The Amalfi Coast: Sapore di sale
I had been grumpy about being the first pickup in my 8 person tour of the Amalfi Coast, but when I realized it gave me the front seat next to the driver, I realized it was worth it. With blind turns, a drop to the sea on one side, and cliffs on the other, I was glad that I wasn’t the one driving. The other drivers weren't very reassuring either: my driver kept shouting, "They have a the brain of the mouse!"
I spent the day touring four towns along the coast: Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello.
The drive between each town was absolutely spectacular. I’m glad that we weren’t staying overnight in any one of them though--each town was swollen with tourists. Unlike Rome or Naples, they aren’t big enough to really absorb the tourists easily, and just start to feel like a theme park. I had a nice time in Positano on a cliffside walk to the beach, and in Amalfi, where I found a whole web of alleys to people’s homes where I could overhear the chatter of Italian ladies cooking lunch for their families and there was no one else on the street.
At the end of another packed day, I walked across Naples’ historic center to see a few churches and stock up on baked goods and mozzarella. Apparently, Naples is famous for tiny Nativity scenes recessed into the walls. I saw several before heading back home to Bologna.
SORRENTO
POSITANO
AMALFI
RAVELLO
