Picturesque Positano & The Best Views Of It Are From Praiano

If a death-defying bus ride from hell sounds interesting, keep reading. 

It all started when we picked up our Citroen car lease in Rome and made our way down to the Amalfi coast. The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline on the southern portion of the Sorrentine Peninsula in the Province of Salerno in Italy. The only land route to the Amalfi Coast is the narrow, windy 40 kilometre (25 mi) road along the coast. 

Positano

Our first taste of Positano was not the best. We had planned to meet my parents in the centre of town and had picked a spot randomly on a map. As we transversed the windy, tightly squeezed roads for 45 minutes up and down, down and up, we decided there was no we were going to find them and got out of there quickly heading to our hotel in Praiano.

  

Our next taste of Positano, although started with a sick queasy feeling for the nauseating death race of the local bus system, was much better. The bus driver had conquered the coast many times and while he drove much faster then I ever would attempt, it seemed he was much more capable.

The bus to Positano from Praiano was €1.30 per person (over 1 meter tall) and lasted about 40 minutes. It dropped us off in the center of town, at the top of a pedestrian walkway that wound it’s way down to the harbor at the bottom.

  

Famous author Steinbeck wrote about Positano "it is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone." And he sums it up perfectly. The picturesque views taken from quick, breathless side stops on the road where your car could be pummeled by a coach or where the wind feels like it could sweep you down the cliffs. Or the walk down the pedestrian mall feels quite surreal.

  

The walkway was lined with shops either side with many of them filling the air with that gorgeous citrus blend of the famous Limoncello. Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy, due to the giant head-size lemons that grow there.

We stopped halfway down in a small café for some coffee and Sicilian cannoli. The little café smelled like freshly brewed coffee mixed with sweet tempting pastries. The seats were in a garden with indescribable views looking up the mountain, and the bill had a price tag to match. The cannoli was not as great as the Sicilian cannoli we had experienced in Messina, but it was a welcome pit stop.

Once we reach the bottom we decided to find a ride to Capri. Capri was one of my favourite stops in 2001, a little island off of the coast and I was excited to return. We found a few boat rides that were a bit hesitant about taking us out the next day, since the weather was not looking to be very cooperative. We did book one cruise, however it was cancelled the next morning and I never made it back to Capri. I guess it will need to remain in my rose-coloured memories for another time.

We decided to eat lunch in the harbor overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean Sea and happened upon a delicious little place called Chez Black. While at this restaurant I witnessed a spectacular scene of a pre-teen refusing his pizza, as it wasn’t up to his expectations. His parents folded like a deck of cards and ordered him a plate of chips, describing their disappointment because they would have to pay for the other item. He proceeded to pout his way through the meal, then refusing the chips that were placed in front of him. Oh boy! Am I ever blessed with non-fussy eaters and a stone-will that only has mumma preparing one meal for everyone, I’m not a chef and my kitchen ain’t a restaurant. Anyway this has nothing to do with anything haha.

After lunch we walked back to the top of the pedestrian mall to await the bus ride back to Praiano. This was probably the worst experience we had in Positano. While the bus ride into town was harrowing, the bus ride out of Positano was manic. There was a gaggle of people waiting to board the elusive and very late bus. When I say gaggle I mean a flock of people in no particular order or system, just waiting. People moving to the front, people shoving from the back. Taxis coming in and out, a busy road and running children weaving to and fro through the crowd.

I decided if we were going to get on this bus I would need to plant myself at the front of the swelling mob of people and not be moved. Even with that technique of the fierce and determined lioness mother I had several people shove in front of me, which was then a cause of shuffling backwards once the bus arrived. The crush to get on the bus was only saved by my unwavering determination to have my kids on that bus. My parents slowly were edged to the back of the line. I feared they would never get on, but watched them squeeze in as the last people on board. I didn’t talk to them the entire trip as a horde of people separated us and their stop was before ours. We shouted our goodbyes as they stepped off, promising to be in touch on the morrow. I have never been more thankful for a seat on a bus than that over-crowded, smelly-armpit-in-your-face journey over the cliffs of Positano directly in front of our doorstep at Hotel Margherita.

Praiano

Praiano is a town in situated on the Amalfi Coast, between the towns of Amalfi and Positano with a population of 2,069 inhabitants.

We stayed in Praiano and found it actually provided the best views to photograph Positano, which is a divine town to observe as it sits nestled on the sheer cliffs.

Praiano is a pretty tiny town. There were not a lot of restaurants, but there was an amazing golden Church of San Luca Evangelista, dating back to 1123. It’s bells rang out beautifully and we enjoyed dinner in a nearby restaurant one night listening to the chorus of bells and watching the sun fade into the blue Mediterranean Sea.

These are two beautiful places on the Amalfi Coast that are just waiting to wear out your camera. But this was not the end of our enjoyment on the coast. On our last day in the Amalfi Coast we headed to its namesake. Come read about Amalfi.

Use The Back Door On Your Bus To Amalfi

Amalfi lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto, surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery. The town of Amalfi was the capital of the maritime republic known as the Duchy of Amalfi, an important trading power in the Mediterranean between 839 and around 1200. In the 1920s and 1930s, Amalfi was a popular holiday destination for the British upper class and aristocracy. Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and where we decided to spend our last day.

Originally we had plans to drive to Amalfi, but we were dissuaded by the voice of reason, a staff member at our hotel who informed us it would be like Positano, impossible to park and a hairy ride to get there. So we decided to take the bus, which was also a slight problem. It seemed that particular day there was some delays and problems with the bus system and they were jam-packed. Our stop was one of the first stop on the route and we’re lucky to get on since after that crowds of people were waiting at each and every stop. Some of them continued waiting as our chock-a-block bus passed them by without even stopping, much to their utter disappointment and cries that we listened to while whizzing past.

This ride was about €2.50 each. While we thought the bus ride to Positano was bad, a busload of people on the longer tight, twisting, and perilous Amalfi road was possibly worse. There were several sections where the bus just couldn’t move as buses in the other direction came soaring around corners, shifting to one side like they were going to topple over.

Finally we arrived relieved and quite possibly with a few more grey hairs than we had before. We went straight to the harbor to look for boats heading to Capri, with no luck. No one was heading out on the water that day.

So we decided to head to the square and check out Amalfi. Quite accidentally we stumbled through some ancient streets into a clearing that turned out to be Piazza Duomo, the heart of Amalfi. Situated in the heart was the tall and architecturally stunning Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, dating back to 11th century.

We felt a few drops of rain on our head and decided to stop for a hot chocolate and more cannoli at a café directly in front of the Cathedral. The soft pitter-patter barely missing our heads as we sat under our umbrellas warming our insides with our coffee and hot chocolate.

 

Once the rain stopped we walked around the centre, stopping for lunch and some shopping. One stop was for walkie talkies, which became the lifeblood of our road trip with 2 cars and no phones. 

As we headed back to the station to catch the bus home we soon witnessed a throng of people waiting. We thought Positano was bad, but the lines for the buses out of Amalfi were even longer, thankfully there was some order and a rather civilized line had formed. A taxi back to Praiano was going to be at least €50, so we decided to brave the line and wait for the bus, making friends with people either side of us.

Luckily for us another bus was pulled onto service instead of the usual wait, however the civilized crowd soon turned rebel mob and dashed for the entrance to the bus. As we stood there getting crushed by people, without kids, I heard a whisper from a fellow line stander, ‘the back door is open’. Taking that whisper on board I yelled to my own pack, ‘get on the back’. We made a break from the crush getting on at the front, stumbled around the side of the bus to the back door and all got a seat without the terrifying stampede still happening at the front. Genius!

The journey home was much more pleasant with a seat and as we watched the plummeting cliff line from our side of the bus I was glad of one thing, that I was on the bus and not driving these crazy roads myself.

  

I have always imagined driving the Amalfi Coast in a convertible with a flowing silk scarf in my hair and a hand on my head to stop it flying away, but missing it by a few seconds and watching it flutter down the cliffs. But in my Citroen car and/or public bus, with my family by my side, singing corny songs like “On Top of Spaghetti” and “That’s Amore” I was more than happy with where I was and how I was seeing the picturesque and absolutely divine Amalfi Coast. One thing I knew for sure, I would miss this place the minute we left, and I was right.

It’s Been A Long Time Between Hugs & Dining In Civitavecchia

When you have a flight leaving Turkey and heading to Italy, it could be considered exciting. But I wasn’t flying to Italy. I was flying into my parent’s arms.

I could barely keep still on that short flight. I was agitated, distracted and energized. And while the flight passed quickly, the baggage collection and immigration was painfully slow, as I knew what waited behind those sliding arrival doors.

The smell of bleach on the airport floors, the creaking of those doors opening and shutting, the loud mumbles of crowds all became nothing but fading senses as my eyes darted to and from looking for the two people I had not seen in a very long time.

Then it was a movie scene. The airport stilled. The creaks and mumbles halted. And in slow motion my kids were running to their grandparents and then so was I. It has been a long time between hugs, but in that moment it wasn’t long at all.

To be exact it had been 1 year and 4 months since seeing my Dad in Perth, Australia and 11 months since my Mum and I were swinging with Orangutans in Penang, Malaysia.

Rip-off Airport Shuttles

We had considered hiring a car to drive to Civitavecchia, but in the end decided for the less fiddly option and agreed to the ridiculous 130 Euro ($185 AUD) shuttle. We realized how ridiculous this was as our return trip from the cruise the following week cost just 60 Euros ($85 AUD).

Anyway, my parents had already picked up their car lease and we could not all fit in 1 car so we both separated briefly to get to our hotel in Civitavecchia. Well, except Mia. She was not going to be torn from her grandparents so soon and insisted on driving with them.

Living On A Farm In Italy

My parents had actually planned their whole European trip before we decided to tag along, so for part of our trip we booked the same hotels as them to stay close and spend more time together. As this was our first time seeing each other we took their lead and decided to stay at Tenuta dell Argento, a 1950’s old farm restored into a hotel, nestled on a natural panoramic landscape positioned at the foot of the Tolfa Mountains, and boasting scenic views over the infinity pool.

It was some ways outside of Civitavecchia, which suited us fine since most the hotels inside the port town were relatively pricey and most lower-priced properties were fairly shabby. Tenuta dell Argento beat them in spades with its ranch-style feel, and reasonable price. Plus the bonus was the free in-house shuttle to the cruise ships, which is what we would need in a few nights time. The perfect place to await that special Mediterranean cruise.

Our 4 Course Welcome Meal

In the centre of town overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, covered with Victorian-style cast iron gazebos, is Hotel San Giorgio's Piccadilly restaurant. We arrived in time to witness the autumn sun setting over the ocean creating a beautiful warm amber glow throughout the hotel.

The staff serving us were attentive and detailed juggling 4 adults and 2 kids is never easy, especially when 4 courses are being served. The food was presented with perfection and each meal seemed to get better then the last. Want to see what we ate? The photos speak for themselves.

It was a wonderful way to spend our first night with my parents, reacquainting and catching up. And it’s a perfect place to eat while spending evening in Citvitchia.

Overall our time in Civitavecchia, despite being a pit stop to merely catch our cruise, was filled with quality extended family time, comfortable home-style accommodation and delicious Italian cuisine - a very rare combination living on the road. Bellissimo! 

Pompeii: World Renown Ancient Town Gets A Thumbs Down

The ground rumbled, the sky grew dark and a cloud of white-hot ash flowed vertically out of the majestic mountain before collapsing down the slopes scorching everything in sight. Houses were engulfed. Anyone who escaped the heat was gradually suffocated by the fine ash. In just 18 hours almost 3 metres of ash covered the entire city. This is August 24th, 79AD in Pompeii.

After leaving our stunning home in Praiano, our next planned stop was Pompeii. I had read about this ancient city as a young child and it captured my imagination. I found anything related to volcanoes fascinating, so you can imagine how excited I was to see Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius.

Perhaps I set my expectations too high, but I’m sad to say it turned out to be a disappointing experience. In hindsight there are undoubtedly some things I could have done differently, so learn from my mistakes and when you visit hopefully you will have a much better time.

The first tricky part was actually finding the place. Since we didn’t have a local SIM card in our phones for mobile Internet access we were relying on our Citroen's in-car GPS to get around. Unfortunately it guided us to the modern sprawling town of Pompeii. We expected that it should be fairly easy to see signage to the archeological site, but were wrong. In actual fact, there was some signage in Italian to 2 different sites with very similar names, which added to the confusion. Using our walkie talkies, with limited range, we drove around until we finally picked up a signal from Erin’s parents who had driven in with their own car. Using a little trial and error we eventually found our way to a parking lot on the main road near ancient Pompeii, several hundred metres from the main park entrance. Parking was 5 Euros for the day – a better option than the tourist trap immediately opposite the entrance, which was 2 Euros per hour.

Walking past numerous stalls at the entrance to the archeological park, we waited in line for over 15 minutes to purchase tickets - €11 per adult with the kids being free.

Without knowing much about the actual park we opted to take the pram for the kids. Even though it saved them a lot of walking, that was our first mistake. Most of the streets were not particular pram-friendly - dirt tracks, cobble-stone roads and steps. Using a baby carrier for Caius probably would have been a smarter move. The previous few days had been very tiring for the kids, so Caius was already worn out by the time we started, resulting in more-than-usual crying and screaming, wearing our patience thin.

We also declined the offers for audio guides and professional tour guides, which were available at the entrance. Having been to many other ruins and ancient sites we figured we could just read the signage and get a good idea of what was what. That was our next mistake. There was almost non-existent signage around the grounds. In fact, there was more signage about recycle bins rather than explaining what each building was. This was incredibly frustrating as it was a clear money-grab, forcing visitors to hire an audio guide (€6 each) or a paid tour guide. In fact we didn’t even receive a paper guide/map when we entered which is virtually unheard of anywhere in the world. So not only did we have no idea what we were seeing but we just stumbled around aimlessly – not ideal, especially with a place as big as this. I found out later that there actually were maps for sale before the entrance at the stalls we saw. So pickup a map there, or print out a map from Google Maps (which is surprisingly detailed) in advance.

We brought a couple bottles of water in the pram, but being a very hot day we drank through those fairly quickly. Unfortunately there were no food/drink stalls anywhere in the park (that we could find). Randomly scattered around the park were a couple open taps flowing with smelly water that I wasn’t game to try. But apparently it’s supposed to be potable. So stock up with lots of water before you head in.

Ok, enough moaning for now. The buildings and ruins themselves were quite fascinating, having been carefully unearthed in the last few decades after almost 2000 years being underground. This makes the site one of the best-preserved Roman-era cities in the world, providing valuable insight into how people lived 2 millennia ago. We overheard several tour group leaders as we walked around to pick up bits and pieces of information. Such fascinating stories about so much detail can be deduced, from political turmoil to family problems. It looks like mankind hasn’t changed much in a few thousand years.

Here’s some snaps of the beautiful buildings:

 

As we walked around we bumped into a lovely couple we had met several days before on the Amalfi Coast. They were kind enough to share some tips they picked up from their tour group leader and also gave us one of their maps so we could work out where to go. This was a lifesaver otherwise we may have been trapped in there all day.

 

They pointed us in the direction of the iconic “mummified” bodies – these images have been seen all over the world, printed in National Geographic, beamed on countless TV documentaries about Pompeii and essentially represent the entire city of Pompeii. Erin’s parents kept an eye on the kids while Erin and I raced over to the small hall containing these 2 bodies surrounded by clear Perspex. We found out by overhearing a tour guide something that completely shocked us. It turns out these 2 bodies are actually plaster casts. In fact, these molds were made based on just skeletons that were found during archeological digs. That means they were pretty much faked, or imagined, depending on how you look at it. It was just another disappointment along the trail of broken dreams on the streets of Pompeii.

 

Once we had a map in our hands we could see that the whole city was much larger than we anticipated. Being long past lunchtime without a food stall in sight, we started heading towards the exit. Along the way we saw a massive, partially-restored amphitheater. Cauis felt this was the perfect opportunity for a toilet break and spontaneously dropped his pants - a lighthearted way to finish our visit.

Opposite the main exit, across the road was located a restaurant which fed our family for €50. The food was, in line with some of our Italian experience, fairly average. Nothing to write home about.

Our day in Pompeii was over and we were a little wiser for the experience. We made the mistake of not doing enough (or any) research in advance about what to expect. Most of the trials we faced could have been avoided if we did a little reading first. The next destination on our road trip, also a mystery to us, would be leaving us with a completely different impression – a pleasant unexpected surprise.