rough but we weren't going to let that ruin our trip!
We took a ferry to Capri where we experienced a once in a lifetime boat tour. The captain showed us the marvels of the small island including the famous Blue Grotto. The sights were so beautiful that I had to close my eyes and breathe deeply just to take it all in. That little island had so much character and natural attraction. The beaches, on the other hand, probably aren't my favorite. The public breach was a small stretch of shore. It was a pebble beach which means that instead of soft sand, it had coarse rocks. I decided to opt out of going in the ocean because, honestly, it didn't look fun. Unfortunately, I got roped into venturing in the water. The waves were rough and choppy, and I am naturally afraid of drowning so I was being a bit of a spazz. After my friends promised me that I would be okay, I gained confidence and pushed on. Soon after, a wave crushed me. I washed up on the rocks, loosing my sunglasses and my pride in the process. Aside from that Capri is beautiful, but I think one visit is enough for me.
On day 2, we bused to Positano where we could experience a nicer beach. On the bus ride, we drove around the edge of a cliff. If you're afraid of heights and are thinking about going to Positano, don't worry, there is a small wood fence to catch your car if you run off the road. I'm sure you'll be fine. When we got there, it was everything they said it would be. Colorful houses lined the edge of the cliff and black sand filled the beaches. Exhausted from the day prior, we decided that Mai Tais and Mojitos in an outside bar were the way to start the day off right. After we were successfully in a happy place, we paid to get on a private beach so we could have chairs, an umbrella, and some peace and quiet from the drunk 19 yet olds that came with the group. Our day was wonderful. When we were ready to go, we met at the church courtyard. Jacki and I saw a woman in white so we followed her into the church. Little did we know, we walked right into her wedding. It was beautiful so we stayed a couple of minutes to watch the ceremony.
On the last day, we visited Mount Vesuvious and the ruins of Pompeii. This was going to be the highlight if my trip. I've always wanted to go to Pompeii. Once we entered the city, it was like a flash into the past. Ancient stone structures were still in tact. It was incredible. Though exciting, I found it odd that our group was laughing, taking pictures, and playing around in the very grounds that swallowed people alive so long ago. I began to get annoyed with the tour when the guide explained to us that the statues we saw were actually ancient statues of men's genitalia. She told us that Pompeii use to be a port for sailors who would stop to get some pleasure. Prostitution was huge prior to the eruption of the volcano. Statutes of men's genitalia were around every corner, pointing to where the whore house was. It was like a map of perverseness. Even the most well preserved room was in a whore house. You can still see the stone beds and erotic murals. I couldn't get out of there faster. The rest the tour, I just walked around alone. What I once thought was a great archaeological find was now reduced to a crude joke among the younger kids in our group. It was very disappointing,
Overall, Amalfi was fun. I went there, saw the Island of Capri where part of Mama Mia was filmed, laid on the legendary beach of Positano and witnessed the buried bodies of Pompeii. I'm so glad we went but I am also thrilled to be back at our Florence home. We practically hated our apartment before we left. Now, we are thankful for such an accommodation. It is nice to have a place to call home here.