Cliffside along the Amalfi Coast…

One day, I took the Circumvesuviana train from Napoli to Sorrento. This particular train system was closer to a glorified metro train with the "squeeze in where you can/no assigned seating" mentality; much different from the Eurostar trains I had grown accustomed to lately. Up until this point, the comfortable seats and scenic beauty spoiled me. After paying the nominal fee, I sat on my suitcase (as no seats were available) and prepared myself for my 1 1/2 hour ride along the coast to Sorrento. This sounds like it would be a scenic journey but the traintracks are inland just enough to block any view of the water.

Upon my arrival in Sorrento, I walked thru the narrow streets, past the Piazza Tasso to a small bed and breakfast located on the Corso Italia. The bed and breakfast was well disguised from the street and I walked right past it the first time. After checking the address again, I found it located near a pharmacy. My flat was was on the 2nd floor and consisted of a living room/ dining room area with a tiny kitchenette, bedroom and private bathroom. Perfect. The best part were the floor to ceiling windows with a railing creating a makeshift balcony overlooking the main street (Corso Italia). Each day, I enjoyed drinking my morning coffee and watching all of the school children walk past on the street below.

Every evening at 1900 hours, the area around the Piazza Tasso turned into a pedestrian zone encompassing a portion of the Corso Italia as well. For many locals and visitors alike, it was the place to be and be seen. Parents, children, dogs, tourists, everyone was outside visiting with one another, enjoying the many restaurants in the mild climate.

One morning, I awoke to a beautiful, sunny day, standard fare in this part of Italy. The temperature was in the mid 70’s and the sky was crystal clear with just a few wispy clouds. A sky that I believe can only be seen around the Mediterranean Sea. The blue water reflects and the area has a certain luminous quality. Feeling full of vim and vigor, I decided to explore the Island of Capri, located a few miles off the Amalfi coast.

Up until this point, I had explored the local area visiting the Basilica di Sant'Antonino and browsing the small shopping streets overflowing with hand-made painted ceramics and wood inlay (marquetry) boxes. I spent the evenings enjoying the restaurants lining the piazza, people watching and sampling the semi-sweet local Limoncello accompanying the fantastic cuisine. After the frantic pace of exploring every museum and gallery in Firenze the previous week, visiting the Amalfi coast was like being on vacation during my vacation. It was utterly relaxing.

Anyways, I decided that it was a perfect day to walk down to the marina and catch one of the many boats that cross daily from Sorrento to Capri. If I haven’t mentioned it before, Sorrento, like many small towns that dot the Amalfi coast, was built on a cliff that overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea. The view from the main town area overlooking the marina is amazing. However, ladies beware, walking down to the marina does not mean, putting on your cute, strappy sandals, a sundress and easily strolling towards the water. After my initial attempt, in strappy sandals, I discovered, there are a couple of ways to get to the marina on foot. The first is walking along the roadway and its hairpin turns. Walking along any roadway in Italy is a foolish endeavor. (The absolute disregard of signs, turn signals, suicidal vespas, etc, reinforce the reasons why I never drive in country.) Also, I am not that big of a thrill seeker to tempt fate and wind up in the hospital. The second and safer method is to follow the pedestrian path that connects using a series of steps and landings. By the way, both methods are not recommended after partaking in a glass or two or three of Limoncello, and that's a whole other story...

Anyways, onwards to lovely Capri. Because Sorrento is centrally located along the Amalfi coast, it boasts several daily ferries and hydrofoils to Capri as well as Ischia. After looking at all the choices, I decided to live on the edge, skip the “plain old ferry”, and go for the “hydrofoil.” I was not sure what to expect initially but I figured with a name like that, it would probably be fast and fun. When the hydrofoil arrived, it was smaller then the ferry and much quicker. It reminded me of a large powerboat on steroids. The ride itself was only about 30 minutes and cost about 12 euros. Next stop…Capri.