I have been called many things, good and bad, but hip and trendy shockingly have not yet made the list. So when, during the nascent stages of Eurotrip-planning, Erin told me that, as a birthday gift, she would like a one-night stay at Villa Rosa in Positano, Italy - one of the most hashtagged destinations you can find these days - I could do little to suppress a massive eye-roll. Nevertheless, happy (future) wife, happy life is how the saying goes, and besides, how bad could a sleepy village carved into the mountainside with waves lapping at its feet really be anyway? So, out came the credit card and the top-floor room with a balcony was ours for a day. I should add, if you haven’t taken notice already of our minimalist travel philosophy, we rarely splurge on accommodations like this (both of us tend to over-spend on delicious meals, instead), and Erin seldom asks for fancy or expensive gifts. Plus, she even offered to split it, but I declined when I saw just how excited she was about the suite: I was happy to make her birthday happy!
Even though we try our darndest to have no expectations for our destinations, with her Positano birthday suite on the horizon, suffice it to say, Erin’s excitement level was invariably a tad higher than mine in the days leading up to our stay. Since plans are inevitably destined to change (something to keep in mind whilst making your own meticulously detailed travel plans), we didn’t have anything booked other than the room at Villa Rosa. Around 75% of the time on our trip, we used a planning-on-the-go method: with the tentative itinerary in hand – the one we started the trip following – we would sit down nearly every night, document what happened that day and then try to construct a more concrete plan of how we would spend the next few days. It’s hard to remember exactly which evening it was, but when it came time to set our sights on getting to Positano, we made a couple key discoveries. First, the train, our main mode of transportation up to that point, did not come very near to secluded, coastal Positano. Second, the closest main road was high above the village up the mountain. Our options, it seemed, after taking the train to nearby Salerno were as follows: take the bus and be dropped at the main road bus stop, rent a car and park in a designated parking area outside the city, or take the ferry and be dropped off at the dock. All three options involved a considerable climb, either up or down the slope, but the ferry offered the best combination of convenience, speed and affordability.
Our plans made, we caught the train from Rome to Salerno, passing sprawling Naples, ancient Pompei and towering Vesuvius as we approached the station. We were there plenty early for our ferry, so why not pull up a chair outside one of the many pizza places neighboring the docks, right? This one was called Pizzicorio, and it provided us just the fuel we knew we would need once we got to Positano. While we waited for our ferry, we started to feel uneasy about the dark clouds climbing over the wall of mountains that is the Amalfi Coast. We were worried we might have to settle for a gloomy, below-deck view of the famous coastline. Instead, our fortunes took a turn for the better, as they often do during our travels. Sure, about 90% of our stay in Positano was grey and/or rainy, but the ferry rides there and back were absolutely flawless, or as I described in our journal that day: “Mountains dotted with colored houses on one side, the bright blue Mediterranean on the other and the sun above.”
Pulling into the dock provided us with quite a surreal introduction to the village. The town rises higher and higher above your head as you float closer to the mountainside. The afternoon sun seemed to amplify the terra cotta reds and dandelion yellows on the ocean-facing buildings. After stepping out onto the docks (and out of the daze we had entered), we realized, of course, that we were at the lowest point of the village and we’d have to do some major climbing to reach Villa Rosa. Thankfully, we were able to take it slow, which gave us the chance to jot down mental notes of pit stops we wanted to make during our stay. About halfway up the mountain, we were able to spot our destination, and after climbing a few more flights of stairs, entering our suite and emerging onto our spacious balcony, the burn in our leg muscles was instantly cured by the view. We got a kick out of visually tracing all the steps we had just taken from the sparkling sea to here, and looking up, we caught a glimpse of a couple wispy clouds floating over the treetops and out of sight. It was a picturesque afternoon, and we were ready to drop our backpacks and explore!
Positano is the perfect town for exploring on foot…if you don’t mind a few elevation changes, that is; the streets belong to the people, as few cars, aside from a taxi or two, descend from the main road. The first thing your eyes are drawn to while idling into the docks is the tile-covered dome of the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, and we made this quaint little church our first waypoint. Sure this house of worship was no match, in terms of dimensions or grandeur, to those we had seen recently in Paris, Edinburgh and Venice. However, there was something powerfully tangible in knowing that, to each and every Positanesi living along the cliffs, this was the center of town and the center of spiritual life. Tiles created colorful pictures and patterns on the roof as well as in the plaza adjacent. The main impression I received from the square was intimacy. I could imagine the whole town forming a congregation in the pews in which every member knew every other member, and in my head, when the service ends each week, I could envision everyone spilling out into the sunny plaza to catch up on the news and town gossip. As we ourselves re-entered the square through the church doors, dusk was approaching swiftly. Before we trekked up the hill to wash up for dinner, we wanted to poke our heads in the tiny grocery store called Positano Vini e Panini, because what good would a birthday suite be without a post-dinner bottle of wine waiting for us upon our return. See, we can plan ahead when it matters most.
Unfortunately, the retelling of our trip to dinner will be a cautionary tale. When we arrived at the hotel earlier, we asked the very hospitable manager who checked us in for a few recommendations for where to dine that evening. He named a handful of restaurants, but said his favorite was Caffe Positano. We could actually see the building from the hotel: it was straight across on the exact opposite side of the horseshoe-shaped mountain slope, but not too far of a walk, especially on (what seemed to be) a mild, mostly clear evening. We cleaned ourselves up, got dressed and meandered our way along the winding road, accompanied by the occasional raindrop from the now partly cloudy sky. Caffe Positano truly is beautifully situated, with a 270-degree cliffside view of the town and the sea…if only the inside were as picturesque. Walking through the front door, we immediately felt at home, except not in a good way. It turns out when our hotel manager said this was his favorite spot, he was most likely telling us what he thought would be our favorite spot as Americans. Simply put, it was good food served to a restaurant full of Americans with Americanized Italian décor and Americanized menu prices – the type of place we had thankfully not encountered in Italy up until that point. The cherry on top? The skies opened up for our journey home, which consisted of sprinting from awning to awning in a foolish effort to stay dry. Don’t cry too many tears for us, though. It wasn’t anything a Jacuzzi and good Italian wine couldn’t rectify. Now, I don’t like to dwell too much on a negative experience, but there are a couple good lessons to take away here. One, self-exploration gives you the best odds against being left disappointed, and two, you can always make lemonade – or the boozy Italian limoncello – out of whatever lemons your travels hand you.
Reluctantly on account of our night of wine and exercise, we rose the next morning greeted by rain-free skies and a tray of breakfast goodies out on the balcony. Our tribulations from the night prior were a distant memory, and besides, we had a new set of challenges to tackle. The rough seas churned by the night’s storms meant there would be no ferry service that day. We had heard rumblings this would be possible when we arrived at the docks, and there was still so much to explore in Positano, so we decided to book another night at Villa Rosa in a not-so-lavish but still adorable room. The staff was extremely helpful throughout the last-minute changes and even lugged our backpacks to our new room.
With our accommodations squared away, we were ready to discover more of the village. When we first stepped off the boat the previous day, we noticed a mountainside trail, and we both agreed we wanted to return to see where it led. To our delight, most people were too distracted by the bars and the beach to even notice this footpath – officially titled the Via Positanesi d’America. We took our time enjoying the ocean views, gurgling creeks and cliff-hanging stone houses. Had it not been so gloomy, we might’ve done some sunbathing on a very secluded beach about a mile down the path.
After skipping pebbles, exploring coves and taking lots of pictures, we had worked up quite an appetite. High up on the trail we remembered passing a restaurant – it was pretty much the only one along the Via – so our decision was made for us. The best way to describe our lunch spot, Lo Guarracino? It is a jungle treehouse with a wood-fire oven perched precariously on a sea-cliff. Fish soup, mussels, ocean views, ambient Italian conversation and rosé acted as a fantastic foil to the disappointment of dinner the night before. Even the clouds cooperated, retreating to sea during our leisurely lunch.
Honestly, the rest of the day, we did nothing besides wander. It doesn’t exactly scream excitement, but it is truly a unique feeling to simply experience a place with someone who is very near and dear to you. Erin and I didn’t even talk much that day other than at lunch, because we knew we were both soaking in all we could together. In the mood for some entertainment, we people-watched the tourists at the bars and on the beach. It was still a breathtaking scene, no doubt, but it was a shame that most of these people would never discover the beauty and Italian character that existed half a mile in any direction.
When we were ready to be rid of the gloomy weather, we trudged back up the hill to Villa Rosa. Gauging each other’s fatigue levels to be equally high, we concurred that an in-room dinner was the ticket, so we made a return trip to Vini e Panini for olives, grapes, cheese, salami, crackers and, obviously, more wine. And then we did the most cliché thing I think I have ever done in my life…we watched Under the Tuscan Sun in the city where it was filmed. I refuse to be ashamed, though! It was a good, if a bit cheesy story, and it was pretty exciting to see places we had walked just hours earlier. Mid-movie, we actually had to pause due to a commotion outside our balcony. It was a funeral procession, but you wouldn’t be able to tell at first glance: this had all the music and singing of a miniature parade. They were celebrating life, and so were we, albeit very differently. It was a powerful end to our last night in Positano.
The next day’s journey was a long one, and therefore, this particular morning began early. Positano remains to this day one of Erin’s favorite places on Earth, and I’ll admit, I was more than pleasantly surprised by how much more Positano had to offer than just being a glamorous movie set. Despite having to bid a solemn farewell to this jewel of the Amalfi Coast, we once again had perfect weather for a ferry ride. From our seats on the upper deck, we even got a closer look at the towns of Amalfi and Cetara as the ferry made brief stops along the way to where we started in Salerno. Here, a train to Florence was waiting for us, and we were eager to catch it. Thanks Positano, we’ll be back soon!
If you haven't read Lesson One yet, it gives you a good background on my vision for Graduate School...go check it out! We arrived in Positano on October 6, 2016 and departed on October 8. If you like the pictures here, there's a bunch more in the gallery for our Positano visit. Any questions about specific locations mentioned or pictured or about our journey in general? Visit Office Hours! My door is always open.
Commentaires