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.  

Day Trip to Capri, Italy

We were impressed with how many "last minute" plans we were able to make while were in the Amalfi Coast.  We spent the past 10 months planning a wedding...who has time to plan a honeymoon?  Therefore, we didn't have any expectations when we arrived.  As you can see, though, it is possible to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience no matter what you plan (or don't plan) to do.

Yesterday morning (before we left for Ravello) we decided to reserve 2 spots for a semi-private boat tour around Capri. Our hotel called ahead and told us where to meet on the (Positano) beach around 8:30 the next morning.  We arrived at the beach and, lo and behold, we see my wife's co-worker and husband waiting to go on the same tour!  We had no idea they were traveling in the same neck of the woods, small world!  There were 5 couples on this tour (including us) and an experienced tour guide/boat driver.

Plenty of room to stretch your legs!  If you sit too close to the edge, you'll be sprayed with some chilly salt water.  

Our first view of Capri, only accessible by boat.

Our tour guide took us around the entire island before we docked.  Beautiful, natural caverns and grottos surround the perimeter of this island.  Another secret you'll miss if you take one of the larger commercial boats to Capri.

Approaching the infamous Faraglioni; "the Three Rocks of Capri" 

Faraglioni; these oceanic rock formations have been eroded away by the ocean waves.  It is said to bring good luck if you kiss your love under the arch in the center rock.  Good thing our tour guide was experienced, the waves were somewhat choppy and the arch was small!

We landed in Marina Piccola (not to be confused with Marina Grande) and took the local bus up to the main heart of Capri.

Plenty of high-end boutiques and shops along this road in Capri.

We took another bus up to Anacapri, which is a beautiful city at a higher elevation with (more) breathtaking views overlooking Capri...

The Scala Fenicia (Phoenician steps); aka 800 steps to Capri

View from Via San Michele, which is a classic Italian garden with a panoramic view of Capri

Capri is known for it's lemons and limoncello, many hand-painted bottles with the liquor of your choice

A little shopping and a pizza roll for a snack.

You can see why it is called Marina Piccola. The waters make up for what it lacks in size, a true emerald coast

After we boarded our boat, we took a tour around the remaining half of the island.

Can you spot the cliff divers?  This was a small island in itself, a steep hike for a few seconds of spirited recklessness.

We took a poll and our entire group decided that it was worth the wait (a little over an hour) for our 3 minutes inside the Blue Grotto.  The tour guides have some sort of system as to know who's next in line.  The stairs (for tourists coming by land) lead down to the Blue Grotto entrance, which is so small you can't even see it behind the oarsman standing on the row boat.

You can see that the row boats are only large enough for 2-4 people.  Everyone in the boat has to be able to lie down...

The oarsman uses a metal chain to pull everyone inside the cave.

Don't pop your head up at this point, there's no room for error! If the currents are high, the Blue Grotto is inaccessible.

Although the entrance is small, the grotto is about 490 feet deep, which allows for the sunlight to reflect through the seawater and illuminate the cave.

We made it out alive!  Stunning views made Capri well worth the day trip.

We have one more week left on this honeymoon, but a lifetime of bucket-list adventures to look forward to.  Cheers!

Ravello, Italy

From Amalfi, you can take a bus up to the exquisitely beautiful town of Ravello.  It's not a short bus ride and the bus tends to be crowded since they don't run as often to Ravello.  Also, there is one point along the way where the road is only wide enough for one vehicle (the other side is a sharp drop down the cliff.)  Therefore, there's a long wait until the light changes in order to allow the other cars to go.  So, if you get claustrophobic or aren't able to stand for a long period of time, I would recommend spending the extra money for a cab.  However, once you get to Ravello, the views are simply captivating!

Here's the entrance to Villa Rufolo, a building that dates back to the thirteenth century.  Unassuming at this point, just wait until you get inside...

Bell Tower of Villa Rufolo

One of the best views on the Amalfi Coast.  Keep walking a bit more...

And you'll get this amazing view of the iconic cliffside gardens!

Despite the heat, the flowers managed to stay cheerful and bright.  As if they know they can not surrender to summer's influence.  With the deepest of blues and lush green mountains in the horizon, how disappointing would that be??

Did I mention that the Amalfi Coast is beautiful?

Inside of Villa Rufolo

Several steps like this surround the perimeter of Ravello.  If you have the time, walk as many of those steps as you can.  You'll see why...

You'll get a mix of historic architecture alongside a glimpse into the simple lifestyles of those who keep Ravello so authentic.  The terraced gardens and linen-lined clotheslines make you wonder if their lives are as romantic as you picture them to be.

Without a doubt, Ravello has some of the best views on the Amalfi Coast.  It's hard to envision our honeymoon getting any better than this...

Day Trip to Amalfi, Italy

There are so many options around the Amalfi Coast, it's hard to decide how to prioritize your time.  However, whatever you decide to do, the adventure will be well worth the experience.  No need to make plans ahead of time.  It's better to allow the charm of the city lead you to your next destination.  We wandered down to the beach, where we found several boats that will take you to various cities along the Amalfi Coast.  So, we decided to take a day trip to Amalfi.

View of Positano from the sea

For the best view, sit on the left of the boat as you're heading from Positano to Amalfi.

The lovely little town of Amalfi

The entrance to the town square.  We found Amalfi to be filled with more tourists compared to Positano.

The center of the city is perfect for taking a mid-day break;  filled with lots of shops and restaurants.

The Cathedral of St. Andrew is a 9th-century Roman Catholic church, a sacred destination

The mountains tower high above the city, almost as if they're hugging it tight and protecting it's secrets.

Italy's version of Diagon Alley

"Rocket" (aka arugula) pizza, very simple and light with extraordinary flavors

Cacio e pepe (aka black pepper spaghetti)

Another shot of the Cathedral of St. Andrew.  Extraordinary detail in the architecture, both inside and out.

View from the top steps of the Cathedral

The Cloister of Paradise was built between 1266-1268 to house the tombs of wealthy merchants.

The ceiling features paintings of the life of St. Andrew.

The Shrine of St. Andrew

These set of magnificent bronze doors feature four figures in the center; Christ and Virgin Mary at the top, St. Andrew and St. Peter below.

Several smaller towns line the coast between Amalfi and Positano.

Back to our home away from home, Positano.

Another perfect day in the Amalfi Coast.