Hej Hej! Or should I say Ciao! I mentioned a few blog posts back that Stockholm could be the second Italy of the world due to all of the Italian restaurants that seem to be on every corner. Last week though, I got to travel to the real Italy!
At DIS Stockholm, we get one week out of the semester to travel independently. Many people went to places such as Prague and Germany, but my friends, Grace and Roxanne (fellow Wofford students), and I decided we would pack our bags and head to the land of carbohydrates!
While I have not had as much of a language barrier in Sweden, thanks to mostly everyone speaking English, this was not the case in Italy. We went to Rome for four days and then spent the rest of our time on the Amalfi Coast in Positano. Coming from the cold of Stockholm, we were expecting rays of sunshine and warmth for a few days. Unfortunately, we checked and checked the weather app, but Mother Nature had her own ideas. The cold of Italy did not compare to the cold of the Nordic, though.
One of our warmest days in Rome called for dresses!
When in Rome, we ate lots of yummy pizzas and plates of pasta, of course! We visited the Vatican museums and got to go on a tour of the Colosseum. It was so amazing to walk through the sites there that contained hundreds of years of history. We even got blessed by the Pope on Sunday! While we did have fun in Rome, we could not wait to get on to our next destination for a slower pace!
I felt like we were locals in Positano due to our Airbnb being further away from the hotels and on the same street (more like an alleyway) as those living there year-round. There was a beautiful church right down the way from us, and the streets were filled with cute cats! We named the cat that was outside our door every day Martin. He was a sassy little thing! And just when I did not think the authentic Italian food could get any better, the restaurants of Positano proved me wrong. The best meal there was my truffle ravioli. (I am a sucker for anything truffle.) I could eat that meal for the rest of my days.
The best day in Positano, though, was when we had signed up to be chartered to Capri and spent a few hours there. Capri Blue is a real thing, and the water surrounding the coast is breathtaking. I will be going back to Positano as soon as possible!
The BEST truffle ravioli I have ever had
Setting sail from Positano to Capri!
This experience was excellent, and I am so happy I had the opportunity to share it with my friends! As much as I loved Italy, I could not wait to be back in Stockholm. I did not think I had considered Sweden to feel like home yet but being away for a week made me appreciate my time here so much more! The best part about being abroad is not only getting to experience the culture in another country but being so close to other countries that are usually hours of travel away when back in the United States.