Tag Archives: swimming

We’re here and the weather is …

… beautiful.  As we hoped, it’s back to summer clothes for a wee while. Yesterday we wandered down to the beach at Positano.  The village is still busy but that summer crush of people has gone and everyone seems more relaxed.

The restaurants we know were open and all the shops seem to be having sales – a truly dangerous combination.

In fact we sat in Buca di Bacco’s La Pergola restaurant right next to the beach and had lunch.  The ceiling is a mass of greenery which is now starting to turn red and orange as the leaves realise it’s autumn.

Sitting there without the heat of summer was delightful – and it was an ideal spot to snap some photos of the beach to show that summer is alive and well, and living at Positano.

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Last of the summer wine

As summer turns to autumn, every week there are less and less visitors staying at our place. The days are still fine, sunny and hot – unusual weather the locals say.

From the height of the season when there would be kids, adults and inflatable toys everywhere around the pool, today there was just us. Bliss.

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The pool busters

The complex has ben really busy over the last few weeks. Guests are coming and going and we have had a great mix of nationalities – Dutch, Italian, the ocassional Brit and, of course, the Germans.

One day recently Jean and I headed to the pool for an afternoon of swimming and relaxing to find that, when we got there, every lounger was either being used or was empty but with a towel drapped over it – clearly the European sign for “reserved”.

It reminded me of a UK TV commercial that aired in the early 1990′s about this very subject. Enjoy.

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Fun in the sun

You can never have enough pool toys

Daisy has taken up a fair bit of our time lately, but prior to that we managed a bit of pool time. It was the only way to keep cool in the 35 to 40 degree heat.

Clearly in Europe everyone turns up at the pool with some form of inflatable toy to amuse themselves. Often there are so many toys in the pool it’s difficult to find a spot to swim.

Not to be outdone Jean splashed out (excuse the pun) on a lilo. All of 5 Euro at the local inflatable pool toy store.

Jean and Nacho Libre

The man who sits by the pool has made a wee movie showing Jean in action.

Please note, the ocassional swat at the water is simply Jean avoiding wasps, bees, bugs, etc, that have made their way into the pool.

 

 

 

 

 

Answers to questions
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Answers to questions

Never let it be said that Toscanakiwi doesn’t respond to it’s readers comments.  The recent post about our day at the beach raised a number of questions.

Here, we answer them.

That Ferrari

I didn’t have a photograph of the Ferrari yesterday but “Tina of Texas” wanted to see the car.  Today I wandered up the road to take a shot and, being Italy, the car was still there.  In fact it hadn’t moved an inch.

What you can’t see from the photo is the steepness of the drive the car is parked on.  Clearly the car’s owner doesn’t trust the handbrake and has used what I assume is a Ferrari aftermarket accessory to ensure the car stays put.

Obviously it must be a Ferrari branded brick although I couldn’t get close enough to confirm this.

The turntable

The turntable is covered in a very stylish faux grass finish.  Not really sure the logic of this but I guess it’s an Italian thing.

The beach

Geoffman asked about the makeup of the beach.  Asienzo beach is mostly a pebble beach.  There is a small area of sand but from where we were it was a stony walk to the water.

Also the stones were incredibly hot so part of the entertainment was watching people do a funny little dance when a stone or two worked it’s way into their shoes or sandals.  From experience I can say  – ouch.

The Beach
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The Beach

Today we went to the beach.  We walked down the 239 steps to Arienzo Beach and paid €9 each for a lounger, an umbrella and a spot on the private part of the beach.

After an hour of tanning and swimming we adjourned to the Arienzo Beach Club for a pasta lunch, beer and Gin & Tonic.  The beach club is a restaurant and bar built on the beach and consists of poles, canvas, chairs and tables.  It’s amazing they can produce good food but based on our choices for lunch, they can.  What’s more, anything to do with seafood is fresh – caught that morning, in fact.

After another hour in the 32 degree sun we headed up the steps. – all 239 of them.  The walk up takes you past some of the most expensive villas in Positano and at the leisurely pace we were walking we got to see them in detail.  I was most impressed by the one with the brand new Ferrari out front and, to allow the car to turn around, a turntable at the end of the drive.

I’m sure the Ferrari driver was equally impressed by the two hot, sweaty, smelly, gasping tourists staring at his car and his turntable.