Disposable camera (#2) but memories that will last forever...

A few weeks ago (3 and a half!! It's hard to believe..!), I journeyed to the Amalfi Coast with a group called Florence For Fun, which organizes group trips to various destinations in Italy and throughout Europe. We braved the unknown and got to see Sorrento, Capri, Positano, and Pompeii. With consistently gorgeous backdrops, we had many, many adventures, like going into the Blue Grotto (one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Italy?) in a row boat through a tiny hole in a cliff, surviving the surprises of Hotel Cavour (including broken keys and bad, baaad coffee), slurping down delicious granites, seeing the amazing ruins in Pompeii, and climbing Mt. Vesuvius.

We had good fun but were exhausted upon our return to Florence late Sunday night and were very glad to catch a few hours of shuteye before I had to be up and at 'em bright and early Monday for my class trip to Venice! Bleary-eyed but ready to go, I arrived at the train station at 8am, looking forward to an intensive day of visits to various churches and sites throughout the city (with our English professor who is married to a Venetian and lives right outside of the city--we were so lucky to have such an experienced guide who knew exactly where she was going in the maze of a city). After a full day exploring lovely, gorgeous, magical Venice, I was ready to go back again! I am hoping to make another stop there before I leave Italy in December.

Here are a few pictures I cranked and snapped disposable camera style throughout the weekend:

AMALFI COAST WEEKEND:

Caroline and I with a stormy Capri behind us (the weather cleared up, don't worry!)

The "Blue" Grotto, which, if you can imagine, was actually the most gorgeous, glowing aqua blue that I have ever seen. See that black section over there on the left hand side? Yeah, it was BLUE. Like really, really blue. Look it up, I promise I'm not making this up.

A cute little pooch we spotted in the town of Positano. (Mom? Dad? Can we get one?)

Mary Raine, Caroline, and I with the lovely backdrop for our afternoon at the beach. We decided it was fairly attractive.

A view down one of the main streets in the city of Pompeii. Super cool, right?

Posing in front of the crater (word choice?) of Mt. Vesuvius. We virtually walked straight uphill on a giant pile of tiny volcanic rocks and almost fell multiple times. Don't worry, as expected, the Italian women plowed straight up the thing in their 4-inch wedges and heels.


DAY TRIP TO VENICE:

Margaret and I extra happy on our one-minute-cross-the-canal gondola ride! (That's my professor's shoulder in the corner)

Just one of the many views in Venice that left me speechless.

MR and I on the balcony at San Marco

A glance out the window on our water taxi back to the train station. Just lovely.

All in all, it was a truly wonderful jam-packed weekend. I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to visit so many remarkable and beautiful places while I am here. It's really something.

Ciao for now,
Grace