Picture this: Soaring cliffs, shooting straight up from an ocean brighter than the sky. Tiny cliff side towns with roofs in every vibrant color, seeming to appear out of nowhere. Each street filled to the brim with quaint shops, their products overflowing into the streets. Handmade dresses blow in the breeze and the cobblestones feel ancient under your feet. Each time you round a corner the view takes your breath away. The ocean literally sizzles with enticing coolness on this summer day, while tiny boats float next to tiny islands, miles away. Tiny children run by, screaming with happiness. A breeze wafts past, bringing with it the smells of the ocean, lemons and whatever delicious food the restaurant next door is cooking up. This, is living.
One piece of advice: take a trip to the Amalfi Coast.
I guarantee, you will never regret it. This gem of Italy is something that many people never see, but nobody should miss. It begins with Sorrento and Positano, the two towns we visited. On the way, we stopped for a fabulous view of the cliffs and Mediterranean, which included actually taking pictures(with permission) on a pastor's balcony area. After this we toured his gorgeous church, complete with extremely old tiles and beautiful paintings.
We carried on and had an absolutely breathtaking lunch, on the outskirts of Positano, high on a hill. It was merely a balcony, built into the side of the cliffs, forming a tiny restaurant where there was no menu. We sat down and immediately 10 dishes of food was brought to us, all ingredients picked that day, out of their personal gardens. We were surrounded by stuffed peppers, tomato salad, fresh mozzarella (prepared that day), rice, broccoli, fresh bread, prosciutto, potato croquette and grilled eggplant. We shared it all, major family style. The second course was 4 different types of homemade, fantastic pasta, including ravioli, sausage pasta and lasagna. Finally, when we though we couldn't eat anything more, they brought out a platter of still warm desserts and Lemon cello, the region's specialty. All this amazing food combined with the incredible view right next to our table made this more than just a meal; it was an experience.
After we'd successfully stuffed ourselves Paolo took us right into the heart of Positano, where we hiked down the narrow, winding streets, beauty in every direction. We went all the way down the ocean, where people sat sunbathing, swimming or taking in the view. The hot, rocky soil caused the water to actually sizzle as it swept in and out.
On our way out of the city, we saw the tiny nativity scene carved into the cliffs embracing the narrow road. Going backwards know, we went to Sorrento, another Amalfi jewel. This city is more about color than cliffs, but it was almost as stunning. Here, in Paolo's hometown we showed us an ancient building, hidden in a deep gorge as well as showing us the inside of a lovely monastery and its gorgeous, flowering gardens. We then went to a ledge, looking down on the clear, blue water, where unique floating rafts lay, happy sunbathers enjoying them. These sights were some of our last of the beautiful city, along with the memories of gazing upon the beautiful church and sipping fabulous Sorrento lemonade.
What. a. day.
