Saturday 13 August 2011

Our journey home - day 2

Today we travelled down to the Amalfi Coast and are now in our accommodation in a little village called Nocelle.  It is absolutely stunning!  We are high up on the hillside over looking Positano and the coast line up to Capri.  The water is the most magnificent blue and very calm - just perfect for paddling!

Richard was saying that we have not done very very much today but I do not believe that for one minute!  We have dealt with the traffic here in Italy ....and yes I mean we!  He has driven and I have sucked lemons all the way!  Aunty Rhoda eat your heart out! I am learning to understand the Italian drivers around Brunswick and Coburg (they must have wondered what the hell we 'skips' were doing!)  Maybe writing this after a G&T, half a bottle of wine and a limoncello is not such a great idea!  You will get lots of exclamation marks I am thinking and maybe not my clearest writing.  I guess you will deal with it!  Richard has just decided I am amusing myself and whether or not I am amusing anyone else is another question....yes I am giggling as I write!

OK serious hat on!  (He thinks I am more likely to find that hat in the morning.)  We left that astounding hotel late this morning and drove down to the coast.  The trip was not without its moments as Portia was determined to take us via the most circuitous route possible!  Her 'shortest routes' are positively adventurous and sometimes would be suicidal if we followed her every whim.  'Turn left now'....what you mean over this one hundred foot cliff and into the ocean?  Anyway... we eventually made it down to the coast and after finding a car park walked a few hundred metres down the road to have risotto for lunch follow by the most wonderful Italian expresso....aaahhhh bliss!

Some of the coast line we drove along!  It is breathtakingly beautiful.



There are lots of little tunnels to go through.  Windy, windy, windy roads.  Scooters going every which way, horns beeping and buses going both ways where only one car can fit, but somehow the traffic eventually moves!  It is crazy and Richard has decided that if he comes home to Australia with white hair rather than his current 'salt and pepper' he will not be surprised.  Can you tell that I am loving this!  

After we ate, we, well he, drove further down the road to Amalfi.  As we came into Amalfi I looked through a little archway where heaps of pedestrians were coming out and decided we needed to stop and have a look!  Here's some of what we saw:

The archway!


 A shop doorway!

The local church! 

The fish and chip shop sign! 

Bottles of limoncello! 

More limoncello and lemon soaps! 

The beach Italian style...you pay to go onto the beach, are packed in like sardines and have all these uniform umbrellas.....oh by the way it is pebbles you are on and not sand! 

Just liked the way the pigeons topped off this statue which was covered in moss! 

In Amalfi we ate gelati (not the greatest, but still gelati) and then jumped back in the car to head towards home for the next week.  We made our way back to Positano to meet with the people to bring us to the villa apartment here in Nocelle.  After a hair-raising fifteen minute trip up the hill we made it!  Here is the ceramic sign on the gate:

Here is our front door:

...and next time I will show you some more......let's just say my breath has been taken away a thousand times today.  Just wait till I show you the views!




3 comments:

Jane said...

Laughing my head off! stunning photos though. it sounds like you risked it all today. Ah, the journey through life. These are days you and Richard will treasure forever. I can't believe you have to pay to go to the beach! I also can't believe the sign to your accomodation. Does she resemble your host? love and a good nights sleep to you both! Jane x

Concetta said...

Oh this fills me with so much longing...and those little puffy clouds in the blue sky. Enjoy.

Jane said...

Ali
are you interested in going to see Cold Chisel at Boondall with me? tickets are $99.90, including free bed and breakfast at my place. dates are 1 & 2 November or 13 December. I'm busting to go and be a rock chick! Jx