The Amalfi Coast on a Vesper

Positano
see all photos »

After picking up our little Fiat at Rome train station we left Paris for the Amalfi Coast 300km south of Rome.  On our way we experienced the famous Italian autostrade.  Driving at 160km an hour, I was in the slow lane as cars screamed past us, yelling something about 'Grandma driver'.

In the evening we arrived at our destination, Sorrento. We were staying about 500 metres outside Sorentto centre in a wooden bungalow with magnificent views of the Mediterranean with Naples, Pompei and Mt Vesuvius in the distance.  That night we explored main street Sorrento, which is closed off to cars on the weekends when everyone comes out to party! It was great fun with shops and bars open way past midnight.

Amalfi
see all photos »

On the Monday we took a trip to Positano (about 20km from Sorrento), famous for its maze of cobbled streets that wind their way down to the stunning, if a little rocky, beach.  It was a sunny day so Amber and I took a pack lunch and lay on the beach to soak up a few UVs.

The following day has to be one of the highlights of the trip, up there with skiing in the Alps.  In the morning, with the weather again sunny and warm,  we hired a vesper and, after glancing at an Italian street directory, headed in the direction of the Amalfi Coast.  The Amalfi Coast makes the Great Ocean Road look like Parramatta Rd. We literally scootered around the side of vertical cliffs with crystal blue water below, weaving in and out of towns that have stood their for centuries, looking at magnficent houses (with their private elevators running up the cliff face from the pool to the the balcony) and exploring the tunnels through which the road led us as it carved its way through the mountains.  This is a highly recomend way to spend a day for anyone visting this area.

That's someone's house, with the pool and lift
see all photos »

On our final day we visited Capri.  Unfortunately, the weather was not as good as it had been, however, it was another experience.  Capri is basically an island verision of Double Bay or Toorak, with lunch starting from 50 dollars.  The highlight of the day was when we bumped into Lisa Job's (close friend of Amber's) family in the streets of Capri, and we had fun speaking Australian for a few hours on our way back to Sorrento!!