Positano to Rome

The morning arrived where our beautiful time in Positano had come to an end.  The experience was so unforgettable that we weren't quite sure if the rest of our honeymoon would be as extraordinary.  We took as many mental and physical photographs as possible, and said goodbye for now.  We will be back someday.

We boarded a boat to Salerno, which stopped in Amalfi (again, sit on the left side of the boat for the best views.)

Lonely house on the cliff

Our last view of the Italian coast (Salerno.)

The Salerno Railway Station, built  in 1866.

The high-speed train from Salerno to Rome.  In our booth, we met a very nice elderly man from a small town outside of Rome.  He was one of the few people we met who didn't speak English.  However, with our little knowledge of Spanish words that were similar to Italian, and many hand gestures, we were able to hold a meaningful conversation that made that time go by fast. He told us about the must-see sights in Rome, where to find food, how to get to the Colosseum, and about his hometown.  It was so nice to meet someone who was genuinely kind towards tourists.

After we dropped our luggage off at the hotel, we made our way around the streets of Rome.  Of course, this was our first stop...pizza!

We started with the Heart of Rome walk.  This is the Piazza Navona.

The Pantheon

Inside the Pantheon (very crowded, but free)

The Pantheon

The Pantheon

The Pantheon

Piazza di Monte Citorio

Not part of the Heart of Rome walk, but just a slight detour.  Giolitti's has delicious gelato (large serving sizes at prices that are hard to beat!)

Back to the walk...Piazza Colonna

Altare Della Patria

Altare Della Patria

Altare Della Patria

Altare Della Patria

Altare Della Patria

Fontana di Trevi

Fontana di Trevi

The Spanish Steps

Piazza di Spagna

Piazza del Popolo

Piazza del Popolo

We finished the walk just in time to grab these drinks, relax, and watch the sunset.

Piazza del Popolo

We still had some daylight left, so we continued walking and touring the city by foot.

Corte Suprema di Cassazione

Castel Sant'Angelo

Campo de Fiori; we stumbled upon this town square by chance.  Good live music at night and several options for food/drinks.

Exhausted and hungry, we ended the night with pasta and pizza :)  Carb loading for another day of sightseeing tomorrow.  Rome is easily one of those cities where you want to make sure and bring your walking shoes!

Positano, Italy Part 2

One of my favorite places in the world.  We lucked out by having Positano as our "home" in Italy.  The boat rides and sightseeing were charming ways to view the coast, but it was also nice to have relaxing days by the beach or in a cafe.  After all, the weather was perfect...

Our balcony was a cherished place where we spent most of our time.  No matter how long we sat in those chairs, the scenery was just as enchanting as the first time we opened those french doors.

Nothing like an Italian espresso to start the morning.  La Zagara is one of the many bakeries along the main street in the center of Positano.

We had pizza almost every day.  They had it on the breakfast menu, why not?

A delicious mezzaluna stuffed with spinach and ricotta.  My half was so full that the entire contents somehow made it's way to the floor :(  At least my wife shared a bite of hers.

The beach was quiet in the mornings.  It was never quite warm enough to go for a swim while we were there, especially since the water was chilly.

Explore the cliffside trails, you never know what kind of view you'll discover.

A lot of restaurants have nice views, such as this one.  Therefore, it makes it hard to choose a place (what a terrible problem to have.)  The food is all amazing!

All of the boats leaving for their various destinations; their passengers all in for a lovely adventure.

The locals have this stunning view on their way to work every morning.  There is only one main road through the entire city that allows cars.

Scialatielli allo scoglio con cozze, vongole, gamberi e scampi at Ristorante Sarceno d'Oro.  This restaurant was right by our hotel and one of our favorites.  You'll see a few more pictures from here...

Octopus carpaccio

The most delicious panna cotta with berries.  So light and creamy.

See??  It was really good.

This is how the locals stay in shape.  We climbed and explored hundreds of steps, a few that led to no outlet, but it was worth the experience.

The city lights up at night, which adds to the mystical appeal of this cliffside town.

Ristorante Sarceno d'Oro (where we ate a few times during out stay in Positano.)

Ristorante Da Vincenzo, we were lucky enough to get a reservation here the night before.

The inside looked as if it was carved out of part of the cliff.  As you can see, every table was occupied.

Poplo arrosto e frirarielli - grilled octopus with sauteed sweet green peppers

Fiore di zucca pastellato - zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta, butter sauce, lemon and anchovies

Delicious and light, the flavors were very well complimented.

Bavette aglio, olio, peperoncino e calamaretti spillo - spaghetti garlic, olive oil, peperoncino and baby squid

Lemon cake

The most scrumptious calzone I have ever had in my life.   The dough was chewy and cooked to perfection while the inside was filled with ricotta, mozzarella, homemade tomato sauce, sausage, ham, and peppers.  This was from Ristorante Sarceno d'Oro.  We had this 2 nights in a row... after we already ate dinner.

Here's the second one.  We would've had more, but we discovered this later on during our stay.  I think this was my wife's favorite meal in Positano, it was that good.

Night view from our balcony (as we enjoyed our calzone and bottle of wine.)

 If we could come back to this one place, it would still feel like a dream every time.  A romantic town that makes it easy to be in love, to enjoy the moment, to savor life.  We hope to make it back someday.  Whether it be next year, or 50 years down the road.  Time will pass, but we hope the enchantment of this town never fades.  

Positano, Italy Part 1

When I think about what heaven is like, Positano comes pretty close.  A cliffside town on the southern coast of Italy where multicolored balconies and cascading flowers tug you further into it's fairy land.  The weather is perfect and the locals make you feel at home.  It's a dream world where life is carefree and everyone is young at heart.  The kind of place where time does not exist...

Don't expect to see much of the view if you're the one driving.  The road along this cliffside is narrow and windy.  Barely enough room for one car each way, let alone a bus!  But it's true what they say about the drive along the Amalfi Coast... it is the best scenic route in the world.  

Our first view of Positano from the top of the hillside

The water is clean enough to drink.  Several of these fountains can be found throughout the city.

No matter where you go, you'll have a stunning view of the city

Explore the alleys.  Even if it means you climbed extra steps only to end up at a dead-end, you never know what you'll find

Our view from breakfast every morning.  Even the sun is cheerful and welcoming!

Our private balcony at the hotel.  Like I said, no such thing as a bad view in this town

The streets are lined with boutiques and cafes.  Positano specializes in linens, hand-painted ceramics, and hand-made leather shoes and sandals.

A view of one of the docks, where you can take a boat to any city along the Amalfi Coast.

The city is just as beautiful when it's lit up

One of the best meals we had in Italy.  La Tagliata is at the top of the mountain overlooking Positano.  A family-owned restaurant where they serve you more courses than you've ever had in your entire life and a full bottle of wine per person to start with.  No menu, just fresh foods and local vegetables that are in season.

Most restaurants ended each meal with a shot of limoncello.  A sweet, but refreshing way to cap the night off.

It's easy to lose track of the tragedies of the world in a place as perfect as Positano.  It's a place where one can actually stop to think, be creative, be silent, be at peace.  Sometimes, everyone needs a little place to escape to when the stress of life becomes overwhelming.  Positano will always be that place for me.