9 Friends, 10 Year Anniversary, and 11 Days on the Amalfi Coast and Rome
May 27th, 2009, 05:19 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,478
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
9 Friends, 10 Year Anniversary, and 11 Days on the Amalfi Coast and Rome
There is no better way to celebrate a 10 year wedding anniversary than with 9 friends on the Amalfi Coast of Italy with a couple days in Rome tossed into the mix. This is the tale of my trip to the Amalfi Coast at the end of April, 2009.
The background story goes like this…
My friends Sandy and Alan would be celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary in May 2009. For their 5th anniversary we did a trip to Tuscany for a week. Back in the spring of 2008 Sandy sent out an email to all 20 of us who went on the Tuscany trip to see who would be interested in a 10 year “event”. At that time there were lots of positive…”yes I’m coming” responses from the 20 of us who were on the 5 year anniversary Tuscany trip. After several months the numbers dwindled and the final count for the 10th anniversary trip was 9 from the “original” 20.
The original plan for this 10 year trip was to go back to Tuscany, and me being the travel junkie/researcher/planner that I am, I offered to help Sandy research villas in Tuscany.
As I scoured the internet for the perfect villa I had been reading several posts on Fodors about the Amalfi coast, especially Ekscrunchy’s fabulous trip report. This area really started to pique my interest, so you can imagine my absolute delight when I got an email from Sandy saying she had been considering changing the location from Tuscany to Amalfi and would the “gang of 9” mind? Heck NO…I will go anywhere in Italy.
Our course had changed and I started looking for villas in the Amalfi coast. The villa gods were shining down on us and with absolute good fortune Sandy had a friend who visited the Amalfi coast several years earlier with a group of friends and stayed at a villa in Piano di Sorrento, about half way between Sorrento and Positano. Sandy contacted the owner and Presto! We were booked into La Grotta dei Fichi (www.grottadeifichi.it) for April 25 – May 2, 2009.
You can imagine what the logistics might be for a group of 9, but throw into the mix the fact that Sandy and Alan live in Hong Kong, Alastair lives in London, Julia, Regi, and Scott live in Atlanta, Patrick and Michelle live in Raleigh, NC and I live on Hilton Head Island, SC. But, fortunately we are all seasoned travelers and the plan was to just be at the villa on April 25th. Some of us traveled together, others met along the way.
I choose to fly on my own to Paris where I would meet Regi and Scott and then fly to Naples, the closest airport to the villa. Others in the group chose to arrive in Rome, rent a car and drive to the villa.
My logic behind purchasing my airfare….when Regi, Scott and I decided to “band together” for the rental car I suggested that we fly into Naples since it was only one hour from the villa and after having the experience of flying into Rome and immediately driving 3 hours to Tuscany I didn’t want to put Scott, (who is the designated driver, since I don’t drive a stick shift car), through a long drive after a trans-Atlantic flight. Believe me one hour was enough!
Prior to purchasing airfare I pitched the idea to Regi and Scott of extending our trip after Amalfi and going to Rome for a few days at the end of the trip (I can’t help not going to Rome…one of my favorite cities…they liked the idea, so we got open jaw flights arriving into Naples and departing from Rome. This actually worked out because unbeknownst to me the remaining members of the gang decided to spend their last few days in Rome too and we all were in Rome before returning home…good thing we all like each other!
I am all about getting to my destination with the least amount of aggravation (aka…as few connections as possible) and with lots of “cushion” time…if I have to wait 3 hours for a connection, I will wait 3 hours. I purchased my flight on Delta which left Savannah, connected through Atlanta, then Paris and finally arriving in Naples. I typically try to avoid connections at CDG because of horror stories I have heard, but at the time I booked the flight I had no other choice on Delta/Air France (and I wanted the miles!) and I was given a 3 hour connection…I was good with that.
Scott and Regi on the other hand, booked airfare that took them to airports of the east coast! However, they were booked on the same Paris to Naples flight I was booked on. The clincher for them was that their arrival time at CDG was only 1 hour prior to the departure of the Naples flight…too risky for me…but they were ok with it and that is where the rest of the story begins….
The background story goes like this…
My friends Sandy and Alan would be celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary in May 2009. For their 5th anniversary we did a trip to Tuscany for a week. Back in the spring of 2008 Sandy sent out an email to all 20 of us who went on the Tuscany trip to see who would be interested in a 10 year “event”. At that time there were lots of positive…”yes I’m coming” responses from the 20 of us who were on the 5 year anniversary Tuscany trip. After several months the numbers dwindled and the final count for the 10th anniversary trip was 9 from the “original” 20.
The original plan for this 10 year trip was to go back to Tuscany, and me being the travel junkie/researcher/planner that I am, I offered to help Sandy research villas in Tuscany.
As I scoured the internet for the perfect villa I had been reading several posts on Fodors about the Amalfi coast, especially Ekscrunchy’s fabulous trip report. This area really started to pique my interest, so you can imagine my absolute delight when I got an email from Sandy saying she had been considering changing the location from Tuscany to Amalfi and would the “gang of 9” mind? Heck NO…I will go anywhere in Italy.
Our course had changed and I started looking for villas in the Amalfi coast. The villa gods were shining down on us and with absolute good fortune Sandy had a friend who visited the Amalfi coast several years earlier with a group of friends and stayed at a villa in Piano di Sorrento, about half way between Sorrento and Positano. Sandy contacted the owner and Presto! We were booked into La Grotta dei Fichi (www.grottadeifichi.it) for April 25 – May 2, 2009.
You can imagine what the logistics might be for a group of 9, but throw into the mix the fact that Sandy and Alan live in Hong Kong, Alastair lives in London, Julia, Regi, and Scott live in Atlanta, Patrick and Michelle live in Raleigh, NC and I live on Hilton Head Island, SC. But, fortunately we are all seasoned travelers and the plan was to just be at the villa on April 25th. Some of us traveled together, others met along the way.
I choose to fly on my own to Paris where I would meet Regi and Scott and then fly to Naples, the closest airport to the villa. Others in the group chose to arrive in Rome, rent a car and drive to the villa.
My logic behind purchasing my airfare….when Regi, Scott and I decided to “band together” for the rental car I suggested that we fly into Naples since it was only one hour from the villa and after having the experience of flying into Rome and immediately driving 3 hours to Tuscany I didn’t want to put Scott, (who is the designated driver, since I don’t drive a stick shift car), through a long drive after a trans-Atlantic flight. Believe me one hour was enough!
Prior to purchasing airfare I pitched the idea to Regi and Scott of extending our trip after Amalfi and going to Rome for a few days at the end of the trip (I can’t help not going to Rome…one of my favorite cities…they liked the idea, so we got open jaw flights arriving into Naples and departing from Rome. This actually worked out because unbeknownst to me the remaining members of the gang decided to spend their last few days in Rome too and we all were in Rome before returning home…good thing we all like each other!
I am all about getting to my destination with the least amount of aggravation (aka…as few connections as possible) and with lots of “cushion” time…if I have to wait 3 hours for a connection, I will wait 3 hours. I purchased my flight on Delta which left Savannah, connected through Atlanta, then Paris and finally arriving in Naples. I typically try to avoid connections at CDG because of horror stories I have heard, but at the time I booked the flight I had no other choice on Delta/Air France (and I wanted the miles!) and I was given a 3 hour connection…I was good with that.
Scott and Regi on the other hand, booked airfare that took them to airports of the east coast! However, they were booked on the same Paris to Naples flight I was booked on. The clincher for them was that their arrival time at CDG was only 1 hour prior to the departure of the Naples flight…too risky for me…but they were ok with it and that is where the rest of the story begins….
May 27th, 2009, 06:15 PM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,478
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I apologize for such an in-depth background posted above..but I thought it was an interesting trip situation that needed a bit of explanation.
Here are the first couple days of the trip:
Friday, April 24, 2009
I was able to check in on-line the night before my departure, except I couldn’t print the boarding pass for the flight to Naples. This didn’t surprise me since it was an Air France operated flight and it was departing on Saturday, so I asked at the Savannah airport to get a boarding pass for that flight and the agent was able to print one for me without any trouble.
The flight to Savannah was 30 minutes late, but that didn’t cause any trouble and the subsequent flight to Paris was uneventful and I was able to snag the coveted exit row/aisle seat.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Landed at CDG at 6:30am and it felt like an eternity before we arrived at the gate, it took a few minutes to get the jetway in place and then I was off the plane and following the signs for connections. Thanks to all the fodorites for the helpful tips about connecting through CDG…it was a breeze, but then again, I had 3 hours!
I did go through passport control at CDG and my passport was stamped. Fortunately there is a separate line for connections…make sure to look for the signs; otherwise you may get shifted to the other line for passengers terminating their trip in Paris. I had a wait of less then 5 minutes at passport control, it could also have been because it was 7am…and not as many planes had landed yet.
Once through passport control I followed the signs for Terminal 2F where my Air France flight would depart from. There was very clear signage and after a stop at the ATM I was riding up on the escalator to the departures area.
I did have to go through a security check point and ran into a bit of a line there, but from touchdown to arriving at the Naples flight departure gate, it took approximately 45 minutes. If Regi and Scott’s flight arrives at CDG on time and they are as lucky as I at passport control and security they should (just barely) make the Naples flight.
I sat for a few hours reading, having coffee and checking the Delta website to see if “the guys” flight had arrived.
As the Naples flight started to board I was still the only one in my “little band” that was there. I got up to board when my seat row was called and like a desert mirage there walking down the terminal was Regi and Scott…a bit sweaty and out of breath, but they made the flight!
The Air France flight was full but it was a relatively short 2.5 hour flight. They did serve breakfast…croissants and yogurt. We arrived in Naples right on time (12:30) and by some miraculous act Regi and Scott’s bags were the first to appear on the baggage carousel (I’m an advocate of carry-on only, and didn’t have any checked bags). We were out the door and on the rental car shuttle bus in no time and within minutes at the rental car lot and packing our bags into the 4 door Fiat Punto. Scott was able to get some kind of discount on the Hertz rental car through his work and for 10 days was paid $330 for the car.
It was a beautiful day, sunshine and blue skies. Traffic was heavy along some portions of the road, but we took our time and made a stop at the side of the road near Sorrento to get some lemon granita…welcome to the Sorrentine Peninsula!
We finally found the villa after passing the turn for it. I knew something was amiss as we were driving along the Amalfi Coast Drive and I said to Scott…”I believe if we come to Positano we have gone too far”…not 5 minutes later…there is the sign…”Welcome to Positano”…we find a place to turn around (not an easy feat on the Amalfi Drive!) and we find our way back to where we missed a turn…the villa is definitely “off the beaten path”! By now it’s about 2:30, but no one is at the villa yet. We decide to take a little drive and find a small place selling gelato…we stop for our first of the trip. This becomes Scott’s rule...at least one gelato a day (and why stop at one, when you can have 2 or 3!)
At 4:30 we decide to give the villa another try and this time the owner (well, actually the owner’s son, Vincenzo, who manages the villa) is there and let’s us in.
Oh My Gosh! Is the collective response upon opening the front door! This place is spectacular. It literally runs parallel along the cliff face, there is even a cage and pulley system to get the luggage from the entrance to the house.
The house includes 2 bedrooms downstairs, a twin and a double. The main level has a living/dining area, kitchen, and ½ bath. Upstairs has a study with 2 twin beds and a double bedroom and the top floor has a spiral staircase to a fitness room with 2 beds and a sauna.
There is an outdoor kitchen, outdoor dining area, pool with jacuzzi (although it was too chilly during our week there to use either the pool or Jacuzzi) and an outdoor grotto bar. All of this is overlooking the sea…it is truly breathtaking.
Within half an hour the rest of our group arrives and it’s terrific to see everyone, some of us haven’t seen each other in 5 years.
After getting freshened up and chatting with everyone we decide to all go to dinner together to a place Vincenzo (aka…the owner) recommends. The restaurant’s name is Il Panorama and it is a quick 10 minute or so drive from the villa.
The food was excellent and we ordered a lot for everyone to share. The vegetable anti pasti was good the squid on the seafood anti pasti was fabulous. There was so much being passed about the table, but my choice of the eggplant parmigiana was a winner. The homemade pasta dishes were out of this world good and the arancini were gigantic, but only so-so tasting. The house wine was really good, but the crowning touch of our first meal together was the limoncello. My gut told me this stuff was homemade too…it was so smooth and I caught a glimpse of the bottle, more like jug, it was poured from and there was no label on it…another reason I think it was homemade.
After dinner we all made our way back to the villa to relax and chat…and yes, I was still awake after a long travel day…but when I did finally go to sleep I slept like a log!
Here are the first couple days of the trip:
Friday, April 24, 2009
I was able to check in on-line the night before my departure, except I couldn’t print the boarding pass for the flight to Naples. This didn’t surprise me since it was an Air France operated flight and it was departing on Saturday, so I asked at the Savannah airport to get a boarding pass for that flight and the agent was able to print one for me without any trouble.
The flight to Savannah was 30 minutes late, but that didn’t cause any trouble and the subsequent flight to Paris was uneventful and I was able to snag the coveted exit row/aisle seat.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Landed at CDG at 6:30am and it felt like an eternity before we arrived at the gate, it took a few minutes to get the jetway in place and then I was off the plane and following the signs for connections. Thanks to all the fodorites for the helpful tips about connecting through CDG…it was a breeze, but then again, I had 3 hours!
I did go through passport control at CDG and my passport was stamped. Fortunately there is a separate line for connections…make sure to look for the signs; otherwise you may get shifted to the other line for passengers terminating their trip in Paris. I had a wait of less then 5 minutes at passport control, it could also have been because it was 7am…and not as many planes had landed yet.
Once through passport control I followed the signs for Terminal 2F where my Air France flight would depart from. There was very clear signage and after a stop at the ATM I was riding up on the escalator to the departures area.
I did have to go through a security check point and ran into a bit of a line there, but from touchdown to arriving at the Naples flight departure gate, it took approximately 45 minutes. If Regi and Scott’s flight arrives at CDG on time and they are as lucky as I at passport control and security they should (just barely) make the Naples flight.
I sat for a few hours reading, having coffee and checking the Delta website to see if “the guys” flight had arrived.
As the Naples flight started to board I was still the only one in my “little band” that was there. I got up to board when my seat row was called and like a desert mirage there walking down the terminal was Regi and Scott…a bit sweaty and out of breath, but they made the flight!
The Air France flight was full but it was a relatively short 2.5 hour flight. They did serve breakfast…croissants and yogurt. We arrived in Naples right on time (12:30) and by some miraculous act Regi and Scott’s bags were the first to appear on the baggage carousel (I’m an advocate of carry-on only, and didn’t have any checked bags). We were out the door and on the rental car shuttle bus in no time and within minutes at the rental car lot and packing our bags into the 4 door Fiat Punto. Scott was able to get some kind of discount on the Hertz rental car through his work and for 10 days was paid $330 for the car.
It was a beautiful day, sunshine and blue skies. Traffic was heavy along some portions of the road, but we took our time and made a stop at the side of the road near Sorrento to get some lemon granita…welcome to the Sorrentine Peninsula!
We finally found the villa after passing the turn for it. I knew something was amiss as we were driving along the Amalfi Coast Drive and I said to Scott…”I believe if we come to Positano we have gone too far”…not 5 minutes later…there is the sign…”Welcome to Positano”…we find a place to turn around (not an easy feat on the Amalfi Drive!) and we find our way back to where we missed a turn…the villa is definitely “off the beaten path”! By now it’s about 2:30, but no one is at the villa yet. We decide to take a little drive and find a small place selling gelato…we stop for our first of the trip. This becomes Scott’s rule...at least one gelato a day (and why stop at one, when you can have 2 or 3!)
At 4:30 we decide to give the villa another try and this time the owner (well, actually the owner’s son, Vincenzo, who manages the villa) is there and let’s us in.
Oh My Gosh! Is the collective response upon opening the front door! This place is spectacular. It literally runs parallel along the cliff face, there is even a cage and pulley system to get the luggage from the entrance to the house.
The house includes 2 bedrooms downstairs, a twin and a double. The main level has a living/dining area, kitchen, and ½ bath. Upstairs has a study with 2 twin beds and a double bedroom and the top floor has a spiral staircase to a fitness room with 2 beds and a sauna.
There is an outdoor kitchen, outdoor dining area, pool with jacuzzi (although it was too chilly during our week there to use either the pool or Jacuzzi) and an outdoor grotto bar. All of this is overlooking the sea…it is truly breathtaking.
Within half an hour the rest of our group arrives and it’s terrific to see everyone, some of us haven’t seen each other in 5 years.
After getting freshened up and chatting with everyone we decide to all go to dinner together to a place Vincenzo (aka…the owner) recommends. The restaurant’s name is Il Panorama and it is a quick 10 minute or so drive from the villa.
The food was excellent and we ordered a lot for everyone to share. The vegetable anti pasti was good the squid on the seafood anti pasti was fabulous. There was so much being passed about the table, but my choice of the eggplant parmigiana was a winner. The homemade pasta dishes were out of this world good and the arancini were gigantic, but only so-so tasting. The house wine was really good, but the crowning touch of our first meal together was the limoncello. My gut told me this stuff was homemade too…it was so smooth and I caught a glimpse of the bottle, more like jug, it was poured from and there was no label on it…another reason I think it was homemade.
After dinner we all made our way back to the villa to relax and chat…and yes, I was still awake after a long travel day…but when I did finally go to sleep I slept like a log!
May 28th, 2009, 07:50 AM
#6
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 16,658
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh man!!! What a great treat to read your report. Dh and I are thinking of going to the AC in July of 2012 (yes, I know it is far off but I am gradating Nursing school in June of 12)
Do you think the villa would be good for a family? We would have son and DIL and then 5 year old granddaughter. I have worried a little about the AC with the cliffs and a younger child...
Keep it coming!
Do you think the villa would be good for a family? We would have son and DIL and then 5 year old granddaughter. I have worried a little about the AC with the cliffs and a younger child...
Keep it coming!
May 28th, 2009, 11:53 AM
#12
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,823
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is great - I am going to wait to read your next installment when I have a nice glass of wine to sip on.
Your villa is beautiful as is the entire Amalfi Coast. We have rented villas in Massa Lubrense - one near the sea and the other in the hills with spectacular views. We will be in Sorrento in a few months and can hardly wait!
Your villa is beautiful as is the entire Amalfi Coast. We have rented villas in Massa Lubrense - one near the sea and the other in the hills with spectacular views. We will be in Sorrento in a few months and can hardly wait!
May 28th, 2009, 12:07 PM
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,478
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks everyone for hanging in with me. I will try to post another installment tonight.
MomDD...I think the villa would be great for a family, but like you I have concern about the youngster. The the little area around the swimming pool is very narrow and you must use that area to get to the grotto bar area. Even though there is a railing/gate along portions of the walkway between the entrance & house & outdoor kitchen area, from what I can recall the rails are far enough apart that a curious child just might have an easy time slipping through. I'll go back and check my pictures more closely and let you know.
Kristina...on our first night I ordered an eggplant dish and thought of you!
and, on a side note...I found a terrific apartment for Rome in October (thru fodorite TedGale's recommendation of a rental company)in a great location, between Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori! Also, my friend CL has decided to join me and mom...it's turning into another adventure! Please do keep me posted on your Rome/October plans. (I've already got Francesca Caruso booked...I saw her when I was in Rome on this trip...and she is already booking up for October...in case you wanted to book her for something)
MomDD...I think the villa would be great for a family, but like you I have concern about the youngster. The the little area around the swimming pool is very narrow and you must use that area to get to the grotto bar area. Even though there is a railing/gate along portions of the walkway between the entrance & house & outdoor kitchen area, from what I can recall the rails are far enough apart that a curious child just might have an easy time slipping through. I'll go back and check my pictures more closely and let you know.
Kristina...on our first night I ordered an eggplant dish and thought of you!
and, on a side note...I found a terrific apartment for Rome in October (thru fodorite TedGale's recommendation of a rental company)in a great location, between Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori! Also, my friend CL has decided to join me and mom...it's turning into another adventure! Please do keep me posted on your Rome/October plans. (I've already got Francesca Caruso booked...I saw her when I was in Rome on this trip...and she is already booking up for October...in case you wanted to book her for something)
May 28th, 2009, 02:26 PM
#18
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,633
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great trip report! I looked at the villa's website, and it looks fantastic! Can you rent part of it, or is it the whole thing? I couldn't find rates on their site. Do you have that information! Thanks1
May 28th, 2009, 05:13 PM
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,478
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Marianna...I'm having trouble finding EK's Amalfi report...I'll try to locate it and post, but if EK sees this and would be kind enough to post it here I'd be very appreciative!
Johanna...thanks for reading!
Samsaf...I believe the villa is rented as a whole...BUT...they were in the process of finishing an annex which we were able to see on our last day because it was completed that day. It's a small one bedroom that could sleep 4 (although 2 would be on a sofa bed)...it was really adorable and the view was fantastic. I don't know how they were going to price that rental.
As for us renting the whole place...my friend Sandy coordinated that all with the owner and we each paid Sandy $500 for the week, so that would have been $4500 for the week...but I think the dates we were there was still considered low season.
Johanna...thanks for reading!
Samsaf...I believe the villa is rented as a whole...BUT...they were in the process of finishing an annex which we were able to see on our last day because it was completed that day. It's a small one bedroom that could sleep 4 (although 2 would be on a sofa bed)...it was really adorable and the view was fantastic. I don't know how they were going to price that rental.
As for us renting the whole place...my friend Sandy coordinated that all with the owner and we each paid Sandy $500 for the week, so that would have been $4500 for the week...but I think the dates we were there was still considered low season.
