Italy 2015 ~ Arriving in Positano on the Amalfi Coast

After a week in Tuscany at Borgo Lucignanello Bandini (http://www.borgolucignanello.com/) just north of Montepulciano, it was time to pack up and head south to our next destination, Postiano on the Amalfi Coast. We got a final shot of our windowsill full of all local wines we had sampled – there are four of us keep in mind – and Wally’s Jim Beam he alternated with wine. Just wish we could have shipped all those great bottles home full!

We had driven from Tuscany to the Amalfi Coast two years previously, so had an idea of what we were in for on the trip. After turning off at Castellammare di Stabia towards Sorrento (the GPS took us the long way through the town but luckily it wasn’t busy) it’s becomes curvy, sheer drops, motorcycles, cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians – altogether scary!

We had chosen an Air B and B apartment with two balconies overlooking the Mediterranean Sea that was furnished with antiques and looked quite charming. It was even captioned “Charming Sea View Apartment” – see her link for photos of the interior. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4913937?eluid=1&euid=6ccd1b64-c777-a9c4-da2a-dd2989730924

We missed our one-way street turnoff (all the above traffic issues distracted us), and ending up on the far side of Positano headed to Amalfi. I knew we had missed our turn. I called Roberta, our hostess, who was waiting at the apartment to meet us, and she told us where we had gone wrong. We backtracked and found her waving in the street for us in front of the parking garage door. Just up the street were these antique chairs someone had put out for the trash I suppose – what a shame!

One of the reasons we had chosen this apartment, on top of the balconies and view, was that it offers a free parking spot in a secured garage just a minute from the apartment. Parking is VERY tight in Positano, and most visitors have to pay to park in the parking garages that are good ways from where you might be staying. And consider hauling your luggage, etc., up and down the hills. This was perfect!

Roberta walked us from the garage to our apartment, and she and her mother gave us an overview of the apartment and our surroundings. She had baked us a delicious plum cake, and had a bottle of chilled Prosecco which was open almost before the door closed behind her! Grazie mille Roberta! We had the cake for breakfast each morning toasted with honey from Tuscany we had brought along drizzled over it. Mmmmm…

Chilling on arrival on our balcony…

The apartment was located on the second curve of the hill, so the main bay of Positano is just around the corner to the left. Our street had lots of restaurants, boutiques and shops scattered along it, and you could take shortcuts through the narrow alleys to go down to the main beach and waterfront.

View from our balcony to the right

Time to hit the streets and find dinner. Glad I had been working out at the YMCA several months before our trip – those steps are brutal! You can take a central town bus but it may take a while to get where you want to go.

As I made it down to the next curve on the steps and caught up with Wally, he had somehow made instant friends with a newlywed couple from California. They had gotten married at Lake Como and then came to Positano for the second half of their honeymoon. We chatted a bit about restaurants and such, and they showed us their great wedding photo on Lake Como, which we had visited last October.

So cute… So continuing downward – community cats hanging out at tourism kiosk seem pretty content with life.

It was dusk and we finally made it down to Spiaggia Beach and the central heart of Positano.

Time to dip our toes into the Mediterranean Sea!

Then we noticed this couple that was having their wedding photos taken on the beach… ahh, how romantic! (a bit grainy from cell phone photo shooting, but still pretty cool!)

Time for food! Pizzzzzzaa please! We chose Restaurant La Pergola, Buca di Bacco Bar that was beachside. http://www.bucapositano.it/ristorante-en.html