From Naples to Edinburgh (and everything in between!)

I'm not even sure how to begin! There has been so much going on lately. Out of the last 16 days, I've been traveling for 13 of them. I've been on so many buses, trains, airplanes, subways, and city streets it makes my head spin to think about it!

In the interest of not having this blog be miles long and bore my audience, I'll just give the general overview of where I've been and specify a few of the highlights also.

SOUTHERN ITALY:
We started out with a school trip to Naples and southern Italy. Such a cool place. I could definitely see the differences between the north and south of Italy. Naples had its charm, but was much wilder, run-down, and dirtier than Florence. Beautiful cathedral, though. We also traveled to the Amalfi Coast for a day, visiting the cities of Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. Fantastic views, just like you see in the movies. Blue water, high cliffs with idyllic little towns built up them. I loved the beach at Positano, and the charming little square in Ravello, a mountainous town.

We also took a day trip to the island of Capri. Without a doubt, the memories of that day are going to be with me forever. Five of the girls and I explored the island and found a secluded little cove, with the characteristic loose stone beach. The water was so clear and cold it took your breath away. But we swam anyway, out away from the shore, where you could look up at the cliffs towering above you on the island. So cool. And relaxing. We had lunch at a small bar on the beach in the sun. An almost perfect day.

Another major highlight of the trip was Pompeii and Herculaneum. Mount Vesuvius, which erupted in AD 79 and destroyed both those cities sits on one side of the Bay of Naples. Pompeii sits at its feet and is such an awesome place. Seeing buildings and frescoes and streets that were walked by ancient Italians even before the time of Christ was so awe-inspiring. It is so well-preserved.

After a few days with the school, six friends and I decided to strike out on our own and see a little bit more of the south. We had a loose plan, and we just went, hopping trains and buses. We went to Sorrento, and Salerno, and finally Bari, a small town in the region of Puglia, the "heel" of the Italy boot. It was quite the experience, spending a cold night in a train station. But we had a great time. I felt like I bonded with the people who went. I'm making good friends here.

ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND:
Then, if that wasn't enough adventure, three friends and I had made plans to go to England this past weekend to visit two former teachers and their daughter who are now living in Newcastle upon Tyne, in the northern part of the country. It was quite the trip, with a lot of traveling to get there. We had a great weekend, though, visiting Edinburgh, Scotland and the Lake District of England. So beautiful. We visited the home of William Wordsworth and also the home of Beatrix Potter. We also got to spend half a day in London to see some of the sights there, including Westminster Abbey, which may be one of my favorite places in the world! We were very English for the weekend, having a proper tea with scones, jam, and clotted cream. Delicious!

Now I've finally made it back to school and gotten settled back into the routine. Tomorrow, we have a daytrip to the medieval towns of Volterra and San Gimignano. Can't wait for that!

I feel so blessed to be able to see all these things. It amazes me that I have crossed a continent and seen three countries in just a matter of days. This is why I wanted to come here: to have experiences like these!