Naples and the Amalfi Coast

After Pompeii, we decided to make the extra effort to take a 30 minute train ride to Naples just to taste the pizza. Our goal was "L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michelle", where author Elizabeth Gilbert ate in her book "Eat, Pray, Love", which Julia Roberts also reenacted in the movie based on the book. It was supposed to be a 10 minute walk from the train station but we had trouble finding it in the pouring rain. We were all tired and wet when we finally got there, but we lucked out because the restaurant was not the busy and the pizza was amazing. It was definitely worth the effort to go to Naples.

We tried to see if we could figure out where Julia Roberts sat in the restaurant during the movie. 

Brick-oven pizza.

We ordered double mozzarella pizza...so big and it was only 5 euros!
A coke and pizza= perfection. 

Trying to eat pizza like Julia Roberts and failing. 

Getting our picture with the owner.

The next day we got up early and took a bus to the Amalfi Coast. There are a couple of different towns on the Amalfi Coast and we were planning to go to Positano, but we didn't get off at the right stop and ended up going to the town of Amalfi. 

Although it was raining, we tried to take pictures through the bus windows. We were on a big coach bus that was winding around the side of the mountain, right on the edge of the cliff. It was scary at first but the coastline was so beautiful, you soon forgot about how close you were to the edge of the cliff and just stared in awe of the coastline. 

The winding road on the edge of the cliff.
Source

The water was light blue closer to the shore. The pictures through the bus windows do not do the  sea justice. 

The towns are built up on the side of a mountain overlooking the sea.

In the town of Amalfi. 

The sea was rough and water was coming up over the sides of the road.  The water was so powerful.   Some of the girls got drenched standing too close to the water.  

The small beach in Amalfi. 

A pretty church where we saw a wedding inside.

The Amalfi Coast was absolutely beautiful. It was raining so we didn't stay in Amalfi long, but the drive around the coast on the bus was worth it by itself. But it must be beautiful to visit the Amalfi Coast on a beautiful summer day. On the bus back to Sorrento, there were many high-school age students on the bus. They would get off at various points on the winding road and make their way up or down the mountain. I cannot imagine living here and having to live on the side of a mountain overlooking the sea.

After the bus dropped us back off in Sorrento, we walked through some of the markets before heading to dinner at "Taverna Rossa", where I had a great meal of spaghetti with zucchini. It was delicious and the meal was a perfect way to spend our last night in Sorrento together.

The next morning, we said goodbye to Luigi and Hugo and Hugo even drove us to the train station. It was sad to say goodbye to Sorrento and the surrounding area. I really loved it and I would definitely return.

A map of the area we traveled around for the last 5 days in Italy.
Source

Meaghan and I took the train back from Sorrento all the way to Leuven. In total, we took 7 different trains...

Sorrento to Naples

Naples to Rome

Rome to Padova

Padova to Munich

Munich to Cologne

Cologne to Brussels

Brussels to Leuven

It was a long trip, I think about 25 hours, but it was great to see the Italian and German countryside. It was absolutely breathtaking and sometimes seemingly unreal. When the sun was shining, the sky was bright blue and together with the cotton white clouds and the mountains, the landscape seemed surreal.

I had a great time spending a total of 16 days in Italy. It was an amazing experience and I will treasure the memories forever.