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Positano, Italy

Armed with our tickets we had managed to rise early to hopefully beat the queues for the Amalfi Coast bus. The weather was showery and we debated whether or not to take the umbrella as the weather was likely to improve and we didn’t want to cart it unnecessarily. There was a break so we set off without it. When we were just about at the bus it started to shower again, darn. We pulled out Vernons Mac in a Sac and spread it over us like a tent and made for the bus stop at a faster pace. As we got close we saw just as big a crowd waiting as the previous day but then luck shone on us as the bus driver who was at the ‘turn around’ just infront of us stopped and montioned us on. BRILLIANT as we got the prime seat and we probably would have had to wait for another bus too by the looks of the line. He he he.

The ride to Amalfi is famous for its windey road and sheer cliffs and is not for the faint hearted. I would say its not for the car sick prone either as it is sort of like a theme park ride. I have loaded a bit of video which may give an idea but you don’t really see how close to the edge we are or the negotiation of corners – where one party has to stop or back up and let the other lane through as its too tight to fit two vehicles around at a time. With corners blending into the next with little straight road if any in parts it can be almost dizzying.

We enjoyed it and it was entertaining to see some passengers not! The weather was intermittant but stopped by the time we reached the town of Positano. There are various towns all the way to Amalfi but we wanted to spend time in Sorrento so cut this part to the most scenic town.

Positano is set against the cliff with some even higher ones behind it, has loads of history and wonderful blue water. Its a bit touristy and very expensive – $4 euro for a coffee so I put my foot down and said we could wait – not paying $6.50 NZD for a little coffee. We did go off the tourist beaten lanes and find a deli for lunch and got a beer for 1.20 euro ….. far better spend of money I think. We also got a lovely selection of foods like fried anchovies, lasagne, rice salad with meats and vege, roast potatos with oregano, grilled seasoned courgettes and eggplants and squid salad for $13 euro total. It was heaps and we only got through half (saved rest for afternoon tea). We did have to walk up some steps that broke us both out in a sweat though, but it was totally worth the exertion.

When we were enjoying the water and coast we saw a wild drake just having a paddle off shore, it looked so odd seeing a fresh water bird in the sea, then he nonchalantly waddled onto the stony beach, up the stream to a tiny pond bit, had a drink and little paddle then waddled back to the sea edge, flapped his wings and flew up and low and landed back on the sea past the surf line for another swim.

After our lunch in the shade and a quick look around we hiked back up the steep steps to the bus stop passing yet another load of tourists on the way down. There was a group of 4 large English around our age debating lunch and in a strong not so posh accent an over rotund male said “there must be a Macky Dees there somewhere”. Oh my gosh we thought – you go all the way to the Amalfi Coast to eat McDonalds? Clearly he needed to give them a break and guess what – there were no fast foods there (wonder how he coped!!! Actually no Indians or Gypsies there or in Sorrento either!

Back at Sorrento we started at the cliff edge of town to weave our way back through the lanes to explore.

As part of this holiday is about eating and drinking local specialities I felt we should try some lemoncello liquor even though I have tried a NZ one and not been too fussed. Well I tell you it is very different here – lemony, smooth and slips down the throat nicely. Even non drinking hubby tried it and encouraged a bottle purchase. They also do a cream one – like baileys but lemon which we did not like as much as the straight, and melon varieties and more. Vernon does not like rockmelon which of course I love but strangely liked the cream melon one (which I do too 🙂 so a small bottle of that ended up in our backpack too.

Whilst we were on our lane wander we saw another humungous Newfoundland in the park. Seriously these are larger than Mums English Mastiffs or a Shetland pony. I hate to think of these in an apartment but as I found in Orvieto, what looks small and narrow outside can be quite spacious inside. Either way a bit big and hairy for me to own but facinating nonetheless.

We completed our sight seeing with a lemon Granita (adult slushy) and a chocolate moussy type cake at a nice cafe. It was not cheap (€12) but they presented it so nicely with extra munchies for the drink, and gelato, wafers, and oodles of nice chocolate sauce (real chocolate) with the cake. NOM award here too.

Our evening meal was a simple Pizza from downstairs as we were still feeling full from lunch and afternoon tea – yes really 🙂

Sorrento is set on a high cliff with a ravine caused by earthquakes thousands of years ago in the middle. In this ravine is an old water powered saw and flour mills at the bottom (dated around early 900’s) – called ‘Valley of the Mills’ . This is really close to our hotel. Fishing is good in the area and they grow lots of olives, grapes, tomato’s and lemons, including the lemoncello ones which are larger than grapefruit and look like footballs. It is a really nice town, certainly pretty compared to the rough Naples you have to pass through to get there.

We are pleased we came here and it would have been nice to have more time to visit Pompei which is on the train route half way between here and Napoli. I would have also liked to have time to build in more time on the Amalfi coast and do one of the nice walks around the region. Yes its a bit expensive and tourist filled – but that is pretty much the same everywhere in Europe!

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