July 10-12

We have now moved onto Positano....an amazing city built into the sheer rock cliffs along Italys Amalfi Coast (south of Naples). We arrived by train in Naples and were then lured by a fast-talking taxi driver to pay for his services to get us to Positano in "about an hour", rather than take the "slow, hot train and then small bus to Positano". It turns out that (for once) we were not sorry to be sucked into this tourist trap, as we got to experience the famous gut-wrenching curves and cliffs that line the Amalfi Coast. The views from that high up were absolutely spectacular, with turquoise to azure water and tiny villages built into the cliffs. However, at one point of the journey, I turned to Matt (as I, of course, was in the front seat due to my propensity to car sickness :-) ) and told him that it was a good thing that Grandma Wagner was not with us! Grandma, if you think the drive up to the Anthony Lakes Ski Lift is bad, DO NOT visit Positano :-)

While it is fascinating to stay in a town that is built into sheer rock cliffs, there is also a downside...literally...the stairs. Walking by oneself down these stairs can be a bit of a challenge, but this combined with suitcases full of clothing, wine, and olive oil....in our $20, 4 foot by 4 foot by 3 foot, suitcase...proved to almost be our undoing. Between the point when the taxi driver dropped us off and once we had finally made it to our hotel (down about 50 steps), that bloody suitcase had lost another leg, a handle and one of the wheels appears to be coming loose. If we make it back with our wine and olive oil, we may never partake of it, just out of principle :-)

Nonetheless, we are having a fantastic time in this place...and continue to avoid the most noteworthy options. I am sorry to report that we did not make time to visit the ruins of Pompei, although our kindly taxi driver did point out Mount Vesuvius to us, as we sped by towards the coastal cliffs. We have, though, enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner on the beach and spent the day swimming in the sea and lounging around on rented beach chairs, complete with their own umbrella and head covers. Unfortunately, the Meditereanian sun was not kind to us, and we left the beach looking more pink, than bronze :-)