Positano and Amalfi

We said our goodbyes to John and Traudi last night since they left the apartment this morning at 5am to make their way to Vienna. And we will meet up with them again in another month in Vienna. Thankfully, we found our energy again and made our way to Positano to spend the night. The owner of the home was kind enough to let us leave our car in his drive so we could take the bus and not have to worry about the crazy driving and lack of parking. But the buses here leave something to be desired. We met many people who were waiting over an hour to catch a bus that never arrived. And once we got to Sorrento, there was a huge line and wait to make it to the towns of the Amalfi Coast. Again, avoid this place in July and August no matter what you do! We were just happy to make it to the front of the line and have a Positano bus come by. A couple of hours later and we completed the 9 mile trip! Then it was off to find a hotel and a restaurant for lunch. We walked by a place that smelled delicious and were pleasantly surprised to be referred to the hotel above. After a lunch of pizza and tiramisu we were off to explore. Sadly, there was no sun for us today so instead of the crystal clear blue water reflected in the sun, we had the clouds hanging lower over the mountain peaks, which was just as beautiful. After walking through the streets and making our way down to the harbor, we decided to take a boat to Amalfi. We had heard that bad weather was coming in tomorrow and the boats may not be able to dock so this may be our only chance. And we can see why they cancel boat trips in bad weather. There was only a little chop and the boat was rocking back and forth pretty hard while people were trying to walk the passerrelle to get onto the deck. We found a spot on top and it was a windy, bumpy ride with spectacular scenery. We found Amalfi to be a smaller, more rustic version of Positano, but still jammed with tourists and their shops. So we caught the bus back to Positano for an entertaining ride back. We discovered that there are spots where 2 buses just won’t fit side by side without some fancy maneuvering. The bus drivers are pretty talented at knowing the space they take up and after a lot of backing up and jockeying we were finally able to squeeeeeze by each other. All under the sound of car horns from impatient local Italians who were backed up in both directions. God, they must hate tourists. For the evening, we made our way down to the restaurant below us and decided to sit outside despite the smell of rain in the air and no umbrella for our table. The evening was just too lovely to sit inside. And our timing couldn’t have been any better. As we were getting close to being done, the rain started off softly but we were staying dry and stayed put. Then it started to rain a bit harder so I moved over to sit next to Mike who was protected by our neighbor’s umbrella. And then the skies opened! It started pouring as we were asking for our bill. So we ran inside to enjoy the complimentary Limoncello as we watched it rain. But were outlasted by 3 American women who were having a fantastic time and stayed outside until they just couldn’t take it anymore!

Sick Day

Mike and I found ourselves both under the weather and fighting off colds. So we opted to stay behind on the sun filled day while John and Traudi went to Sorrento and onto Positano. Wouldn’t you know it, the day for Positano and we’re sick!

Palazzo Reale

We decided to brave the traffic today and headed north of Naples to visit ‘Palazzo Reale’. Building began in 1752 and it was intended to rival Versailles, but ended up being even bigger. It has 1200 room, 34 staircases and a park with a 3km walk along a pool of water that leads to a waterfall. It was impressive and you just wonder what people did with all of that room! There was also a surprising modern art exhibit within the palace that was fun, if not a bit random, to see.

Herculaneum

...Then we were off to Herculaneum. This place was AMAZING! It is a smaller and better preserved version of Pompeii. The town was also a victim of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, but Herculaneum was closer to the volcano and so was completely submerged in a thick sea of very hot mud which fossilized the Roman fishing town. We found ourselves racing through the site trying to see everything within the 2 hours we gave ourselves for parking. The preservation is incredible, the intricately laid tiled floors, frescoes on the walls, even wood beams still present. It was hard to imagine that you were actually allowed to walk on some of those 2,000 year old tiled floors. Incredible.

The Women's Bath

A Taverna

The Public Baths

Volcanic mud pulled from large basin

Volcanic mud that tried to make its way inside

Capri

This morning we were off to the island of Capri. Unfortunately we missed the sun yesterday and today was a bit overcast for our boat trip. But it’s always fun to see the coast line from a boat and the island of Capri was beautiful and impressive from the sea. The boat dropped us off at Marina Piccola at 10:30am and we had the rest of the day to explore the island. Once we hit the beach I wasn’t feeling so well, so John and Traudi went ahead with the agreement that we would all meet back on the boat in the afternoon. Mike and I eventually made it up a very long flight of stairs to Capri Town and decided to make our way to the ‘Blue Grotto’ since that was the main reason we came to the island. We jumped on our first of many very crowded buses (we cannot imagine being here in July or August! it has to be even more insane with that many tourists) and headed to Anacapri. Even in late September the scene at the ‘Blue Grotto’ was a madhouse. The small bay was full of tripper boats unloading their guests into small row boats who then crowded around the ‘ticket boat’ to pay their entrance fee. Then it was a mass of boats waiting their turn to pull themselves into the grotto. We heard the tide was high and that is what made the entrance so small. Everyone had to lay down in the row boat so you didn’t crack your head on the rocky hole while the row boat captain tried to time the swell and quickly pull your boat in by a metal chain attached along the rock. So we all hunkered down, Mike, myself and a sweet Irish woman who was laying on top of us and made it in unscathed. Once inside it was truly magical, a bit crowded and loud, but magical. Even though we didn’t have bright sunshine, or any sunshine for that matter, the water inside the grotto was the most electric blue we have ever seen. It even cast a blue light on the limestone walls of the grotto. We tried to enjoy every minute (all 3 of them) while inside and listened to the rowers trying to serenade louder than their peers for a good tip. We left with a big smile on our faces and the whole experience was a blast. It definitely made all of the tourist shops, crowded buses and overpriced gelato worth it!

Day of Leisure

Today we tried to explore taking a boat to the island of Capri. We drove down to the coast to a sleepy little beach town and talked about hiring a private boat. The costs were a bit more than we wanted to spend so opted for a larger boat which was leaving tomorrow morning. That left us with the rest of the day with no plans. We ended up driving around and exploring the local area on a gorgeous day. The sun was shining, the air was cool and there was the smell of woodsmoke in the air. Fall is definitely only a day away. We cruised down small roads lined with olive and lemon trees, through sleepy villages. We finally settled on one town with a sweet little harbour and got out to stretch our legs. We took a walk down the shore and sat on the rocky beach watching the local Italians soak up the last bit of summer sun. Then after a nice lunch we headed back to the apartment. An afternoon of reading and napping was just perfect for Mike and I. I think we are still decompressing from the decision to leave the boat for awhile and just needing some time to unwind and catch our breath. We continued our leisurely afternoon while John and Traudi, again much more energetic than us, went for a hike in the late afternoon.