Saying Goodbye

My last few weeks in Alicante were almost somber. It's a weird feeling to prepare to leave a place you've lived in for 4 months. I guess you could say nostalgia already hit me. I spent my last week running around to all the places I liked to visit and took pictures. I climbed the Santa Barbara Castle one last time.



Strolled along La Rambla, took a siesta on the beach and walked along all the shops near Plaza Luceros.



Due to a friend I also discovered nisperos which are known as loquats in the States and are AMAZING. I just found out they grow in some of the southern parts of the States so I'm going to scavenge for them in grocery stores now. Its like a mix between a kiwi and apricot. YUM YUM YUM.



My host mom even made me one last plate of Paella. Host dad Jesus insisted the wine be represented in this picture.



It was really hard for me to say goodbye to my host mom. Every time she saw me packing, she'd tear up and all I could think was how grateful I was to have such a compassionate and caring host mom. It was also difficult to say goodbye to the children I tutored. They were one of my highlights of my time abroad and I loved being able to watch them grow academically. Their family was so kind to me and I gave them my email and address so we can keep in touch. Little Eva and I are going to be Pen pals so she can practice her English! I miss her so much already!



When my plane took off, I knew the time came for me to say goodbye to Espana; or, I should say Hasta Luego. I know I'll be back one day to show others the place I not only studied, but explored foreign cultures and grew as a person. People always say that a study abroad experience can change your life, and I agree. Throwing yourself outside your comfort zone can teach you so much about yourself and others. You learn what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes and not panic when plans change. (Traveling will do that to ya!). I can honestly say that because of my my study abroad experience, I feel more prepared to finish my last year of university and enter the "real" world. I mean, after being stranded in Sorrento in the middle of the night, harassed by ticket checkers in Naples, feeling humbled by the Eiffel Tower, getting trapped in a human stampede during Las Fallas, and pondering the mysteries of the world at the top of the Santa Barbara Castle, I say real world, bring it on.

Just follow the Canal ....

The audacity of people to build marble palaces on a sinking marsh still amazes me. While floating down the canals of Venice, you pass by quaint villas and old palaces in all their Venetian charm. Walls of lilacs are draped over crumbing walls and Gondolas gather in bunches to tourists delight.



During our visit to Venice we stayed inland in the little town of Mirano to save money. While figuring out the public transportation system was a pain, it was nice to see parts of Italy untouched by tourists. Old abandoned houses were overgrown with wildflowers and vines while others stood proudly next to their gardens and roaming farm animals. There even were some old mansions that were clearly built in Venice’s heyday.

We slowly found out that our choice of town was a bit out of the way, but we did find our way into Venice eventually! With our water transportation tickets in hand we floated towards San Marco’s plaza to see the famous Basilica.



The church was closed that day so we walked through the tiny side streets surrounding the Plaza. We soon learned that Venice is laid out like a labyrinth, but we found a little restaurant that Lonely Planet recommended and sat down for our first plate of Italian Spaghetti. Let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint and ran a pretty good race next to my grandma’s, but I do wish the serving size was a bit more generous.



After lunch we hunted down some gelato and took a tour of the Palazzo Ducale. The Palazzo used to hold the Italian equivalent to the CIA and was where Casanova was held captive for "seducing nuns".

After our tour we hit up a local pizza shop near S. Toma. This was probably the BEST pizza I’ve ever had EN MI VIDA; it even beat out pizza in Naples. We sat near the “pizza-making counter” and I stared mesmerized by everything they put into the oven. If I had a bigger stomach, I’d have order the calzone too, it was as big as my head!

The next morning we ventured back to the Basilica. The inside of the church was magnificent. The ceilings were high and intricately laid with golden mosaics; each telling a story from the Bible. I can only imagine what people must have thought of this church when it was first built considering all other buildings were mainly wooden with low ceilings. Only the best for the remains of Saint Mark!



Next we took a boat over to Murano, the island of the glassmakers. Back in medieval times, if glass artisans left their island they could face execution. Venice managed to keep their glass making techniques a secret for centuries, but now the island welcomes visitors to tour the island and the museum. We visited the glass museum, which was rather small, but interesting. You’d never imagine everything that goes into glass blowing. That night we grabbed some more pizza and headed back to our tiny inland town.



Our last day in Venice we dropped off our luggage at the train station and headed to Rialto. This was one of the more bustling areas overflowing with chatty shop owners and shoppers. We enjoyed wandering the streets for a while before finding the Fashion Museum where we toured rooms of an old palace and got a glimpse at how Venetians lived. After one peak at a Countess' corset, I’m glad I was born in the 90s.

After grabbing gelato, we took a boat to Burano, the lace-making island.Another guarded secret of Venice, but what really caught my eye, and most of the photographers, was the color of the houses. Each house was painted a brillante blue, pastel pink or lime green. Suave purples popped up and yellow houses rounded the corners. It was a magical little place. Cute parks “laced” the island and locals were out and about heading to church and gathering with family, as it was Easter Sunday.

Colorful little Burano was the perfect end to Venice. Venice is probably one of the few cities you can have fun getting lost in because around every corner is a new surprise. Not the mention, the pizza and gelato are great. I left the island with a heavy heard and remedied it with, of course, more pizza before we caught our overnight train to Naples.

22, 345, 689, ONE THOUSAND steps

My explorations of the Thousand Steps of Positano and the Amalfi Coast.



On a Tuesday morning I set out for Italy’s famed Amalfi Coast. Traveling with my friend Emma, we took the train from Naples to Sorrento and then hopped on a bus to Positano. The bus was packed and while the guardrails were evident, every turn we took gave us a good glance at the ocean and threatened to drop us off the edge. Minus the curves, the views from the bus already proved the Amalfi Coast promising.



We made our first stop in the small town of Positano. Now this town scatters the cliffs in pastel houses grouping to a mosaicked church near the beach. Only one road runs through this town, and the other mode of transportation is, surprise, surprise, your own two feet! Staircases wind themselves throughout the town and they’re the easiest way to get down to the beach. Now whoever thought thousands of steps was easy baffles me, but it nonetheless provides the town with a classic charm.



We began our journey down the famed Thousand Steps of Positano and stopped for lunch at cliff side café. We munched on tomato and mozzarella sandwiches then continued till reaching sandy shores. Near the beach are cute shops, many hosting ceramics made by local artists. Gelato shops are of plenty and I grabbed my usual lemon chocolate mix before sitting down to rest. We walked by the pier and caught sight of some children playing in the sea spray that rose from pier-wave collisions. They were so cute twirling their umbrellas around and squealing when the waves rose to meet them.

With half the day past, we began our way back up the Thousand Steps; and by the way, there really are one thousand, we counted. Along our climb we encountered more breath taking views and made friends with a step-crossing snail. We also befriended an older Italian man who insisted we walk the road in order to enjoy the views properly; apparently huffing up the staircases is no way to see the town. Since time was running out we continued on our breathless climb and caught the next bus to Amalfi.

Amalfi is nestled within another cliffside that descends into a beach. The town was actually much larger that Positano and boasted an almost Moorish looking church in its center square. Little shops conqure every free space along the road hosting more ceramics, leather and the famous Lemonchello. We stopped in one shop to learn about the intoxicating lemon craze. As it turns out, family-run lemonchello breweres (if they're called that?) are abundent along the Amalfi coast and no wonder they've become so popular; the drink is basically pure alchohol with a lemon punch. Besides it's strong affects, its comes in a wide varity as families have added other fruit flavors and stored them into painted bottles. We purchesed mini-sized bottles that are airport security proof. Thank goodness, because I was not going to have another suntan lotion incident.


We browsed some shops to admire all the ceramics then sat down to dinner at a resturante facing the square. I once again I ordered pizza. I thought I might branch out for once, but considering Pizza is always delicous and always the cheapest option, it's hard to resist. I suppose you could say my "all carb Italy diet" turned into a "all Pizza Italy diet." Halfway through our meal, music resembling something from Celtic Women floated across the square. Minutes later, an assembly of people had gathered and I realized we were being provalaged to a politcal gathering. Elections are coming soon in Spain and I suppose Italy as well. We tested out our Spanish knowledge and could pick up a few words from the Italians' speeches. It lasted about an hour and we swapped travel stories with our dinner table neighbor from London. You always meet the most interesting people while traveling. You'd be surprised who you can befriend and the things you'll learn.

After dinner we made our way back out to the buses and headed towards Naples. While our plans became a bit ruffled when we realized the trains stopped running after we arrived at the station, we located a bus to Naples, and with the assistance of a local who spoke English, made it safely back to the hostel around 1am.

The Amalfi coast and the towns surrounding it are really a sight to behold. They're quaint, peacefull and every cliffside view leaves you breathless. I enjoyed being able to experience the little towns that seem to preserve Italian charm and culture so much more than the larger cities. Personally, the larger cities seem to be victims of globalization and tourism at present; but if you look hard enough, you'll find little treasures in the most unexpected places.

La Dulce Vida

Emma and I took on the little island of Capri on the last day of our Italy tour and thank goodness we did because the weather gods blessed us with sunny skies and light sea breezes.




The Island of Capri is a tranquil mix between resort town and local farmers. The hillsides are scattered with villas, little vineyards and gardens. Scaling up the cliffs are patches of trees and the backside of the Island seems to house the elite which once coined the phrase, La Dulce Vida. The grottos glow, the views are breath taking and everything lemon leaves a bittersweet taste on your tongue.



We arrived on the island by ferry around 9am. Sunshine was still spilling into the narrow streets of Capri Town and we wandered along cobblestone paths to take in our surroundings. Most of the town was still waking up, but shop owners and vineyard caretakers were up and about with their morning chores. Every street was lined with luxurious villas or the whitewashed houses of locals. More towards the main square, the side streets were home to Louis Vuitton and all his expensive brother and sister shops. Every window glittered with rhinestones or shone with silk-draped mannequins. After grabbing a croissant we took a bus up the twisty roads to Anacapri. This part of the island hosts more locals as quaint homes and gardens scatter across the rising peak. I’d read in my Lonely Planet book that Capri was known for its sandal making; so I’m guilty of seeking out the renowned sandal maker Antonio Viva.



He really is a charming old man. He sits outside his workshop, surrounded by sandals of every size shape and style. On approach, I could hear him humming a tune while he pieced together the sole of a sandal in making. I couldn’t resist. Antonio explained the majority of the old photographs pasted on his walls and in between learning the history of his business; I tried on about 15 pairs of sandals. I eventually opted for a simple pair with metallic gold straps. While he added the finishing touches, I couldn’t help but smile.



After receiving my hand made sandals, I located the chair lift that would take me to the peak of Capri. I was slightly unnerved in the beginning; however I soon learned the views make you forget the non-locking, thin metal bar holding you in place. From the top I could see the whole island and in the distance, Sorrento and Naples. There was a cool breeze being lifted off the sea and I laid about on the grassy cliff side to sunbath for about an hour. As difficult as it was, I descended the cliff via the chairlift in search of gelato. After acquiring my usually chocolate and lemon gelato cone (It really is delicious) I meandered back down to the Marina to locate a boat tour of the island. Unfortunately the water was too high to allow tours of the Blue Grotto, but I was very content with my island tour. The boat took us into grottos that were blooming with coral flowers, dripping with stalagtites and stalagmites (Grotta Bianca) and the Green Grotto, which glowed with the same electricity as the Blue Grotto. We saw natural arches, the Anacapri Light House, Villa Malaparte and drove through the Faraglioni. I suppose what captivated me the most was simply the color of the water; It was the most brillante blue I’ve ever seen. No doubt the Hawaiian Islands still have my bid for the clearest water, but here, the sparkling, shimmering, bright blue water is a sight in itself.



After the boat tour I laid on the rocky beach for an hour or two just to listen to the waves and read. Seriously guys, if you’re a book geek and like to travel, a kindle or any e-book is one of the best investments you’ll ever make. Once the sun set, I grabbed pizza from a restaurant on the Marina and befriend a Golden Retriever who graciously helped me finish my crusts. As I waited for the boat to take me back to Naples, I reflected on my day and decided that Capri has the ability to transport it’s visitors away from reality for a bit. I hope that one day I’ll be back, and for more than just a day.