A Weekend in Paradise (The Amalfi Coast) Day 1: Capri

It's official.  My life-long love affair with Italy has begun.  From the rolling hills in the north to the beautiful coast in the south, Italy is the most beautiful country in Europe!

For one last trip, I visited the Amalfi Coast this past weekend with a few of the most amazing people in Rome!  Around midnight, we arrived in Sorrento at 7Hostel, our base camp for the weekend.  7Hostel is a Bar/Club on the first level, a youth hostel on the second, a hotel with private rooms on the third, and a open roof bar on top.  It was clean and beautiful.

Day 1: Capri

Friday we got up at 7am, had breakfast downstairs, and walked about a mile down to the marina.  Unlike the gently sloping shores and sand beaches of my beautiful Michigan, the coast is almost completely tall rock face.  Steep paths wind back and fourth down to the water. No buses allowed.  But the view was beautiful, so we didn't mind.  At the bottom, we boarded our ferry.  All I could think about was how much I miss the boat back home and how great it was to be back on the water.  I don't think I could ever live in a land-locked state.

We arrived in Marina Grande of the Island of Capri about an hour later, disembarked, and boarded a little tour boat for a loop around the island.  Our first stop was the Blue Grotto.  Ancient Romans used this cave as a private swimming spot.  The only light comes from the small opening at the front, reflects off the clear water and illuminates the entire cave in an eerie blue glow.  Next stop was the Green Grotto where the rocks give the water a beautiful green tint, and after that the White Grotto.  As the waves break along the coast, you can see vibrant orange and red coral, one of the symbols of the bay of Naples.  Finally, we went through the "Lover's Tunnel" and arrived back at the Marina.

The trip was organized by Bus2Alps, the same group that took me to Naples in the beginning of the semester.  Friendly and enthusiastic recently graduated students point out incredible sights and great activities.  Our guides told us we were going to walk up the island to meet our transport to Anacapri, the little town on the higher part of the island.  HUNDREDS of stairs later, with aching calves and sore knees, we arrived at the Augustus Gardens.  We had a quick look around and then hopped aboard some buses that took us to the top of the island.

Capri is famous for Limoncello, Chocolate, Red Coral, and Handmade Sandals.  So after lunch, we indulged.  Our trip leaders pointed out a small sandal shop where Bus2Alps has arranged a discount for their travelers.  We picked out sandal designs and sat to be fitted while tasting Limoncello and sampling chocolate. Mmmm.  Afterwards, we wondered through the shops and tents.  I found an Italian Horn red coral necklace and some little turquoise rose earrings.  Everything was tropical, fresh, and beautiful.

Next, we took a chairlift up to the top of the island where we relaxed and let the clouds wash over us like waves.  The view was incredible!

Once back down in Anacapri, we were faced with the task of getting back down to the marina to catch our ferry back to Sorrento.  Dan, one of the trip leaders, recommended a taxi.  So we climbed into a convertible taxi and raced down the picturesque coast as the sun was falling lower in the sky.  Beautiful!

Once back on the mainland, we went out to dinner with the Bus2Alps crew.  I had AMAZING grilled chicken in a gorgonzola and cream sauce with mushrooms and artichoke. MMMMMMM.  After dinner we walked to a nearby outdoor English beer garden for a relaxing evening with a pack of interesting and slightly creepy Italian men.  Falling into my hostel bed after a long but incredible day felt soooo good.

Next up: Positano! Stay tuned!

See photos of the entire weekend HERE!