Amalfi Coast

We had trouble finding our hotel in Sorrento, Casale Antonietta, probably because of the traffic and the dark. We drove past the street it was on maybe five times before calling the hotel owner to ask if he could meet us somewhere we both knew and lead us from there. Luckily he was happy to do so. He led us up the elusive street we had just recently passed. It was so narrow that Rob almost couldn’t help but have the passenger side mirror scrape a wall. Don’t worry. We got the rental insurance. We finally pulled into the driveway and were greeted by a big German shepherd, our guard dog for our stay. My room with Laura was a little stand-alone bungalow called Eolo. By this time it was late and time to rest up for the day ahead.

We woke up fairly early to see what our bed and breakfast yard looked like in the daylight. We stepped out to see lemon trees all over and the first spring flowers beginning to bloom. We were also up very high, but trees obscured our view of the Bay of Naples except in a few spots. We walked around the property. The German shepherd lounged in the sun. He looked pretty nice but I wasn’t so sure about getting very close. I picked one of the lemons and tasted it. It was good but I don’t like eating lemons like oranges. I gave up on it after a few bites. Beside the shepherd, there were several other animals: smaller dogs, chickens, and a horse. I liked the place a lot. Laura had picked a good one from all the way in Pittsburgh.

After exploring the Casale Antonietta we hopped a bus into Sorrento and went to the marina. There we caught a ferry to the well-known island, Capri. The ferry over was beautiful as we looked at the cliff-lined coast along the way. Capri was also very nice but we felt like we were held back by the ferry schedule. We should have went earlier because there is a lot to see but if we tried to see it all we would be stuck on the island over night. We settled for enjoying a big lunch near Piazza Umberto, admiring the view from Marina Grande, and having a gelato. Someday we will go back for the Blue Grotto and Villa Jovis.

The next day we decided to see drive the Amalfi Coast. Unfortunately we would have to take the bus as Rob and his friends had driven the coast the day before in the car. It’s quite a white-knuckle adventure driving the Amalfi Coast. The road snakes along the cliffs with amazing views of the sea. In many spots it’s difficult for two cars to pass with out slowing down a great deal let alone big buses. Also the bus drivers can’t see around corners so they simply beep to warn on coming traffic to slow down. By the time we had reached Positano we were both dazzled by the sun drenched, aquamarine, cliff-side view and a little carsick.

Positano is one of the most famous Amalfi Coast towns. It’s built right into the cliffs and thus has more steps than roads. Laura and I walked down tons of steps on the way to the beach past restaurants and trendy stores, all preparing for the coming high season. We stopped periodically to see the view and also at a deli to get some food for lunch. Finally we reached the shore. Although the beach at Positano is grey and rocky its location at the base of the cliffs framed by jagged peaks makes it picturesque and unique. We lay on the beach for a while and ate some of the deli food. The weather was cool and there was not a cloud in the sky. As I listened to the surf with Laura next to me I realized the magic of the ancient Amalfi Coast. We are just the most recent travelers who over millennia have been captivated by the Mediterranean at Positano. It is an atmosphere that makes many people never want to leave. I definitely didn’t want to leave, especially because the tons of steps we had recently walked down, we were going to have to walk back up!