Amalfi Coast

My weekend on the Amalfi Coast was probably one of my favorite trips of the semester. The sea and sunshine made it feel like summer, and it was so relaxing. We didn't get to explore a whole lot of Sorrento, where we stayed, but our dinners were always delicious.

We spent the first day on the black sand beach in Positano. We had great weather, so I laid out for a good portion of the afternoon. Italian beach towns definitely feel different from the touristy ones I'm used to back home. There was no real boardwalk, but there were tons of cute shops lined up on the mountainside.

The next day, we hit Capri, where all the ridiculously rich people (like the Gerber family, of Gerber baby fame) go. Starting with a boat tour was great because it gave us a chance to see all the cool cliffs and rock formations, like the ones used in Dolce & Gabbana ads a few years ago. Our tour also made a stop at the Blue Grotto, which is a cave lit with what looks like must be artificial lights but is actually naturally that bright blue from the sun. In general, the water was the clearest, bluest sea I've seen in my life. I couldn't stop staring down at it, hardly believing something that breathtaking could be real.

Since a couple of my other friends and I had already been to the archaeological site at Pompeii, we spent that afternoon taking in the town. There's not much in the area, but we chatted up a local for recommendations on where to get cheap food and his favorite drinks, then we chilled outside sipping some beers. Sticking with the vibe of the whole weekend, it was such a relaxing way and a great end to a great trip.