Ah we finally had our free weekend! It was so nice to get away from the schoolwork and just have a weekend of relaxation with friends. I booked this trip (Bus2Alps) not really knowing what to expect. I had heard mixed reviews, but decided to take a chance on it. We had 4 destinations: Sorrento, Capri, Positano, and Pompeii. I looked up some google images and I, of course, learned about Pompeii in school, so I figured it would be worth the risk. AND SO IT WAS.
The group met in Florence. I hopped a train from Arezzo with my bag filed with 3 days worth of clothes and necessities. We got on a bus and headed on our 6 hour voyage. Many people from the group were from my school, so that was very comforting. I slept most of the way, and I was lucky enough to have a window seat on the bus. I woke up at 2am to a microphone saying, “Okay guys, we are here!” I look over out the huge window I am laying against, and my breath was taken away. We were nearly driving along a cliff overlooking the coast and it almost felt like we were driving on the water. It was the start to something amazing.
Imagine looking in a hmm..let’s say a National Geographic magazine. You know those photos of the tropical islands with the beautiful beaches, large rocks sitting in the middle of the ocean, and see-through blue water? Well that was my reality. Right in front of my face! I looked at this place in disbelief. I had to ask myself, “Is this real? Am I really here right now?” I never knew places this beautiful actually existed.
Day 1: Capri. The first day was our Capri excursion. We took a ferry across the clear blue water and ended up at the island. They took us all around until we reach a little hole and they asked us if we wanted to go in! It was actually the blue grotto and inside there was bright glowing blue water. Apparently, it is “illegal” to get in the water inside the blue grotto, but many of the tour guides will let you jump in for 3 Euros or so. I decided to go in and pay my dues to jump in, and boy was it worth it. The water was unbelievable. It glowed bright blue and we were essentially inside of a cave. Afterwards, we circled the island and eventually got off at a port. Capri was a wonderful little city. It was something from a movie to be quite honest. At the top of this hill was a view like you would not imagine! We then got to go up even higher and take some chair lifts up even HIGHER to see the whole entire island. I was completely blown away. I walked around the top of the island by myself and due to the high elevation and my amazement; I was literally out of breath, BLOWN AWAY haha.
Day 2: Positano. Today was our beach day in Positano, which is a village right off the coast of Amalfi. It looks like stack and stack of little buildings that all lead to the bluest beach you had ever seen. We made the long hike to the beach and decided to all pitch in to get a boat. The boat was wonderful! It was the perfect size, with fun music to dance to. The driver took us all around the water and to a cave where we all jumped into the Mediterranean Sea and swam into caves. He then drove us to a cliff. At first, I told myself I probably was not going to plummet off of this cliff. It was about 25 foot high. I decided to climb it and see what it had to offer, anyway. My daredevil side came out in me and I was hungry for adrenaline. I ended up climbing higher and found myself atop a 35-40 feet tall cliff. I looked down and wondered how deep the water was. I decided that the longer I thought things through, the less likely it was for me to jump. Then, I just went for it! I jumped! It was the most exhilarating moment of my life. When I came up out from the water, all I could do was yell for joy. I took some deep breaths and went back for one more jump. I felt so free! I only wish I could visit Positano at least one more time in my life.
Day 3: Pompeii. There was a change of pace when going to Pompeii. We were all worn out from cliff jumping and being sun burned at Capri and Positano. Our tour in Pompeii lasted about 2.5 hours and I learned so many things and even got to see Mount Vesuvius. We learned a lot about the rich history of Pompeii and about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that essentially destroyed the town. It was amazing to see it in real life as opposed to reading about it in books or watching documentaries. Our tour guide really knew his facts. It was great seeing someone who had so much passion. I love meeting and connecting with people who show passion for anything!
Bus2Alps definitely exceeded my expectations of my free weekend experience. I am still in awe that it actually happened. Again, I am so extremely grateful to be here, let alone have the ability to amazing places like these.