Capri and Positano

About two weeks ago Ben and I were having a birthday dinner at Savio Volpe here in Vancouver. While sipping on negronis, we started reminiscing about our wedding, our trip to Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast, thinking how nice it would be to bask in that warm sun right now. (I should mention this was right in the middle of our snowstorm). Even though it's been almost four months since we laid on the beaches of Positano and Capri, I felt the urge to write a little blog post about it right here.

Capri

I will say that I went into this part of our trip with high expectations, it was after all our honeymoon. We started with two days in Capri followed by four days in Positano. Our ferry ride over to Capri from Naples (we drove from Tuscany to Rome, stayed overnight, then caught a train to Naples the next day) wasn't exactly smooth sailing. It was extremely windy and even for me, who doesn't get motion sickness, I was really feeling it. In fact, one of the staff on board was handing out barf bags to people - ew. Getting off the ferry in Marina Grande was an experience in itself. There were so many people it was hard to get off and then a guy asked us where we were staying, we told him Hotel Mamela, and he said "you head there, I'll bring you your luggage." I was completely sceptical, thinking there's no way I'm just going to leave the fate of our luggage to some seemingly random person in the midst of the chaos that was this marina. He reassured me, "Don't worry, relax. You're not in Naples anymore. This is Capri!" Ok sure...

We were quick to realize that it's actually quite a treck to get up to the main center of Capri. There's a funicular that takes you up and there was no way our luggage would have fit. Getting off at Piazza Umberto was once again a chaotic experience with hoards of tourists spilling out of the funicular racing to get a photo from the top. We decided to take our time strolling through the streets, finding our way to Hotel Mamela. I should mention that our luggage did make it to the hotel, though one piece lost a handle in the process ;)

Capri totally reminded me of a Disneyland for the ritz. Designer shops line the streets, there are long queues for everything and there's something almost facade-like about it - like you're on a movie set. I'll be honest, Capri is breathtakingly beautiful but the crowds of tourists (even in late September) combined with overpriced food and beaches you have to pay an arm and a leg for, I don't think I'd go back. That being said, our hotel was truly to die for and I actually would have been perfectly content lounging by the pool sipping on aperol spritzes all day.

What we did: took the bu sto Anacapri which was one of the wildest rides I've ever experienced (the other was in Positano ha).Anacapri is supposedly the quieter half of Capri but from what we experienced it was pretty busy! We took the chair lift up to Monte Solero, which I would definitely recommend. The 360º views from the top are incredible. In Anapcapri is also Villa San Michele. This was the perfect escape from the tourists and the villa has some interesting history. The gardens were their own little oasis. On our second and last day, we walked down to La Fontelina, the island's infamous beach club, though we didn't go in because it was raining (but also it was really expensive). We did spot some real good influencers in the wild though. Instgram husbands, multiple outfit changes and all.

Where we ate:I don't really have much to say for this as the only two restaurants we went to were pretty mediocre. I will say though that we went to Paolino's, the famous 'lemon restaurant' and despite being rather disappointing, it was indeed entertaining.From a table of 30 loud North American touristswith their own private quartet singing them "That's Amore"and then proceeding to Congo line through the restaurant, to once again more influencers doin' for the 'gramthis time under giant lemon trees, we were right in the front row for the whole spectacle.And I'm just going to leave it there.

*skipping the beach club and finding our own free piece of rock to sunbathe on*

*the best part of Capri: lounging poolside at Hotel Mamela*

Positano and Nocelle

We took the ferry from Capri to Positano, which was such a great way to see the coastline from the water (I'd wanted to rent a private boat but couldn't quite commit). I'll admit, getting off the ferry was once again an ordeal and this time there wasn't anyone greeting us to take our luggage up to a hotel. In fact, we didn't actually stay in Positano but rather Nocelle, a small hill town about a 20 minute drive up from Positano (best decision ever which I'll get to). There was the option to pay someone to drive up our luggage but Ben was over having to pay a premium for every little thing and so he took it upon himself to roll the damn bags up through the steep and narrow streets of Positano to the taxi stand lol. As we (well, he) did so, it became clear no one else was crazy enough to do this. I believe this was the first time our marriage was truly tested. But alas we made it and a lovely Italian man drove us all he way up to Nocelle.

We decided on Nocelle not because it seemed like an idyllic place to stay but rather because we splurged on our hotel in Capri and so wanted to find an Airbnb. No such thing existed in Positano within our budget but we came across a B&B with great reviews in the tiny town of Nocelle. Tiny it is indeed. In fact, there are no cars allowed, foot traffic only. Our cab driver said we'd be met by someone from the B&B to help us with our luggage, thinking it would be a small car. That small car turned out to be a donkey.

The B&B we stayed at was called Casa Cuccaro, owned by Giuseppe and his family who were the loveliest of hosts. Our room (and all the rooms actually) had the most spectacular view of the ocean and of Positano. This was truly the highlight of our honeymoon. There were also many stray cats hanging around the B&B, all of whom we had names for by the end of our 4 days.

What we did: hiked the Path of Gods which started literally outside of our B&B and ended up in Bomerano 3 hours later. Definitely a must!The views are unreal and the lizards make for friendly hiking companions :) We did the lower trail on our way there and the upper trail on our way back. One our second day we walked the 1750 steps down to Positano and spent the day at Arienzo beach. After doing some research this one seemed to be the least crowded. How beach clubs work in Italy is you book in advance (a day is fine) and you select a lunch time. The deal is, all beach clubs require that you have lunch there.Included in your entrance fee (separate from the lunch cost) is a sun lounger and umbrella.You can take advantage of the free beaches, though they are very small and have limited access to water.The nice thing with Arienzo is they run a shuttle boat from the beach to the main part of Positano, every half hour I believe. I'll never forget that first swim in the Tyrrhenian sea, bobbing around and soaking in all the beauty. On our last day, we took a ferry from Positano to Amalfi.Taking ferries is such a great way to see the coast from the water without having to pay for a private boat (totally different experience, I know) but be prepared to elbow your way to the top deck for the best seat in house. We made the mistake of hopping in a boat to see the Emerald Grotto right away, which ended up being gimmicky and meant we didn't have time to explore Amalfi or Ravello (just above Amalfi and supposedly lovely).

Where we ate: The food we ate high up in the hills of Nocelle far surpassed any of the glitzy fancy meals we ate in Capri, and for a fraction of the price. We dined at three fantastic restaurants that I can't recommend enough.Our first night we went to Santa Croce, where I had the best gluten-free seafood pasta of my life. We even came back for a second night later that week. The second restaurant was La Tagliata, a family-run restaurant whose ingredients come right from the land that the restaurant is situated on.There's no menu, you simply tell them of any allergies or food you don't like and they cook you up a multi-course meal. Reservations are absolutely needed! The restaurant is actually located about 10 minute drive from Nocelle but there is a public bus that will take you there (the only one that goes from Nocelle down to Positano) or the restaurant will arrange a drop-off/pickup. The third and most unique of our dining experiences was Mamma Luisa, where we quite literally ate on the terrace of Mamma Luisa's home with just one other couple, looking out over a moonlit Positano. Like La Tagliata, all of the ingredients (even the chicken!) came right from their property. We sipped on their homemade organic red wine while sharing stories with a couple who was celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary! It truly was a dinner we'll never forget.And again, reservations are a must!

Note: there is a bus that goes from Positano to Nocelle as I mentioned. It gets insanely busy, as in people literally elbowing their way on, but it's really the only way of doing it, unless you want to pay 30 euros for a cab or walk up the 1750 stairs. It's yet another hair-raising bus ride, I'll admit. I'm so glad we took peoples' advice and didn't drive in the Amalfi Coast. It's absolutely insane! Leave it to the well-seasoned bus drivers.

Chocolate Almond Butter Cup Smoothie

Pomegranate French 75

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