Amalfi Coast 4 - Positano, Amalfi

 Day 6

Waiting in the hotel lobby we are lulled into a false sense of security of air conditioned coolness. The humidity is high and the locals are also struggling. Apparently it will be fine in September. 

Today we explore the Amalfi Coast proper. Firstly Positano. P for Positano, pretty and pricey! It is quite staggering how these coastal towns are built into the landscape.

Positano

Tiny roads with tinier Fiats and scooters whizzing about. Road sense proves exciting here. Pavements are few and far between and it seems the only way to cross a busy road is to hurl yourself across and hope for the best. You have to make your own way here. Politeness is for pansies.

Positano is crammed with gift shops and willing victims. We eventually make our way out of the town along the most beautiful coastal path I have ever seen, in search of a cove that some of the group have gone to. 

 

We find a lovely bay and TC manages to scrounge a sunbed. We have been given instructions on managing swimming. I have completely ignored instructions and TC has only followed half, which results in me going into the sea in my clothes (shorts at least) and TC making a moderate exhibition of himself trying to change into swimmers with a borrowed towel that is rather too small to be decent. Having changed, he decides going in is too much of a faff.

Next is a boat trip round to the town of Amalfi which is basically the same as Positano only different shops. By now we need lunch and we eat looking out to sea with a glass of wine and eating seafood. I am getting to the age where this is by far my favourite holiday experience. 

More souvenirs are purchased. I daresay more fridge magnets, but I have left TC unsupervised. I buy a simple pretty little ceramic dish. I don't tend to like things with names on (tacky), so I expect in ten years time I will look at it and wonder where on earth it came from. 

Before we know it we have to get on the coach but this is welcome. On embarking everyone sighs with relief at the coolness. We sit at the front and group leader is disapproving as she says it's reserved for those who are likely to be seasick. Peculiar. 

At the hotel we are getting used to Italian cuisine and the multi course approach. We work our way in from the outside. This works well until it seems we have cheese, salad and spinach for final course. Disappointment round the table is palpable. The waiters are cheerless as usual and TC says loudly that ice cream would be a more suitable finale. Whilst we are still lamenting, bowls of ice cream are produced and hamburgers for the young contingent in the group who have obviously been longing for meat. Fish is staple here. Spirits are raised. We have lost count of the number of ice creams being consumed. When in Italy..