Costiera Amalfitana

Allora.... to the beautiful Amalfi coast.

We stayed with Assunta in one of her garden apartments situated around her small organic plot, in Agerola, high above Amalfi and Positano. To stay with Assunta is to experience all of the goodness of la dolce vita -  Assunta's organic tomatoes, cherries, lemons, oranges; Assunta's pancetta, porcetta, mozzerella; Assunta's homemade jams, lemon cakes and pastries. Everything home grown and home made, and for Assunta this is 'importante'.

Each day after Assunta's breakfast spread we took the thrilling bus ride through the villages that tumble down to Amalfi. The bus ride couldn't have been more exciting if it had been a zip-line straight down! Crazy drivers and motoriders overtaking anywhere on a two-lane road that is not quite wide enough for two vehicles. On blind corners and hairpin bends drivers need to listen for the blasting horn of oncoming buses. Oncoming buses engage in a tango as one inches forward while the other backs up to a spot where both can pass. Mamma mia!

But the view is breathtaking, the sea and the sky and the clouds get mixed up, the lemon groves cling to the mountainside - their fragrance is everywhere - and houses are built on top of houses.

From sweet Amalfi we took a different journey each day...Positano, Capri, Praiano, Furore and Conca dei Marini, Nocelle......



From Agerola, so high the sea and sky get mixed up.
 

Piazza and Duomo di Amalfi

The day's planning began here with espresso and a map.

And each afternoon ended here, perched on the steps of the
fountain with a limoncello gelati!

Sweet Amalfi (I think it may be our favourite).

Welcome to Positano.

From Positano, jump on the little boat with the red fish.
You won't be disappointed.  It will deliver you to paradise -
San Laurito beach and da Adolfo restaurant.  Not only will
Sergio Bella cook you a fine lunch, he will lend you a sunbed
for the day, and as the sun goes down the little boat with the
red fish will take you back to Positano.....and reality.

.....this little boat with the red fish will take you to da Adolfo.

Spiaggia Positano, and the majolica roof of Santa Maria Assunta.

Lemon groves on cliffs. Amalfi lemons are beautiful, as big as
a hand, thick skinned and juicy.  Perfect for limoncello!
 

The Amalfi Coast - rocks and towns and bays and coves.

Secluded ittle beach of S Laurito, nestled between the rocks.

da Adolfo restaurant is the little shack on the right.
 

When I notice signore spending time on a wharf, talking to people attached to boats generally I know that he's considering hiring one!  And so, after we spent days sightseeing along the coast and eating, swimming and sunning on Laurito I was curious as to what signore had in mind....

My very own capitaine......taking a boat across to the island of Capri.

Marina Grande, Capri.

Lunch at Da Gioia, Marina Piccolo, Capri. Helpfully, one of the
restaurant staff will row out, moor your boat and row
you to his restaurant in his little white wooden tender.

Beautiful Capri

We circumnavigated Capri, swam at the Green Grotto and
Signore drove right through the gap in one of these impressive
 sea stacks, il faraglioni.

Capri was stunningly beautiful considering that it is really just one huge rock.  The best way to see it is surely by boat so you can explore the coves, beaches and grottos at the base of the cliffs and rock faces.

After a swim through Capri's green grotto I popped by skirt and top back on to have lunch on the terrace at Da Gioia.  After lunch we swam again at the fine pebbly beach at Marina Piccolo and I placed my skirt on a rock to dry in the hot sun.  We were half way back across the stretch of sea between Capri and Positano when I realised my skirt was still sunbaking on the rock.  Never mind, said the boat hirer, he would collect it from Capri the next day and would have it back in Positano by evening.  Sure enough, next evening we drove ourselves along the winding roads between Agerola and Positano, parked in the carpark at the Chiesa, walked down through Positano's pretty lanes and recovered blue skirt from it's overnight stay on Capri!  Grazie mille.

On the terrace at da Gioia with the sea lapping under your feet.

Amalfi lemons

Veal with lemoni, Capri-style.



Seafood salad and baked mozzarella.  Seriously good.

Love seaside artist....anywhere in the world really.