The morning after my exam, I was off to the airport again, this time on my own. I was off to Italy! I flew into beautiful Florence. The flight was actually quite exciting with these amazing views. First of the Alps and then of Florence as we were landing. Incredible!
The Alps
The Alps
View of Florence on the way in. You can see the Duomo (big dome) sticking up in the center.
I took a bus from the airport to the train station where Stef picked me up. Stef had been studying in Florence for the semester, and I was to stay in her flat for two nights. She had joined me in my beloved Edinburgh for a few days back in October and now I was getting to join her in her favorite city. Upon my arrival, Stef surprised me with a ticket to climb the Duomo, figuring that, with my 8-hour scheduled tour the next day, I would not have time to do so. Like the amazing, best friend she is, she sat in a cafe with my luggage, studying for her 3 exams that she had to take the next day, while I explored the Duomo (built 1296).
Christmas at the Duomo!
Inside the Duomo
View from the top of the Duomo (462 steps to the top)
Beautiful views
It was the highest dome in the world when it was constructed. That's where I climbed up to.
After I toured and climbed to the top of the famous Duomo, Stef and I dropped my stuff at her flat and then went out for some classic Italian paninis and some catching up time. Stef's flat was on the Piazza Santa Croce (square of the holy cross), one of the most famous squares in Florence where the Basilica of Santa Croce is located and, in the holiday season, where the Florence Christmas Market is set up.
Basilica of Santa Croce
Florentine Christmas Market in Piazza Santa Croce
The next morning I set off through Florence to the meeting spot for my 8 hour tour. The streets in Florence are so classically narrow and colorful and… well… Italian!! My walk along those streets with a gorgeous blue sky overhead was a great way to start the day! My tour began on a coach bus taking us up through some beautiful Tusan landscape to Piazzale Michelangelo where we could get stunning views over the city and of the surrounding mountains.
Adorable narrow streets
One of the original gates to the medieval city
Tuscan trees!!
Tuscan Landscape
Remains of the Old City Walls that used to surround all of Florence
View of the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio from Piazzale Michelangelo, and in the background, beyond the tower on the left (Palazzo Vecchio) you can see some snow on the mountains. Stunning.
View of Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio, and the Duomo
Ponte Vecchio (old bridge), the most famous bridge in Florence. Houses cover the bridge. People used to live on the bridge in medieval times, but now it only houses jewelry shops. All the bridges in Florence were once like this one, historic and covered in houses and shops. But all the other ones were blown up by the Nazis.
The Duomo on the left and the Basilica of Santa Croce on the right (where Stef lived)
After enjoying one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen, we headed back down into town where we disembarked from the bus and began our walking tour. Our first stop was the Duomo which was particularly majestic against such a vivid blue sky.
We then went to the Galleria dell'Academia where Michelangelo's famous David sculpture is on display along with a few other of his sculptures that were unfinished. Our guide took us over to David's left side so that we could see his face. She then asked us why David is so beloved, so revered as a work of art. One man in my group said it is because he is physically the perfect man. Most people think this, but in reality, David's hands and feet are all out of proportion. They are too large. But this was no mistake by the anatomical genius, Michelangelo. The statue was originally commissioned to be placed on top of a Basilica; thus the proportions were made a bit larger than normal because the statue would be viewed at such a distance. Michelangelo knew exactly what he was doing. But still, if David is not "perfect" then way is he so praised by the art and non-art worlds?
For two reasons in my opinion. First, the veins and the muscles. From a slab of marble, Michelangelo carved a body with all the anatomically precise veins and muscles. Looking up close, the detail is unbelievable. The sculpture was carved between 1501 and 1504 by a Michelangelo who was only in his mid to late-20s! Our guide told us that she has had doctors on her tours who have marveled at the fact that they could not find one anatomical imperfection. Michelangelo didn't miss a thing. His obsession with dissecting corpses paid off! The other reason in opinion for why we all love the David so much has to do with the biblical reference combined with the look in his eyes. David is supposed to be David from the bible story, David and Goliath, in which a young man, David, defeats the giant, Goliath, with a sling shot. Most works of art leading up to the Renaissance that had depicted David, showed David post-fight with the defeated Goliath with him. Michelangelo's depiction is much different. First, his David is not a boy but an adult man in his prime. Second, his David stands with his sling shot pre-fight, and has not yet made the decision to go after Goliath. You can see it in his eyes (see the picture below). He is staring off in the direction of his opponent, thinking and deciding for himself. This is what the Renaissance was all about. Grown men thinking about the world and about life and making their own decisions. Michelangelo's David is one of the most prominent depictions of Individualism, a key part of the Renaissance. He is so very human. Just that look in his eyes… we can identify with; he is relatable. That is way we love him.
Look at the veins in his arm and hand and at the ab muscles. Crazy. Almost looks like flesh, but its marble.
Those eyes though!! (and muscles… jeeez)
After the Galleria dell'Academia, I went to lunch as a part of the tour at this adorable, traditional Italian restaurant from the 1930s. I got four courses and found the food delicious! Then we set off on the second half of the tour. We boarded the coach bus again and headed up to the mountains around Florence opposite of the ones we went up to get to Piazzale Michelangelo in the morning. This was pure Tuscany in my opinion. I didn't expect to see such classic Tuscany landscapes so close to Florence, but as soon as you drive out of the city center, just a few minutes up the hills, it looks like this, with the tall, skinny trees and the umbrella trees, and the yellow/orange buildings!
After driving around in the hills for a bit, we descended back into the city. We disembarked once again and set off for the walking portion of the afternoon tour. First stop was Piazza Santa Croce, where Stef lived. I am really bummed I didn't get to go inside the Basilica. Santa Croce is where Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli are buried. We then walked through the Christmas Market and into the narrow streets I had navigated that morning. Along those streets, we were shown a building where Michelangelo actually grew up and the building where the story of Pinocchio was written along with a little Pinocchio shop.
Basilica di Santa Croce
The building where Michelangelo grew up marked by a plaque
Me in the Pinocchio shop
We then headed to the highlight of our afternoon tour: The Uffizi Gallery. On the way we stopped outside the Palazzo Vecchio (the Old Palace) where the powerful Medici family once lived and is now the Town Hall of Florence. The Uffizi (literally translates as "The Offices") is connected to the Old Palace and used to be the offices of the Medici family. Now it houses one of the most celebrated art collections in the world, most of which was collected by the Medici's.
Palazzo Vecchio
The Medici fountain and Loggia in Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria
The entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio. On the left is a replica of the David. This is where the original David stood for hundreds of years following its reveal in 1504.
Famous painting in the Uffizi
Botticelli's The Birth of Venus
Botticelli's Primavera/Allegory of Spring
The beautiful halls of the Uffizi.. EMPTY! Our tour guide told us that we were getting a nearly private tour of the Uffizi which is UNHEARD OF!
View of the Ponte Vecchio from a window of the Uffizi Gallery
The portrait that graced the cover of my AP Euro book back in junior year of high school
After my tour of the Uffizi, I met Stef back at her flat after she had finished all of her exams. We first went to dinner where I had one of the best steaks ever, then we headed to the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). I had seen it from the Piazzale Michelangelo and from the Uffizi, but I wanted to actually walk across it. I knew the shops would all be closed by then, but I still wanted to see it close up.
The Ponte Vecchio with the multiple floor of homes and shops
Me on the bridge
The closed-up shops (old homes) on the bridge
It was great seeing Stef again and getting to stay with her at her flat next to Santa Croce. Early the next morning, she called me a cab to the train station and I was off. To Roma!!
I arrived in Rome around 8:30AM and my first mission was to find my hostel. I knew it was close to the train station, so I shouldn't have too much of a problem finding it. But, I also had a tour at the Colosseum starting at 10 that I had to be at at 9:45, so I was on a bit of a time crunch. I found and checked into my hostel, and then with purse and map in hand, I set off to find the Colosseum. It was about a 25 minute walk but eventually, the great ancient arena arose in front of me.
The first tour I scheduled was a three hour tour of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. We first went inside the Colosseum and learned about where different members of society sat in Ancient Rome and about animal shows and about gladiator shows and the lives of gladiators etc. The building was magnificent. A stunning piece of ancient structural engineering and classic Roman history.
The original entrance through which the gladiators used to enter
Under where the stage originally was, aka "The Traps" of the Colosseum
Next, we headed over to the Roman Forum, the ruins excavated tens to hundreds of feet beneath the modern plane of the city. The Forum was the political, social, and religious center of life in Ancient Rome. Buildings of each kind remain in pieces across the Forum today.
Heading down to the Forum
Ruins in the Forum
Remains of a Basilica from the 2nd century AD which actually has a lot structurally in common with St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican built in the 16th century
An Ancient Temple
The Forum, ladies and gentlemen. Something funny happened on the way here… My fellow theatre geeks get that one! :P
The building you see behind the columns there is really cool. The part of the building that is yellow starting about halfway up the building is a couple hundred years old and is used as a center for Roman politics today. The part of the building below the yellow part is ancient and was buried for hundreds of years before excavations began. The building was also used for political purposing in ancient times.
On the way up to Palatine Hill
Palatine Hill
Palatine Hill was where Roman royals and elite lived and entertained for centuries. According to myth, Palatine is where Remus and Romulus were raised, the twins who, when they grew up, fought each other, resulting in Romulus killing his brother Remus, and Romulus founding the city of Rome (the name "Rome" comes from "Romulus"). According to ancient historians, people may have lived on the Palatine since 1000BC. It was from the Palatine that the city of Rome began and spread.
Remains of one of the emperor's mansions on Palatine Hill
The "sports stadium/arena" on Palatine Hill
The other side of the sports arena
After my tour ended, I had about 80 minutes to get from the Colosseum to the Vatican for my afternoon tour. I was going to walk, which would have taken me about 45 minutes to an hour, but my tour guide recommended taking the metro. So, I ventured on my own through Rome's metro system. It was SO FULL. But eventually I reached the stop closest to the Vatican and after about 10 minutes of walking and searching for street signs, I found my next tour's meeting spot outside the entrance to the Vatican. Our first stop on the tour was the famous Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo's world-renowned ceiling and altar paintings are beheld by thousands of visitors per day! It really was magnificent. I was actually more impressed by the altar painting than the ceiling (even though I was still VERY impressed by the ceiling!). I think that was partly because I had heard so much about the ceiling but never had any idea that Michelangelo had also painted the entire wall behind the altar. My favorite part of the paintings were the many jabs made at the Pope/church hidden in them. For instance, Michelangelo painted a portrait of himself on the skins held by the biblical Bartholomew, whom is always seen with a skin of an animal. Michelangelo said that he put himself on the skins because, in forcing him to painting the ceiling and soon after the altar wall, the Pope/church had "skinned him alive." Not only was the workload incredibly daunting and physically painful, but Michelangelo HATED painting. He was a sculptor through and through.
After the Sistine Chapel, we went outside to see the back of St. Peter's Basilica and to see the outside of the Pope's summer home. We then toured the galleries of the Vatican including the famous Raphael rooms. There are two particular facts that I learned on the tour that I found interesting and funny: first, that the Vatican is the wealthiest country in a the world (yes, the Vatican IS its own country) and second, that the Vatican is the country in the world with the lowest birth rate (haha :P).
Inside the Vatican, with St. Peter's Basilica in the background
One of the most famous pieces of art at the Vatican
Raphael's famous "The School of Athens"
After the tour, I went to St. Peter's Basilica on my own. The square outside was just so massive and the church itself, was of course, beautiful.
The square outside St. Peter's
Inside St. Peter's
Do you see how this is structurally similar to the remains of the basilica in the Roman Forum?? Pretty cool right?! The 16th century builders were still using the same forms around 1400 years later.
The altar
Michelangelo's famous "Pieta" (Mary holding Jesus after he has died)
I then left the Vatican City and headed to meet one of my best friend from UR, Claire, who had been studying in Rome for the semester. On the way, I passed Castel Sant'Anglo, this magnificent cylindrical structure commissioned by Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. Since its construction, it has been used as a mausoleum, a fortress, a castle, and now a museum.
Castel Sant'Angelo
I eventually found Claire, and we went for a lovely Italian dinner together near Piazza Navona. It was so nice catching up with her and seeing her love for this city just exude out of her! I love seeing how passionate my friends are about their favorite cities just like I am about Edinburgh. Claire then took me most of the way back to my hostel. On the way to the metro, we passed the Colosseum where I took one of my favorite pictures I took while abroad.
Christmas at the Colosseum. Just beautiful!
Once back at my hostel, I met and chatted with two girls in my room, one from outside of London and another from Glasgow, both around my age and traveling alone. They were super nice and made me much more comfortable.
The next morning, I packed up my bags and checked out of my hostel. The rest of my time in Italy would be spent on a 3-day trip to Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri, all located in southern Italy along the west coast. On the first day, we visited Naples and Pompeii and got to Sorrento at night. But, it was only me and one other girl from Australia who went all the way to Sorrento. Everyone else on the bus had booked only a 1-day tour to Naples and Pompeii that would return to Rome at night. So what was cool about my 3-day tour was the fact that I spent each day with a different group of people.
We left for Naples early in the morning, so early that frost covered the ground around Rome as well as the fields we drove through after leaving the city. But by the time we arrived in Naples, it had heated up and the sun bathed us with warmth and provided this stunning view of Naples Bay with an ancient Roman fortress and Mount Vesuvius, yes THE Mount Vesuvius, in the background.
Naples Bay
Bay of Naples with bird #1
Bay of Naples with bird #2
Naples
Me at the Bay of Naples
We then drove from Naples to Pompeii, the number one destination in Italy that, for years, I had been dying to visit. More than Florence, more than Rome, it was Pompeii that I wanted to see first and foremost. And when I found it as a part of a marvelous 3-day tour of Southern Italy, I was all about that!! Before heading into the ruins, we first ate a multi-course lunch at a hotel right outside of the entrance to the ruined city. During lunch, I sat with four girls from Australia, one of which was the woman who would be with me for the next three days. And then after lunch, it was finally time.
POMPEII!! I could have cried. I turned the corner and there was this courtyard surrounded in columns, columns at least 2000 years old!
Those columns though!
The first courtyard we entered. Took my breath away. You can even see Mt. Vesuvius a little behind the trees.
I couldn't believe I was finally there. After learning about it in high school for so many years (in Latin class particularly), and then in college in my archeology class, I was finally there. It is believed that the town of Pompeii was founded in the seventh or sixth century BC and was taken over by the domination of Rome in the fourth century BC. It was a significant economic town for the Roman Empire with a population of approximately 11,000 people. In 79AD, Mount Vesuvius, erupted destroying many of the surrounding towns, including Pompeii. Pompeii was located too far from the volcano to come in contact with its erupting lava but was close enough that it was completely buried in volcanic ash and pumice. These materials preserved a great deal of the town 4-6 meters beneath the ground; it was those volcanic materials that enabled the city to be seen as it is today, nearly 2000 years later, so well preserved.
The people of Pompeii had a plumbing system, shops, theaters, brothels, temples, baths, and homes. In my opinion they were shockingly advanced. I don't know what it is, but today we seem to think that those who lived so long ago lived so differently than we do now. I mean, of course it was very different, but there were also some shocking similarities that we assume these people are too much of neanderthals to produce or sustain. The remains show us that the town was laid out very much like a modern day village with a grid of streets, sidewalks, cultural hubs, religious hubs, shopping areas, and residential areas. I could picture people walking around up and down the streets, carrying foods back home after a day of shopping or walking their children to the temples for worship or heading to the forum to talk politics with friends and opponents. On the most basic level, not drastically different from our day-to-day lives!
Our first stop on the tour was the Roman theatre. You can image how I felt. We had just passed through that courtyard that almost made me cry, then you take me to a theatre!?
The Roman Theatre
Me on the Stage
Stadium Seating
A main street lined with shops which are proven to have sliding doors as entrances. Sliding doors 2000 years ago?! Yep!
House of Menander, one of the best preserved, wealthy homes.
The Atrium (or Foyer) of the House of Menander. A window existed overhead and rain water would have been collected in that rectangular pool in the middle of the atrium.
You see how incredibly well some of the original frescos have been preserved?! Insane and beautiful!
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The colors are still so rich. And you can still clearly see the drawing of a column.
All wealthy homes had these large courtyards in the middle.
A famous surviving fresco in the House of Menander
Another street lined with buildings
The Central Bath House
One of the baths in the Central Bath House
The famous Erotic Frescos in one of the many brothels in Pompeii. Sort of worked as a menu. Come on in and point to what you want!
Another moment my breath was taken away: entering the main forum of Pompeii with Mount Vesuvius in the background. Stunning.
Remains of a temple (see the columns?) in the forum in front of the volcano that was ultimately that temple's demise.
Me in the forum
One of my last views of the ruins at Pompeii before we headed back to the bus.
It had been such beautiful day to visit the city, with a cloudless, blue sky and barely anyone else touring through the ruins. I just couldn't believe that all of that had been buried beneath earth for so many centuries before excavations began in the late 18th century. While everything above the ground, ways of life, fashion, foods, technology, art etc were evolving, beneath the ground Pompeii remained frozen in time. And there are still excavations being done. It will be years, maybe decades, before everything is unearthed, and I am sure studies on the artifacts that have been found will continue for a very, very long time. The discovering and the learning never ends!
After the tour, the Australian woman, Lauren, and I were escorted to a private van while everyone else got back on the coach bus to return to Rome. It was about a 40 minute drive to Sorrento. We arrived at the Hotel Michelangelo around 5:30. We checked into our lovely rooms and relaxed a bit before dinner. The hotel's breakfast and dinner was included in the price of the 3-day tour, so we got to enjoy two lovely breakfasts and two lovely dinners at the hotel over the next two days. Lauren was super sweet and we bonded pretty quickly. Funny thing was I thought she was probably in her mid-20s when in reality she was in her mid-30s. Crazy! But we still got along really well.
My hotel room
Hotel Michelangelo with the dining room in the distance
The next day was a free day to either spend in Sorrento or go to the Amalfi Coast. Lauren and I decided to do both! We first spent about in hour in Sorrento. From that hour, I knew I loved this small coastal town. Sorrento is the safest city in Italy and has been named one of the safest cities in all of Europe! And you really feel that there. I felt safe and comfortable and felt that I could just explore without a worry in the world! And the fact that the city is just super beautiful and adorable doesn't hurt one bit.
Christmas in Sorrento
Sorrento was seriously DECKED OUT for Christmas!
Yep, I saw palm trees in December!
After our quick walk around the city, we took a bus ride to the famous coastal town of Positano. Trust me, you've seen pictures of Positano before! We paid 2.50 euro for the bus ride… but I would have paid SO MUCH more for that ride!! If I had to rank the most beautiful views I've ever seen in my life, the views I got on that bus ride would rank at the top! I may have paid 2.50 for those views, but they were seriously priceless.
Look at this! Climbing the hills over Sorrento. At the left of the pic you can see Mount Vesuvius.
BEAUTIFUL!
Yep, I'll take that house.
Are you kidding?!
Yep, that's the road we were driving on to get to Positano! Don't look down! haha
I just can't.
Welcome to Positano
We arrived in Positano after about 40 minutes on the bus. To me, it was the perfect, quintessential Mediterranean, coastal town, sandwiched in a corner between the majestic, cliffy hills. Lauren and I decided to walk down to the beach. And so the long descent began down narrow stairways squeezed between colorful, tiny, Italian homes. (I counted them on the way back up. About 660 steps.)
I'll live here too.
A beautiful abandoned church that I fell in love with. Gorgeous!
Me in Positano
My jaw hurt from dropping so much.
Going down the steps, getting closer to that glistening Mediterranean Sea.
Me on the beach at Positano. It was deserted that second week in December.
Artsy pic :)
So serene.
Me, all smiles in Positano
The classic view of Positano. Recognize it?? That clumping of colorful buildings??
We stayed in Positano for about two hours before taking that unbelievable bus route back to Sorrento. When we got back, we went to one of the best pizza places in Sorrento. We split a delicious cheese pizza and then headed back out to explore the town some more. We explored the medieval area of the town, did some shopping, and leisurely walked around and talked until dinner time.
The view of the Bay of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius from Sorrento
The super adorable, narrow streets of Sorrento
Gotta love Christmas in Italy
Hotel Michelangelo, where we stayed for two nights.
The next day, we were joined by six Americans and a new guide, Marco, who would take all of us to the famous Italian island of Capri. Capri in the summer is a hot spot for celebrity guests. Remember how I said the views I got from that bus ride would be at the top of my list of best views I've ever experienced? Well, views I got from Capri actually beat those views, if you can believe it! Just wait and see!
We had to take a ferry from Sorrento to Capri. This is a view of Sorrento as we pulled away on the ferry.
View of a 2nd century palace built by a Roman Emperor on the coast of Sorrento
Bye, bye for now Sorrento!
Hello Capri!! It was like a mirage! Just so stunning.
When we got off the ferry, Marco gave us some miraculous news: the Blue Grotto was open! The Blue Grotto is this amazing cave on Capri. You get taken into the cave on a small row boat. The cave is 60 meters in length and when enough sunshine gets through the cave's opening, the water inside the cave glows blue, unnaturally blue, lighting up the entire cave! It's a marvel of nature! You would swear there is uplighting in the water, but NOPE! It's just the magic of Capri! Now, anytime of year, you are lucky if the Blue Grotto is open. But in December you are EXTREMELY lucky! The Grotto is often closed because its entrance is this teeny tiny little hole at the bottom of a cliff right on the coast of the island, and if the waves are simply decent-sized, the hole will be covered. Still, to get in through the hole on days when the waves are calm, visitors have to lay down in the boat to get inside! So, on the day we were there, the waves were calm enough that we could get in. Check out the pics!
In this pic, I am laying down in the row boat. Do you see the man opposite me laying down? Do you see the teeny tiny hole behind him that looks like he isn't going to fit through it? Yep, that's the entrance to the Blue Grotto. The rowers have to wait until the calm waves recede and then they enter at exactly the right time as to not smack our heads off the rocky top of the hole.
And there it is. Blue, blue water. Beautiful!
Yep, here's another pic of a man laying down in the row boat and the tiny hole the boat is about to enter. Crazy.
We returned to the original port and then boarded a bus up to the town of Capri. There are two towns on the island: Capri and Anacapri. The island is 70% pedestrian. Most residence have to walk 40 minutes down (and then back UP) hill to get to ANYTHING. Only one road runs across the entire island and there is only one roundabout. We took that one road up to the central square of the town of Capri. There was even a tiny Christmas market!
Classic boat picture of Capri
The town of Capri
Me in the central area of the town Capri
The central area of Capri
Looking at the cliffs leading to Anacapri, the other town, and the port below that we came into from Sorrento.
After a little bit of walking around Capri, it was time to get back on the bus and take that one road to Anacapri for lunch.
The view of Capri and Sorrento in the distance from the dangerously narrow road heading to Anacapri. Amazing.
We had a nice lunch in Anacapri at a tradition, small, family-owned restaurant. Very classically Italian. Then we had time to either explore Anacapri OR… take a 15 minute chairlift ride to the highest point on the island. When Marco showed us the chairlift, I had a mini conniption. I mean a 15 minute ride on a single-seater chairlift to the top of the beautiful island… HELLZ YES!!
Me on the chairlift. Just a little excited.
The chairlift
When the chairs passed that tree on the left, the incline seriously increased! But I wasn't scared or nervous at all! On the contrary, the ride was this exhilarating mixture of thrill and relaxation.
And then we reached the top… looking over the Mediterranean. It was the views from the top of this hill that shockingly were able to beat out the ones from the bus ride the previous day.
Just. Un. Real.
The town of Capri and Sorrento in the distance.
I couldn't smile big enough to express how happy I was at the top of that hill. I mean look at Sorrento in the distance. Looks like a painting!!
I didn't want to leave. I could have stayed on that hill for hours. Just looking over the stunningly blue and mesmerizingly calm Mediterranean Sea was cathartic! I felt so many emotions. I couldn't stop smiling because I was just so happy. I was even laughing at just how ridiculously unreal the views were. And I also wanted to cry because I knew I only had about 15 minutes up there and knew that the pictures would never do it justice. So I only had those 15 minutes to try and let it all sink in. But, in reality, I don't know if any amount of time would be sufficient enough to take all of that natural beauty in. You may think I am being overdramatic, but that only proves that these pictures do not do it justice. You wouldn't get it unless you've experienced it for yourself. Until then, just take my word for it.
The steep chairlift ride back down from the hill.
And when that 15 minute ride back to the lower elevations of Anacapri was over, our time on the island of Capri had come to an end. It was time to return to Sorrento. We took the ferry back to the mainland and said goodbye to Marco. We were picked up by a driver and taken back to our hotel to pick up our luggage. We were then taken to Pompeii where we transported ourselves and our luggage onto the coach bus of tourists who had just taken the tour of Pompeii that we had taken two days previous. And we were off, back to Rome. I slept most of the way. The past two days had been rather relaxing in Sorrento, Positano, and Capri, but I was still quite exhausted. We arrived back in Rome around 8:30. I said goodbye and a huge thank you to Lauren who I had travelled with and ate multiple meals with and shared some amazing experiences with. I am super lucky I had her to accompany me around Southern Italy. I had to spend one more night in my Rome hostel and then it was time to return to Edinburgh. The next morning, I headed to the airport super early and got back "home" in the evening.
My trip to Italy had been a complete success!! I had done a lot on my own and everything had gone as planned. The weather was perfect, places were surprisingly empty, and I had had the Italian trip of a lifetime in a little over 5 days. I retuned to 3 days of extensive cramming for my Celtic Civilizations exam, cramming that drove me even crazier than the 2 days I had to study for Medieval Scottish History the previous week. BUT, I would not have changed my Italian travel plans for anything!
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