🙂 Friendships from age 6 years! Scenery! Food! Fun
🙁 Everything was perfect!
This trip had been planned by Sally and Catherine since they were at school together … they invited Tracy & I on the journey too as we’d all grown up together! SO special! Sally and Catherine were on an extended trip and Tracy and I flew in from London to join them for an extended weekend on the Amalfi Coast.
Tracy and I got right into the swing of things on arrival in Naples while waiting for our transfer!
POSITANO
The drive to Positano was as spectacular as ever with a few interesting roadblocks!
It was so great to see Catherine and Sally… Cath had brought a little bit of SA with her!
The place that Sally and Catherine had booked had the most amazing views … we strolled down into Positano and enjoyed the day relaxing on the beach and enjoying fine food and wine. Positano is famous for being a scenic seaside paradise in Italy. We loved the colourful, cliffside villas overlooking the sunny Amalfi Coast which we walked past. The sound of waves crashing against the pebbled shores is heaven for beach lovers. As you walk through its sloped streets, you’ll encounter quaint cafés and boutique stores reverberating a cosmopolitan vibe. Divine.
The next morning we walked to Le Sirenuse in Positano for a drink and to enjoy the views and the ambiance. It is named after The Sirenusas (Italian: Le Sirenuse), also known as the Gallos (Li Galli, “the Cocks“), are an archipelago of little islands off the Amalfi Coast of Italy between Isle of Capri and 6 km (4 mi) southwest of Province of Salerno’s Positano, to which it is administratively attached.
Our next stop was for lunch at L’Orto in Travola where the owner and chef welcomed us into the kitchen to show us how they make pasta – a fantastic dining experience with panoramic views … all vegetables from their terraced vegetable garden – true farm to fork … blissful… and all topped off with complimentary limoncello!
As we walked back into Positano there was a big parade of brightly dressed people with an orchestra… This is the celebration of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta / Spiaggia Grande. The celebrations begin with the characteristic “raising of the picture” on the morning of 14 August, when the people of Positano gather on the Spiaggia Grande of Positano, with their feet in the water, to see the painting representing the Virgin standing on the square of the Mother Church. A particular “tradition” is the search, for these two days, of pierced stones, considered small lucky charms. The celebrations continue for two days, including processions, celebrations and concerts, until the long-awaited and followed midnight fireworks. People gather mainly in the beach, many choose to admire the fires from vantage points far from the center, others still on a boat. The leader of the joyous pack was handing out lollipops and posed for photos…what fun!
We headed to a beach Pizzaria to watch the Springbok rugby game – the waiters all joined in the fun – we won which made it evenbetter!
RAVELLO – The Balcony of the Amalfi Coast
The Italian village of Ravello is one of the quietest along the Amalfi Coast, set a bit away from the seaside and the busy beaches. Though equally lovely, Ravello is never as crowded as Positano or Amalfi, especially in the evening when most of the day-trippers have left and the streets are refreshingly empty.
Known as the “City of Music,” Ravello has always been a favorite retreat for artists and intellectuals looking for inspiration from the sweeping vistas far from the bustle of the coastline.
The next day we walked down to the ferry and after breakfast took the boat to Ravello – a stunning and different perspective to see the coastline from the water ….
We walked along the narrow and windy cobbled roads until we got to our stunning little hotel with the most amazing views – we were in heaven!
We walked to the Square where we were lured in with the promise of delicious limoncello!
We were relieved to find a wine and drug store! LOL.
Villa Rufulo and gardens were as spectacular as I remembered – simply stunning. It is located in the corner of Piazza Duomo and opens every day from 09:00 to 17:00 with last entry permitted at 16h30. The garden of Villa Rufolo, known as the “Garden of the Soul”, occupies two levels and is reached by following a tree-lined avenue with a distinctly Victorian air. The ancient walls, almost hidden by cypresses and lime trees, leads to the Moorish cloister.
Inside the villa itself we were treated with a fantastic art exhibition with an interesting African influence…
On our previous visit, Paul and I had missed the magnificent Villa Cimbrone – what a treat – awe inspiring! It seems everyone from D H Lawrence, to John Maynard Keynes, to Greta Garbo has stayed there.
Strolling through the passageways is part of the charm…
Lunch provided more wonderful views and delicious food.
AMALFI
Amalfi is a beautiful small town on the scenic Amalfi Coast, a stretch of high coast in the south of Italy famous for jaw-dropping views and a panoramic drive. As the name suggests, Amalfi is the town that gives the name to the area however, it is not just a starting point to visit the coast: Amalfi town is a historical, beautiful town well worth a visit in itself. Medieval in origin, Amalfi saw a time of splendor in the X-XI century, a time when it dominated the trade routes of the Mediterranean. This success gave it beautiful and important architecture and wonderful landmarks we can still admire.Because of the beauty of the landscape and the important history, Amalfi is one of the most beautiful small towns in Italy and an Italy must see.
Amusing statues and a happy wedding!
We did an open top bus tour which was quite informative.
We took a ferry back to Ravello.
Our last night we had a farewell dinner at a lovely little pizza place called Cumpa Cosimo, a rustic eatery with limited tables and which also sold hand made ceramic tiles depicting donkeys. For the Amalfi people the donkey becomes a symbol of social revenge to the point that a fountain was dedicated to it, “Fontana Cap’ e Ciuccio” (Donkey Head fountain) that represent two souls of of ancient Amalfi, the noble and peasant one. The donkey becomes the icon of hard work but also acts the glorious spirit of the Amalfi Coast people.
A fine way to end a fine reunion with lovely friends.
