The Hidden Gem of Italy #HogsAbroad in Rome

I would officially like to say that Sperlonga, Italy is the “hidden gem” of Italy. It is a beach halfway between Rome and Naples, and it is absolutely gorgeous. The water isn’t as blue as it is on the Amalfi coast, but the town itself is so cute. One of my roommates, Lauren, and I went to Sperlonga yesterday on our day off. We caught a 9:30 AM train and were on the beach by noon. It was about an hour train ride to a town called Fondi and from there it was about a 20 minute bus ride to the beach of Sperlonga. The train ride to Fondi was only€6,90 and the bus to the beach was only €1,50 each way.

Train travel is so cheap in Italy, so we were able to just go to Sperlonga for the day and return to Rome at 8 PM so we wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel. Once we arrived in Sperlonga, we ate at a tiny restaurant and had sandwiches before heading to the beach. Once on the beach, we rented two chairs and an umbrella for the entire day for €20 total or €10 each. We laid out and Lauren tanned while I listened to my audiobook (flashback to the beach in Barcelona). We tried to venture into a crevasse in the rocks, but the waves were rough by the rocks and a stream running into the ocean made it absolutely freezing (I’m talking about my entire legs were freezing numb).

After being on the beach for a while, it was almost time to catch the bus to take us back to the train station, so we went back up to the tiny town of Sperlonga and ate some gelato. The bus was actually early (early is a crazy concept for Italian bus drivers) so we were glad that we had left the beach slightly earlier than planned or else we would have had to take a cab. We arrived back at the train station with plenty of time to spare and got on our 6:10 train headed back to Rome. I am so happy that we decided to give this little town a try as it was an amazing experience.

As my last week in Italy begins, I am reflecting on my time here and all of the things I was able to do. I am beyond grateful to my family, to the University of Arkansas, and to the Honors College for helping make this trip a reality. I would highly encourage anyone who is thinking of studying abroad to take the leap of faith and live in another country. This experience has taught me so many things about myself that I didn’t know before. For those of you who don’t already know, I am going to be heading home on Saturday and will (hopefully) be back at my house and in my own bed by midnight on Saturday. I am looking forward to seeing everyone soon!
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Read more from Taylor at https://taylorsitalianavventura.wordpress.com/
Check out http://studyabroad.uark.edu/romecampus for more information on the U of A Rome Center: Summer Campus.