Monday, November 29, 2010

Amalfi Coast


My parents came to Italy on a package deal.  They got airfair, hotel and a car for $700 a piece.  The deal was too good to pass up.  They did not need the hotel but we still wanted to see the Amalfi coast.  I emailed and asked the hotel if we could have two rooms for Saturday night instead of staying the week.  They were kind enough to allow this change so we drove down Saturday after Delaney's soccer game.  We drove down to Vietri and then started our trip up the Amalfi coast.  We did stay in Vietri long enough to get some pottery and pick up some more sea glass for our collection =)  The drive to Minori was pretty.  It was getting dark which was a good thing.  The road was so narrow that being able to see the lights coming was actually helpful as I navigated around some blind corners.  Minori was about 20 minutes north of Vietri.  We found the hotel, Villa Romana, a few blocks from the water.  We got settled in our room and found out they had dinner at seven.  The chef had a special menu and he would come into the dinning room to prepare the meal.  We thought that sounded like fun so we made reservations.  While we waited, we walked down to the beach.  It was a bit windy but it was a nice walk through Italian streets.  The girls played in the sand for a bit while we collected some sea glass.  It was a nice night for a walk.  We found a cute pottery shop, where the girls got a magnet to member the trip.  Mom got a really pretty tile painted with the city of Minori on it.  We wandered through the cobble streets back to the hotel.  There were only two table for dinner.  The chef made his own egg pasta which was outstanding!  Then we had a fish dish with pickled pumpkin on it.  It sounds yucky but it was really good.  We were all happy eaters!  Dessert were little popovers that were very spongy.  They were good except they were drenched in limoncello.  Italians love the stuff.  So the dessert wasn't the best but it was a really fun meal!  The next morning we had a big breakfast at the hotel and then started our Amalfi drive.  The views were just spectacular!  It is amazing to see the ocean look green!  The cliffs and building built into these mountains are just incredible.  It was hard to drive and not look around.  Although, I really did have to pay attention.  This is a tricky drive with narrow roads and crazy Italians on these roads.  The narrow curves and cars parked on the sides of the roads at random make this a challenging drive.  It is one you must do at least once!  The views are so worth it.  There are plenty of overlooks to stop at along the way so that even the driver can enjoy!  It was such a neat experience.  I am glad we got to do it with Grammy and Grandpappy!

1 comment:

  1. The trip to Amalfi started after Delaneys' showery then downpouring soccer game. It was funny how the children didn't know if it was okay to stay out there and get soaked. Then we went home (fortunately close by) to dry off and start out. It was so much fun to have this experience with our "Italian family". Only one missing was Howard. The drive was spectacular but in the high season it must be a nightmare for the uninitiated. Kelly was an excellent guide and driver. Even when we nearly ran out of gas. Again a nice Italian came to our rescue and showed us how to use the ATM like machine and then pump the gas when the station is closed. It was an awesome trip with lots of memories attached!!

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