Positano
Amalfi Coast and Positano
(Posing on the hills of the Amalfi Coastline with the stunning town of Positano in the background)
Positano is poised on a tall mountain that plunges directly into the sea pausing briefly along a sandy beach called Spriagga. The whole town, therefore, sits in tiers with the most tourist-inhabited areas set down at the waterfront. We hopped off our bus at the top of the mountain with the aim of making our way down to the town’s base but wondering all the while just how we would reach down there. Then, a friendly local passer-by told us how to go about descending to the beach. “Look”, he said, “for steps. When you see them, just take them and they will lead you downwards”.
Taking his advice, we trekked lower and within five minutes found a narrow sweep of stairs crammed between two homes. The stairs led us ever downwards, just as he said they would (left). Our progress to the bottom was slow as we couldn’t help but stop frequently to admire the views and pose for pictures. From every angle, the town is enchanting.
Positano’s structures are flat-roofed and painted in mouthwatering gelato shades of strawberry pink, pale peach, creamy ivory and peppermint green. As the stairs wound along rustic homes, none in immaculate condition by any means, we passed by wrought-iron lampposts and tiny balconies spilling forth a profusion of spring flowers.
Dominating the base of the town is the piazza that is the location for its landmark church whose domed cupola decorated with ceramic tiles gleamed in the sunlight (left).
Within a few minutes, we were down on pebbly Spriagga Beach (left) dipping our toes into the waters of the Bay of Naples. Despite the seas’s turbulence, the water seemed fairly comfortable to the touch but there were no takers. Most tourists clung to the sands and the shoreline where stores and restaurants offered a variety of enticements. Though it was lunch time, we preferred to find a small deli that could offer freshly prepared sandwiches and we walked through the town’s delightful environs looking for one instead of burrowing inside a restaurant.
Luckily, we did come upon just such a place and with proscuitto, mozzarela cheese, tomatoes and basil tucked into a crusty hero, we munched our way to the top. Frequently en route we paused to exclaim over the views , this time taking the asphalt road instead of the steps. The storefronts had admirable goods on display but, it being Sunday, most were closed for the Easter weekend, but there were enough people about to give the town a stirring vibrance.
Then, after inquiring where we could find the SITA bus to take us back to Sorrento, we parked ourselves at the bus-stop on the other edge of town (left) which offered even more beautifully sweeping views of the locations and the sea all the way to the curve of the coast which hides the town of Ravello. Though we did not stay long in Positano, we saw enough of it to know that it deserves its reputation as one of the prettiest of the Amalfi towns and we were really glad we braved the elements to see it.
Journey Back to Sorrento and Naples:
Back on the SITA bus to Sorrento and from there on the train to Naples, we discovered that life had come to the standstill for the long weekend. Every shop on Corso Umberto was shut as were all our favorite pizzerias. Since we still had a couple of hours to kill before we boarded our 8.30 pm. overnight train to Venice, we found sustenance at a pizzeria in a small and rather dodgy street right off Piazza Garibaldi where the only people who did not seem to be celebrating the holiday were the illegal immigrants who hung around aimlessly, smoking cigarettes and speaking in non-Italian tongues. This is certainly not an area I would ever advise anyone to wander about alone and I was grateful for Amy’s company. With her at my side, I often felt far braver than I really am and when we found a pizzeria that was occupied by a noisy group of drinking revelers, I was more than happy that we were leaving the city for good.
Night Train to Venice:
Picking up our bags from our hotel where we rested for a little while, we left about a half hour later to find that the heavens had opened and had showered rain in bucketsful. Just as in Bombay, so too in Naples, garbage clogged the streets and manholes bringing ankle-deep floods in minutes. It was with the greatest of difficulty that we managed to drag our duffel bags behind us on our walk to the railway station. Not only were we soaked but we dreaded what the state of our belongings would be and were thrilled to discover that, thanks to our waterproof bags, the contents were unharmed in the downpour. Still, I was relieved when a nice gentleman helped us find our train and when we settled in for the night with an English-speaking Italian girl named Eliana in our wagon, I was happy that Venice, one of my very favorite of global cities, awaited and I could not wait to get there again.
To follow Amy and me on the next leg of our travels in Venice, Italy, please click on the link below.
Bon Voyage!