Run, run as fast as you can!

Frantically trying to finish writing cards, wrapping gifts and baking cookies. Be back soon!

Merry Christmas!

Anniversary trip to Italy, part V.

Breakfast at the Hotel Marincanto

Wednesday, October 17

We woke up early and enjoyed a good breakfast on the terrace before meeting our guide, Lucy, and setting off to hike the Sentiero degli Dei or "Path of the Gods." Another client of Lucy's, Megan from Melbourne, Australia, met us on the bus from Positano to Bomerano.


We're aboard a SITI bus exactly like the one we're attempting to pass - not for the faint of heart (like me)


Robert, Megan and Lucy - we alit at this little snack shop to wait for a different bus that would take us to Bomerano


Bomerano

In Bomerano we stopped at several tiny shops for Lucy to purchase provisions for our lunch: fresh meats, cheeses and pastries, then we set off for the trail.


Lucy selecting rolls and other goodies at the bakery


Look at the cute little Halloween cookies!


The butcher/cheese shop


Fresh yogurt - this was so good!


Trailhead

What a fabulous walk this was! The path is set high above the coastline and affords breathtaking views of the sea and the towns that comprise the Amalfi Coast.


Starting out on the hike


Horse corral set way up in the mountains


Doesn't this horse have a lovely view?


Ruins of a house along the Path of the Gods


Spectacular scenery abounds!




Robert, Lucy and me




Robert, Megan and Lucy








A delightful setting for our picnic feast



We walked almost 8 kilometers in about 4 hours, including our picnic lunch; it would have been a lot faster if we hadn't stopped so often to take pictures of the spectacular scenery! The trail was not difficult, but there was a bit of up and down and a few places where we had to scramble up and over a hill. (By walking the section from Bomerano to Nocello we bypassed the 1700 steps from Praiano up to Bomerano and the 2000 steps from Nocello down to Positano.) We returned from Nocello to Positano via a small local bus and bid a fond farewell to Megan and Lucy.

Lucy was a great guide, providing a lot of information on plants we passed as well as on the history of the area. We also really enjoyed the company of our new Australian friend, Megan. Robert and I both cited walking the Path of the Gods as our single favorite thing we did on this trip.

We changed for dinner and the walked a ways through the winding streets of Positano to have dinner at Mediterraneo. What an entertaining meal this was! Pietro serenaded the restaurant guests with his guitar, and Lorenzo, our waiter, also sang along as he flitted from kitchen to table. The songs were cheesy Italian favorites like Volare and That's Amore, but the experience was great fun and we stayed much later than we intended.


Pietro at Mediterraneo


Lorenzo and Pietro serenading me

Anniversary trip to Italy, part IV.

Tuesday, 16 October

We awoke to a gloriously sunny day. The view from our balcony was breathtaking: the sea was now a beautiful shade of blue and the lush vegetation and white buildings were much more vibrant than they'd appeared in yesterday's haze.


View looking to the right from our balcony

The hotel offered a fabulous breakfast on the upstairs terrace. In addition to the usual selections of delicious meats, cheeses and pastries, La Minerva served freshly squeezed juices and prepared eggs to order.


View from breakfast {sigh}


This was my favorite breakfast buffet of our trip. The dark cake was "Torta Caprese," and it had Caprese stenciled in powdered sugar on top


In the glass was homemade ricotta - delicious!


One more lovely view from Hotel La Minerva

Antonino at the front desk suggested a walk from our hotel to the Arco Naturale (Natural Arch) that wound along the sea past Capri's iconic Faraglioni Rocks, three jagged spurs that rise dramatically out of the water. In delightful contrast to our adventure yesterday, this walk followed a well-established path. There were quite a few stairs, but the views were spectacular; we especially liked the Arco Naturale.


Looking up at where we hiked yesterday - the electrical tower on the top right




The Arco Naturale - truly lovely!


Looking through the Arco Naturale


Self-portrait - we were the only ones around - quite a treat!


An old cave along the path


Stairs and more stairs!


Spectacular views


Robert took this to show Will, our TCU Horned Frog


Capri's iconic Faraglioni Rocks


Magnificent views every way we looked


Robert trying to capture one of the views!


Another self-portrait


GPS map of our morning walk


Another glance up at where we hiked the night before

As the path entered Capri Town we stopped for delicious, if expensive and tiny, cups of lemon granita, a frozen slushy drink. We returned to our hotel to retrieve my coat and handbags (our suitcases had been sent earlier to the port via the mysterious porters).


Enjoying my granita




The Piazetta in Capri Town

We hoped to take the chairlift to Mount Solaro but arrived in Anacapri with only enough time to snap a few pictures before needing to take a taxi back to the Marina Grande to catch our 1:50 boat to Sorrento.

I was very sad to bid farewell to Capri as I found it a beautiful and magical place. We wished we had had more time and definitely hope to return some day.


Capri's Marina Grande

Robert and I planned to take a fast ferry from Capri to Positano, but Antonino at our hotel informed us that the boats between those two ports were not running due to high waves. He advised us to catch a boat to Sorrento instead and he arranged for a driver to meet us there.

The journey from Capri to Sorrento only took 20 minutes so perhaps I didn't have adequate time to get seasick, but the water didn't seem terribly rough to me. Gian Paulo was waiting for us near our point of disembarkment, and we climbed in his car for the half-hour drive to Positano.


Passing through Sorrento en route to Positano

The highway between the towns on the Amalfi Coast was like the Capri road on steroids. Enormous buses loaded with cruise ship passengers took hairpin turns that seemed to me would be challenging even in a Mini Cooper. Just imagine when two such buses met on a road scarcely big enough for one of them! I think I covered my eyes at least half of the way to Positano. Later Robert told me our driver while texting sometimes while he navigated! Oh, my, I'm glad I only knew that after we'd arrived safely.


The road along the Amalfi Coast


No idea how we got past this truck. I'm pretty certain Robert took this picture while I covered my eyes

Positano is a picturesque little town built into the side of a mountain right on the coast. We wound around its tiny streets quite a while before arriving at our destination, the Hotel Marincanto.



At the street level the hotel only has a car park and a little structure housing an elevator. Robert and I took the elevator four stories down to the reception area, which was adjacent to a lovely patio overlooking the sea where we also ate breakfast every morning. We checked into our room, #212 (duo cento dodici), which featured a little balcony overlooking the sea and a nice patio with a view of the town.


Our room at the Marincanto


Positano as viewed from our balcony

For dinner we ventured into town and down a pedestrian walkway near the beach to a restaurant called Lo Guarracino. We had a nice meal on their deck. I especially liked the linguini limone that I ordered; the sauce was really light and fresh.


Our dinner at Lo Guarracino - I'd love to know how to make Linguini Limone like this