Tag Archives: amalfi

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.

A different view of Positano

When we were travelling back from Amalfi last weekend we passed a spot high on the hill about 2kms outside of Positano which had a fantastic view of the village.  Today I drove back to that spot and took some photos.  You can see some parts of Positano that don’t usually get photographed, for example the cemetery in the top/centre right of the picture.

The light was a little flat and hazy but you’ll get the idea.  If the weather is clearer tomorrow I’ll return to the spot and have another crack.

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The traditional Villa Greta greeting

Every time we arrive back at Villa Greta we are met by Daisy and Poppie. They are so pleased to see us and it doesn’t matter how many times we come and go we always get the same rapturous welcome. For those of you who don’t know them Daisy, being nearly 15 years old, is the slower one. Poppie is the one with her favourite toy in her mouth.

Positano sunsets

In mid summer there are no sunsets in Positano.  I don’t mean the sun doesn’t go down, I mean it happens behind the hills that ring the village.  But in autumn the sun has moved far enough south for the sunset to just touch the tip of the Amalfi Peninsular before it heads downunder.

That has meant for the last few days we have had the most beautiful sunsets to accompany our afternoon drinks on the terrazzo.  And you know they are special when the locals stop to take photos as well.

Salute.

Amalfi, Ravello and dinner

On Sunday we took our visitors to Amalfi and Ravello.  This a drive of only 25kms from Positano but it takes the best part of 50 minutes given the narrow winding road along the coast.  You pass through picturesque villages along the way but at each one the road twists between buildings and it can, generously, be described as one lane.  Not good when you meet a bus coming the other way.

Amalfi is situated on the coast and is the largest town on the southern side of the Amalfi peninsular.  Even in overcast weather it is a beautiful place to visit with it’s main piazza being dominated by the cathedral of Sant’Andrea.

On Sunday there were swells rolling in off the ocean to quite spectacular effect.

After Amalfi we climbed above Amalfi to the small village of Ravello perched on the cliff edge. Ravello has a view along the Amalfi coast that is spectacular. The village is also home to some fine Italian gardens, in particular Villa Rufolo.  Although at this time of year the main piazza is quiet, in the height of summer it is full of tourists, particularly during it’s annual music festival in July and August.

The weather that was grey and overcast at Amalfi had cleared by the time we got to Ravello, typical of this time of year.

We wound our way back to Villa Greta in time for a late lunch.  We then adjourned to Eden Roc Hotel for dinner. Carlo and his the team did a fine job. The meals were delizioso but the highlight (as is often the case) were the desserts.  Tiramasu, Pannacotta and Chocolate Fondant washed down with an excellent sparkling (yes, sparkling) dessert wine.

It’s officially home
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It’s officially home

You can always tell when the girls feel at home.  They start barking at everyone walking past and go nuts when anyone visits.  Based on this, as of last Wednesday Villa Greta became “our place”.  For the next few weeks anyway.

Visitors to Positano
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Visitors to Positano

This weekend we will have visitors staying with us at Villa Greta.  Our friend Gill from the UK is flying in for the weekend with her Mum and her Mum’s husband Allan from New Zealand who are on their first trip to Europe. Positano is their first stop outside the UK and the trio fly into Naples airport on Friday evening and stay until Monday.

With so many things to see and do and so little time, picking the best activities is critical.  At this stage there is definitely a trip to Pompeii on the cards.  A walk around Positano is a must and a trip down the coast to Ravello or Amalfi is a good way to see the local area.  But beyond that the weekend is an unwritten story.

Suggestions anyone?

Positano revisited

In July we spent 2 weeks in Positano on the Amalfi Coast taking a holiday from our holiday. During that time we were joined by Mike, Charmaine and wee James. Looking back, there were photographs taken that never made it to the blog. Here are some of them.

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A Top Gear Challenge

It was simple.  Charmaine, Mike and James on a high speed train from Naples to Florence.  Jean and I and the dogs in the mighty Peugeot doing the same trip aiming to arrive before the train so we could help them collect a rental car and then follow us to our place south of Siena.

As with all Top Gear challenges there was a twist.  We left Positano at 11am and drove hell for leather north to Florence – a five and a half hour trip.  They left Naples at 1:50pm and were due to arrive in Florence at 4:50pm.

It was always going to be tight.  But I always thought the mighty Peugeot had the edge.  And so it proved as we blasted north along Italy’s version of SH1.

We were just south of Rome when the train was due to leave Naples which gave us a lead of 1 hour.  An hour that would be quickly eroded as the train hit it’s maximum speed of 300km/h on the straights between Naples and Rome.

So we put the hammer down and and spent considerable time close to the 150km/h mark.

But no challenge is that simple.  We got a text from the train travellers that they had run into problems – the train had stopped just 15 minutes out of Naples.  We continued on, extending the gap as quickly as possible.

An update from the train said the delay would be lengthy so we revised our plans.   Mike and Charmaine were picking up a rental car in Florence and were going to follow us south but the rental depot closed at 7pm and with the train delay we were not sure if they would arrive in Florence in time.  We would go to Florence via our cottage in Tuscany, drop off bags and then proceed to Florence with enough room to carry them if required.

Update – the train was moving again and halfway to Rome.  We were on our way to the cottage, it was going to be close.

Update – the train had arrived in Rome.  We were still on our way to the cottage, it was going to be really close.

Update – the train is halfway to Florence.  We had dropped our bags and were on the highway north, we were in trouble.

Update – the train has arrived in Florence.  We were still 30kms short of Florence.  Game over. I could almost hear Clarkson yelling “loser” with the dreaded right-handed “L” to the forehead.

Moral of the story – never race a high speed train.  The trip from Rome to Florence should, according to the train timetable, have taken about 90 minutes.  The train did it is less than 60 minutes – clealry they have a “little slack” in the timetable.

Goodbye Positano
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Goodbye Positano

We have had a fantastic time in Positano. The apartment was great, the weather hot (too hot on occasions) and having Charmaine, Mike & James arrive near the end of our stay a real bonus.

As always we were spoiled by the wonderful people at Eden Roc Hotel who made us feel very welcome. But all good things come to an end and on Saturday morning we headed for Tuscany.

We enjoyed the stay at Villa Greta so much we are sure we’ll be back. So it’s not so much goodbye to Positano, more “au revoir”.

Positano from Villa Greta roof terrace

So you own a villa that needs major renovation…
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So you own a villa that needs major renovation…

But the villa is way below the road and there’s a lot of building materials that needs to be moved down and lots of rubbish that needs to be moved up.

What do you do?  No problem, just put in a bit of scaffolding for a hoist up to the road.

I’m not sure that a kiwi health and safety person would be completely happy with the Amalfi Coast approach.

Today is a big day
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Today is a big day

Today Jean’s sister, brother-in-law and their wee baby arrive in Positano. Charmaine, Mike and James have been in Europe for the last 2 weeks visiting London and Paris. They should be well acclimatised and ready to tackle the frantic pace of life that is Positano.

This is their first trip to Italy and we are really excited to have the chance to show them around.

They fly into Naples airport later this afternoon (Wednesday) and we have arranged for a car and driver to pick them up and bring them over the hill to Positano. We’ve already asked them not to judge Italy by what they see during the drive. While there are parts of Naples that are beautiful the parts you pass through on the way to the Amalfi peninsula are not those ones. I’ve never really experienced the third world but I imagine it’s a bit like southern Naples.

The Amalfi Coast with the coast road cut into the cliffs - look closely and you'll spot it

The good news is that all that is forgotten when you crest the backbone of the peninsular and the view is the blue sea with the thin ribbon of road winding along the coast cut precariously into the cliffs and with small villages hanging to the cliffs in seemingly impossible places.

We’ve also warned them about the width of the roads (or lack thereof) and the propensity of Italians driving everything from scooters to tour buses to overtake or undertake or to do u-turns or simply stop for no reason at all.

Thankfully the limousine drivers are experts at negotiating these roads however I do recall one occasion a few years ago when almost all the luxury Mercedes car that we started the trip in made it to the end.

It had a wing mirror removed by a passing car that got a little too close. All I remember was the sound of tearing metal and smashing glass, and the sight of the mirror flying past the side window of the car. No one stopped but we did learn a few choice Italian phrases that we could use if we found ourselves in a similar situation.

Charmaine, Mike and James – welcome to Italy.