We spent the next several days on the Amalfi coast. We rented a two bedroom unit from Amalfi Vacations called Villa Limone, which was situated on the road between the towns of Minori and Ravello. The unit came with sensational views, its own patio area overlooking the Mediterranean, and a beautiful pool that we shared with the other few units in the complex. In addition, there was a caretaker, Franco, who lived on the grounds and raised a variety of fruits and vegetables for the guests - tomatoes, eggplant, grapes, pears, basil - which we utilized regularly! Franco was fantastic. When we first met him he told us that if we needed anything all we had to do was call and he'd be there within 10 minutes. He was a man of his word, often times anticipating what we would need before we could even call to ask! Here are some photos of our amazing place in Minori:
Our villa. We had the top floor of this building.
Living room balcony...
...and the view from that balcony!
Our patio, where lemons fell into your lap!
How I started each morning - coffee and a view.
Our villa's amazing caretaker,Franco, with Chris' mom.
Walking through Franco's garden to get to the pool.
Franco's grapes
View from the pool. All the green on the terraces are Franco's gardens where he grows lemons, pears, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, basil and more!
View in the other direction.
Our lounge spot.
Infinity pool
Pink sunset over Minori
One day, Chris' parents treated us to a day-long boat excursion up and down the coast. Franco hooked us up with a nice boat and captain, Giovanni, and we spent the day zipping along the coast, swimming and checking out a couple of the other towns - Positano and Amalfi. We thought this was a perfect way to see the coast, as you can take the boat wherever you like, jump in the water whenever you feel the urge, and you don't have to deal with the crazy roads! And of course, the views from the water can't be beat. A definite highlight of our time in Amalfi!
Our boat - Fox Run
Chatting in Italian with Capitan Giovanni!
Enjoying a gorgeous day at sea.
I'm on a boat!
Exploring a nearby grotto.
A view of our villa from the sea.
Most church steeples along the coast are covered in colorful mosaics like this one.
Time for a swim!
Positano
 Positano - beautiful but very crowded! |  Walking the (steep) streets of Positano |
Positano's beach
Positano bench
Another milestone was hit on the boat trip - my first jellyfish sting. Yup, it finally happened and it really wasn't that bad. Luckily Chris' mom had some Afterbite in her bag and the sting disappeared in about an hour's time.
We were out on the boat from around 9:30 until 5:30pm. Right around 5:30 the weather changed suddenly and storm clouds rolled in off the mountains. The sea started to churn and Giovanni rushed to drop us off before the rain & lightning began. Luckily our trusty caretaker, Franco, was at the dock waiting for us and helped us get back to the apartment safely before the crazy storm. From our apartment we watched lightning over the water, and later, a beautiful rainbow.
We were out on the boat from around 9:30 until 5:30pm. Right around 5:30 the weather changed suddenly and storm clouds rolled in off the mountains. The sea started to churn and Giovanni rushed to drop us off before the rain & lightning began. Luckily our trusty caretaker, Franco, was at the dock waiting for us and helped us get back to the apartment safely before the crazy storm. From our apartment we watched lightning over the water, and later, a beautiful rainbow.
Giovanni drops us off at our dock. A storm is brewing!
Ciao Ciao! Giovanni races home to beat the storm.
Rainbow after the storm:)
Of course, we can't talk about Southern Italy without mentioning food! We had some great meals while in Amalfi - both home-cooked and at restaurants. On our first night we went to a beautiful restaurant called Il Giardiniello in Minori. We sat on their patio covered in grape vines and lemon trees. The food was excellent, the service was great and the live music was a nice touch.
Enjoying dinner at Il Giardiniello
Frutti di Mare... YUM!
Another night we went to Midnight Sun Bar in the main plaza by the beach. Our waiters were incredibly friendly and the linguini al limone was just as good as the reviews said it would be...maybe better!
The rest of the time we grilled steak and sausage on our outdoor patio overlooking the sea. Of course we had fresh fruits and vegetables from Franco's garden to accompany our meals! We also had a few dinner guests. Meet our holiday cats that we named Mama Cat and her kittens - Anna Lisa and Lucia:
 Mama Cat |  The kittens: Anna Lisa was the bigger, more energetic one. Lucia was the tiny one that liked to cuddle with Chris. |
Yeah...she got a little attached to Chris' dad :)
Although none of us are really cat people (Chris and his dad are allergic and I don't find them very friendly) we quickly warmed up to these three. Look at them - how could you not?
After about three weeks in various parts of Italy and a few prior trips, we both declared this area our favorite part of the country. The views, the water, the villages, the food and the people are incredible. This is certainly a place we hope to visit again.
Amalfi tip: If you don't like crowds avoid staying in the major towns like Positano. When we visited it was difficult to walk around because the streets are packed with tourists. The food prices are also a lot higher here than in the other towns. Minori is one of the smaller towns along the coast and we never felt claustrophobic nor did we ever have to wait for a table at either restaurant.
Tip #2: Driving along the coast is dangerous. The narrow roads twist and turn along the mountainside and through passageways in tiny villages. You share the road with busses and motorcycles (who have their own set of rules). Driving here is not for the faint of heart, so be prepared if you choose to drive! While we hated to leave the Amalfi coast, we bid good riddance to the driving.
On one of our days in the Amalfi coast, we drove about 40 minutes to the town of Solofra. What is Solofra's claim to fame? It is the ancestral home of one branch of Chris' family. They left Solofra around the turn of the century, but several family members stayed behind and the current generation living in the US has largely lost touch with the branch that stayed behind. So we decided to check it out and do some digging. What did we find? Stay tuned for the next post!
After about three weeks in various parts of Italy and a few prior trips, we both declared this area our favorite part of the country. The views, the water, the villages, the food and the people are incredible. This is certainly a place we hope to visit again.
Amalfi tip: If you don't like crowds avoid staying in the major towns like Positano. When we visited it was difficult to walk around because the streets are packed with tourists. The food prices are also a lot higher here than in the other towns. Minori is one of the smaller towns along the coast and we never felt claustrophobic nor did we ever have to wait for a table at either restaurant.
Tip #2: Driving along the coast is dangerous. The narrow roads twist and turn along the mountainside and through passageways in tiny villages. You share the road with busses and motorcycles (who have their own set of rules). Driving here is not for the faint of heart, so be prepared if you choose to drive! While we hated to leave the Amalfi coast, we bid good riddance to the driving.
On one of our days in the Amalfi coast, we drove about 40 minutes to the town of Solofra. What is Solofra's claim to fame? It is the ancestral home of one branch of Chris' family. They left Solofra around the turn of the century, but several family members stayed behind and the current generation living in the US has largely lost touch with the branch that stayed behind. So we decided to check it out and do some digging. What did we find? Stay tuned for the next post!
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