Ciao from Naples, Italy!

     My first trip to Italy was everything I could have imagined and more. Aurora and I spent five days with her Aunt and Uncle who graciously hosted us in Naples. Our time was spent eating, exploring and relaxing on the balcony. The weather was a beautiful 60-70  degrees all weekend and we took full advantage!

My first gelato experience!

An entire rainbow of espresso choices.

A very American breakfast of pancakes and eggs. Oh how I missed this.

 The excavated site of Ercolano (once under 60 ft of volcanic ash).

The frescos at Ercolano are incredibly well preserved because natural elements weren't able to reach the ash-covered city.

My first Italian pizza. It was love at first sight.

 Our hosts set up an elegant dinner at a restaurant literally built on top of ancient ruins.

 The Fiat 500 that stole my heart. I'll be back for you, love.

Exploring the site on the other side of Mt. Vesuvius: Pompeii.

Mt. Vesuvius erupted so quickly that people were cast in stone before even being woken up. This is a man that was sleeping when the volcano erupted.

 The view of the Amalfi coast while heading to Positano.

 And my favorite part of the trip: Positano!

Aurora and I had such a nice time in Naples and we are thankful that there are people like Don and Dorinda, who welcomed us into their home with open arms. Their hospitality was heart-warming.

I am counting down the days until I return to Italy. Next stops: Rome and Florence.

Santorini and Naxos with the Family

     It still doesn't seem real that I was lucky enough to spend an entire week with my family on the Greek islands of Santorini and Naxos. We rented a car on each of the islands and made the most of our time. Santorini was smaller than Naxos and had tons of beautiful houses, churches, and beaches. Naxos was equally incredible, but a bit less touristy and offered unique landscapes filled with local farms. We enjoyed each island immensely, and I can't wait to see these goofballs again in May.

I will begin with some pictures from our time on Santorini:

 The front of Atlantis Books (a very cute bookstore worth the search).

We toured a wine museum which turned out to be a pretty creepy experience...

Complete with talking (and moving) characters.

The wine tasting at the end made up for the whole creepy side of the museum.

Anne Marie found a snail!

Although the weather was a bit chilly, Anne Marie convinced me to hop in the infinity tub with her. We stayed in for about 3.5 minutes before running back to our villa.

And on to Naxos!

We stayed at Naxos Resort which was beautiful!

I miss my family so much, but the trip was a great reminder of how close they will always be to me. This past week I was in Naples, Italy and I will try to put up a post soon! Today is Greece's independence day and I have the day off from classes. Aurora, Ashley and I went to a parade and tonight we are going out to dinner with friends. Miss you all!

Kisses, Katie