While recently on tour of Italy, I had a free day in
Sorrento. I was eager to experience the one place which I was told was
probably the most photogenic town on the Amalfi coast—Positano. I learned that
Positano is one of Italy’s most exclusive resorts, with more than thirty hotels
of all categories. It has attracted painters, writers, musicians, and the
international set since the early 1900’s. It has a reputation for fashion,
confirmed by the fact that it was, in 1959, the first resort to see the bikini.
In the 2003 film, “Under the Tuscan Sun” the main character
meets in a man in Rome, asks him where she can find a particular antique shop,
and he tells her it is several hours away, but he can take her there. He
introduces her to Positano, his family, limoncello and love, all in one day!
Traveling alone from Sorrento to Positano (and back again)
was part of the adventure; I was given a map of the coast with the local SITA
bus schedule at our Sorrento hotel. As I left Sorrento on the packed 10:00 a.m.
bus, I was happy to have a window seat. The majority of the passengers were
tourists who, like me, were off for a day trip along the coast to see other
places. The lady next to me was from England and the two in front of us were
from Brazil and all four of us had no idea where we would end up, but were
totally enthralled by the 55 minute ride to Positano. The bus slowly climbed
the mountain road which made numerous sharp curves, and afforded me the
opportunity to look down on tile-roofed homes, each with its own garden
including olive, orange and lemon trees. Since this was May, the citrus trees
were heavy with fruit. After coming down the other side of the mountain, the
narrow, two-lane road flattened out like a serpentine ribbon hugging the sheer
rock cliff dotted with blooming flowers and wind-twisted trees, and a sheer drop
off to the sea on the other side. Against on-coming traffic, the bus announced
its arrival around each blind turn by tooting its horn, as a new panorama of
sea, sky and rocky cliff face presented itself.
When we reached Positano and the bus made its first stop, I
made the mistake of getting off, thinking this was the only stop, as did the two
ladies from Brazil. We watched with dismay as the bus made its way down and
around the descending, curved road for about a mile to the bottom of the
mountain where the main part of the town meets the sea.
Fortunately, the little local town bus came along and we
were able to ride down the mountain road instead of walking. I got off as soon
as I saw dozens of little shops, cafes and pizza places, knowing I had found
what I was looking for. Everywhere there was the fragrant profusion of bright
flowers spilling out of window boxes, climbing the walls, tumbling from planters
and providing shade over walkways. The bougainvillea, wisteria, oleander, roses
and geranium were in their full glory. What is unique about Positano is that it
is a vertical town clinging to the side of a mountain. As you travel up or down
through Positano, the green and gold tiled cupola of Santa Maria Assunta, the
main church, catches the light, and the old Romanesque church itself is
beautiful from perspectives above and below. The pastel-colored houses of
Positano seem to cling to the steep terraces that weave around the bowl between
mountain and sea.
I did some window shopping and bought some lemon sachets to
remind me, when I now open the sock drawer, of lemons kissed by the sea air.
There were many shops with local pottery and ceramics, resort fashions, and art
work so that one could spend many hours wandering happily down the picturesque,
winding walkway and steps
that lead ultimately to the beach.
When I finally made my way down to the dark, volcanic sand
and shingle beach I found dozens of very contented looking locals and tourists
lounging about in the bright sun, or clambering aboard the ferry boats ready to
sail to Capri or other local islands. For a few minutes I stood watching a
barefoot painter daubing his canvas with bright colors.
I had a quick lunch outdoors at a café with a wisteria
draped roof. From my table I could look down on the little orange local bus
which would take me back up to the top of the hill in order to get the SITA bus
back to Sorrento.
The bus ride back to Sorrento was just as spectacular, and
this time I made sure I had a seat was on the ocean side so I could look out at
boats bobbing on the sea, as well as look straight down the sheer cliff face
below to see the waves lapping at the rocks far below.
I hope that someday I will return to Positano, and spend at
least several days there basking in the sun and sea-kissed, clean air in a
setting that seems like a dream. A dream from which you don’t want to wake up.
TM
While recently on tour of Italy, I had a free day in
Sorrento. I was eager to experience the one place which I was told was
probably the most photogenic town on the Amalfi coast—Positano. I learned that
Positano is one of Italy’s most exclusive resorts, with more than thirty hotels
of all categories. It has attracted painters, writers, musicians, and the
international set since the early 1900’s. It has a reputation for fashion,
confirmed by the fact that it was, in 1959, the first resort to see the bikini.
Traveling alone from Sorrento to Positano (and back again)
was part of the adventure; I was given a map of the coast with the local SITA
bus schedule at our Sorrento hotel. As I left Sorrento on the packed 10:00 a.m.
bus, I was happy to have a window seat. The majority of the passengers were
tourists who, like me, were off for a day trip along the coast to see other
places. The lady next to me was from England and the two in front of us were
from Brazil and all four of us had no idea where we would end up, but were
totally enthralled by the 55 minute ride to Positano. The bus slowly climbed
the mountain road which made numerous sharp curves, and afforded me the
opportunity to look down on tile-roofed homes, each with its own garden
including olive, orange and lemon trees. Since this was May, the citrus trees
were heavy with fruit. After coming down the other side of the mountain, the
narrow, two-lane road flattened out like a serpentine ribbon hugging the sheer
rock cliff dotted with blooming flowers and wind-twisted trees, and a sheer drop
off to the sea on the other side. Against on-coming traffic, the bus announced
its arrival around each blind turn by tooting its horn, as a new panorama of
sea, sky and rocky cliff face presented itself.
When we reached Positano and the bus made its first stop, I
made the mistake of getting off, thinking this was the only stop, as did the two
ladies from Brazil. We watched with dismay as the bus made its way down and
around the descending, curved road for about a mile to the bottom of the
mountain where the main part of the town meets the sea.
Fortunately, the little local town bus came along and we
were able to ride down the mountain road instead of walking. I got off as soon
as I saw dozens of little shops, cafes and pizza places, knowing I had found
what I was looking for. Everywhere there was the fragrant profusion of bright
flowers spilling out of window boxes, climbing the walls, tumbling from planters
and providing shade over walkways. The bougainvillea, wisteria, oleander, roses
and geranium were in their full glory. What is unique about Positano is that it
is a vertical town clinging to the side of a mountain. As you travel up or down
through Positano, the green and gold tiled cupola of Santa Maria Assunta, the
main church, catches the light, and the old Romanesque church itself is
beautiful from perspectives above and below. The pastel-colored houses of
Positano seem to cling to the steep terraces that weave around the bowl between
mountain and sea.
I did some window shopping and bought some lemon sachets to
remind me, when I now open the sock drawer, of lemons kissed by the sea air.
There were many shops with local pottery and ceramics, resort fashions, and art
work so that one could spend many hours wandering happily down the picturesque,
winding walkway and steps
that lead ultimately to the beach.
The bus ride back to Sorrento was just as spectacular, and
this time I made sure I had a seat was on the ocean side so I could look out at
boats bobbing on the sea, as well as look straight down the sheer cliff face
below to see the waves lapping at the rocks far below.