napologetic Napoli, Uncompromising Capri, and Unassuming Amalfi
Jun 7th, 2017 | 08:28 PM
#42
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 282
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I am loving every minute of this report -- thanks for sharing! Your descriptions of the pure chaos of southern Italy are making me want to go back. And I had a very similar taxi experience as well... perhaps we had the same driver 
Looking forward to more!
Looking forward to more!
Jun 8th, 2017 | 05:59 PM
#43
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,790
Likes: 0
<b>Day 5: Tuesday, May 2nd
<i>Captivating Capri</b></i>
I was afraid to look out the window. We had heard the wind blow outside for most of the night and it was not bright sunshine sneaking around the edges of our not-fully-closed blackout shutter. Sigh. The sky was whitish gray and we could see the waves rolling even from our perch on the hill.
I just knew it wasn’t looking good for the Blue Grotto. This could not be happening.
The B&B put out a great breakfast buffet with plenty of homemade cakes and tarts but also a good selection of savory items. We lingered over our second cups of cappuccino, hoping to see the sunshine breakthrough. The hotel manager made the call.
– ‘They are not open.’
– ‘But will they open later in the day?’
– ‘We can try later if you want to, but it seems very unlikely.’
Clearly meant as ‘if you want to keep holding on to that torch, fine, but you are going to burn your fingers.’ But yes, I held on to hope as we set out to find our way to Anacapri (which is closer to the Blue Grotto anyway so at least it was heading in the right direction…).
We bundled up (because the wind WAS blowing and way cooler than I would have thought for this part of Italy in May) and walked down to Capri town, through the piazzetta and found the bus station behind the Furla store.
‘There are two ‘Mamma Mia!’ roads on the island, the first is Via Vittorio Emmanuele III where all the High-End stores are and husbands faint when they see the pricetags, and the second one is the road to Anacapri. Sit to the right of the bus if you want the views or to the left if you are afraid of heights.’ said the B&B owner as we left.
We managed to grab seats to the right. We have driven through a lot (A LOT!) of small roads with precipices without barriers but this trip was still an experience. There is also big difference on perspective when you sit higher on a bus and can see straight down. ‘Mamma Mia!’ indeed.
Can’t wait to tell you about the bus from Amalfi to Ravello… THAT was an experience!
Anacapri is the ‘other’ town on the island. I don’t know where I got the impression that it was not a great place to stay overnight, but if we ever return, I would not hesitate to stay in Anacapri.
Given that we do not really have the funds (or driving desire) to rub shoulders with the well-heeled and beautiful people of the jetset world, I actually think that Anacapri would have been a better match for us.
The weather report promised a break in the conditions later in the afternoon, so instead of heading straight to Monte Solaro we opted to go wander around, of course I was buying time still hoping for a miraculous turnaround of the weather and we could still go see the Blue Grotto.
First stop was at the inconspicuous-looking-from-the-outside Chiesa di San Michele and had a jaw dropping moment when I saw its astounding floor covered with majolica tile depicting the garden of Eden.
We even went up the spiral stairs to get the full view from the choir on the upper floor.
I have not mentioned this before in this TR but… it will become very pertinent in a few paragraphs...
<b><i>To Continue Reading:</b></i>
http://stellasspoon.com/2017/06/09/captivating-capri/
<i>Captivating Capri</b></i>
I was afraid to look out the window. We had heard the wind blow outside for most of the night and it was not bright sunshine sneaking around the edges of our not-fully-closed blackout shutter. Sigh. The sky was whitish gray and we could see the waves rolling even from our perch on the hill.
I just knew it wasn’t looking good for the Blue Grotto. This could not be happening.
The B&B put out a great breakfast buffet with plenty of homemade cakes and tarts but also a good selection of savory items. We lingered over our second cups of cappuccino, hoping to see the sunshine breakthrough. The hotel manager made the call.
– ‘They are not open.’
– ‘But will they open later in the day?’
– ‘We can try later if you want to, but it seems very unlikely.’
Clearly meant as ‘if you want to keep holding on to that torch, fine, but you are going to burn your fingers.’ But yes, I held on to hope as we set out to find our way to Anacapri (which is closer to the Blue Grotto anyway so at least it was heading in the right direction…).
We bundled up (because the wind WAS blowing and way cooler than I would have thought for this part of Italy in May) and walked down to Capri town, through the piazzetta and found the bus station behind the Furla store.
‘There are two ‘Mamma Mia!’ roads on the island, the first is Via Vittorio Emmanuele III where all the High-End stores are and husbands faint when they see the pricetags, and the second one is the road to Anacapri. Sit to the right of the bus if you want the views or to the left if you are afraid of heights.’ said the B&B owner as we left.
We managed to grab seats to the right. We have driven through a lot (A LOT!) of small roads with precipices without barriers but this trip was still an experience. There is also big difference on perspective when you sit higher on a bus and can see straight down. ‘Mamma Mia!’ indeed.
Can’t wait to tell you about the bus from Amalfi to Ravello… THAT was an experience!
Anacapri is the ‘other’ town on the island. I don’t know where I got the impression that it was not a great place to stay overnight, but if we ever return, I would not hesitate to stay in Anacapri.
Given that we do not really have the funds (or driving desire) to rub shoulders with the well-heeled and beautiful people of the jetset world, I actually think that Anacapri would have been a better match for us.
The weather report promised a break in the conditions later in the afternoon, so instead of heading straight to Monte Solaro we opted to go wander around, of course I was buying time still hoping for a miraculous turnaround of the weather and we could still go see the Blue Grotto.
First stop was at the inconspicuous-looking-from-the-outside Chiesa di San Michele and had a jaw dropping moment when I saw its astounding floor covered with majolica tile depicting the garden of Eden.
We even went up the spiral stairs to get the full view from the choir on the upper floor.
I have not mentioned this before in this TR but… it will become very pertinent in a few paragraphs...
<b><i>To Continue Reading:</b></i>
http://stellasspoon.com/2017/06/09/captivating-capri/
Jun 11th, 2017 | 01:01 PM
#44
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,790
Likes: 0
<b>Day 6: Wednesday, May 3rd
<i>The Ascents: The Positano Summit and The Ravello Rollercoaster</b></i>
Of course daybreak came brighter, mostly blue and without a trace of wind. Of course. Though I had not inquired yet, I knew that the Blue Grotto would be open. Of course it would be.
I had to make a decision. Go to the Grotto in the morning and push our arrival to Amalfi to late afternoon. But that would probably mean giving up on visiting Ravello later in the day. Decisions…
On the plus side, maybe we could take the direct ferry to Amalfi in the afternoon, instead of going first to Positano. But at this time of the year there was a single direct ferry and it was at 5:00PM. And that timeframe would really complicate the rest of the day…
The deciding factor was ultimately the B&B’s location. If it had been easier to leave our luggage there and retrieve it after the Grotto, I would probably have chosen to do the tour. Starting to look at baggage storage did not seem very appealing at the moment.
So I let it go.
Was it worth it going to Capri without getting to do the #1 activity on my list? YES. It was. Count me in among the surprised at this statement. I really liked Capri. But would I go back? Maybe if we were in the general area, but I would not make a trip just to revisit.
We lingered a bit over breakfast. Rolled our luggage all the way down to Capri town and then further down on the funiculare. C bought our tickets and we proceeded to have the most outrageously priced drinks in the history of ever: €14 for a small bottle of mineral water and a lemon soda. Yes, it was ‘frontside’ by the dock, but wow.
Wonder what the going price for coffee is at Piazza San Marco in Venice.
This time we were early enough that we could sit on the open top of the ferry and admire the views as we sailed. Picture perfect! Deep blue sea, ragged coast, and endless sky. So beautiful.
Though the weather did not make for great pictures, the arrival in Positano by boat was equally breathtaking!
I will admit that part of failures of execution that are soon to follow, stem from my lack of (verbal) communication skills.
Many times things are so clear in my mind that I forget that the people on the outside are not magically picking up my thoughts. I do not verbalize enough. You can ask my husband and former co-workers, they will wholeheartedly agree.
There was a Plan A and a Plan B...
<b><i>To Continue Reading: </b></i>
https://stellasspoon.com/2017/06/11/...rollercoaster/
<i>The Ascents: The Positano Summit and The Ravello Rollercoaster</b></i>
Of course daybreak came brighter, mostly blue and without a trace of wind. Of course. Though I had not inquired yet, I knew that the Blue Grotto would be open. Of course it would be.
I had to make a decision. Go to the Grotto in the morning and push our arrival to Amalfi to late afternoon. But that would probably mean giving up on visiting Ravello later in the day. Decisions…
On the plus side, maybe we could take the direct ferry to Amalfi in the afternoon, instead of going first to Positano. But at this time of the year there was a single direct ferry and it was at 5:00PM. And that timeframe would really complicate the rest of the day…
The deciding factor was ultimately the B&B’s location. If it had been easier to leave our luggage there and retrieve it after the Grotto, I would probably have chosen to do the tour. Starting to look at baggage storage did not seem very appealing at the moment.
So I let it go.
Was it worth it going to Capri without getting to do the #1 activity on my list? YES. It was. Count me in among the surprised at this statement. I really liked Capri. But would I go back? Maybe if we were in the general area, but I would not make a trip just to revisit.
We lingered a bit over breakfast. Rolled our luggage all the way down to Capri town and then further down on the funiculare. C bought our tickets and we proceeded to have the most outrageously priced drinks in the history of ever: €14 for a small bottle of mineral water and a lemon soda. Yes, it was ‘frontside’ by the dock, but wow.
Wonder what the going price for coffee is at Piazza San Marco in Venice.
This time we were early enough that we could sit on the open top of the ferry and admire the views as we sailed. Picture perfect! Deep blue sea, ragged coast, and endless sky. So beautiful.
Though the weather did not make for great pictures, the arrival in Positano by boat was equally breathtaking!
I will admit that part of failures of execution that are soon to follow, stem from my lack of (verbal) communication skills.
Many times things are so clear in my mind that I forget that the people on the outside are not magically picking up my thoughts. I do not verbalize enough. You can ask my husband and former co-workers, they will wholeheartedly agree.
There was a Plan A and a Plan B...
<b><i>To Continue Reading: </b></i>
https://stellasspoon.com/2017/06/11/...rollercoaster/
Jun 11th, 2017 | 04:31 PM
#47
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,790
Likes: 0
Awww thanks eks!!!
Ann, that bus ride was EPIC. And we've had a few.
Actually, I haven't heard yet from AutoEurope after we returned the alarmingly-rattling car... we took an -ahem- off road wrong turn in the boondocks of Le Marche which resulted in me jogging behind the car to gain half a milimiter of additional clearance, through a cowfield and getting stung by brambles and ticks. A stone or two might have (seriously) hit the car's underside.
But we will get to that eventually.
Ann, that bus ride was EPIC. And we've had a few.
Actually, I haven't heard yet from AutoEurope after we returned the alarmingly-rattling car... we took an -ahem- off road wrong turn in the boondocks of Le Marche which resulted in me jogging behind the car to gain half a milimiter of additional clearance, through a cowfield and getting stung by brambles and ticks. A stone or two might have (seriously) hit the car's underside.
But we will get to that eventually.
Jun 11th, 2017 | 10:38 PM
#49
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,149
Likes: 0
Having done the trip to Amalfi from Sorrento twice in our lifetime on a Sita bus, I resist, repeat, resist of doing it a third time. I'm terrified of heights and seeing myself hanging on a cliff when the bus was turning, we sat on the last row on top of the engine, was terrifying and excilareting at the same time.
Your video made me laugh, I also believe the Sita bus drivers are unbelievable skilled. I remember on our first drive seeing the driver maneuvering back and for in Massa Lubrense, letting the unskilled tourist and scooter drivers pass.
Today is our last day in Sorrento and I'm deciding on what to do for our last day, we most likely take a ferry to Amalfi and make our way back in a bus, less hairy coming back.
Your video made me laugh, I also believe the Sita bus drivers are unbelievable skilled. I remember on our first drive seeing the driver maneuvering back and for in Massa Lubrense, letting the unskilled tourist and scooter drivers pass.
Today is our last day in Sorrento and I'm deciding on what to do for our last day, we most likely take a ferry to Amalfi and make our way back in a bus, less hairy coming back.
Jun 13th, 2017 | 07:48 AM
#50
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,790
Likes: 0
<b>Day 7: Thursday, May 4th
<i>Unassuming Amalfi</i></b>
There was a very specific reason for choosing Amalfi to spend these two nights in the region. And it had not been an easy choice; my heart kept hearing the siren’s call of picture-perfect Positano. I had dreamt of sitting high above the endless sea, on a bougainvillea-shaded terrace with a magnificent view, sipping overpriced white wine and watching the well-heeled beautiful people walk by… and all that said Positano to me.
But the decision to go back to the Amalfi Coast was driven by one thing: hiking the Sentiero degli dei (Path of the Gods). A path that runs along the coastal clifftop from the town of Agerola high above Praiano to Nocelle in the outskirts of Positano.
From what I read, it is a fairly easy hike (8km ~3hours) as long as you keep to the path and walk in the downward direction. I had seen the pictures and at every bend of the path there are magnificent views of the coast and towns below.
And the best way to get to Agerola was on a bus from Amalfi.
Still, choosing Amalfi felt like when I almost bought a super sexy Acura ZDX but instead drove out of the dealer with a Honda CRV. It was the smart choice and I love my car, but it entirely lacks the excitement factor. I have been cursed with an unhealthy dose of common sense.
So I had it all planned: stay in Amalfi, catch the early bus to Agerola, spend the morning walking the path to Nocelle and taking a gazillion pictures, have lunch at Ristorante Santa Croce or La Tagliatta, take the bus to Positano, spend the afternoon wandering down through town, and take the ferry back to Amalfi in time for dinner.
It was the perfect plan. A thing of beauty.
But two things interfered with it: first...
<i><b>To Continue Reading: </i></b>
https://stellasspoon.com/2017/06/13/unassuming-amalfi/
<i>Unassuming Amalfi</i></b>
There was a very specific reason for choosing Amalfi to spend these two nights in the region. And it had not been an easy choice; my heart kept hearing the siren’s call of picture-perfect Positano. I had dreamt of sitting high above the endless sea, on a bougainvillea-shaded terrace with a magnificent view, sipping overpriced white wine and watching the well-heeled beautiful people walk by… and all that said Positano to me.
But the decision to go back to the Amalfi Coast was driven by one thing: hiking the Sentiero degli dei (Path of the Gods). A path that runs along the coastal clifftop from the town of Agerola high above Praiano to Nocelle in the outskirts of Positano.
From what I read, it is a fairly easy hike (8km ~3hours) as long as you keep to the path and walk in the downward direction. I had seen the pictures and at every bend of the path there are magnificent views of the coast and towns below.
And the best way to get to Agerola was on a bus from Amalfi.
Still, choosing Amalfi felt like when I almost bought a super sexy Acura ZDX but instead drove out of the dealer with a Honda CRV. It was the smart choice and I love my car, but it entirely lacks the excitement factor. I have been cursed with an unhealthy dose of common sense.
So I had it all planned: stay in Amalfi, catch the early bus to Agerola, spend the morning walking the path to Nocelle and taking a gazillion pictures, have lunch at Ristorante Santa Croce or La Tagliatta, take the bus to Positano, spend the afternoon wandering down through town, and take the ferry back to Amalfi in time for dinner.
It was the perfect plan. A thing of beauty.
But two things interfered with it: first...
<i><b>To Continue Reading: </i></b>
https://stellasspoon.com/2017/06/13/unassuming-amalfi/
Jun 13th, 2017 | 12:00 PM
#51
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,790
Likes: 0
<b>Day 8: Friday, May 5th
<i>The Road Trip Begins</i></b>
After a day of weather-related failures, the morning sun had to rise shining brightly amidst a crystal clear blue sky. It just had to. Such is life.
This day marked the end of the ‘Ferry Boat’ segment of our trip: Naples – Capri- Amalfi with a last transfer by boat to Salerno in the morning to pick up the rental car.
I had read that Salerno was one of the most underrated cities in Italy. From the little I saw going from the ferry to dock to the Europcar office and then driving out of the city, I was sorry that I had not scheduled a full day in town.
But one must accept the fact that it is not possible to see everything.
When C and I had made the decision come to Italy, the trip had started with Abruzzo and Le Marche as the main destinations. This past week has been ‘stolen time’ from the first plan. And to me, it was worth every minute of it.
Now it was time to start The Road Trip, but I’ll post a separate Trip Report for that.
----
I’ll finish this one with a few general impressions:
- Naples should really be in any classical art-lover’s list. Being in Naples can lead to sensory overload but the things to see and do in the city are worthy of a 5-day trip.
- I think that the security issues in Naples have been blown out of proportion or are just outdated. I think that if one is city-savvy and aware of one’s surroundings, it is possible to be safe. I am not saying that it is OK to go wandering through dark alleys in the wee hours, or leaving your handbag on the seat next to you while enjoying café life. City Savvy. Bad stuff can happen anywhere.
- Public transportation in Naples is fairly easy, and we managed to use it without losing our wallets.
- In my theoretical ‘trip redo’ I would probably stay in Anacapri instead of Capri town. It matched our personality better.
- In my theoretical ‘trip redo’ I would probably still stay in Amalfi over Positano. Still lively but calm enough for us in the evening.
- Public transportation along the coast is ok, but the timetables are not worth the paper they are printed on. It is impossible to predict when a bus will be locked in traffic requiring 15-minutes of negotiation among drivers.
- The best way to move around the Amalfi coast is by ferry.
- C says that the scenery is ‘still nice’ but everything is overrun by tourists and/or the tourist trade, and that we were 50yrs too late.
- It helps to be in good shape to tour this area. None of the places we visited were particularly accessible. Even people with baby strollers had a hard time.
- Be prepared for pasta on the ‘rare’ side of al dente. If you have a strong dislike for ‘stiff pasta’ like C does, you need to speak up when you order.
- If you are not a wine snob, the house wine at almost every restaurant and bar that we sampled (and there were a lot of those!) ranged from very good to excellent. The white wines particularly stood out.
- Drinking the local stuff always reduces the chance of hangovers.
- I was not expecting the temperature in this area to be so cold in early May. I was happy that I packed lots of layers but wished at times for a better wind breaker.
---
Thanks to all for reading along!
<i>The Road Trip Begins</i></b>
After a day of weather-related failures, the morning sun had to rise shining brightly amidst a crystal clear blue sky. It just had to. Such is life.
This day marked the end of the ‘Ferry Boat’ segment of our trip: Naples – Capri- Amalfi with a last transfer by boat to Salerno in the morning to pick up the rental car.
I had read that Salerno was one of the most underrated cities in Italy. From the little I saw going from the ferry to dock to the Europcar office and then driving out of the city, I was sorry that I had not scheduled a full day in town.
But one must accept the fact that it is not possible to see everything.
When C and I had made the decision come to Italy, the trip had started with Abruzzo and Le Marche as the main destinations. This past week has been ‘stolen time’ from the first plan. And to me, it was worth every minute of it.
Now it was time to start The Road Trip, but I’ll post a separate Trip Report for that.
----
I’ll finish this one with a few general impressions:
- Naples should really be in any classical art-lover’s list. Being in Naples can lead to sensory overload but the things to see and do in the city are worthy of a 5-day trip.
- I think that the security issues in Naples have been blown out of proportion or are just outdated. I think that if one is city-savvy and aware of one’s surroundings, it is possible to be safe. I am not saying that it is OK to go wandering through dark alleys in the wee hours, or leaving your handbag on the seat next to you while enjoying café life. City Savvy. Bad stuff can happen anywhere.
- Public transportation in Naples is fairly easy, and we managed to use it without losing our wallets.
- In my theoretical ‘trip redo’ I would probably stay in Anacapri instead of Capri town. It matched our personality better.
- In my theoretical ‘trip redo’ I would probably still stay in Amalfi over Positano. Still lively but calm enough for us in the evening.
- Public transportation along the coast is ok, but the timetables are not worth the paper they are printed on. It is impossible to predict when a bus will be locked in traffic requiring 15-minutes of negotiation among drivers.
- The best way to move around the Amalfi coast is by ferry.
- C says that the scenery is ‘still nice’ but everything is overrun by tourists and/or the tourist trade, and that we were 50yrs too late.
- It helps to be in good shape to tour this area. None of the places we visited were particularly accessible. Even people with baby strollers had a hard time.
- Be prepared for pasta on the ‘rare’ side of al dente. If you have a strong dislike for ‘stiff pasta’ like C does, you need to speak up when you order.
- If you are not a wine snob, the house wine at almost every restaurant and bar that we sampled (and there were a lot of those!) ranged from very good to excellent. The white wines particularly stood out.
- Drinking the local stuff always reduces the chance of hangovers.
- I was not expecting the temperature in this area to be so cold in early May. I was happy that I packed lots of layers but wished at times for a better wind breaker.
---
Thanks to all for reading along!
Jun 13th, 2017 | 01:27 PM
#52
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,790
Likes: 0
Sep 23rd, 2017 | 01:37 AM
#54
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,645
Likes: 0
my recollection is that marigross has a home in Puerto Rico. I hope she has weathered the storm, or was elsewhere during it. Tremendous difficulties there, and I feel certain everyone joins me in wishing marigross and all her neighbours safety & a speedy recovery
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-s...-idUSKCN1BY05J
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-s...-idUSKCN1BY05J
Sep 23rd, 2017 | 01:49 AM
#55
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 57,091
Likes: 5
you're right Massimop. On FB she posted a map of where she and several family members live, in NE Puerto Rico. She had laid in supplies for a siege but felt reasonably confident that they would be ok, though expected to be unable to communicate for quite a long time. So we are hoping to hear from her soon, and as you say, wishing her and all victims of this terrible series of hurricanes and storms a speedy recovery from their trials.
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