On a Tuesday morning I set out for Italy’s famed Amalfi Coast. Traveling with my friend Emma, we took the train from Naples to Sorrento and then hopped on a bus to Positano. The bus was packed and while the guardrails were evident, every turn we took gave us a good glance at the ocean and threatened to drop us off the edge. Minus the curves, the views from the bus already proved the Amalfi Coast promising.
We made our first stop in the small town of Positano. Now this town scatters the cliffs in pastel houses grouping to a mosaicked church near the beach. Only one road runs through this town, and the other mode of transportation is, surprise, surprise, your own two feet! Staircases wind themselves throughout the town and they’re the easiest way to get down to the beach. Now whoever thought thousands of steps was easy baffles me, but it nonetheless provides the town with a classic charm.
We began our journey down the famed Thousand Steps of Positano and stopped for lunch at cliff side café. We munched on tomato and mozzarella sandwiches then continued till reaching sandy shores. Near the beach are cute shops, many hosting ceramics made by local artists. Gelato shops are of plenty and I grabbed my usual lemon chocolate mix before sitting down to rest. We walked by the pier and caught sight of some children playing in the sea spray that rose from pier-wave collisions. They were so cute twirling their umbrellas around and squealing when the waves rose to meet them.
With half the day past, we began our way back up the Thousand Steps; and by the way, there really are one thousand, we counted. Along our climb we encountered more breath taking views and made friends with a step-crossing snail. We also befriended an older Italian man who insisted we walk the road in order to enjoy the views properly; apparently huffing up the staircases is no way to see the town. Since time was running out we continued on our breathless climb and caught the next bus to Amalfi. Amalfi is nestled within another cliffside that descends into a beach. The town was actually much larger that Positano and boasted an almost Moorish looking church in its center square. Little shops conqure every free space along the road hosting more ceramics, leather and the famous Lemonchello. We stopped in one shop to learn about the intoxicating lemon craze. As it turns out, family-run lemonchello breweres (if they're called that?) are abundent along the Amalfi coast and no wonder they've become so popular; the drink is basically pure alchohol with a lemon punch. Besides it's strong affects, its comes in a wide varity as families have added other fruit flavors and stored them into painted bottles. We purchesed mini-sized bottles that are airport security proof. Thank goodness, because I was not going to have another suntan lotion incident.
We browsed some shops to admire all the ceramics then sat down to dinner at a resturante facing the square. I once again I ordered pizza. I thought I might branch out for once, but considering Pizza is always delicous and always the cheapest option, it's hard to resist. I suppose you could say my "all carb Italy diet" turned into a "all Pizza Italy diet." Halfway through our meal, music resembling something from Celtic Women floated across the square. Minutes later, an assembly of people had gathered and I realized we were being provalaged to a politcal gathering. Elections are coming soon in Spain and I suppose Italy as well. We tested out our Spanish knowledge and could pick up a few words from the Italians' speeches. It lasted about an hour and we swapped travel stories with our dinner table neighbor from London. You always meet the most interesting people while traveling. You'd be surprised who you can befriend and the things you'll learn.
After dinner we made our way back out to the buses and headed towards Naples. While our plans became a bit ruffled when we realized the trains stopped running after we arrived at the station, we located a bus to Naples, and with the assistance of a local who spoke English, made it safely back to the hostel around 1am. The Amalfi coast and the towns surrounding it are really a sight to behold. They're quaint, peacefull and every cliffside view leaves you breathless. I enjoyed being able to experience the little towns that seem to preserve Italian charm and culture so much more than the larger cities. Personally, the larger cities seem to be victims of globalization and tourism at present; but if you look hard enough, you'll find little treasures in the most unexpected places.
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