Monthly Archives: November 2011

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Farewell to the mother ship

Today Eden Roc Hotel closes for the winter. Like most businesses in Positano that rely on the tourist trade, the winter months are simply not worth being open for.  It also gives the staff who have worked virtually non-stop since Easter a well deserved break.

For us, being completely selfish, this means losing our favorite evening drinks spot, a place we can have a chat with the staff that we now call friends, and a place for a meal – quick and easy when we can’t be bothered cooking at the villa or long and delicious when we have visitors and we want to showcase some fine Italian cuisine.

It’s also means no more lazy breakfast which comes, of course, with the theatre that is Tony’s impecable service and his world-beating cappuccino.

Although we weren’t staying at the hotel we have been treated like guests.  As someone put it, our room is just a little further along the corridor than the others.

With the hotel closing we are left to fend for ourselves for a week until we leave Positano next Tuesday.  Having said that the lovely Carmine has given us contact phone numbers in case we need anything and Tony has threatened to call in and say hello. It would be lovely if he did but sadly I don’t think our cappuccino would impress him overly.

Last night we went to the hotel for a farewell drink. Jean has yet to find a chardonnay that matches the quality of the one the hotel serves by the glass and this would be her last chance to relax and enjoy it.

As with all great evenings the chardonnay seemed to taste a little better than usual and we passed the time chatting to Carlo and perfecting our Italian.  The phrase “altro giro” (another round) was used frequently and Carlo’s stock of chardonnay looked in grave danger of not making it to the cellar for winter.

The hotel owner Dominic Casola called in for a few minutes which was a surprise and a treat. Dominic has been ill for over a year and is only slowly recovering. His two sons now run the hotel.  He pointed out that his older son Rafaelle was, at that moment, entertaining the Mayor of Positano at the next table in the bar and that Rafaelle was now on the Positano town council.

After a farewell limoncello or two we said our goodbyes to Eden Roc and wandered, well more staggered, home to the usual rapturous welcome from the girls.

Today’s been a quiet day at Villa Greta. We aren’t as young as we once were and a night out takes it’s toll. And there’s nothing like a wee nap in the afternoon to recover. Sleep well girls.

Ok, so someone help me out here
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Ok, so someone help me out here

Today was a beautiful day – that’s it in the photo above.  The weather was stunning – warm enough in the sun to sunbath. No wind and, once the sun went down, cool but not chilly.

So here’s my problem.  I always figured that Italy was much closer to the equator than New Zealand and that’s what determined the hot, hot summers and milder winters when compared to home. I always thought that Positano must be on a similar latitude to, say, Brisbane in Australia. It made sense to me.

But then I checked the facts.

The latitude of Positano is 40° 37′ N. The latitude of Wellington is 41° 19′ S. That’s almost identical. In fact Paekakariki is 40° 37′ S which is identical. (For non-kiwi readers Paekakariki – pronounced Pie-car-car-reeky – is a very small coastal community about 40kms north of our home town Wellington.)

In theory Positano in November and December should have the same weather as Paekakariki in May and June. Now, I’m not wanting to upset the lovely people of Paekakariki but this isn’t the case.

Thoughts?

An afternoon in Marina del Cantone

When you drive along the Amalfi Peninsular towards Termini you come to a crossroads. Up the hill to the right is Termini. Down the hill to the left is Marina del Cantone. If you head down the hill you wind through some lovely countryside, through the quaint village of Nerano, until eventually ending up on the water in Marina del Cantone.

Like Positano, this was a traditional fishing village but now makes it’s living largely through tourism. Bars and restaurants line the beach and behind these are hotels and apartments for rent.

We stumbled on Marina del Cantone almost by accident. We had an hour or so to fill while we waited for the sun to go down over Capri so took the road down the hill. In the middle of summer the beach would be packed but in November it is only the locals (and us) who keep the bars and restaurants open. It was a delightful place to sit and watch. Watch the local lads drag small boats up the beach for the night. Watch the visitors from Naples enjoy a late lunch and a walk along the beach – in their designer boots and jackets. And watch the local kids playing on the pier as I suspect they have for generations.

We didn’t quite know what to expect from Marina del Cantone but an hour wasn’t enough time to explore so we’ll be back.

“So close you can almost touch it”

That was the way the view of the island of Capri from the town of Termini was described to us. “You have to go and see it, yes you do” our favourite restaurant manager Carlo had said thoughtfully when we were discussing what we would do and see before we left Positano.

So we drove the seventeen kilometres of twisted spaghetti road as far as you can go along the Amalfi peninsular before you drop into the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the small village of Termini. And there, before us, was the island of Capri (pronounced Car-pree). Home of the famous Blue Grotto and some of the best designer shopping in Italy. A playground of the rich and famous and briefly in 2005, us.

We were in Positano with my sister Tina and her husband Ted from Texas.  It was Tina’s 40th birthday and we had a fabulous time in and around Positano. One day we hired a small boat to take us along the coast to Capri. We visited the Blue Grotto on the way there and then on dry land ogled some of the finest designer apparel in the world as we licked huge gelati and wandered the small cobbled streets of the town.

Capri is the setting for Somerset Maugham’s “The Lotus Eater”, a short story written in 1945. In the story, the protagonist from Boston comes to Capri on a holiday and is so enchanted by the place he gives up his job and decides to spend the rest of his life in leisure there.

Not a bad thought, that.

Carlo was, as usual, right. From Termini, high on the hills at the end of the peninsular, you could almost touch the island which seemed to be sitting just beyond the ring of houses that make up the village. We arrived mid afternoon when the sun was high in the sky and the island was a range of hazy hues of blue and green. We returned a hour or so later to catch the sunset when the blue and green were replaced by pink and yellow as the sun descended behind the island.

Thursday – it must be …

… time for a rest. After two days out and about, Thursday we are going to go nowhere.

It’s a day to spend with the girls so what better time to write about something that’s right on our doorstep but often gets taken for granted. Off the coast of Positano are a group of 3 small islands collectively known as Li Galli. They are visible from pretty much anywhere in Positano – including our front verandah.

The archipelago consists of three small islands, 1.5 miles off the coast and today, all three of the islands—Gallo Lungo, La Castelluccia, and La Rotonda—are part of a protected marine national preserve. In Greek mythology the islands were the home of the sirens – creatures that were half bird and half woman who lured passing sailors to their deaths. There is some truth in this myth as the area surrounding the islands is known for strong currents which have led to the demise of many ships.

In the middle ages the islands hosted a monastery and then a prison. During the Angioni period its strategic position became more evident and a defensive tower was built on one of the islands to defend against attacks.

The first modern construction on the island was a large villa and secondary building, built in the 1930s by the Russian choreographer and dancer Leonid Massine. That property later passed to another Russian dancer Rudolf Nuryev, who apparently wanted to set up a dance academy on the premises, an idea that did not come to fruition.

Over the years visitors to the islands have included Greta Garbo, Sophia Loren, Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, and Ingrid Bergman.

Following Nuryev’s death in 1993 the property has been sold a number of times. It is now a commercial venture and the villa, which has been recently renovated and includes 19 suites and 3 swimming pools can be rented. For up to $US55,000 a night.

Li Galli are currently for sale – for €195 million.

Wednesday – it must be Sorrento

We have a confession to make. After 8 years of visiting the Amalfi coast in general and Positano in particular, we have never been to Sorrento.  It has always been “that place on the other side of the hill” and as we don’t usually bring a car to Positano, just too hard to reach.

Today that all changed. We programmed Sorrento into the GPS and headed out.  The ever helpful Carlo from Eden Roc Hotel had advised us where to park to minimise our walk and the cost of parking and within 25 minutes we were parked and ready to explore Sorrento.

Now, we are woefully ignorant about the town.  If we had done a little research we would have found out that Sorrento:

  • has a population of around 16,500 people
  • has been inhabited since a round 600BC
  • is known for it’s production of limoncello, citrus fruit, wine, nuts and olives, and inlaid woodwear
  • has been visited by famous people including Lord Byron, Keats, Goethe, Henrik Ibsen and Walter Scott
  • became a significant tourist destination in the middle of the 19th century and remains so
  • although it has a harbour, the town is built atop the cliffs that run along this part of the Amalfi Coast.

Of course we knew none of this so spent the afternoon wandering through the streets and alleys of the town soaking up the atmosphere. As christmas is not far away, street decorations were being put up through the town and a giant christmas tree graced the main square Piazza Torquato Tasso.

Jean was particularly impressed with Sorrento so a second visit is being planned – either later this week or after the christmas lights are fully installed and turned on next Wednesday.

Tuesday – it must be Nocelle

This week we are getting out a bit more than usual.  With only two weeks until we leave Positano there is still a long list of things we want to do and see but time is running out.

Today we drove to Nocelle.  Nocelle is a small village nestled into the cliffs directly above Positano. That’s right, if you stand in the main square of Positano and look up that tiny hamlet about as far up the cliffs as you can get is Nocelle.

The road to Nocelle is spectacular.  It is the width of a single driveway with turns that are barely possible to make on full steering lock. It has gradiants that are more familiar to a cog railway and, best of all, it’s two way. And there’s a regular bus service to Nocelle which we met both going to and returning from the hamlet.

But when you arrive the view over Positano and along the coast to Capri in the distance is stunning.

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Twilight in Positano

The sun went down and the lights of Positano gradually came on over the next half hour. This is an HD move so for best effect use the “share” button and download a better quality version.

In the quiet of the evening

Last night I drove about 2 kms from the villa to a point overlooking the bay to capture some sunset photos – yes, again. I wasn’t the only one with this idea as the spot was packed with cars and fellow photographers. We were collectively treated to a stunning end of the day.

I had taken my tripod so I could capture photos of Positano as twilight fell. Gradually, as the light dropped, the other snappers left and I was left alone to contemplate whatever it is you contemplate at these moments.

What struck me was the sheer stillness of the evening – something you don’t often experience in Wellington.

At six o’clock the church bells at Praiano rang out about 4 kms further along the coast with the bells of St Maria Assunta in Positano joining in soon after. Despite the distance you could hear them clearly and as they finished their impromptu stereo concerto and the silence returned I could make out the voices of fisherman in small boats working nets at the bottom of the cliff about 300 metres below.

Then a gaggle of scooters whipped past on the road and the moment was gone.

Our Gecko
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Our Gecko

We have a gecko which lives behind one of the front door shutters. He’s about 4 inches long, hides during the day but comes out at night to find dinner – bugs and the like. This suits us as the fewer bugs around the house the lower the chance of anything terrifying Jean.

He clings to the wall overlooking the street and being a gecko (or should that be Gekko) we’ve named him Gordon after the character in the movie. (Movie buff humour I’m afraid).

Our movie maker strikes again

Following her cinematic triumph with the movie about our cottage in Tuscany, Jean has made a sequel and unusually for sequels it’s even better than the original.

A funny old Friday

Friday is shopping day.  The day we head into Positano with the single-minded purpose of refilling the cupboards for another week. Although the village is only a 10 minute walk, on Friday we take the car. The thought of walking home carrying a plethora of heavy shopping bags is not attractive, so we drive. The trip is an adventure in it’s own right as the road is barely more than one car wide and, for part of the trip, is one way with switchback turns that are so close together they confuse our trusty GPS.

In the heart of the village there is a carpark we use.  In the high season the carpark is always full but in November any car wanting to park is made most welcome.  It costs €3.50 an hour but to avoid walking up the hill home it is worth every Euro.

Yesterday, for some reason, it was closed so we had to find an alternative spot – which meant another trip around the one way system to an alternate park.  Then we found our macelleria (butcher) had closed early for siesta – a closure that could last anywhere from an hour to three hours depending on – well, who knows.

The day was not working out as planned. So we did what you do in Positano when things start to go “pear shaped” – you have lunch on the beach.

It was a glorious autumn day so Chez Black was chosen for lunch. This restaurant is right on the beach and has been part of Positano since 1949. It is also the only one still open on the beach which made it a good choice. Over the years Chez Black has hosted many famous people including Denzel Washington when we were there in 2007 (click to see the photo). In the middle of summer it is incredibly busy and can, like any of the Positano eateries, fall into the habit of treating customers like walking wallets – get them in, empty them and get them out, next!

At this time of year everyone has that most valuable commodity – time. So there’s no rush to order, the drinks arrive quickly and the food less so. The quality of the food is superb because there is time to do things properly. And if you spend two hours having pizza and lasagne and a few drinks, no worries – simpatico as they say.

When the sun left the beach at 3:30 an autumn chill arrived. It was time to do what we were there to do – shop. The macelleria had re-opened so we bought what you always buy at a macelleria - wine, eggs, and yes, meat. It was a short walk to the negozio di alimentari (alimentari for short – the grocers) for all the other things we needed. The store is small, a rabbit warren with produce stacked to the ceiling.  What you can’t find you have to ask for. No matter what it is they seem to stock it and its not unusual for the “boy” to be sent up, down or behind to find some obscure item.

We are now on chatting terms with staff in both the macelleria and the alimentari. Their english and our italian make for lively conversations with them correcting our pronunciation and providing vocabluary tips to help us. Being regular customers has it’s benefits – our pork chops, which are cut straight off the rack, seem to get fatter every time we buy them, and the alimentari has offered us their free delivery service to our door – by the “boy” on his scooter of course.

So that was Friday – shopping woes that turned into a long lunch that turned into a leisurely wander around the village.

Daisy has a new vet
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Daisy has a new vet

Over the last week or so Daisy’s coughing has got worse so it was time for a visit to a vet. The team at Eden Roc Hotel had kindly offered to arrange for a vet to call if needed and on Monday we decided it was needed.

We’ve never had a house call from a vet before but all was arranged and at 9:15 on Monday morning the wonderful Dott. Antonio Apuzzo called at Villa Greta. His english was good and his understanding of Daisy and her heart condition was even better.

He explained that in terms of the medication she was on, there were no additional pills she could take so it came down to adjusting her current medication to best treat her symptoms. He asked us to visit his practice in the village of Sant’Agata in the commune of Massa Lubrense where he would arrange for a cardiologist to visit and conduct an ECG on Daisy. Based on the results of this, her medication could be adjusted.  It was decided that Wednesday morning at 11 was the time.

We had no idea what the house call would cost and Jean had walked to the village Monday morning to take out additional cash as we figured a house call could be expensive.  The bill was only €30 and as he left he gave us his mobile number to call if Daisy got worse between Monday and Wednesday. What more could we want.

Wednesday morning we set out for Sant’Agata.  This small town is only 15kms from Positano but the windy road meant a drive of 35 minutes.  The village is located right on the spine of the Amalfi Peninsular so as you drive there you see alternatively views along the Amalfi Coast to Praiano and beyond to Salerno in the south, and across the bay of Naples to Napoli, Vesuvius and beyond in the north. It is the most spectacular drive to a vet we have ever had.

And on the way you pass the Grand Hotel Nastro Azzuro – an impressive hotel with a great view of the bay of Naples and named after Italian beer! This is my kind of place.

The village itself is delightful and at 11am, it was in full swing with the fish monger busy, the greengrocer inundated with locals and that general bustle of a busy Italian village.

We arrived promptly, ten minutes late, and met the cardiologist Dott. Antonella Sergio. Once again she had an immediate understanding of Daisy’s condition. You also get the feeling that the respect Italians inherently have for the aged in the community also extends to dogs. Once Daisy’s age was explained (nearly 15 years old – close to 90 in human years) she was treated with the greatest respect.

Despite that, she still managed to have a seizure on the table in the middle of the ECG which prompted even more care, a supply of oxygen to ensure she recovered and a modified ECG so she could stand rather than be forced to lie down.

The upshot of the ECG – her condition is a little worse than it was 3 months ago. But we now have a new pill regime and the addition of a cortisone spray to help with her coughing. We also now understand how to alter the balance of her medication depending on the symptoms she displays.

As we left, Dott. Apuzzo reiterated that we should call him if Daisy gets worse – although he joked that he hoped he didn’t hear from us.

Thank you Dott. Antonio and Dott. Antonella. We hope we don’t have to call either.

We then retired to the patisserie across the road and had a celebratory cake and cappuccino or two. We vowed to return to Sant’Agata and explore it further. There are also some great photographs to be taken on the drive there and back but this trip I didn’t take my camera.  It was business after all – well as close as we get to business these days.

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Our Madonna – updated

This morning while sitting on our terrace having that first cappuccino, Jean spotted a little lady from the village cleaning our Madonna.  Our lady got the full treatment – glass cleaned, flowers refreshed and steps swept.

Based on this Jean has put away her glass polish and stopped trying to figure out how to get our vaccum cleaner cord to reach 20 metres down the road.

Out and about in Positano

Just a quick post of a few photos taken out and about in Positano recently. No real story, just bits and pieces.