Words and photos by Makenna Kaminski, our Jetsetter Journalist who studied abroad in Sorrento, Italy, during Spring semester 2023.

As I write this post, the time has come for me to start packing my bags. I never thought the day would come, but I'm down to my last few days in Italy before saying goodbye to sunny Sorrento. So far, the end has been bittersweet; there are so many things I can't wait to get back to in America, but there are also so many things I'm dreading leaving behind. The past week has been an emotional one for my friends and I. We've been spending a lot of our last few days together recounting memories from this past semester, many of which already feel like they happened so long ago.

Before coming to Sorrento, I had no idea what was in store for me. I definitely knew that I would travel around Europe and go on fun excursions, but when I look through all the things I did, I see that I surpassed any and all of my expectations. I think I successfully packed in just about as much as my semester could handle, and I wouldn't change a minute of it.

In honor of my semester abroad, I chose to share some highlights of my past few months here, even though it was so hard to choose just a few!

Climbing the Duomo in Florence, Italy

For our first weekend trip away from Sorrento, my friends and I decided to go to Florence, Italy. As our first real weekend travel experience, going to Florence was already so exciting. Yet, the absolute highlight of the trip had to be climbing to the top of the famous duomo, The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

We traveled to Florence in late January, so there was already a lack of tourists traveling through the city. We also decided to choose the first available time slot to climb to the top of the duomo (8:30 am), so there were no other people in our group for the tour. The steps to the top of the duomo are numerous and a tight squeeze, and we got to climb through all of these without worrying about squeezing past other tourists. We also got to take our time on the way up, stopping to take photos at the overlooks as we pleased.

At the top, we had the entire roof of the duomo to ourselves. The view from the top in the early morning light was absolutely stunning and it was so peaceful to see the city in the morning before all the businesses opened. We took our photos and stuck around for as long as possible, appreciating the scenery and experience in a way we would probably never get the chance to do if we went at any other time.

Spending Days Outside at Sant'Anna

Two of the best things about the Sant'Anna Institute would be its rooftop patio and its hammock in the lemon grove. When it finally started getting warm enough to sit outside, the rooftop above the dorms became everyone's favorite hangout spot. The roof gets amazing sun and it offers the best panoramic views of the marina on one side and the mountains on the other. There are plenty of tables and chairs there for students to do schoolwork or eat. Then there are also plenty of lounge chairs for laying out and sunbathing. The minute March came around, everyone would lie up there and sit in the sun between classes or go up for the best sunset views in all of Sorrento. The rooftop is one of the highest points on any building in Sorrento, so from there, you can see the city sprawling out in every direction.

The hammock in the lemon grove became more of a secret getaway for me. Instead of being a fun social spot like the rooftop, the garden was much more quiet and tucked away. I'd bring books with me here and sit in the swinging hammock for hours. It was always so peaceful just listening to the birds chirping while lying there in the sun with the lemon trees stretching tall above. It was the perfect place for writing as well, and I could always sneak away here for a bit of solitude when I needed an escape.

50 Kaló Pizza

The pizza from 50 Kaló in Naples is considerably the best thing I've eaten in all of Italy. I first went here as part of a field trip with my creative writing class, but I've gone well out of the way to come back time and time again (I'm even making a special trip back there again tomorrow!).

50 Kaló is a Michelin Guide recognized restaurant that's located a little outside of the city center. It's closer to the East side of the city, but it's still reachable by the line 2 train at the Mergellina stop. The restaurant's selection of pizzas is incredibly big- they have multiple pages of delicious pizzas to try, each of which have been equally amazing so far. The ones that I've chosen have all been from their "veggie" section, and according to others these were even better than the normal margherita pizza. My all time favorite was definitely the white pizza topped with squash puree, hazelnuts, and mushrooms. This pizza is without a doubt worth the two hours' travel time!

Giardino Giusti, Verona

Located in Veronetta ("little Verona"), Giardino Giusti is about a 25-minute walk from the center of Verona. The gardens were immediately one of my favorite experiences in Italy due to their beauty and exquisite details. The gardens consist of dozens of little gravel pathways that wind around the pristine shrubs and trees planted throughout. The attention to detail is obvious to anyone who passes through because each tree is groomed to be picture-perfect. The grand cypresses lining the walkways look like something out of a postcard, and the mazes of shrubs seem like they belong outside of a palace.

Even better, there are plenty more walkways that lead up the hill to pavilions, towers, and overlooks. The main overlook offers what has to be the best view in all of Verona. From there, you can look down at the maze of gardens below you as well as the mountains and Verona's city center.

We caught this view of the sunset by chance and it was spectacular. When we went, there just happened to be a music class happening in the building directly next to the gardens, so there was soft flute music coming out of the windows which completed the experience. Walking through these already angelic gardens with the whimsical flute music in the background was an amazing experience I will surely never forget.

Runs Through Sorrento's Mountains

I've always had a passion for running. Back home, this would always be one of my favorite ways to clear my head and get fresh air. I never thought anything would top my favorite running route at school in Charleston - but then came runs in Sorrento.

I used to stick to running flat routes back home, so I was initially weary of running the massive hills in Sorrento. After I started getting used to them though, running these hills became my favorite pastime.

I started going on long runs up the winding cliff-side streets leading towards the town of Massa Lubrense. These winding streets wrap themselves around the curves of the mountains and they overlook the drop of the cliffs down to the blue sea below. The roads hug the cliffs the entire way, so it makes the best running path since you're never without a view. These roads also peel away from the tourist areas so there's far less traffic and hardly any other people walking on them.

The views from these mountains are some of the best of Sorrento. When I run through them, I feel like I can keep going for miles and miles, taking in the mountain views for hours on end. Runs through the hills are also a great escape from Sorrento's busy city center which was always great for just putting in my headphones and clearing my head.

These runs will forever be one of my favorite memories of Sorrento, especially because I definitely can't find running paths like this anywhere else!

Hike to Mount Faito, Castellammare

On a whim this past weekend, I made a spontaneous solo-trip to Castellammare to do the hike up Mount Faito. To get up to the hike, I took the funivia (the lift) up the mountain from the Castellammare train station. The lift is about 8-10 minutes long and that alone was well worth the experience. You get to watch as you go high up above the town and the buildings get smaller beneath you. As you go higher up, the scenery changes as it gets much more "woodsy" and the landscape goes from coastal to forest.

At the top of the mountain, you exit the funivia to a little center area where there's a cafe and one or two small restaurants. Here, it doesn't even look like you're in Italy anymore, but rather in some other mountain town far away. The scenery is so different from that down below and the cabin-like buildings and forest reminded me so much of hikes I've done back home. It was so refreshing to get a change of scenery and the fresh mountain air was amazing. The top of the mountain was a true forest with picnic benches, campfires, and camping sites strewn about. I did two different hikes - one up the mountain to a church and then a second one down the mountain to another picnic area by a cliffside lookout.

This was such an amazing hike and I think it was even better since it reminded me so much of all the things I've missed from my home in Pennsylvania. It was so different from everything else I'd experienced in Italy and I'm happy I stumbled upon it that day because this sight seems like a true hidden gem.