Positively Positano
As much as I love travelling, I've always disliked being around other tourists. I avoid tourist traps like my life depends on it. Been to Paris many times and never been up the Eiffel Tower. Went to Florence and didn’t go to the Uffizi. The list goes on. It’s not a snobbery thing, I have nothing against group tours, bus trips and the like, it’s just that I don’t personally get any joy out of it so I’d rather go for a stroll instead. I also hate crowds. I’ve always been a bit twitchy when things get busy, but these days I tend to get rather panicky when in tight quarters.
So although I was really excited to go to the Amalfi Coast, I figured the crowds might get the better of me. I knew I’d love the beauty of the coast having visited Sorrento about 10 years ago and loved it. I knew I’d adore the food, the wine and the sunshine. But I was worried that the swarms of tourists who pile off the ferries and coaches and choke the streets of the Amalfi Coast towns every day would be a bit overwhelming.
But it turns out that Positano is so charming and beautiful, and people are so friendly that it’s impossible not to fall in love with the place immediately. And that love affair started as soon as we checked into the Hotel Poseidon. Often hotels in touristy places are at best impersonal, or more often just bloody awful, but there’s none of that here. I don’t think I’ve ever had a friendlier welcome at a hotel. This family run place has been going since 1955 and owners Monica and Marco, and their children Margarita and Lilliana, not only live in the hotel, they work every day at reception, in the restaurant and in all aspect of the hotel. It feels a little like being part of the family when you stay. It's in a perfect location, close enough to the action but far enough away to feel peaceful. Even if you don’t stay here, you should come for lunch or dinner, the food is delicious and the view will take your breath away. Also don't miss pizza night with Chef Antonio Sorrentino, I'm still dreaming about that pizza crust.
Talking of being breathless, if you come to Positano you’d better be prepared for some aggressive stair action. I counted approximately 430 steps between the beachfront and our room, but if you take the hotel lift (we never did) you can knock off about 50-80 depending which floor you’re on. Either way, you’re going to be doing quite the stair master. No matter where you stay or what you do in Positano, you can expect a lot of stairs. Which is a good thing really, because if it wasn’t for doing those stairs down and back three times a day, all the pasta and pizza would have taken it’s toll.
Here’s the baffling thing about Positano though. It should have been one of the places I liked the least, and yet in spite of myself, I loved it the most. I can’t explain it. The roads are clogged and so narrow you have to have eyes in the back of your head so you don’t get hit by a car or fast moving scooter. There are people everywhere. There is no quiet time of day, it’s busy from 8am onwards. The streets were hard to navigate with the WonderDog because she was forever in danger of getting trodden, tripped over or hit by a car.
And yet, like a magic spell, it changed me in the blink of an eye. I felt relaxed, I didn’t lose my temper even in the middle of the melee. I hate shopping and yet I bought more things in Positano than I have in a whole year. Linen for heavens sake, when do I ever wear linen? I do now, as styled by the famous Pepitos.. I don’t wear hats and I’m now rocking an original Panama hat. Shoes? Sure why not, two pairs please. A turquoise dress? I haven't owned anything that color since I was eight but what the hell. We all know how much I hate boats, and yet I was the one who decided to book our own boat for the whole day. I didn’t even buy any sea sickness pills beforehand. Mr T wants to know who I am and what I’ve done with his wife.
So that’s how we spent our time in Positano, first on our own and then joined by special guest stars for this leg of the journey, Mr T’s brother Shaun and his wife Angela. We sipped great wine and listened to live music on the beautiful terrace at Hotel Poseidon. I took early morning walks with the WonderDog so she could swim in the sea. We lunched by the beach at Chez Black where all of the waiters came to say hi to Shadow. We pottered around the shops and we retired back to our massive rooftop terrace to watch the crowds below from the peace and tranquility of the Poseidon.
And then we cruised the coast on a very sexy boat channeling our inner movie stars. What a way to live, honestly. The boat was fantastic and our skipper Dario from Lucibello was quick with a joke and a bottle of bubbles, who could ask for more? We pottered along the coastline between Positano and Amalfi, popping into caves and waiting for some of the clouds to clear before anchoring up and going for a swim. Shadow loves to swim but doesn't like to jump in, she's more of a timid sort. But after the lowering of a special ramp (such a diva) and a little encouragement, she was Michael Phelps-ing it all the way to the shore. Which was quite a bit farther than it looks in these photos let me tell you, especially as the water was on the chillier side of "refreshing." We stopped for two swims and both times she swam all the way in and back alongside us. What a champ. We had lunch at a little place on the beach that you can only get to by boat where Jackie Kennedy used to eat so by the time we headed back, I was feeling like quite the movie star. Then I lost my new hat over the side of the boat and had to circle back around to get it in front of a beach full of people, pride comes before a fall and all that.
Our second stop on the Amalfi Coast was Marina di Praiano, just along the coast from Praiano town. It’s a very small fishing village wedged between two enormous cliffs, with a very romantic walking path along the cliff to an ancient Saracen watch tower. Unlike the crowded beach at Positano, most of the time I had the beach to myself when I took the WonderDog for a swim, except for the fishermen. They were absolutely baffled by this little fluffy dog who would go charging out into the sea every morning chasing pebbles I’d throw for her, we’d have quite the peanut gallery of friendly observers in the morning.
The only small snag with this stunning part of the Amalfi Coast is it’s situated right next to a very narrow road tunnel, so from 9:00am onwards you will hear the regular, very loud honking of bus horns as they enter the tunnel, the sound amplified of course by the steep cliffs. You tune it out after a while but it’s worth a mention in case you’re very noise sensitive. Horns aside, what makes this place so special is the laid back, easy going vibe and the friendliness of people you meet. Every bar and restaurant we went into, people were truly delightful. And the food, oh the food, it was wonderful. If you like seafood you’re going to be in heaven. They bring it in right off the pier and into the restaurants, you can’t get fresher than that unless you eat it on the boat.
Mr T, Shaun and Angela took a day trip to Pompeii which was about an hour and a half drive away. I stayed back to look after the woof so she and I had a merry day of swimming and chasing pebbles (her) and doing washing and chores (me). I guess she got the better deal. The following day we headed off, in the pouring rain, to Ravello, a hill top town which is famous for it’s music. Richard Wagner was inspired here and still features quite prominently around town. Many other artists, musicians and famous folk have flocked here including Virginia Woolf, Tennessee Williams, Greta Garbo and Jackie Kennedy. And now us. We walked the gardens, we dodged the rain and we admired the views. A place that’s still stunning in the pouring rain must be truly spectacular when the weather is nice.
The following day, the sun shone beautifully for us as we tackled the Path of the Gods, or Sentiero degli Dei in Italian. You can do the trail a number of ways, most people take a bus up to Bomerano which is 650 metres above sea level and then start the hike. But not this crew. We started from sea level, baby. We went straight from our house to the top of the road, and started the trail from Marina di Praia. We knew we were in for a lot of steps but holy hell. This was one tough hike up. And up. And up. In fact we pretty much went up for the first three hours, the steps just kept on coming. But it is one of the most spectacular hikes you’ll ever do. I couldn’t stop taking pictures, I must have taken hundreds. There’s a breath taking view around every corner. Definitely don’t do this hike if you’re frightened of heights because at many points along the way, there ain’t nothing but a foot and a half to stop you careening off the ledge. But with a little bravery and some steady foot work, you’re rewarded with one of the most incredible views in the world. And as if that wasn’t enough, you get up close and personal with a herd of goats who live at the top, what a bonus. It certainly was for Shadow who was very keen for an introduction.
We stopped in the village of Nocelle for a quick cup of local granita, a delicious icy drink made with fresh lemons, before heading down into Positano. Again, most people get the bus from Nocelle back to Amalfi or Positano, but not this crew. No sir. We took every one of the 1500-1700 steps down into Positano (opinions vary on exactly how many there are, it felt like roughly a million). The beer at the end of that hike was the best I’ve ever tasted, and I’m pretty sure no one says that about Corona, ever.
Just when we were high fiving ourselves for completing the hike without incident, no one falling off the cliff or twisting their ankle, we had a bit of a disaster getting into the water taxi that would take us home. It was one of these inflatable speedy things that bomb about on the water - an RIB I think is the technical term. We walked down the jetty past a crowd of people to our second private boat of the holiday and I was again feeling rather movie star-esque. I decided to be the first one to get in the boat and nearly fell on my face, naturally. I barely recovered before then there was a little miscommunication in how Shadow was going to get in, she thought she was jumping and leapt forward, missed the boat and (thankfully for the harness) ended up dangling by her leash off the edge of the pier, before some quick footwork from Mr T and the boat hand got her into the boat. It was all over in a flash but it sure gave the crowd on the jetty something to talk about over dinner! Shadow soon forgot all about the indignity of it all once her ears were flapping in the sea breeze. Now she wants a boat of course. I, however, clung to the edge of the boat with one hand and Shadow's leash with the other the whole way home.
For our final night we headed to a cocktail bar that you must go to, Il Pirata, just along the cliffside from the Marina. The cocktails are wonderful, the snacks are terrific and you really can’t get a more splendid view. After a few delicious cocktails, we headed to an unassuming little restaurant called Trattoria Da Armandino which is right next to the pier. It might as well be called Seafood Heaven. Fisherman come here with their fresh catch everyday, what’s on the menu depends on what they catch. You could only get it fresher if you jumped on a boat and caught it yourself. A whole sea bream for me then please! It was cooked to perfection, simple and delicious. The owner gave me a smile when he came to debone it for me, only to find me hoeing in with gusto. I received a pat on the back and a “bravo” when he came back later and I’d demolished the lot, cleaned every bone and even had a go at the head. Even if you don’t like fish, you should come here. The stuffed peppers are so good, as is the fried mozzarella. And the anchovies. And the tomato salad. If it hadn’t been our last night there, I would have gone back the following day for lunch and dinner!
And so our time on the Amalfi Coast is at an end and I’m not sure who will be more sad to leave. The WonderDog, who has been in for a swim at least twice a day, who has been cuddled, petted and fussed over at every single stop, and has known the joy of jumping off a boat and swimming ashore with her people, the grandest adventure ever. Or me, who will miss my fisherman friends, the simple pleasure of throwing pebbles in the clear blue sea, the ocean breeze, the lovely food and the glorious views. Or maybe Mr T, who has seen a new side to his wife as a carefree sort, even in the midst of a crowd. Don’t expect it to last fella, we’re off to Rome next with the crazy crowds of tourists. Your wife will be back, as twitchy as ever!
