The Amalfi Coast

First off when I say the Amalfi Coast, I mean Sorrento, Capri, Positano, and Pompeii. These are all cities in Italy that run along the Amalfi Coast.

So I had an eye opening experience to just how beautiful the world can actually be. The first photo is taken in the historical city of Pompeii. What you see is a perfectly preserved body that was covered in ash during the fateful Mt. Vesuvius eruption of 79 A.D. Pompeii was a very interesting city with hand painted murals on many walls, theatres, and of course the famous brothel. It was truly incredible to be able to spend my Easter in a city with so much history and wonder. Although I missed my family, and of course my loved one, I realize just how lucky I am to be able to have had this experience. We took a tour around Pompeii for about two hours, but our tour guide informed us that being able to see all of Pompeii would take days. The city of Pompeii is completely enclosed and is a labeled as one big archaeological dig. Millions visit every year, and walk along the lava rock filled streets. The buildings were interesting to see but the people is what really struck me. I saw the body of a pregnant woman, the remains of a young slave boy with all of his teeth still intact, a dog curled up in the fetal position, and the most interesting was my first picture. After seeing this person with their hands over their face as if they were crying, really showed me how quick the eruption must have happened. There were actually two eruptions that day. The first was an eruption of hot ash that shot 20 miles up out of the volcano and rained down on the city. Whoever survived the first eruption was killed by the second which consisted of hot lava overtaking what was left of the city. Pompeii was a truly tragic, yet beautiful city that was lost to nature.

My second picture is of a little cove my friends and I discovered in Positano. A truly vacation city, Positano consisted of a beautiful beach and many rich people. We were only there for four hours, but in the time I was able to sit on the rock beach and enjoy the weather and also have a pair of leather sandals made for me by the sweetest old man. We talked in broken Italian as I watched him measure and then create my new beautiful sandals. Even though it was a short visit, Positano was definitely beautiful.

My third and fourth pictures are from my new favorite city in the whole world, Capri. If there were ever a city I would want to retire, and then die in, it would be Capri. We arrived in the morning and took a boat tour around the whole island. Our first stop was to the famous Groto Azzuro, blue grotto, which is where my last picture was taken. Although it is one of the 7 wonders of the world, I was a little disappointed with how small it was. We were also only in the grotto for about three minutes, and for 11.50 euro, I think that next time I will pass. We got to walk around the island after the tour and saw some amazing views. We also saw all of the fancy shops, and even ate lunch next to Dolce and Gabbana. We walked to the famous gardens which is where my third picture was taken. I sat on a bench, in the sun for a long time and all I could think about was how I wished he was with me to share in the experience.

Being without the most important people in your life really starts to take its tole after a while. I know how incredibly lucky and fortunate I am to have family, friends, and my special someone who completely support me and my dream of coming to Italy. I also know how I could never live without them and how much they have helped me grow along this journey. So this last note is a thank you to everyone for making my dreams come true. I draw my strength from you and go on everyday knowing that I will see you soon. So here's to you all. Salute!

Baci Baci,

Elle