Amalfi Coast

We've just spent 4 nights in Sorrento exploring the Amalfi Coast and Capri. We were staying in a place that was half hostel and half hotel. It was a strange mix, large and impersonal, but very clean and modern, basically a hotel with dorms. It was a 20 minute walk to Sorrento, but in an overpriced luxury tourism area like the Amalfi Coast €17 a night was worth any downside. We had another stunning rooftop patio with sweeping views of the sea, and in our 4 nights we met lots of friendly and fun people to hang out with. We had a few great nights in the hostel bar and up on the roof at night.

On our first day we took a bus to Positano, which is about an hour away on incredibly scenic winding roads. The bus ride is billed as a bit of a roller coaster and while it was a bit exciting our bus ride in Taormina was definitely sketchier, I think Sorrento just sees a lot more tourists used to a higher level of luxury.

We wandered down the hill from where we were let off, enjoying the views of ridiculously picturesque Positano perched on the cliff side. The town itself was pretty small, with the usual shops and restaurants to cater to the tourists who could afford the very expensive and lovely looking hotels in town. We soaked up a few hours of sun on the beach before taking a 2 hour ferry/cruise back to Sorrento. The views of Positano as we left were amazing, and then the cliffs of the coast all the way back were so breathtaking. I've always been, and still am, quite proud of Canada's natural scenery, but I've definitely been humbled a bit by Italy's because the mountains and coast line here are absolutely incredible.

The next day we had planned to go to Amalfi town, which was the next stop after Positano on the same bus. When we got to the station, however, the train strike that had delayed all trains by 10 minutes the other day had escalated so that no trains or buses were running that day. A sign had said it was due to a non payment of wages, which is pretty serious. Think about that the next time a spoiled government union goes on strike in BC. Times are a little tougher in Italy.

We ended up having a slow day just exploring Sorrento, which has really nice views from everywhere on top of the cliffs. With no real beach it was more of a hub than anything for us.

We were on the fence about going to Capri for a while, as the ferry is a bit pricy. We both wanted to see the famous blue grotto, but between the ferry to the island, a boat to the cave and a canoe inside, we were looking at almost €100 each after the forced paper money tips the dickhead canoe guys apparently demand. Expensive trip to a cave. When we saw a private boat tour of Capri for €75, with the option of paying a dickhead to take you in the cave, as well as exploring a lot of other parts of the coast we bought it on a whim.

We went out the next day with another guy from our hostel on a zodiac with ourselves, 3 older Aussie ladies and our Italian captain Sebastien. The weather was beautiful but the sea was pretty rough and we bounced around a bit on the way over.

We found out right away the sea was too rough to enter the grotto, as the opening is only a metre high or so. I was pretty disappointed as we were so close, and it was a big part of going, but what can you do. What we did get that we wouldn't have if we had just taken the ferry to the port, was a very private ride to a lot of other beautiful sights around the island. There are 2 other caves, the white and green grottos, which were both awesome, just more wide open so a larger boat can drive in. We got the see the colour of the water from the light reflecting off the white sand below, which is what makes the blue grotto so amazing. It just happens to be in more darkness so the effect is obviously better.

We also did some snorkelling around the island and then a short hike up to a stunning viewpoint. The island had a very different scenery from the nearby Amalfi Coast, the cliffs and rocks were more jagged and prone to arches and caves like the grottos. Our captain said Capri is made of the same rock as the Dolomites, which it did resemble, while the mainland was different. I forget what they were, a poor geologist's apprentice.

The town on Capri is apparently lined with all the high end shops, which I didn't care to see, but is interesting for such a small place. We were told in summer the place is full of celebrities and other millionaires, and the hillsides were dotted with unbelievable villas.

While we didn't see the blue grotto, and we heavily splurged, the boat ride was unforgettable.

We've just arrived in Rome for 4 nights, which is the place I've been looking forward to most and everyone we've met has said it was amazing so I'm looking forward to our time here.

-Justin