Sorrento, Capri, Positano, & Amalfi, Italy
/(May 13th - May 16th, 2015)
After grabbing a quick croissant and coffee from a nearby café we made our way to the pick up point for our boating trip to Capri. Our excursion was on a private boat with only 4 other people and our guide named Mario. We definitely got a personal experience as there were was enough room on the boat for all of us to lay around and enjoy the moments of sunshine. We started the tour off by zooming along the coastline to see the Punta Campanella lighthouse on the Sorrento Peninsula and then headed towards Capri. We pulled up to Marina Grande to take some photos and then began circling the island, stopping along the way to see a few different grottos, and the Punta Carena lighthouse. Our tour guide suggested we skip the famous blue grotto since the line was very long (about a one hour wait) and he didn’t think it was worth it for 13 Euros per person. It was a windy day so the sea was pretty choppy, but we stopped at a nice little cove that didn’t have any other boats and was almost completely protected from the wind. Allen and one other member of the group swam and snorkeled in the cool but incredibly clear water (or tried to with the assistance of a few noodles to help him float). Then Allen practiced his diving skills off the back of the boat and showed everyone in the group that he cannot float to save his life. It was way too cold for me so I sat on the boat and filmed Allen entertaining the group.
After swimming we were dropped off at Marina Piccola on the south side of Capri where we had a few hours of free time to explore the island before hopping back on the boat. We took a bus up to the main part of the island and took photos of the amazing view. It was still very windy so we wandered around aimlessly for awhile trying to explore the island while finding protection from the wind. It was such a cute and picturesque island with views at every turn. While trying to find lunch we were wound up at a nice viewpoint at the end of a trail overlooking Marina Piccola. We took some photos and then stopped for lunch on the way back. It had finally warmed up and we sat at a table in the sun (which I thoroughly enjoyed but Allen quickly regretted agreeing to). We each had a glass of white wine. I had a simple but delicious pasta with fresh tomatoes and basil and Allen had his favorite cheese and pepper pasta. Afterwards we stopped to get some gelato and then walked back down to Marina Piccola. We had some time to spare so we had some coffee while we waited for our boat and the rest of the group to arrive. The water was even choppier on the way back so we made our way through the “tunnel of love” and then zoomed back to Sorrento.
We decided to branch out and try an Italian steakhouse for dinner that had pretty good reviews on TripAdvisor. We were warned by some friends to avoid steak in Italy and Allen had been burned once already by bad steak, but we gave Il Marzialino a try and very much enjoyed our meal. During dinner we struck up conversation with a nice British couple sitting next to us and talked about Nordstrom’s customer service policy, the horrible PTO and maternity leave policies in the US, and their love of “The West Wing.” We started off with a caprese salad, I had a filet and Allen had tagliata style steak. We decided to skip dessert at the restaurant and headed straight towards Raki for some more gelato. I had walnut and cinnamon and Allen had salted caramel and stracciatella.
For our last day in Sorrento we decided to do a day trip along the Amalfi coastline, starting in Positano and then onto the Amalfi coast. We took a bus from Sorrento to Positano that drove along a cliff road at speeds most wouldn’t be comfortable with and just inches away from 100+ foot drop offs. By the time we arrived in Positano it was well past breakfast time (for Allen), so we made our way down the one and only road that allows cars in the entire town to Casa e Botegga. This little boutique café looks like what you would get if Pottery Barn opened up a beach house/seaside themed store and also served fresh, organic food. It was so cute, the food was delicious, and I was extremely thankful for a break from our daily croissants and coffee breakfast. Over about an hour and a half we ordered two double espressos, two fresh juices, two pieces of chocolate almond cake, an omelette, and a salad. It was definitely our most expensive breakfast but it was well worth it. After breakfast we continued winding down the narrow cobblestone streets through the town until we hit the beach.
Rather than hiking back up the extremely steep hill to catch the bus to Amalfi, we decided to hop on the ferry instead. It was faster and we got some great photos of the Positano and Amalfi coastlines from the water. According to the forecast the clouds were supposed to arrive mid afternoon, so once we got off the ferry we headed straight for the beach to lay out for an hour or two. We rented two lawn chairs and an umbrella so Allen could stay in the shade and I could lay in the sun. Perfect compromise! After a nice nap in the sun we tried to catch a bus to Ravello, which is supposed to have incredible views, but missed it by a few minutes. With the next one not coming for another hour we decided to head back to Sorrento.
We had our final dinner in Sorrento at Ristorante Bagni Delfino and it was one of our best dining experiences of the entire trip. The restaurant sits on a dock right next to the marina where fishermen bring their daily catch directly to the restaurant. The seafood was incredibly fresh and the service was outstanding. We started out with a bottle of white wine, complimentary bruschetta and some marinated red shrimp (where we learned the Italian way of eating shrimp is to eat them with the shells still on). Then I had green gnocchi with red shrimp and Allen had the most amazing seafood risotto. We then shared sea bream with a light garlic and oil glaze and finished off the meal with some tiramisu. The food (including dessert) was so good that we actually decided that we didn’t need to stop and get some gelato on the way home. Now that is saying something! After that meal and our experiences in Positano and Capri, this part of Italy will always have a special place in our heart. Happy and very full, we headed back to our apartment to pack up and get ready for our 6am train ride the next morning. Next stop… Siena!
