Italy
Trip Report May/June 2002
In Caesar's Footsteps
Amalfi Coast
In Caesar's Footsteps
Amalfi Coast
Hotel Belvedere - Conca dei Marini - Dbl 183€
This hotel is right on the coast road on a promontory about 4 kms west of Amalfi. It has a stunning location. We stayed on the upper floor in Rm 2 which shared a very large balcony with 2 other rooms. Patio chairs & lounges were supplied. The view from this patio towards Amalfi (with Ravello up above) is worthy of a postcard. A 180º vista. The photo at left was taken from here. Other rooms in the floors below us had a view of the sea, but this was truly spectacular. The room was not bad - certainly decent. B said it was an echo chamber. But the view! The restaurant was populated by English package tourists & had the feel of an English club. The 'regulars' sit at the same tables every night & the waiters even save 1/2 bottles of wine from the night before. Meals were tasty, with a choice of 3 entrees every night. After dinner most seem to retire to the sitting room for board games & reading. We drank. The hotel also had parking, a beautiful pool & a jetty for swimming in the sea. English-speaking staff. And it was a SITA bus stop. Not a bad location except you are restaurant-bound unless you drive or are bused or taxied. |
Day 1 The drive to the Amalfi Coast
We started our journey at Fiumicino. Aeroplan miles got us there and a kindly reservation clerk had given us wide seats on the plane. Not business class, just wider seats. We arrived mid-morning. But, no with sleep . . .
We rented a car through Auto Europe - an automatic Nissan Primera. If you drive an automatic at home, get one here. The price premium is more than outweighed by the lack of added stress. And believe me, for some areas you will need ALL of your concentration to avoid hitting things or driving over a 300m embankment.
We skirted Roma and picked up the Autostrade heading south. Ah. Italy . . . A beautify drive with the sun blazing and the traffic co-operating. Now remember, 2002 was a pre-GPS world to a large degree, so I was using printed Internet maps and Via Michelin directions. After around 3 hrs, we approached Naples and believing that I was following accurate Michelin directions, we exited the toll highway.
Well, this was a big mistake. As soon as we hit surface roads, we got instantly lost. I looped to try to find the expressway again. After 15 minutes of desperation, looking for signs or highways or anything that could be useful, we found a highway ramp and went on it. Another big mistake. This highway was a direct feeder to to the suburb of Bagni, in northwestern Napoli with no exits. After 5 miles or so - as soon as I could exit - I did and the ramp curled downward and we were dumped into madness. It was a virtual riot of chaotic traffic. Trucks, cars, bicycles & MOTORBIKES were everywhere. Napoli's drivers appeared to have no regard whatsoever for normal traffic rules. Stop signs are ignored. Lane markings are merely suggestions and they pass everywhere, anytime, whether someone is coming or not. Just beep your horn and go like hell and don't hit anything although every single vehicle was dented. Pure pandemonium. And I was driving this with with NO sleep.
I followed the road heading roughly straight west, thinking I'd find a coast road or a policeman, fire station, gas station, anywhere I might get directions. I'm a geographer's son and I inherited an excellent sense of direction and years of business travel has trained me to 'read' a strange town. But Napoli? I lost it. My wife lost it. Finally when I was dialed to maximum stress, I pulled over to look at our silver dollar sized map of Napoli. We seriously discussed abandoning the car and taking a taxi and claiming our rental was stolen.
And then, an angel appeared. We were blocking the driveway to a house and the owner came down to see why. He spoke no English. We spoke no Italian. But sign language and gesturing at Pompeii and Amalfi on the map must have accomplished something. He went to his car and motioned for us to follow him. After 3 blocks or so he stopped and pointed down a road. We thanked him and trusted him and 3 minutes later we were on the expressway heading out. Grazie molto.
Once on the main highway again we pointed south and exited near Pompeii and I actually found a street that was mentioned on my Michelin directions! With tepidity, we wound our way through Castellammare di Stabia where more vehicular chaos ensued, but we were both a little calmer now. Of course, we missed an important turn, but my radar kicked in after a mild detour and we finally got on the road to Sorrento - with some very nice views of the Bay of Naples along the way. In Sorrento, a road sign for Positano pointed us up and over the mountain and down to the Amalfi side and onto the coast road west of Positano. Wow. Now these roads were fun - although my wife has an entirely different view of this. To her, the mountain and coast roads were pure terror. But even she had to admit that the scenery was simply stunning!
All was going well until Praiano, when we met a tour bus coming in the other direction. We could not get by each other on the narrow road in the village and backing up was impossible as cars lined up behind both of us. I pulled over within millimeters of some parked motorcycles actually blocking a store's doorway and folded in my mirror. The bus driver folded in his mirror and slowly inched by. It was an interesting experience.
Fifteen minutes later - with great relief - we pulled into the small parking lot of the Hotel Belvedere, our home for 4 nights. We made it. Grazie molto. And remember, this was all with NO sleep. The total time from airport was about 6 hours.
We started our journey at Fiumicino. Aeroplan miles got us there and a kindly reservation clerk had given us wide seats on the plane. Not business class, just wider seats. We arrived mid-morning. But, no with sleep . . .
We rented a car through Auto Europe - an automatic Nissan Primera. If you drive an automatic at home, get one here. The price premium is more than outweighed by the lack of added stress. And believe me, for some areas you will need ALL of your concentration to avoid hitting things or driving over a 300m embankment.
We skirted Roma and picked up the Autostrade heading south. Ah. Italy . . . A beautify drive with the sun blazing and the traffic co-operating. Now remember, 2002 was a pre-GPS world to a large degree, so I was using printed Internet maps and Via Michelin directions. After around 3 hrs, we approached Naples and believing that I was following accurate Michelin directions, we exited the toll highway.
Well, this was a big mistake. As soon as we hit surface roads, we got instantly lost. I looped to try to find the expressway again. After 15 minutes of desperation, looking for signs or highways or anything that could be useful, we found a highway ramp and went on it. Another big mistake. This highway was a direct feeder to to the suburb of Bagni, in northwestern Napoli with no exits. After 5 miles or so - as soon as I could exit - I did and the ramp curled downward and we were dumped into madness. It was a virtual riot of chaotic traffic. Trucks, cars, bicycles & MOTORBIKES were everywhere. Napoli's drivers appeared to have no regard whatsoever for normal traffic rules. Stop signs are ignored. Lane markings are merely suggestions and they pass everywhere, anytime, whether someone is coming or not. Just beep your horn and go like hell and don't hit anything although every single vehicle was dented. Pure pandemonium. And I was driving this with with NO sleep.
I followed the road heading roughly straight west, thinking I'd find a coast road or a policeman, fire station, gas station, anywhere I might get directions. I'm a geographer's son and I inherited an excellent sense of direction and years of business travel has trained me to 'read' a strange town. But Napoli? I lost it. My wife lost it. Finally when I was dialed to maximum stress, I pulled over to look at our silver dollar sized map of Napoli. We seriously discussed abandoning the car and taking a taxi and claiming our rental was stolen.
And then, an angel appeared. We were blocking the driveway to a house and the owner came down to see why. He spoke no English. We spoke no Italian. But sign language and gesturing at Pompeii and Amalfi on the map must have accomplished something. He went to his car and motioned for us to follow him. After 3 blocks or so he stopped and pointed down a road. We thanked him and trusted him and 3 minutes later we were on the expressway heading out. Grazie molto.
Once on the main highway again we pointed south and exited near Pompeii and I actually found a street that was mentioned on my Michelin directions! With tepidity, we wound our way through Castellammare di Stabia where more vehicular chaos ensued, but we were both a little calmer now. Of course, we missed an important turn, but my radar kicked in after a mild detour and we finally got on the road to Sorrento - with some very nice views of the Bay of Naples along the way. In Sorrento, a road sign for Positano pointed us up and over the mountain and down to the Amalfi side and onto the coast road west of Positano. Wow. Now these roads were fun - although my wife has an entirely different view of this. To her, the mountain and coast roads were pure terror. But even she had to admit that the scenery was simply stunning!
All was going well until Praiano, when we met a tour bus coming in the other direction. We could not get by each other on the narrow road in the village and backing up was impossible as cars lined up behind both of us. I pulled over within millimeters of some parked motorcycles actually blocking a store's doorway and folded in my mirror. The bus driver folded in his mirror and slowly inched by. It was an interesting experience.
Fifteen minutes later - with great relief - we pulled into the small parking lot of the Hotel Belvedere, our home for 4 nights. We made it. Grazie molto. And remember, this was all with NO sleep. The total time from airport was about 6 hours.
Day 2 Amalfi Coast . . . continued . . .
We woke to overcast skies and the threat of drizzle. So, we decided to see some of the towns on the coast rather than do the sun bit for obvious reasons. We caught the blue SITA Bus to visit Positano from the bus stop in front of the Belvedere. It was standing room only for the ride along the curvy coast road. The height of the bus and a standing position was a great vantage point to look down the precipice to the sea far below. Overall, Positano is the prettiest town of the coast, spilling down a cove of the mountain. A truly beautiful spot. Many have waxed lyrically about this town so I won't. Positano is a hilly maze of shops, hotels and restaurants with little to no parking but certainly aimed squarely at the tourist trade. Many boutiques selling clothing, antiques, ticky-tacky etc. The beach is lined with restaurants and gelaterias but the sand part is more of a parking lot for fishing boats than a swimming beach.
After a couple of hours meandering, we got a water taxi to Amalfi. For 6€ or so it was worth the price for the views, let alone the transportation. Amalfi is a larger town and the immediate downtown Duomo area is reasonably flat. Again, it is rife with cafes and shops catering to the tourist trade. It has a public and private beach area too and Amalfi's looks better than Positano's. Also a good collection of pharmacies, liquor stores, bakeries, pizzerias etc. We lunched somewhere and shopped a little. Of course, we had a limoncello and bought some to take home as gifts.
The SITA buses congregate in the waterfront parking lot. Be warned, getting on one is not easy. When the right bus arrives people herd over and push and shove to get on. We missed the westbound Positano bus for this reason. We got talking to a couple from Texas and decided to share a taxi. 50€ to Positano. We paid 15€ for our portion. The buses are certainly a lot cheaper.
We woke to overcast skies and the threat of drizzle. So, we decided to see some of the towns on the coast rather than do the sun bit for obvious reasons. We caught the blue SITA Bus to visit Positano from the bus stop in front of the Belvedere. It was standing room only for the ride along the curvy coast road. The height of the bus and a standing position was a great vantage point to look down the precipice to the sea far below. Overall, Positano is the prettiest town of the coast, spilling down a cove of the mountain. A truly beautiful spot. Many have waxed lyrically about this town so I won't. Positano is a hilly maze of shops, hotels and restaurants with little to no parking but certainly aimed squarely at the tourist trade. Many boutiques selling clothing, antiques, ticky-tacky etc. The beach is lined with restaurants and gelaterias but the sand part is more of a parking lot for fishing boats than a swimming beach.
After a couple of hours meandering, we got a water taxi to Amalfi. For 6€ or so it was worth the price for the views, let alone the transportation. Amalfi is a larger town and the immediate downtown Duomo area is reasonably flat. Again, it is rife with cafes and shops catering to the tourist trade. It has a public and private beach area too and Amalfi's looks better than Positano's. Also a good collection of pharmacies, liquor stores, bakeries, pizzerias etc. We lunched somewhere and shopped a little. Of course, we had a limoncello and bought some to take home as gifts.
The SITA buses congregate in the waterfront parking lot. Be warned, getting on one is not easy. When the right bus arrives people herd over and push and shove to get on. We missed the westbound Positano bus for this reason. We got talking to a couple from Texas and decided to share a taxi. 50€ to Positano. We paid 15€ for our portion. The buses are certainly a lot cheaper.
Day 3 Amalfi Coast . . . continued . . .
Time for a road trip. We had calmed down after a day of local touristing and decided that we had to break out to go see Pompeii. This time we decided to use a different route out. SS366 exits the coast road west of Amalfi and climbed up through Conca dei Marini and on through lofty Agerola. A great drive with switchbacks, a tunnel and some nice villages along the way. It spit us out in Castellammare di Stabia and then it was a straight drive through the town to the Pompeii area - following the infrequent signs. There was a busy 4-way stop along the way. Forget the 'driver on the right' crap that you are used to. In Napoli, it's 'whoever has the most nerve' has the right of way.
We parked in a restaurant driveway just down the hill from the ruins for 5€, stopping at the restaurant just outside the gate for pizza before we went in. Truly Neapolitan pizza. A little different than Pizza Hut. Pompeii was busy and hot and it is, of course, a major tourist zoo. But quite spectacular. We skipped the abundant guides and went our own way. You can wander at will and find some nice remote areas in the ruins that let you absorb the history in reasonable solitude. I do have a beef about tour groups - their herding nature is very strong. They act as if it is their RIGHT to bowl you over in their need to follow their particular umbrella wielding tour guide.
The drive back to our hotel was uneventful although around this time I started to gain confidence and to drive more like a local. My wife was not amused. It was getting too fun . . .
For dinner, we taxied to a small restaurant 1/2 way to Amalfi - Le Pesce d'Or. This was a small basic restaurant. The waiter was a tad brusque and the wine choice was limited - red or white. Yeah, just the 2. The food was very good however and it was very cheap. On the way back, the driver insisted on showing us his 3 car garage cut into the mountain and hidden behind a motorized door. 20-30€ (excluding wine)
Time for a road trip. We had calmed down after a day of local touristing and decided that we had to break out to go see Pompeii. This time we decided to use a different route out. SS366 exits the coast road west of Amalfi and climbed up through Conca dei Marini and on through lofty Agerola. A great drive with switchbacks, a tunnel and some nice villages along the way. It spit us out in Castellammare di Stabia and then it was a straight drive through the town to the Pompeii area - following the infrequent signs. There was a busy 4-way stop along the way. Forget the 'driver on the right' crap that you are used to. In Napoli, it's 'whoever has the most nerve' has the right of way.
We parked in a restaurant driveway just down the hill from the ruins for 5€, stopping at the restaurant just outside the gate for pizza before we went in. Truly Neapolitan pizza. A little different than Pizza Hut. Pompeii was busy and hot and it is, of course, a major tourist zoo. But quite spectacular. We skipped the abundant guides and went our own way. You can wander at will and find some nice remote areas in the ruins that let you absorb the history in reasonable solitude. I do have a beef about tour groups - their herding nature is very strong. They act as if it is their RIGHT to bowl you over in their need to follow their particular umbrella wielding tour guide.
The drive back to our hotel was uneventful although around this time I started to gain confidence and to drive more like a local. My wife was not amused. It was getting too fun . . .
For dinner, we taxied to a small restaurant 1/2 way to Amalfi - Le Pesce d'Or. This was a small basic restaurant. The waiter was a tad brusque and the wine choice was limited - red or white. Yeah, just the 2. The food was very good however and it was very cheap. On the way back, the driver insisted on showing us his 3 car garage cut into the mountain and hidden behind a motorized door. 20-30€ (excluding wine)
Day 4 Amalfi Coast . . . continued . . .
After 3 days of hustle, we were ready for a break. We lounged around the hotel for much of the day. Sunning and swimming. We took the elevator down to the pool - it's down the hill from the hotel and through a carved rock tunnel. I even went for a quick dip in the Med from the hotel's jetty. Pretty cold. The pool attendant was very attentive - very old school bathing hotel. As soon as you left your lounge, he would spring up and rearrange your towel and align the bed with the sun.
For dinner, I had booked Cumpa' Cosimo - a restaurant in Ravello. So, late afternoon, we bused to Amalfi and forced our way onto the Ravello bus for the 1/2 hour driveup on high. With the obligatory traffic backup for some idiot tour bus driver stuck at the 'Amalfi bend' - at least it wasn't me this time.
Ravello was stunning. We had coffee in the piazza and then wandered through Villa Rufulo. Just a decrepit ruin but the view was really nice. We then meandered through town and out to the Villa Cimbrone and it's famous Infinity Terrace. Wow!
On the walk back to the piazza, we stopped for a pre-dinner drink at the Villa Maria Hotel restaurant. Sipping a drink while we listened to church bells in the gathering dusk on the adjacent ridge . . . a truly magical moment.
Dinner at Cumpa' Cosimo was our best dinner in Italy. The food and wine were incredible and Netta - the owner - was a blast as she bellowed at staff and patrons alike. She warmed up to us and slipped us free Sambucas at the end of our meal. If you're in Ravello, you have to eat here. Antipasti and Primi were around 6 - 7€. Secondi were 9 - 10€. So figure 25 - 36€ per. I splurged on a 42€ Chianti Riserva that Netta insisted on charging only 40 for. She is a sweet lady and her English is quite good (better than the other staff). Dress informaly. She opens at 6:30 & the place fills up by 9. Phone (39)089/857156.
The only negative was our reluctance to drink and drive. We had bused up, but after dinner the buses had stopped for the day. Netta called a driver which ended up costing 50€. So it WAS an expensive dinner. Next time we will stay at the Villa Maria . . .