Yes, today we packed in a lot. Not being a good sleeper actually comes in handy sometimes. I never want to miss out on stuff and because I don’t sleep much anyways, Italy was no different.
MINORI BEACH
So today, woke up pretty early and headed down to Minori Beach (the public one) to search for some sea glass. When I tell you there was a TON, I mean there was a ton! Every time I brushed my hand across the sand/small rocks, there was more and more. Blues, greens, browns, pinks and pieces of pottery. I could have stayed all day. So if you love sea glass, be sure to not miss this destination on the Amalfi Coast! After about an hour of searching, a decent size row boat came crushing onto the sand. A local, about 80 years old yelled “Aye!” and waved me over. He proceeded to direct me and another lady that happened to be on the beach to help him pull his boat on shore. As we are yanking on this boat, I hear the laughter of my bestie at the top of the beach, and although I yelled for her to come over and help, she didn’t. She just chose to take pictures instead. Moral of the story: Go there for sea glass, but don’t be surprised if a local puts you to work!
We then went for our morning coffee (some of us get Cappuccino, Espresso, Americano) at Pasticceria Sal De Riso (https://www.salderiso.it/). This pastry shop is world renown and everything we tried was delicious! Each morning we would buy some croissants, specialty donuts or other breakfast pastries. We also bought an assortment of sweets for mid-day, the tiramisu was unbelievable and when it came to croissants, the ones with pistachio cream were to die for. Even if you are not staying in Minori, it is completely worth a ferry stop!
RAVELLO
Once back from the beach some of us decided that we would take the ambitious (also referred to as stupid) walk from Minori to the mountaintop town of Ravello (https://www.ravello.com/). The funny thing is, this is also referred to as The Path of Lemons to some. We had heard that it was about 1500 steps, but hey, we were leaving early enough (9:30 am), so the summer heat would be no big deal and we are all in relatively decent shape. Or so we thought. The journey ahead I would refer to as the hike of “Sweats & Swears and eventually Cheers!”
We should have known that the beginning of our walk was a straight shot up about 30 stairs…STEEP stairs. The initial burn of our legs gave no indication of what we were in for. On our walk, we saw beautiful terraces, small churches and quaint homes built into the mountainside. We were shamefully passed by our elders holding numerous grocery bags and local youngsters in flip flops… definitely not great for the ego. As we would ascend countless staircases, we would declare to each other “I think it’s right at the top of this set!” Incredibly, it never ended!!!!! Until about 1.5 hours later… We were determined to complete the walk and NOT give up… We did cheat a little bit and hopped on a bus that we caught in the town of Torello when we were no longer able to feel our legs. But even with all of this moaning and groaning, it was the most breathtaking views and yes, I would do it again, but…. I would definitely take a bus, car, Uber, anything up to Ravello and explore and then walk down…
We finally made our way to this quaint and charming town at the top of the mountain. After walking through a short tunnel, we stumbled into the town center, and it did not disappoint. It felt as though you were in a medieval village with beautiful stonework, adorable shops and narrow, winding streets.
VILLA CIMBRONE & TERRACE OF INFINITY
Our main goal in Ravello was to visit Villa Cimbrone (https://www.ravello.com/attractions/villa-cimbrone/). Villa Cimbrone is a 5 star villa perched on a cliffside with stunning views of the Mediterranean and the Amalfi coastline and was a 10 minute walk from the town center. There were clearly marked signs to get there. The public cannot enter the villa but for €10 you can visit the many gardens on the property, the cloister and the ultimate prize…Terrazza dell’Infinito (Terrace of Infinity) (https://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/most-beautiful-amalfi-coast-view-terrace-infinity), The views here were indescribable and in my opinion, the best of the Amalfi Coast, with it being 1200 feet above sea level. It was lined with marble busts and a ton of areas to overlook and take pictures. If you are to go anywhere on the coast, this is a MUST!
Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture and harvests stands outside the Infinity terrace
Not gonna lie. We started walking back down the path to Minori and collectively decided “Screw This!” and took a much too expensive cab ride back to the Airbnb…it was along this ride that we decided a ride there and walk back would have been the best idea, so that’s my opinion on that! We also knew we wanted to catch the 3:30 ferry to Positano, so we needed to get back.
POSITANO
We took the ferry at 3:30 to Positano with the intention of staying there until evening, then ferrying to Amalfi for dinner, then bussing it back to Minori. There is a little ticket booth right at the dock in Minori and there was no need to get these tickets before-hand and there were really never any huge crowds on the ferries. The ride to Positano was €15 and took about 20 minutes. Arriving into the harbor we were met by numerous yachts, piles of colorful buildings and tons of tourists! We thought going a little later in the day would be less busy, we were wrong! But I will say, it was still manageable.
The view as we piled off the ferry
We made our first stop Buca di Bacco Bar (https://www.bucapositano.it/american-bar). It was located right in the center, a 5 minute walk from the ferry and a great spot to people watch. The drinks were delicious (Mojitos, Aperol Spritz, Margaritas were what we got) and they brought lots of little snacks to the table…thank you! Because we were patrons we were given tokens to use the bathroom..it was located up an alley and through a turnstile, but it was airconditioned (and clean), which was wonderful on a 90 degree day.
We then ventured out to the winding shopping areas. There were so many quaint shops, with colorful clothing, ceramics and jewelry. It was a bit of a maze, but actually really fun to explore. My daughter was dying to go to CB Positano (https://cbpositano.myshopify.com/), and if we didn’t ask directions, we likely would not have found it. The store was adorable with vintage inspired patchwork dresses, bags and accessories. According to my daughter, a MUST visit. Definitely take your time popping into shops and down hidden walkways, where you will discover the most unique finds. My son bought a beautiful painting (print) of Positano at Art & Craft Positano (https://www.artandcraft-positano.it/artisti-in-galleria/angeloni-giancarlo/). We also purchased some jewelry and Positano-themed souvenirs. Our ferry to head on Amalfi was at 8:00 pm (€ 10), so we headed back to the beach area and stopped at the Ocean Bar (https://www.lincantopositano.com/en/ocean-bar/) until it was time to head to our ferry. A PERFECT spot, right on the beach with views of the many boats in the harbor while light misting fans blew in our faces and great music played in the background… all while sipping some delicious drinks!
AMALFI
Our final destination was Amalfi. It was only a 10 minute ferry ride from Positano, so we arrived around 8:15. We made our way down the dock and into the town square. The main town square in Amalfi is the Piazza del Duomo, which means “Cathedral Square”. As we arrived in the evening, the square and surrounding streets were already lit up for the festival on the 27th. The main focal point is definitely Duomo Sant’Andrea, the Cathedral named for Saint Andrew, the Patron Saint of Amalfi. This medieval cathedral dates back to the 9th century!
There were a bunch of restaurants and cafes throughout the square, but we had been told to venture off the beaten path and look for less touristy spots. We headed up Piazza Santo Spirito, the main street off the piazza, past the majority of shops until we reached a little restaurant, La Dolce Vita di Meme (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187780-d6848501-Reviews-La_Dolce_Vita-Amalfi_Amalfi_Coast_Province_of_Salerno_Campania.html). I had their specialty Lemon Pasta, which was so fresh and the pasta was cooked perfectly..al dente! Everyone really enjoyed their meals and the service was impeccable. Our waiter was Gabriele, and we had a wonderful time talking to him about local spots to visit and his time living in New York.
We did a little shopping before stores closed down and there are some shops I would definitely recommend. We visited this unbelievable sweet shop Nino and Friends candy shop (https://www.facebook.com/ninofriends). There are a few locations, including one in Sorrento. We were pulled in by the captivating milk chocolate fountain and the mirrors and black and white checkered decor that felt like a funhouse. This place has PERFECT marketing techniques, as they have countless tasting stations of all the sweets and treats available. We ended up buying so many of the items we tried because one was better than the next… and we have no self control. Our favorites among the sweet items were the crema di Pistacchi da spalmare and Pistacchio Foyaten Gourmet (https://www.limonorosorrento.com/product-category/chocolate-spreadable-creams/). We also got a great Peperoncino Oil made by Nino & Friends.
We ventured back down to the Square, because the night before the Procession is also a celebration! They had a band singing on the base of the steps of the Cathedral. The songs were all in Italian, but sounded so familiar. They also gave out light up wands to everyone that joined in.
We finally decided to venture back to the Airbnb. On normal days, ferries stop running around 9 pm. Although Minori is the next village over, we needed to either catch an Uber or take the bus… we decided to take a bus (and take our lives into our hands!) The drivers thankfully have a ton of experience because driving the Amalfi Coast highway is not for the faint of heart!
My Italian Adventures 