By this Author: moorsey88

Time to dust off the passport and resume my passion for travel. The Amalfi Coast will be the backdrop for this adventure. I can't wait for the gelato!

Well. We made it to Italy...and not without a few hiccups along the way. First of all, the waiting lines at Toronto airport....oh no! However, there wasn't any! The bag drop and security check point was no longer than it has been in the past. We made our way to the Plaza Premium Lounge, which was a nice place to spend some time, since we had arrived so early to the airport. Complementary cocktails, light buffet (salad, soup, pasta, samosas, coleslaw) hit the spot. To the gate we go for boarding. Boarding delayed due to late crew arriving. Oh well, there was nothing we can do about that. Although there were some people in line that thought their moaning and complaining was going to get them in the air quicker. Nope. It just proves that you're a bit of an arse. Once on the plane, things went smoothly except for some misbehaved, loud, obnoxious children. I can't seem to escape!!! Blame it on the day job. Haha.

Arrival to Frankfurt, Germany after a 7 hour 15 minute flight from Toronto. The signage at this airport is not the greatest, but we found where we needed to be, only to hop on another terminal bus to take us to the other side of the airport. Luckily I had booked flights that had a bit of a *time cushion* in case something like this.

I am also glad I had all my Covid documents ready to show no one! We were not even asked once for any proof of vaccine. It was if Covid doesn't exist anymore. Social distancing is a thing of the past and many people forget how to wear a mask properly.

Arrival to Napoli, with luggage in hand after winning Carousel Cocktail, to find the driver I had booked for our transfer from the airport to Sorrento - our final destination. But...he was a no-show! Yikes! There were other options, so I wasn't panicking, just a little pissed off. Regular taxi guy wanted to charge us 150 Euro. Yeah, no thanks buddy! We ended up taking the shuttle bus, which was a comfortable fancy coach bus. The price was only 10 Euro per person, so I definitely saved us some money. This was how we were originally going to get to Sorrento, but I figured after a long day of travelling, door-to-door service would be good. Oh well. Once to the apartment I checked my email, and the company apologized for their messing up the pick up and have offered our return journey for free at the end of our adventure. I will definitely get on board with that door-to-door service.

The remainder of the day was spent walking around Sorrento taking in the amazing views. Pizza and wine (me?!?! I know) seemed like a good first meal in Italy, after we sampled some gelato first. Ciao.

Time for bed, it's been a long day!

A good night's sleep meant we were ready for another full day of adventures! We left the apartment and headed to the marina. This is where ALL the ferry boats depart from for other near by islands and ports of call. Today's destination: Positano. We timed the departure of the ferry perfectly ...by accident. We were planning on a later ferry but got to the marina sooner than we thought, so we were able to catch an earlier boat. The ride took about an hour. The price was 15 Euros each way per person. The views the entire way were amazing!

FYI...if you are going to be wearing sandals, you might consider the pedicure as an option. Just putting it out there for all the gentlemen.

Walking around Positano means hills and stairs...and more stairs. But the walk was very cool through narrow alleyways with cobblestones and gorgeous cliff views everywhere. We found a great place for a late breakfast/early lunch with amazing views. We timed getting a table on the railing perfectly as there was a group leaving.

Later in the afternoon as we were walking (uphill), we hopped on the local SITA bus (which travels from town to town) for only 2 Euros per ride. The bus rides around the Amalfi Coast consist of tight turns with some ballsy bus drivers. Taking the bus allowed us to get to a further town we would not have had an opportunity to see. A cute little hillside town of Praiano. We ran into three people from Ontario that were also tackling the stairs. Their shirts gave them away as one was wearing a Blue Jays shirt and another wearing a Sleeman's shirt. It is always fun to swap travel stories with some fellow Canadians!

Back to Positano to notice that the beach area was way more crowded and the vibe seemed really cool with all the beach bars packed with people and the tunes were cranked. Good times! We enjoyed some gelato in order to keep up with our goal of trying to indulge every day while in Italy.

Ferry ride back to Sorrento was standing room only. But that was ok because we were at the back of the ferry in open air which was fantastic for the 45 minute ride back. Again, great views along the coast, all the way!

We enjoyed some snacks and beverages on our balcony once we returned to the apartment before heading out for dinner. Very Italian dinner choices: spaghetti and ravioli were our menu choices...and wine, of course! Dinner was delicious.

Step count today: 21 645...many of those were stairs!

The island of Capri was today's destination. We caught the 8:30 a.m. ferry from the Sorrento port and headed. I remembered from my last visit that Capri was a little more pricey than other places. So be prepared to keep that wallet open. Buses on the island are fairly cheap and a good way to get around (Cost: 2 Euro per ride). The ferry ride from Sorrento to Capri was just under 30 minutes on the high-speed ferry which was fully enclosed.

Once we arrived to Capri we took the funicular to the top of Capri Town from Marina Grande. The ride was 2 Euro per ride and only took about 5 minutes. From there we caught the little island bus from the main centre and rode to Anacapri, which was the other part of the island. Easy enough, just hang on if you do not have a seat because the roads are really narrow and winding. The bus drivers earn their pay. In some places it was hard to believe the road was for 2 way traffic. We just greased the sides of the bus and powered through! haha.

Once to Anacapri, the adventure did not stop there. We caught a single-seated chairlift all the way up to Monte Solaro which left the departure station at the Piazza Vittoria. It was a fun ride. Be careful to hang on to your flip flops. It was a little cloudy at the top which prevented 360 degree views. Half the fun was the experience getting to the top.

We enjoyed lunch at Marina Grande. My mom noticed a sign at a restaurant saying they had sangria, so we went there (Caffe Augusto). We like our sangria. These ones were served in a big-ass hollowed out lemon. So good! The staff was very friendly and helpful.

After lunch we headed back up the funicular again to Piazza Umberto because we were hiking to the Arco Naturale. Many steps up and down with great views along the way. The pictures do not do it justice.

We were glad we did not do a boat cruise as they seemed very crowded and no guarantee that your pictures will capture the amazing sights because people's heads might be in the way. The hiking was a good fitness activity to help burn off the pasta and cheese. We completed the hike is just under 3 hours, when we took the funicular back down to Marina Grande for the ferry ride back to Sorrento. Back to the apartment to relax and enjoy some cocktails on our balcony. What a great day!

Tourism is in full swing. I bet this summer will be very busy. The Americans are here already....we heard them! haha.

Today's destination was Amalfi and the quaint hilltop town of Ravello. So that meant we caught another ferry to Amalfi with a short stop in Positano en route. We arrived to the port in Sorrento just in time to board the 9:30 a.m. ferry bound for Amalfi. The Amalfi port was as busy as I remember it from last time I was here, however it seemed to be even busier. The buses leave from this location as well. It adds to the convenience but also major congestion. The tourist season has definitely begun!

To get to Ravello you need to decide how much money you are willing to spend. Your options: Private car, Rental car, Taxi, Bus, or Walking. This is in obvious order of expense. The bus is the most common method among tourists as it was only 2 Euros per ride, but you do need to be a bit aggressive in line and have sharp elbows. Ok, not really...but sort of. The queue was nothing more than a mob of people trying to board through the door of a bus, all at once. We managed to get on and even snagged a seat. Sitting down was a good choice on the windy and hilly road to the top where Ravello was situated. Some people might need Gravol. It took about 15 minutes because of traffic.

I would not even consider renting a car here or even a moped (scooter) as the drivers are rather aggressive and a little ballsy. But because they are local, they know the roads the best.

Once up to Ravello it proved to be worth the chaos to get there. Gorgeous views of the ocean below and hillside towns and villages wherever you looked. Beautiful. We went into Villa Rufolo, which is a 13th century villa and gardens. This was the place to go for that amazing quintessential views from Ravello. Awesome!

We walked around the centre of town, enjoyed some gelato, did some shopping and then it was time to tackle the bus to head back down to Amalfi. However, we decided to forego the *Gong Show* that was the bus and take a taxi for the 5 km journey down. My research showed the approximate cost of 10-12 Euros, but then another more recent review said 20-30 Euros. I was quite surprised when the driver quoted me 50 Euros. Are you kidding me!??!?! So...the bus it was. While waiting in line for the bus, and waiting, and waiting....we easily made friends with other travellers and decided to split a cab. Some were reluctant to drop that much cash for such a short ride - but by the time they agreed they did not want to wait any longer, all the cabs were gone! And just like that....3 buses arrived at once and away we went! The driver did not even take my money (2 Euros) - hurray, free ride! I saved us 50 Euros - haha!

All the waiting in for the bus cut into our exploring time of the town of Amalfi - which was probably a good thing because we would have had more time to shop! Amalfi was very busy today as there was a cruise ship in port so probably increased the tourist numbers.

Ferry ride back to Sorrento and another yummy pasta dinner at restaurant of the main piazza. Time to relax at the apartment with some cocktails on the balcony and organize tomorrow's adventures. Maybe not as many lines!!!