Day 4: Amalfi Coast

After just one night's stay in Salerno, we checked out of the hotel and boarded the bus to the port where we caught a traghetto (ferry) to Amalfi. The cloudy skies and distant lightning prompted us to stay below deck for the first leg of our tour of la costiera amalfitana (Amalfi coast), but even from below the views were stunning and we enjoyed the fresh salt air of the ocean through open windows. Soon, we arrived in Amalfi where the sun had finally emerged from behind the clouds to greet us. We enjoyed a couple of hours exploring the coastal town, climbing up steep stairs to experience the view from higher vantage points, and indulging in the local specialty sweet, sfogliatella. Sfogliatella is a crisp, crunchy pastry filled with ricotta sweetened with honey and candied orange peel. Other highlights of Amalfi were the many ceramic stores, shops selling brightly coloured clothing, and a church decorated with gold with a medieval castle visible up in the mountains beyond. Since we had explored in smaller groups, we were able to share our diverse experiences on the next traghetto to Positano and discovered that some students had even seen donkeys in their travels! With the sun glistening off the deep blue water, we enjoyed the fresh breeze in our hair and the warmth of the sun on our faces as we travelled further along the coast to our next destination. Once we arrived in Positano, we immediately saw that it was much busier than Amalfi. We took the opportunity to grab a bite to eat for lunch and explore more shops similar to those we had visited in Amalfi. If one were to create a mood board of both towns, it would surely feature vibrant blues, lemon yellows, citrus fruits, ceramics, and quaint mountain homes against crisp white backgrounds with waves crashing against the shores. Our final traghetto back to Salerno offered an opportunity to relax and enjoy the scenery and take a moment to absorb our experiences. Upon disembarking, it was straight onto our final transport for the day, a bus to Orvieto. It was a long trip on the bus and featured many winding roads up the mountain. Some of us managed to get some rest while others shared snacks and stories to entertain themselves while looking forward to a homely meal at our farmstay. The sun had set before we arrived at Agriturismo l'Elmo, and we experienced for the first time a later dinner service than we were used to but that is the norm in Italy. Dinner consisted of three courses: strozzapreti ai funghi (a typical pasta dish featuring mushrooms in the sauce), cinghiale con cavolo e torta (wild boar stew with cabbage and soft bread), and a slice of cake for dessert. By the time we finished our meal, most of us were struggling to keep our eyes open so we retired to our cosy rooms with their walls of stone ready to enjoy a nice long sleep after a long day of travelling.