Positano, Italy - Part 1

We arrived in Positano, on the Amalfi coast, yesterday afternoon. We are actually staying in Nocelle, which is a small community, literally clinging to the sides of the cliffs above Positano. We had to take 2 trains and 2 busses to get here. It took about 5 hours to get here from Rome, not because of distance, but because the roads are insane. Narrow and winding. The bus driver has to honk his horn when he drives around a corner to warn oncoming traffic, because there is not room for 2 vehicles to pass one another for most of the way. We met several vehicles on the road, and they had to back up to a point where they could pull off and let the bus pass. It was absolutely terrifying.

We arrived at our bus stop, and weren't sure how to get to Villa Sofia. We found a sign to the Villa, and a very nice local woman whipped out her cell phone and called for us. She didn't speak any English, but she was incredibly helpful. Our host, Luciana, came to meet us 5 minutes later and put our luggage on a 'lift', which is like a mini cable-car. So the luggage got a ride, and we got to walk all 291 steps to the Villa.

Our first night were in a smaller place without air conditioning (have I mentioned how hot it is here??), but now we are in 'Paradise' (the name of our new apartment). We have lots of space, and the very important air conditioning.

Last night Luciana suggested a restaurant to us. The restaurant provides a free shuttle service to the places 'on the rocks'. We only needed to climb the 291 steps, and we were picked up and brought to the stunning Ristorante Scirocco. The man who picked us up was the son of the owner, Antonio. Antonio was waiting for us at the entrance to the restaurant and welcomed us warmly. He was so hospitable and encouraged us to make ourselves at home. We had a fabulous dinner, with a stunning view. He threw in a number of 'freebies', including heart-shaped watermelon for dessert, and insisted on us having Limoncello. It was a wonderful evening.

Today we spent at the beach in Positano. Luciana told us we could walk down the 2,000 (!!!) steps to get there, or we could take the terrifying bus ride again. We figured we'd rather die on the bus than die on step 1,500, so we braved the bus. And survived. :-) We rented a couple of lounge chairs because the beach had no sand. It's only rocks. We haven't seen a beach with sand yet. It was way too hot in the sun, so we stayed in the shade all day (except for quick dips in the water). We somehow still managed to get some sun. We both needed the rest and relaxation and enjoyed it immensely!