Giovedi, il 24 Febbraio: Castellammare/Amalfi

Muchos fotos de we- James & Sarah

The Almafi Coast is so beautiful. Naples is really fun. Our hotel is great. My room has a balcony that looks out to the Mediterranean Sea, so that’s not too terrible. Singing and making friends in Bracigliano was an unforgettable experience. Everyone was so friendly and excited to have us there. They had posted flyers all over the town advertising our concert. After our regular concert we performed “Funiculi Funicula” as an encore. Everyone stood up and started clapping along to the music. It was really fun to have people respond so well to the music. Also, I was very excited to find out that Sarah, Shane and Erin share my appreciation for SNL. And on that note, ding-dong…Ciao…what?

– Emily W.

To hear about the Amalfi Coast is incredible in its own right. In fact, just seeing pictures is enough to inspire you. However, seeing the Amalfi Coast is honestly the most awe-inspiring gift I’ve received in recent memory. You can watch a million movies that are filmed in similar locations, but seeing the mountains in person is far more amazing than the movies in which they are filmed. Knowing that falling 350 meters to an almost certain death is just behind a foot-thick, two foot tall concrete wall really makes you appreciate the scenery (don’t worry parents, we are all safe!!) The tiny town that we went to for lunch was beautiful; small shops full of homemade ceramics and pastas, and markets stocked with fresh fish line the little streets. The bright blue water contrasted with the ivory-white cliffs and the green trees is a sight that every human has the right to see; Having the chance to see our world in all its beauty is a right, not a privilege. We’re on the way to our second to last concert, and we’re preparing to see Pompeii tomorrow. This journey has been an incredible gift, and I’m sure all of us are dreading the return trip to JFK. The memories that we’ve made in the past week will sincerely last us for our entire life. I love music… Pretty much.

“The Lord bless you and keep you… and be gracious unto you.”

-Billy

Amalfi Coast. Day 7. Blue water. Sparkling sun. Lemons. Lots of lemons. Mountains. Cliffs. Little town. Delicious food. Local art. Books. Handmade paper. Leather bound. Ceramics. Ceramics covered in lemons. Fish. Flowers. Gardens. Winding roads. Beauty. Peace. Quiet music. Rocks sloping toward the sea. Town squares. Singing songs. White buildings. Little shops. Fountains. Little moments. Close friends. Don’t ever want to leave. Pictures. Pictures of scenery. Pictures of people. Playing games. Singing. Laughing. Reacting. Loving. Italy.

-Celia

So I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to compete with these last two entries, but I’ll do my best. Every day we see more, and every day we get closer. We’re all still excited about everything, but now it’s a quiet excitement, a comfortable excitement. Instead of huge affairs that we all jump and scream about, it’s quiet little moments between friends. And sometimes its not the people you would expect, but everyone’s mixing, and it’s wonderful. It’s getting a little colder here, but that’s okay because hugs are frequent and welcomed. The Amalfi Coast is like nothing I’ve seen before, and if I had the chance, I’d stay here for another week. Too bad we have this little thing called school and, oh yeah, America…

I know that everyone has been using the phrase ‘trip of a lifetime’, and it seems pretty corny, even to me, but that is truly the only way I can describe this experience. Nothing makes me happier to know that even though the seniors are going to college and we all will change, I’ll always have these memories with the people that I love so much.

-Carly

p.s. If you have never had lemon gelato from Amalfi lemons, you have never lived.

In the style of MLIA [My Life Is Average- Life is pretty normal today]:

Today, I ate three rolls for breakfast. After that, I boarded a small bus and sat with about 1/3 of the group on the way to The Amalfi Coast. In between eating more than my fair share of two plates of spaghetti, lasagna, two French fry pizzas and one margarita pizza and almost being blown off a giant rock, I bought a wine bottle cork. Wind(e)y roads with two lanes made for one helped fill up many a memory card. I realized, while tiptoeing through the tulips, that even the raging wind could not block out the smell of lemons nor teenagers’ innocent quest to watch frogs. Needing to go to the bathroom made the last 10 songs of our concert all the more enjoyable, and as our day came to a close and I saw the mountains lit up with lights reminiscent of the lanterns from Tangled, I realized I had accomplished what this trip was really about. I had become truly Italian,

MLII [My Life Is Italian- Life is pretty Italian today].

-Kim

Today we visited the Amalfi Coast and it was one of the most stunning places I have ever seen. Life cannot get better, we are singing the most beautiful music in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

-Mai

Our tour guide told us today that the Amalfi coast we’d be visiting is considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world. The mountain breezes were powerful and refreshing, and the views, as expected, amazing. After our performance in a church nestled along the Amalfi coast, the friendly townspeople thanked us for our concert. A place famous for its views world wide offered us genuine kindness and warmth.

-Sam N

Wait, nobody blogged about playing “Ninja” in the town square in Amalfi? - KWerl