It's been a while since I updated!
For good reason. I moved into a new apartment in late July. Then, the day after I moved the last item out of my old place, I had to hop on a plane to Italy. Let me tell you, I don't recommend moving in the week before a big trip. Slightly stressful!
But I made it into my new place (and still have all sorts of unpacking to do). The trip was amazing. First was Rome. I was there for a work meeting, and got to spend time exploring the city with my coworkers. Though I ended up seeing a lot of the things I saw the first time I was in Rome (the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Pantheon, etc.) I also saw some new areas. Probably the highlight was visiting the Castel Sant'Angelo at night. I would highly recommend that! It's not one of Rome's most well-known attractions (we didn't even walk by it last time), but it was a very neat experience. We even got to walk along the wall that served as the Pope's escape route from the Vatican.
After Rome I separated from my coworkers and went down to the Amalfi Coast. I spent the better part of the week in that area of Italy, called Campania. It was incredible. I stayed in locals' apartments using the website Airbnb. I would definitely recommend it for the cost-conscious traveler! My accommodations varied from my own room in an apartment to a blow up mattress in a shared room. All were decent enough, and one in particular allowed for some very special memories.
I stayed with a very nice couple in the small village of Erchie, located on the Amalfi Coast between Cetara and Maiori. It was quite a walk from the bus stop to get to the place, but the view was gorgeous. The highlight was the day that the couple took me and my fellow travelers, a young Canadian couple, out in their rowboat. We went into caves and had lunch on a secluded beach. It was an absolutely amazing experience. During my visit to the coast I also took a ferry to Sorrento and toured around the towns of Amalfi and Ravello. I didn't quite make it to Positano and Capri, which are two of the most famous destinations there, but all the more reason to go back!
I also spent time in Salerno, which was my base to visit the ancient sites at Paestum and Pompeii. Both were awe-inspiring.
Now, the down-side of my trip. Over this last year, I've been experiencing some foot problems. It started in late 2014 when I noticed some discomfort on the inner side of my right foot. The podiatrist identified the issue as one of my sesamoid bones, which are located on the tendon at the big toe joint. It was unclear whether the bone was fractured or not. Whatever the reason for the pain is, it is a problem that is very stubbornly hanging on. It was feeling better at the beginning of my trip, but was still causing me grief. The pain became exacerbated after all the walking I did, especially on the day I visited Pompeii. It got to the point where every step was painful, and I had to bypass certain areas of the ruins just because they would have required me to deviate from the most direct route to the exit.
So now that I'm home, I'm back in the therapeutic waking boot that I wore for several months earlier this year. It allows me to walk without bending my foot, which is what causes the discomfort. It seems the way I was walking in Italy, compensating for my original injury, has inflamed the metatarsal area of the foot. Meaning, pretty much the whole ball of my foot hurts now.
Still, I got to see amazing sights in Italy and have some wonderful experiences. So I would say it was worth it.
