The Amalfi Coast

Today was just perfect.  We piled into a mini bus (there are only 14 of us) and headed down the Amalfi coast.  Past Positano, where we already were, onto Ravello, where we stopped for lunch.  I just love eating in Italy!  Prosciutto and mozzarella cheese (in a ball.  Who knew?)  Margherita Pizza, beer and sitting outside on a glorious day!  Then we backtracked to the town of Amalfi, where we took a private boat trip along the coast.  Then we had time to walk around Amalfi - which is not that big.  I had my first gelato of the trip (I have to double up now since my goal was to have one a day!), a sinfully  delicious double scoop of Hazelnut and Amalfi (white and dark chocolate in vanilla ice cream).

Today was the highlight of the trip so far.  The scenery is just breathtaking, and with every curve of the road you see something astonishing.

After a wonderful day, we went out to a restaurant called the Basilica.  It is owned by the same people who own Caruso's, a Michelin starred restaurant that is very expensive.  The Basilica is next door, shares the same Chef and the same kitchen with Caruso's at half the price.  I had Ossobuca to die for, and finished with creme brûlée.  Best meal I've had in I don't know when!

Time for bed.  If I decided to go to Pompeii, we leave at 7:45 in the morning!  The next day we go to Palermo to begin the main trip.  We have to get up at 4 AM, to drive to Naples, then fly to Rome to fly to Palermo.  This must be Italy.  

Sorrento and Positano

Asian tourists walking down to the beach

Italian guys don't change their pants size either- resulting in this.  Sexy . . .

View from Sorrento 

This is the Excelsior Hotel, where the rich and famous stay.

We got into Sorrento yesterday around noon and by 1:00 PM I was in bed.  Usually we stay awake till dinnertime but yesterday I was so bone ass tired from that long flight over I couldn't do it.  I slept until 7:30 this morning, despite waking up in the middle of the night.  Bob assured me I would do that and not be able to go back to sleep, but I did and today my body is on Italian time!

We started the day with a 2 hour walking tour around Sorrento.  We have an Italian Program Director named Stefano.  He is adorable.  His English is good but heavily accented, so I miss a lot of what he says.   I have no idea what we saw but I took lots of pictures!  Sorrento is a great town for walking around, stopping for a cappachino in the morning or wine in the evening, topped off with limoncello cream (limoncello made with milk.  Its a little less strong than the regular lemoncello.  I think my tastes must have changed in 15 years because this time I found the limoncello to be drinkable, and the cream limoncello is actually very good!

We had the afternoon free so 9 of us caught a bus to Positano (where the tour buses can't stop any more).  The bus dropped us at the top of the 'Hill" and we walked down.  And down.  And down.  Do you know your hams and gluten can scream pretty loudly going downhill when it's that steep and that long.  With every step we wondered if we'd have to go back up on foot.  Fortunately, we got to the bottom and strolled up to the main drag, where we found a seafood and pasta restaurant where we dined outside with a lovely view of the Bay.  I ordered water.  We got 2 large bottles for the small price of 5 euros.  Worth every Eurocent!  I ordered a seafood pasta which was good.  Not anything special, although the homemade pasta was outstanding.  After an hour of recuperation at Bruno's (the restaurant) we walked another 50 yards uphill to the lower bus  stop, where our bus arrived as soon as we did.  Perfect timing.

Rick Steves says Positano is a nice picture stop, but there's no much else there.  He was right.  Positano is a vertical town, with houses built on the cliffs.  It's quite stunning, but not all that pretty.  The buildings are a bit rundown, crammed together, and not really matching architecturally.  Their appeal is where they are, not how they look.  Still, it was a nice afternoon outing and we were back in the hotel by 4.  Time to rest up, take our SNAP (Senior Nap) and get ready for dinner and a Taruntella show (Italian music) at the Teatro Tassa, I think.  Stefano's taking us so I don't need to know the details.  Positano photos follow: