Note: we are back home in Portland now, the following post was written on the airplane and covers our last few days in Europe.

In Paris, Monday came and went almost as quickly as Sunday did. We were slow to emerge from our pied-a-terre as Michael wanted to take pictures of our temporary Parisian home and I wanted to check out some inviting little women's clothing boutiques that had tempted me from behind their shuttered doors and windows since we had arrived late on Saturday.


The view from our living room in Paris.

I departed on my mission but quickly returned as I realized that nothing was going to open until noon or after. So, Michael and I killed some time in the Place des Abbesses, a charming little square just a block or some from our apartment and apparently, quite famous because of it's prominence in the film Amelie.  At the stroke of noon, I bolted from the square leaving M with his video camera and a promise to return in approximately thirty minutes. 

Antoine et Lili  which had taunted me for days was finally open. I stepped inside the inviting little store and drank it all in. Perusing the racks I admired many pieces but dismissed them immediately as they were completely impractical for my casual, non club-going West Coast lifestyle. However, there was one dress that "spoke" to me—it had classic lines with just enough of that French fashion twist, and it wasn't too expensive. I grabbed two in different sizes and proceeded to the dressing room and to my delight the smaller one fit perfectly! Not only fit, but transformed me into the Parisian fashionista version of myself that exists only in my imagination. Sold! I paid for my purchase and met M back at Place des Abbesses, and we walked down to the bottom of Montmartre and caught the Metro towards the Champs-Elysees.

We knew the Champs-Elysees was over-rated and chock full of big box stores and ridiculous luxury brands ($8000 wallet, anyone?) but we wanted to stroll down its famed sidewalks anyway. Along the way we stopped to admire and take pictures of Paris' many beautiful landmarks - the Petit and Grand Palais, Les Invalides, Pont Alexandre III, and of course, the Eiffel Tower.

 
Somewhere along the Champs Elysees.


Along Pont Alexandre III.



Les Invalides as seen from the Pont Alexandre III, perhaps the most opulent bridge in all of Paris.


 
Some tower thing.


 
In my jet-lag brain fog, I can't recall if this is the Petit Palais or the Grand Palais, however, in person they both look pretty
damn "Grand" if you ask me.


Early Tuesday, our taxi picked us up as planned and whisked us off to Gare du Nord where we quickly got our tickets and effortlessly boarded t he train bound for Paris. We paid a bit extra for first class and on these longer hauls found it was well worth it. Three hours sped by in complete comfort, and it felt more like we were just having another day of fun rather than travelling. If I lived in Europe (and I have a strong feeling we will some day) I would take the train all of the time.

 
At Gare du Nord.

We pulled into Amsterdam Centraal a little after noon, and hopped in a taxi. By this time, Michael knows Amsterdam so well that he was directing the driver where to go! As we pulled up we met the owner of the apartment, he showed us a few things and we set off to find a bite to eat. We came across the Cafe t'Smalle on the Prisengracht canal and enjoyed some broodjes and beers alongside a canal. It felt good to be relaxing in Amsterdam, which felt just like Portland after New York City.


First beer in Amsterdam, enjoyed canal side at Cafe t'Smalle.

Amsterdam is the city we have visited most often, and thus is more like a second home to us than a place to play tourist. But we keep coming back because it is like no place else in the world - where bikes rule the roads, and an inviting cafe dots almost every corner along the glittering, tree-lined canals. And in the sunshine, the Dutch embrace the outdoors even more than usual, and it was hard to not want to jump on a bike and pedal off into the countryside ourselves, though I have yet to convince Michael that it's a good idea.

 
The two "bakery cats" who belong to the owner of our favorite corner bakery, Lanskroon. The ham and kaas (cheese)
croissants are so good they might be considered illegal in this country. 

 
I had to stop and give the bakery kitty some lovins.

As pleasing as Amsterdam is, we wanted to get out, so on Wednesday we decided (rather spur of the moment while strolling down Nieuwzidjs Voorburgwal) to catch a train to the nearlby town of Haarlem. Haarlem is only 15 minutes away by train, and a prettier, cleaner, and smaller version of Amsterdam. We headed for the main square but before we could get there, I stopped off at a boutique that was calling my name and walked out with a couple of great finds for about 25 Euro each.

 
The beautiful main square in Haarlem, The Netherlands.

We wound our way down one of the streets leading off the square and stopped for a coffee. We walked through a beautiful park on the way back to the train station and decided that we would go to Schipol Airport instead of heading back to Amsterdam Centraal. Schipol boasts an enormous panoramic terrace from which you can watch planes take off and land, which is probably one of Michael's favorite activites in the whole world. We spent at least a half an hour on the terrace, me dutifully taking pictures of aircraft I couldn't readily distinguish, and Michael filming aircraft movements in impressive detail.


 
Waiting for the train at Haarlem Station.


Love airplanes? Get yourself to Amsterdam Schipol.

 
Just a small part of the HUGE panoramic terrace at Schipol Airport.

After a quick bite and a brief visit to the Schipol Plaza shopping area (me - H&M, he - planes plaza), we boarded the train once again for Amsterdam Centraal.

On Thursday, we also explored some new areas of Amsterdam, though we didn't hop on any trains this time. Instead, we headed for an area of town called "De Pijp" which is located beyond most of the major tourist attractions and thus, much more pleasing to visit on any given day. We stumbled across a restaurant with an inviting garden and enjoyed a tasty meal, including "the best hamburger in the world" according to Michael (and it didn't even have CHEESE on it!) Best part? No packs of loud t-shirt wearing tourists, just Amsterdammers enjoying their noontime break in the sun.

Bellies full, we did some more wandering, even venturing onto the street with all of the high end stores because we wanted to check out the Nespresso Boutique. Nespresso is an extremely easy to use espresso maker that - much to our surprise - produces shots of espresso with a crema rivaling that of the finest we've ever enjoyed in Italy. And it comes from a pod! Just pop in the pod, hit a button, and enjoy. We can hardly wait to get one of these for our own kitchen.

On Friday morning, our taxi picked us up at 8am and whisked us to Schipol airport, where we got checked in and went through security. It was the first time either of us had experienced those full body scans, and I was starting to flashback to all of those motherly reminders about wearing clean underwear ... at any rate, we made it through security in fairly short order and before we knew it, we were on the plane bound for Chicago.

Although we've had some amazing experiences in our travels, this vacation was, by far, the best two weeks of our lives. Our experience, the locations we chose, the weather, and a healthy dose of great timing and luck played a part in a truly memorable experience. And if you're still reading this, thank you so much for sharing the ride!
 
Ciao, Au Revoir & Tot Ziens!

        

We managed to shlep our suitcases down the 70 steps to Via Pasitea and met Gennaro one last time at 6:00am. The journey to the Naples airport took slightly longer than one hour, and I found myself staring hard at the beauty of the Amalfi Coast as we headed North, thinking that perhaps if I looked long and intently enough, the image would form a permanent imprint on my brain.

We arrived at Naples airport at 7:15am with time to spare - or so we thought. As we stepped up to the Lufthansa counter to check in for our 9:45am flight to Paris (via Milan) we were informed that our flight to Milan had been cancelled! No explanation, just go over to this other counter to get rebooked on another flight.

What happened over the next hour and a half was probably some of the worst stress Michael and I had ever experienced on a vacation. There was only one couple in front of us for the rebooking line, but it took the ONE employee handling all of the cancellations a full hour to get them rebooked on a flight back to San Francisco the next morning. And as this one couple was being helped, dozens and dozens of people were queuing up behind us, people were yelling, nobody knew what was going on. When it was finally our turn, we approached the counter fearing the worst. Fortunately, since we were just going to Paris they were able to quickly rebook us on an Air France direct flight that would get us there only an hour later than scheduled. As a bonus, we got upgraded seats which were roughly equivalent to Economy Plus on United.

After five hours sitting around in the Naples airport, we both breathed a huge sigh of relief as we took our seats on the flight to Paris. Whew!

After that stressful experience, we wanted to minimize any further transportation headaches and so we grabbed a cab and headed for our apartment on the Rue des Martrys - in the non-touristy part of Montmartre (18th arrondissement for all you experienced Paris visitors out there). Gregory from Perfectly Paris showed us everything in the apartment and then left us so we could shower up, do a quick change, and head out for some groceries. Not being familiar with the area, we headed down the hill to the Boulevard de Clichy, which we quickly found out was the touristy, seedy part of the 18th. This street was chock full of sex shops, adult cinemas, tacky souvenir shops, and TONS of people all of whom seemed to be puffing away on cigarettes. We went as far as the Moulin Rouge (tourist trap) and grabbed a Starbucks, then went to the Franprix (market) and headed for our safe haven.

We soon figured out that the good stuff was all up hill, and so the next morning we set out to revisit Sacre Coeur, which we had previously visited in 2006.

Sacre Couer. Still impressive. The view of Paris from the front steps can't be beat.

 We then found the Dali museum and spent a good hour in there admiring the small but excellent collection of Dali sculpture and lithographs.

 
In addition to the sculptures and lithos, there was some interesting Dali-designed furniture.

Famished, we ducked into a nearby pub and enjoyed a casual lunch of roast chicken with fries (he) and a salad nicoise (me). It was raining outside so we lingered a bit, but it quickly cleared up and we decided it was time to get going and headed towards the Seine River with no particular destination in mind. Along the way, we discovered some neat areas that we had previously missed as well as rediscovering some areas we had liked before.

The Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge and the Institut de France.

Couples can declare their love by placing a padlock with their names on it, on the Pont des Arts.

 

 
The River Seine. A night cruise is a must for your first visit here - so beautiful!

As it was Sunday, there wasn't a lot open so we took a leisurely approach which included window shopping and sitting in cafes watching people, which from the looks of it is the French national sport.

 

One of MANY eye-catching displays we enjoyed during our walk.

Since we had walked miles by this time, we popped into the Metro and rode the train back to the apartment. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of crepes with ham, cheese, and potatoes at a local cafe' and then fell into a bed - exhausted from a day on our feet but with smiles on our faces.

Yes, it felt good to be back in Paris.

 

        

Talk about a change in pace - while the first few days of our time here in Positano were filled with exploration and sightseeing, the last three days have consisted mostly of lingering over our morning cappucinos, cooking tasty breakfasts, and lounging around on the expansive, flower-filled terraces here at Villa Jessica. Since I don't have any adventures to share for the last three days, I thought I'd touch on some of the aspects of this region that have truly captivated me during our stay here as temporary locals.

The Sounds

While the scenery is breathtaking and the aromas of fruit and flower trees intoxicating, I will really miss the sounds of Positano.

Waking up in the early morning, you hear only the church bells and birds singing, and perhaps the occasional high-pitched buzz of a Vespa. As the town wakes up you start to hear boats, cars, dogs barking, cat fights, more scooters, and children laughing (our villa is just down the street from the Positano public school). Throughout the day the soundtrack of Positanese life waxes and wanes, into the siesta time and out of it, and finally easing into the evening hours when the whole town seems to come alive once again for the evening passegiata. All of these sounds take on a unique quality in Positano, due to the natural echo chamber formed by the steep cliffsides. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced any place else in the world, and will be dearly missed and dreamed about for years to come.

The Terrain

Although the Amalfi Coast Highway runs through the upper part of Positano, within the town there is only a single one-way street that winds it's way down from the highway to sea level. This vital corridor is shared by the small local busses, cars, scooters, pedestrians, and even animals. It seems as this would be completely chaotic, but it somehow just seems to work - just like Italy.

One of several little alimentari (markets) within walking distance where we could pick up essentials like milk, cheese, coffee,
olive oil, and so on. LIke the road in Positano, these little stores just "work".

Aside from the road, the other and more interesting way to navigate Positano is through the many staircases snaking up and down the mountain. We have two that we use on a regular basis - one of 70 steps leading from the street (Via Pasitea) to our villa, and other of 180 steps leading up the hill towards the main highway. We've also explored some of the staircases leading to and from Spiaggia Grande Beach and Fornillo Beach, and enjoy the surprises that present themselves around every corner. These staircases are best explored at night, after all of the big bus/big boat tourists have left. In fact, they take on a magical quality, much like the outer sestiere of Venice after dark.

The People

Although we've visited several countries in our visits to Europe and had many wonderful experiences with locals, the Southern Italians have truly captured my heart. Even in a town as touristy as Positano, we have always felt like welcomed guests and people have always been willing to help - sometimes without us even having to ask. They appreciate our broken Italian and gently correct us as we butcher their musical language - always with a smile. As pleasant as our interactions are, Italians are also interesting to watch from a distance as they engage in the mundanities of everyday life - the shopkeeper sweeping off his porch with a handmade broom, the house wife hanging her laundry on the line to dry in the warm Mediterranean sun, the children getting off the "scuola bus" and running off their excess energy as only children can.

Another thing that is simultaneously endearing and frustrating (for an American used to lots of variety) are all of the intricate "rules" Italians have surrounding the consumption of food and beverage. No cappucino after noon. Certain kinds of pasta are eaten in certain regions. No soda or milk with a meal, unless you are a small child (I happen to like this one). And the fact that unlike other places we've visited, you can't find anything except Italian or maybe, McDonalds. As much as I love real Italian food, after days of eating it I am ready for a good bowl of Pho.

The Animals

If you are an animal lover, you'll feel at home in Positano. You can't walk down the street without seeing a cat or dog, and many of them wander casually in and out of the shops and restaurants and it is just part of life. From their worn and tough exterior, most of the cats appear to border on the feral side, although I have noticed several that seem rather well cared for and at ease among humans. We have a rough and tumble orange male tabby who includes the Villa Jessica in his "rounds" every day and we have nicknamed him "Mr. Balls" for obvious physical reasons.

There are also two very friendly dogs who we have seen all over town, often travelling from one end of Positano to the other several times per day!


"Scruffy" often visited us while we enjoyed our morning cappucinos. He loves a good ear scratch.

In addition to the many cats and dogs, there are lizards everywhere. About four inches long and lightening fast, they are difficult to capture on camera, but fascinating to watch.

The Laundry

Having travelled to Italy twice before, we are accustomed to the no clothes dryer thing. In fact, it wouldn't feel at all like Italy if we couldn't see colorful laundry dancing in the breeze. Our villa is no exception - we have a washing machine and portable clothe srack from which to dry our clothes. The warm Mediterranean sun dries the clothes suprisingly quickly, and imparts a sweet smell that no amount of dryer sheet can replicate.

In Positano we've noticed that when people do laundry the water from the machine shoots out through a little pipe through the stone walls and down onto the staircase. So, if we're ever using that staircase and see that the steps are wet, we know that the family has just done another batch of laundry.

The Garbage & Recycling

Positano has a rather elaborate system for garbage and recycling. Each home has several color coded buckets with color coded bags to sort out organic waste, multimaterial (plastics, aluminum, tin), glass, and so on. Each day a different sort of garbage and/or recycling is collected outside the front door. For example, last night was "organic waste" night so we hung the little brown bucket outside the door before we retired and in the morning, the bucket was empty and placed on our front stoop. However, the organic waste is the only one that is hung, and this is to keep the cats and dogs from tearing the bags open and making a huge mess. I don't recall seeing such a robust recycling system in other Italian cities we've visited, and I'm delighted to see Positano does this. 

 I've always been most fascinated by the little differences that are missed by the big bus package tourist and so I try to balance out the blog with these cultural observations as well as the typical sightseeing photos.

We leave Positano early Saturday morning, and it is with great reluctance that we say goodbye to Villa Jessica which has been our home for the last seven days, However, we'll always have our memories and our pictures, and the hope that we will return again some day.

 
Goodnight, bella Positano.

Coming Soon: We're off to our next destination! See you there ,,,

        

When going on a vacation, it's always a challenge to find a balance between sightseeing and relaxation - especially when you spend the time and money to fly to some place far away like Europe. You want to see all the things you've read and dreamed about, however, with the limited amount of vacation time most Americans get, it's also important to take some time to recharge your batteries and enjoy a slower pace than usual. This becomes even more of a balancing act when you rent a beautiful villa in someplace like Positano - the expansive views of the sea and the surrounding hillsides encourage lingering, but at the same time you are surrounded by a wealth of important and impressive historial sites and natural beauty. You could spend weeks in this region, and still not see everything.

With this in mind, Michael and I decided to "front load" our sightseeing into the first three days of our six full days in Positano. That way, we'd make sure to see the most important sights on our list while still having enough time at the end to enjoy "la dolce far niente" - or, the sweetness of doing nothing. So, our last big day of sightseeing in Positano was on Tuesday, when we visited Mount Vesuvius and one of the cities it destroyed - Pompeii.

Getting to Pompeii/Mount Vesuvius can be a hassle from Positano, as the Circumvesuviana train does not come here. So, we made arrangements to have our same driver from the airport pick us up at 9am for an all day excursion in the comfort of an air-conditioned Mercedes. We found this to be much more to our liking than a crowded tour bus full of annoying humans, so if we need to eat Top Ramen for a month when we return home, so be it.

Anyway, Gennaro picked us up and drove us along Via Pasitea which is the only street in Positano and back onto the famed Amalfi Coast highway. We arrived at Mount Vesuvius around 10:30 and after grabbing a quick snack, we set out for the 30 minute "hike" up to the rim of the crater:

The climb was easy, and not all that steep, but the air was thinner than we are accustomed to and so we took our time getting to the top. That allowed us to take lots of pictures and video along the way. The trail was pretty wide (which was necessary to accomodate the huge tour groups) but as we neared the summit, there were an increasing number of narrow and rocky spots to navigate, which definitely added an air of danger and excitement to the experience. When we reached the summit, we spent a lot of time just staring into the crater and reflecting on how this region will be changed when Vesuvius erupts once more - which is only a matter of time.

Mount Vesuvius is silent, and that's what has everybody worried.

We headed back down the trail and met Gennaro, still looking cool and dapper in that way that Italian men do, while we were sweaty and covered in dust. He didn't seem to mind the dirt that we were bringing into the car, as he has driven tourists around Southern Italy for years and has probably seen it all.

We arrived at Pompeii around 1:45 and were starving as we still hadn't had lunch. Gennaro suggested a good snack bar and we enjoyed beers and simple sandwiches as fuel for our walk in Pompeii. Since the Pompeii police won't allow any parking in the area, we made arrangements to meet Gennaro once again at 3:15.

This was a mistake. Even though neither one of us had a deep interest in all of the archeological nuances of the sites (in which case one would need to spend an entire day there) you still really need to allow 2 or 2-1/2 hours to see just the highlights. It didn't help that the main attraction we came to see (The Ampitheatre) was located as far away from the entrance as possible, so we spent a lot of time walking out and back. Still, we managed to see some very impressive ruins and it definitely whetted my appetite to visit the Archeological Museum in Naples, where all of the treasures and mosaics from Pompeii are on display.

 
The main street of Pompeii, Via dell'Abbondanza.



The Ampitheatre, where Pink Floyd made their famous concert video "Live at Pompeii".

It's amazing how these columns are still standing, in relatively good shape after 2000 years.

Some of the frescos on site, protected from the elements but still easy to view.

After calling to say we needed just a bit more time, we finally met up with Gennaro around 4pm and headed back down the Amalfi Coast highway. Gennaro stopped the car a couple of times so we could take in the impressive view.

"Our" villa is somewhere in the cluster of houses on the left.

Hot, dusty, and sweaty after a full day of walking around in the sun, we decided to "keep it local" and prepared a delicious dinner of tortellini with a creamy tomato sauce for dinner, accompanied by lots of bread dipped in the most exquisite olive oil. We sat on our terrace for a long time, drinking limoncello (3 shots each - oy!) and admiring the view:

The boat you see near the top of the photo is a HUGE private yacht that was moored just off Spiagiia Grande. Shortly before the yacht departed, a helicopter did a fly by of Positano and then landed on the yacht!

Our night-time view looking to the right.

Coming soon: Day 5 in Positano - morning shopping, an afternoon of la dolce far niente, and a special "splurge" dinner at the Caffe Positano.

        

Woke up to another beautiful day here in Positano, and headed down the stairs to our morning espresso and cappucino bar in the Hotel Gabrisa, and then down a lot more stairs to the dock at Spiaggia Grande where we boarded our boat to Capri.



Looking back upon Spiaggia Grande and Positano as we leave for Capri.

It took about an hour to get from Positano to Capri, and I passed the time by talking to Eileen, a woman from Philadelphia who was celebrating her 62nd birthday that day. Twice-divorced with three grown children, Eileen has "had it" with committed relationships and now spends her free time travelling the world on her own terms, and having a fling here or there with much younger men! She was definitely - er - interesting and kept quite a few people entertained from the sounds of laughter coming from the back of the boat on the way back to Positano.

After an hour on the boat we pulled up to Marina Grande on the Island of Capri and disembarked.

Had lunch at one of the restaurants on the main square (he - Pizza Diavola, she - Ensalata Caprese) and then hired a taxi to drive us up to Anacapri. Anacapri is one of two main towns on the island, and is where you can catch a chairlift up to Monte Salaro - the highest point on Capri.


Take one of these fun open air taxis and avoid the sweaty, overcrowded bus. Yes it's more expensive, but worth it!

I was a bit scared about this chairlift. It looked like something from the 1950's, or possibly earlier, and the only thing separating me from a fall to a certain death was a tiny metal bar. I held the pole in a death grip for the first few minutes of the ride, but finally relaxed when I realized that holding the pole wasn't going to save me and that I should just sit still and enjoy the ride. It's hard to describe the feeling, but imagine being suspended in the air high above vineyards and fruit trees, with birds singing all around you and breathtaking views in all directions. Truly the experience of a lifetime and one you must do if you ever visit Capri.



View from a chairlift.



On the way up the hill, Each way takes about 12 minutes.



View from Monte Salaro. The picture doesn't begin to do it justice.



OMG!

After disembarking for the chairlift, we walked around the top of the island for awhile and then headed back down to Anacapri where I bought a cute sundress and Michael bought some more magnets for his massive collection. After enjoying some delicious gelato, we caught a taxi back down to Marina Grande in time for our 2:30 departure.


Mmm ... gelato.

Next up on the itinerary was a cruise around the entire island including visits to the three main grottos - Blue, Green, and White. Although the Blue Grotto is the most famous one, you have to pay about 11 Euros each to be taken inside for about two minutes while your rowboat captain sings "O Solo Mio". I have heard mixed reviews on the Blue Grotto - from "don't miss it" to "don't waste your money" and we opted for the "don't waste your money" options.

 
The entrance to the Blue Grotto. Larger boats pull up to the Grotto and the little row boats will take you inside where the water is all blue and glowy. You have to duck down to fit through the opening, and the rowboats don't operate when the weather is bad.


The white grotto (Grotto Bianca) was my favorite, and it was free:

After we made our way around the entire island, we headed back to Positano and disembarked around 5:30pm. By this time M & I were quite tired from being out in the sun all day so we showered up and rested for a bit, then headed down the hill for dinner at Saraceno d'Oro where I had what is possibly my favorite meal so far - Zuppa di Cozze. Zuppa di Cozze consists of fresh mussels in a tomato based broth with plenty of herbs, olive oil, and white wine. Absolutely AMAZING and I will be trying it at home if I can get my hands on some good mussels. After dinner, we strolled back up the hill and crawled into bed. 

        

After an almost sleepness night on Saturday, we got a bit of a late start on Sunday because my head felt incredibly heavy and I knew that if I didn't grab a couple of hours of sleep before heading out I would crash and burn later in the day. Fortunately, I was able to sleep from about 7:30am - 10am, and so we left around 11am for a quick visit to the Tabacchi shop to buy bus tickets (there is little local bus that circles Positano throughout the day - about a Euro per ride and very convenient) and to stop in at our local mercato for a few more grocery items. We headed back down the hill, stashed our groceries, started a load of laundry, and headed out once again towards Fornillo Beach - about a half hour walk down the hillside.

Along the way we saw a lot of interesting and beautiful things to take pictures of:

The Grotta Fornillo, which is just a short walk from our villa.


Fornillo Beach, as seen from one of the hillside pathways.

Once we made it down the hill, we stopped at Ristorante Pupetto right on the beach for a delicious meal of ... wait  for it ... pasta! Michael had Ravioli con Formaggi (cheese ravioli) and I had Spaghetti Con Vongole (spaghetti with clams). We also enjoyed delicious fresh cantaloupe for dessert. Very reasonably priced meal, and the view of the sea couldn't be beat.

 

After lunch, we took a very scenic path over to Spiaggia Grande, which is the larger and more touristy of the two beaches. We noticed the series of little white "shacks" offering various excursions, and having read so many positive reviews of Salavatore e Gennaro's tours, I kept an eye open for their shack. We found it and wound up booking an all day tour of Capri, which will include 4 hours on the island to explore, along with visits to some of the most famous sights on the island. The weather looks to be amazing and I can't wait!


 
Salavatore e Gennaro's "shack" with the striped awning. We had a fantastic day trip to Capri, for a reasonable
price. Highly recommend these guys!


 
One of the many Positano cats, stealing a quick bath at Spaggia Grande.


We then headed up the main pedestrian thoroughfare, which is apparently, where EVERYBODY goes. It was too crowded for our liking (and this isn't even high season yet) so we stopped at a great market (Delikatessen), stocked up on more essentials (what could be more essential than limoncello and lemon white chocolate?) and caught the little orange bus back to our side of Positano.

After drinking in the unbelievable view from our terrace for awhile, we made our first dinner at home: linguine with pancetta, fresh tomatoes, and tossed with a of pesto sauce. Although the sun had long disappeared behind the cliff and it was getting a bit chilly outside, we decided that dining al fresco was a must. Bellies full, we headed for bed early in preparation for an exciting day ahead.

The view from our balcony looking left.



 
The view from our balcony looking right.



Some of the many beautiful plants and flowers the owners have on the terraces.

Coming Soon: Day Trip to Capri, Day Trip to Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius.

        

Three flights + three airports + one four hour drive + over 30 hours without sleep = one wicked case of jet lag. But now that we're here and settled into the beautiful and spacious Villa Jessica that will be our home for the next seven days, all of the hassle of getting here is now just a faint memory.

We arrived in Rome around noon on Saturday, and after a lengthy wait for our one checked bag we met our driver, Gennaro, just outside baggage claim. Mind you, it is uncharacteristic of us to do things like hire drivers, as we prefer to take the train whenever possible. However, since we were flying into Rome, we would have had to take a train from FCO to Termini train station, then another train into Sorrento or Salerno, and then either a hydrofoil or bus to our final destination in Positano.
And knowing that we'd be 24+ hours without sleep once we claimed our bags in Rome, we decided to spend extra Euros and hire a driver to pick us up at FCO and take us directly to our front door - that is, a front door that is positioned 70 steps above the road!

Another bonus of hiring a driver was taking a very brief venture in Naples on our way south from Rome. Although Gennaro wasn't so familiar with Naples he was able to pull over briefly and we enjoyed a stunning view of the Bay of Naples. I have to say, I was a bit apprehensive of Naples and it's gritty reputation, but it's one of the most interesting places I've ever been! I would like to come back some day and visit the Archeological Museum (where the best pieces from Pompeii are housed) and experience "Italy to the Extreme", as Rick Steves has been known to call Naples.

We soon left chaotic Napoli and headed down towards the Sorrentine Peninsula where Positano is located on it's Southern coast. Whatever you've heard about the beauty of the Amalfi Coast, it is a hundred times better in person. Even though we were exhausted and hungry by this time, we could not help but marvel at the unreal beauty that was unfolding before our eyes.

We arrived in Positano around 4pm to blue sunny skies and temps in the 70's. Perfetto!

The owners of Villa Jessica met us just down the street from the stone staircases that snake up the cliffside to our villa. Laura and Gaetano are a married couple with two children who used to live here at Villa Jessica, but recently moved to the quieter village of Priano, just a few minutes from Positano. I can imagine that the very busy tourist months of June - August could get a little wearisome for locals. After showing us around the villa, Laura and Gaetano departed and we quickly took advantage of the opportunity to shower off the airplane funk.

We then walked up about a thousand stairs (okay, so it was just 180, but felt like a thousand on a jet-lagged body) to visit the tiny market to pick up essentials like coffee (!!!), milk, fresh Asiago cheese, and so on. We didn't need to purchase fruit, thanks to the thoughtfulness of our hosts who brought fresh lemons and oranges from their home in Priano.

After arriving back home, I was whipped. I crawled into bed and napped for a solid 2-1/2 hours. Stomach rumbling, I awoke and quickly got dressed and Michael and I headed down the hill to find some dinner. We landed at a restaurant called Il Fornillo, where we each ordered a delicious pizza. We could have easily split one as the pizzas were very generously sized.

After an appertivo of limoncello (Michael) and espresso (me) we walked down farther towards the main part of Positano and were immediately charmed by the view, the village cats, and the young people riding scooters, holding flags, and singing at the top of their lungs. It was fun to watch them make their way across the valley and hear the echoes of their celebration. Sometime around midnight we reluctantly left our view and headed back up the hill to our villa, where we further settled in to our temporary home here in Positano:





Coming Soon: Day 2 in Positano: Discovering Fornillo Beach, Spaggia Grande, Tourista Central, and Figuring Out The Local Busses. Day 3 in Positano: A Day Trip to Capri.

Ciao,
Cheryle & Michael

        

Yes, it has.

After receiving a few emails from various friends about why I have stopped blogging, I realized that I never provided any "closure" on this blog explaining my silence.

Truth is, I haven't really "stopped" - I just changed the focus of this blog from the mish-mash that it was in it's previous incarnation to one focused solely on adventure - whether they be here in the city of Portland or across the ocean. 

So ... what's next on the list?

We didn't go to Europe in 2009, but are eagerly anticipating visiting Positano, Paris, and Amsterdam in May 2010. We will be spending a week in a glorious villa with a view of the Mediterranean, popping into Paris to renew our love affair with what surely must be one of the world's most beautiful cities, and finally, chilling out in charming Amsterdam. 

Will May 21 ever get here?

 

        

It's Thursday night about 9:30, and at 4:00am tomorrow we'll be hopping on the train to Arlanda airport and beginning our 24-hour odyssey of airplane rides and layovers. Stockholm, London, Chicago, Portland. With any luck we'll be arriving in Portland around 8:00pm or so on Friday night.

While I am excited to be returning home to our cats and everything else I hold dear, I am sad to be leaving Stockholm. This city, unlike any other, has touched us deeply with both her natural beauty and her wonderful, warm people. And the museums, shopping, and food are pretty good, too.

Last night we accepted our new Swedish friends' invitation to meet them for drinks. We took the train over to the trendy district of Sodermalm, called up Anders on his mobile phone, and met him outside one of the many popular bars in the area. Walking through this area we felt more like hip young urbanites than the married middle-aged suburbanites that we really are, although I'm sure we weren't fooling any of the hundreds of twenty-somethings out for their evening fun! Still, it was a great way to spend an evening in Stockholm and our new friends didn't seem to mind that they were keeping us out past our 10pm bedtime.

After I get home, I'll try to find some time to post some pictures from the last couple of days, but until then, just this one:

 

        

Tuesday morning we decided to take another boat cruise since the sun was out and our tickets were still valid. Since we were there early, we secured excellent seats on the outside of the boat so we had the best vantage point for taking photos:

The obligatory goofy self-portrait.

The National Museum, which I'd love to see next time.

We love the style of these buildings.

Stockholm has the most interesting cloud formations I've ever seen.

After joyriding for about an hour, we hopped off the boat at the Vasa Museum. The Vasa is a Swedish warship that sank in 1628 just minutes after beginning her maiden voyage. She rested just outside the Stockholm harbor for hundreds of years but was salvaged in 1961. Michael and I had seen the Vasa on several travel shows, and had been looking forward to seeing this for a long time. She didn't disappoint -just look at the detail preserved for almost 400 years, amazing!

 


 

In addition to the Vasa herself, there were exhibits showing what life would have been like on board for admiral and crew, as well as hundreds of items that salvaged from the wreckage including clothing, dishes, and coins, all painstakingly arranged and researched. Definitely an archaeologist's dream but something that everyone should see when they come to Stockholm.

After the Vasa. we hopped the boat again to take us across to the island of Skeppsholmen, where several museums are located. I had wanted to visit the Museum of Modern Art, but the weather was so beautiful we didn't want to be inside any longer, so I contented myself with taking pictures of the colorful sculptures outside:


 

Later that evening, Michael was craving a hamburger so we walked the few blocks to the Hard Rock Cafe. We've visited their locations before but never actually eaten there. Since the weather was still quite nice we were seated on the patio. Almost immediately, we started chatting with three young Swedish guys
(Jonas, Anders, and Daniel) that were seated at the adjacent table. Before long, they invited us to move our table over next to theirs and before we knew it, almost four hours had passed and the staff was closing up the patio for the night! They invited us to go out the next night and Michael programmed Anders' number into his mobile phone.

As we walked home - now through the pouring rain - we reflected on what had just happened. Not once in six years of travelling, had a group of locals been so friendly and welcoming to us. We fell into bed sometime after midnight, another great day in Stockholm behind us.