Lots of stairs! All worth it!
“Lonely Planet” guidebook says, “Deemed an outstanding example of a Mediterranean landscape by Unesco, the Amalfi Coast is one of Italy’s most memorable destinations. Here, mountains plunge into the sea in a nail-biting vertical scene of precipitous crags, cliff-clinging abodes and verdant woodland.
Its string of fabled towns read like a Hollywood cast list. There’s jet-set favourite Positano, a pastel-coloured cascade of chic boutiques, spritz-sipping pin-ups and sun-kissed sunbathers. Further east, ancient Amalfi lures with its Arabic-Norman cathedral, while mountaintop Ravello stirs hearts with its cultured villas and Wagnerian connection. To the west lies Amalfi Coast gateway Sorrento, a handsome clifftop resort that has miraculously survived the onslaught of package tourism.
Turquoise seas and cinematic piazzas aside, the region is home to some of Italy’s finest hotels and restaurants. It’s also one of the country’s top spots for hiking, with well-marked trails providing the chance to escape the star-struck coastal crowds.” (We’ll talk about hiking later!😳🤣)
We began our exploration of the Amalfi coast in a small town called, Vietri sul Mare. It was just a one night stay over but we managed to get hopelessly lost anyway given that it was a national holiday and everyone was in the piazza!
On to Ravello!
Ravello is nicknamed, “the City of Music” and is home to the famous summer Ravello Festival. It’s also a great place to hang out and people watch while sipping an Aperol spritz!
At the Villa Rufolo we wandered in the beautiful gardens. Here Wagner got his inspiration for Parsifal and later explored the Duomo and then had a beer in the piazza where Gore Vidal among others liked to pass the time.
Positano
Positano is charming, full of tourists and limoncello and stairs! To get to our apartment, we had to descend (and ascend!) 166 stairs! Our legs are getting stronger! We had a beautiful apartment looking out over the bay from WAY up in the hills in a little town called Montepertuso. From there we took the bus to town or to hike. Mostly we enjoyed sitting on the balcony sipping the local wine (or eating Chris’ pasta!)
Scenes from our “Casa Incanto” apartment
We took a hair raising bus ride to town and had a pizza, a swim, (well, Ellen did!) and a delicious lemon gelato! ( Well, Ellen did!) And then Chris bought prawns and we returned to the apartment and cooked and relaxed!) Chris has discovered bucatini (and loves it AL DENTE!) We didn’t make it to Capri. Even in “low season” the day trippers were in abundance and we’ll return when we can swim in the famous water and not wait for hours for the Blue Grotto!
The Path of the gods! An exercise in poor map skills! But a happy ending!
We set off early, ready for the 5k hike but asked some locals for directions and obviously our Italian wasn’t up to the task! Instead of going along the coastline – we headed straight UP the mountain to Santa Croce. Happily after an hour and a half we were rescued by a lovely woman who is restoring a beautiful old farmhouse along with her husband. She gave us a tour and a ride DOWN to the path where we replenished our energy with beer and prosciutto sandwiches and headed back on the right trail! It was worth it!
They marked the path with red paint (thankfully) or we might still be wandering in the hills with the goats and donkeys!
Our last port on the Amalfi – Sorento
We didn’t have an overnight planned for Sorento, but we had heard it was a nice town – once a featured stop on “The Grand Tour” and if it was good enough for Byron…..and besides, Chris wanted seafood and a haircut!
Chris and Ellen’s 2022 European Adventure 