Dreams CAN come true!

Friday turned out to be a nicer day than originally shown by the Weather Channel, so we finally went to Positano.  Not that we really had a choice, of course.  If we wanted to get there, we had to go today.  Plus, clearly I wasn't letting anyone leave without my getting there.  Happily, today we only had to wait a few minutes for the bus, which was great.  The not great part?  We had heard about how difficult the bus ride along the Amalfi Coast could be, but, to be honest, we weren’t really prepared.  The bus wasn’t air conditioned and the windows wouldn’t open, so a couple of us started to feel quite unwell as the bus wound its way up up up the mountains - both motion sickness and too much excitement were making my stomach churn.  It was such a paradox.  Outside the window was the most beautiful, heavenly view.  On the inside of the bus?  Um, beauty isn't quite the word I'd use.

The driver then drove past the bus stop in Positano—as we were feeling extremely poorly in the back, we saw Positano start to pass us by!  After sending our gentleman traveling companion up to the driver to make him stop.the.bus., we finally got off  further up the mountain, but maybe less than a mile away from Positano.  Thankfully, the bus driver seemed to be used to extreme unwellness in his bus, so there was no problem getting off between stops.  In truth, it was nice to get some air and recover our bearings before hitting the town.  We sat down, took some deep breaths of that amazing air, and then set off towards the town.  I tried to keep myself from crying in happiness.

It was actually sort of serendipitous that we got off the bus at the wrong stop, because as we were walking down towards the town, we passed a shop, placed inside the mountain, which sold porcelain tiles.  The shop, Ceramica Casola, was run by an older lady who just sat and continued to knit while we looked around.  I broke down and bought a gorgeous piece of tiling with lemons on it - it's sitting on my desk right now.  My friends also bought a few things, so I guess it’s a good thing we missed our stop, otherwise we never would’ve found this shop!  I always say things happen for a reason. 

We took our time, walking down the lane into Positano.  A lot of stores were closed, since we were there off-season, but a few stores were open.  We were enchanted by the large pottery shop that is just outside the town center.  I would’ve loved to have purchased several things there, but it was quite pricey and, as this was the end of our trip, I was running out of souvenir money!  

We checked out the smaller church in the town center, which was lovely, then meandered to the Duomo, which was stunning.  Looking down towards the beach, we then realized we needed to eat.  Walking through a glorious walkway, with greenery and artificial doves, we went down to the beach and ate at Chez Black.  We had tasty pizzas, though not quite as tasty as pizza from Naples (but the scenery was much prettier), and sat back to enjoy.  It was beginning to sprinkle, so we were in no hurry to finish eating.

We finally left the restaurant and went walking along the beach.  We were pretty much the only people wandering around there.  We just took our time, looked for shells and sea glass, and soaked in the atmosphere of one of the most beautiful cities ever.  We didn’t want the trip to end, so we definitely took our time, trying to see and smell and soak in as much as we possibly could.  I got some gorgeous photos, and also made wonderful videos that I watch quite a bit.  If I watch them enough, and close my eyes, I can almost smell the sea.  Too soon, it was time to wander back up the hill to the bus back to Sorrento.   

Remembering how uncomfortable we were on the trip to Positano, two intrepid members of our group tried to find an open pharmacy to get some Dramamine or something to help with that bus ride.  Of course, it was next to impossible for them to find anything.  There was no open pharmacy, but they went inside one of the hotels, and a desk clerk actually went back to her house to get some of her personal medicine.  That’s a kindness we didn’t expect!  But it was greatly appreciated.   

We also stopped at a deli near the bus stop and we each purchased a bottle of water and asked for a bag.  Just in case.  J    Though I do have to say the trip back to Sorrento was much easier since it was mainly downhill and the driver seemed to drive a little more slowly and carefully.  Plus, the windows in the back were all wide open.  So...no more unwell mishaps on the trip back to Sorrento.  I started to feel a little sleepy though, from the Italian dramamine.  There may also have been crying, because it's so rare to actually have a dream come true...

Our last evening in Sorrento was spent at our favorite restaurant, La Lanterna.  They were very happy to see us again and we again had a delightful dinner.  Our beloved Vatican tour guide, Christiano, had suggested that we try some of the white wine of the region, so we got our first (and only) bottle of white wine in Italy: the lachryma Christi.  Oh my, it was amazing.  Again, Christiano gave us a suggestion that we heartily loved.  I also again remembered to only get a half portion of pasta for my meal so that I would have room for one last lemon dessert!  I got the ravioli and that half portion was still quite large, but I did indeed get one last lemon dessert in Sorrento.  It was sublime.  I SOOOOOOOOO miss that dessert.   We lingered in the restaurant as long as we could, but regretfully had to head back to Casa Astarita to pack our bags and be ready for the early shuttle to the Naples airport.  Of course, a little one-last-stop shopping had to be done first... 

It's hard to describe how wonderful this trip was.  You never know how you're going to travel with people, when motion sickness will rear its ugly head, or how your expectations will be met (or not).  My first trip to Europe, though filled with lovely moments in Paris, Bruges and Amsterdam, was not the magical experience I was hoping for.  Part of that was my fault, yes, but there were other outside forces that kept me from having the time of my life.  I can say, without equivocation, that this trip to Italy met (and vastly exceeded) my expectations to the very last detail.  And sharing dreams with my three wonderful friends was a joy and an experience to cherish.  Which I do.

Tomorrow, one last report.  Our trip back to the States began rather, um, unusually, and I may throw in some tips that could come in handy for future excursions...