Rainy Day in Taormina

I was so excited to visit Taormina. I heard it had some of the most beautiful views, it was a beach area and Etna was not too far. However, Taormina ended up being a rainy day for us. :/ I enjoyed my time there but I just need to go back again on a sunny day.  :)   

We were a little lost when we got off the train. The train station isn't in the center of the city like most train stations. 

This is the view outside the central train station. From here we decided to take a bus to the center. 

Taormina's main attraction is its Amphitheater. 

It usually has the best view but that day all we got was this. 

So I had fun finding places to take pictures at. 

The amphitheater itself is beautiful. 

The atmosphere was nice and there weren't too many people because of the rain. 

See, not too many people. Hehe. 

I love seeing cactus around Italy because it reminds me of my family. <3 

This was a cute little area but any time you see my on top of a rock it means I had to climb to get there. It was challenging. 

This one was a much easier. 

More nopales. :)

I will return one day Taormina. <3 I Love Sicily.
Mia♡ 

I'm On A Boat!

Day 3 of our trip we headed off to Capri!!! 

Boats! Boats! Boats!

Lucy, Me and Laura on the ferry to Capri!

 Capri's beauty amazes me. 

This pastry was the perfect pick me up after our ride to the island. It was tasty and inexpensive. 

We took a tour around the island. This is a lighthouse we passed. We also saw statues, rock formations and the houses of Sophia Loren, Giorgio Armani and other famous Italians. 

We went under the Arch of Love. Couples kiss while passing under the arch to spend many years of happiness together. 

Laura and I enjoying the tour. 

I was so glad to finally get some sun. Winter lasted too long this year! Here I was waiting to get into the famous Grotto Azzurro (Blue Grotto).

This is in the Blue Grotto. All natural lighting with water as blue as can be. I couldn't believe the color of the water. 

While in the Grotto the men guiding us on the boats were singing different Italian songs. The acoustics were amazing. 

There's my boat!

I was the only one to go in the water! The girls just wouldn't budge. 

:) O Capri, Non vedo l'ora per tornare. Forse il prossimo estate. :)

The Girl Who Went To The Top Of A Volcano

The same day I went to Pompeii I went up the volcano that destroyed it. This was my favorite activity out of my whole trip! It was something I never pictured myself doing so when I actually did it I couldn't believe it. 

Going up to Mt. Vesuvius was a mission. We bought our tickets and were told it would be 30 minutes wait. Well, it was an Italian holiday that day and many Italians were out for family picnics in the area and what not. Let's just say that 30 minutes became 2 hours!! We were worried that we wouldn't be able to go up at all but luckily everything was sorted out. In the end, the wait was worth while. 

This is me waiting at the bus stop.
 
We got all the way to the entrance by bus. We are getting closer!

Then we had to take these bad boys all the way to the top. Look at those wheels!

These were the roads and views on the way up.

The higher we went the more beautiful the views.

This is me and Laura waiting to explore Vesuvius. 

These were breathtaking. 

When we got dropped off we still had to climb 20 minutes up hill to the very top. I'm telling you guys it was a mission getting to Vesuvius. 

I am amazed every day by Italy's beauty. 

Finally made it!

This is the very center of Mt. Vesuvius. If you look closely you can see the smoke coming out!

I could have stayed up there forever. 

 

These were fun to find. :)

 

Of course Baby Jesus was up there too. 

I left my mark. ;) 

It was nice to relax for awhile just looking out. <3 

We were ecstatic up there and left feeling accomplished. 

Pompeii Ruins

On the second day of our Naples trip we went to the Pompeii ruins. For those who don't know, in 79 AD Mt. Vesuvius erupted leaving Pompeii practically destroyed. It was lost for years before being discovered in the 1700s. 

 

This the Porta Marina entrance. Before Mt. Vesuvius erupted, Pompeii was closer to the seaside. 

 

The views from this area were amazing.

It's mind blowing how old these are. 

An old school oven. 

This is the amphitheater.

Funny thing about this pic...it was prohibited to go into the theater so me and Lucy snuck in to take these pics! What a rush! So worth it though. 

These trees were tall and wide. What beauty. 

I am smiling in these pics and it was nice to get a peak at how Italians lived years ago but it was bittersweet. Mother nature is so powerful and can often destroy cities in a blink of an eye. Makes you appreciate what you have right now no?