Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Amalfi Coast

Oh Amalfi Coast, we think you are the most beautiful place we have seen...

After we said goodbye to Gaetano and Pompeii we hopped in our van driven by our guide Daniel and made it to the Amalfi Coast. Yes, everything you have heard about driving on the Amalfi Coast is true... and we're soooo glad that we didn't have to drive it ourselves! The twists, turns, narrow roads, speedy cars, buses, and scooters was enough to make someone with the strongest of stomachs feel a little queasy, but it made this trip quite exciting! Breathtaking views of pastels built into hillside cliffs, boats coasting through the water below, and winding roads paralleling the jagged coast, make this area so fantastic.
Along the coast.
More coastline
We stopped in the town of Amalfi, which is a quaint town on the water. It has an older feel to it than the other towns on the coast, with a Duomo and piazza. It also has many ceramic/glass shops, which is where we bought decorated oil and vinegar holders and salt and pepper holders.
Amalfi.
Through the streets of Amalfi.
Next, Daniel took us back up the coast to our lunch destination. As we got closer he played "That's Amore" by Dean Martin. As the song ended we arrived at Fattoria La Taggliata. This restaurant caters to the locals and tourists who happen to have a private guide taking them there... lucky us! Overlooking the sea and cliffs we ate like kings with eight different antipasti, four different pastas, and four different desserts! Simply delicious!
The garden at the restaurant. Fresh veggies!

View from the restaurant.
Our next stop was Positano, which is located in a beautiful valley and opens up to a magnificent stretch of coastline. We didn't spend a lot of time here, but the very narrow streets with boutiques on either side were pretty charming. Winding pathways and staircases guaranteed that we had amazing views around every corner!

While driving home after a long day at Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast our driver played Italian music. The four of us laid back, relaxed, and were speechless. Overlooking the coast I kept thinking how lucky we were to be in this beautiful setting with the people closest to us in our lives. It truly was remarkable.

4 comments:

  1. Amazing pictures! My favorite is the city view of Almafi, love how packed but beautiful the streets in Italy are. Looks like an incredible trip!

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  2. So many beautiful quaint little towns in Italy!! I can't wait to visit the Amalfi Coast, but you can be sure that we will have a guide drive us there! If I get nauseous on roller coasters and teacups, I can just imagine what would happen if we were to drive ourselves around the Amalfi Coast!!
    Counting the days till we get to Italy and see Cheryl and Jon!! Only 5 weeks to go!!!!

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  3. That was such an awesome post. The way you described it is the way I always imagined it, you are really, really lucky. Can't wait to see it myself with my piĆ¹ lunga amiche! Lol. :)

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