Ah, Positano!

We are in Positano on the Amalfi coast for the week. Such a beautiful and impossible place! Posted is the view from the beach over town and a view from our apartment at sunset. Our apartment is in the beige building to the right of the church and uphill. To get anywhere requires going up or down numerous steps. If you go up about 30 steps you get to a main street that leads downhill into the center of town. If you go down about 300 steps you get to the beach. I'm figuring all this exercise justifies a cannoli when in town!

It took us awhile to get here. We took the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento then waited in line for a bus to Positano. But the line was long and only one bus every 1/2 hour and we learned from the info booth that there was a ferry to Positano at 1:30pm. So we rolled and carried our suitcases all the way down a long hill to the ferry dock and ... no ferry because of rough seas (odd given the bright sun and seemingly calm Bay of Naples). We had a light lunch overlooking the water and then waited another 20 minutes for a local bus back up to the train/bus station. We got there just as the 2pm bus left but at least got a spot near the beginning of the line for the 2:30pm bus. That did get us to Positano relatively quickly and the views from the bus were stunning (heart in mouth around some curves!). We got off at the main Positano bus stop and called our landlady who at first couldn't figure out where we had been dropped off. But, she made up for it by picking us up in her car and dropping us at the apartment.

It's a lovely apartment with the bed upstairs in a loft and a large main room with a futon, kitchen table and tiny kitchen built into an antique cupboard. But it has everything we need for cooking. And the biggest shower space we've had yet on this trip! A full size bath tub even! French doors open out onto a very small balcony, but enormous view over the town and water.

This morning we walked over to the small beach (see photo), a much more laid back part of town. In the afternoon we sat at the balcony and watched a wedding party at the church in the center of town. Above us on the main road are several good restaurants and a little grocery. There's a butcher and fish shop near the center of town as well as a couple other little groceries.

There seem to be a mix of German, American, Italian and Australian tourists mainly as well as many additional tourists during the day that come in by boat and bus. Downtown has lots of shops selling sandals, linen clothes, pottery and other touristy items. It definitely has a more upscale feel to it, but at least this time of year it feels very relaxed.