Positano

Chez Black aka best pizza of my life

The drive from Naples to Positano was along the narrowest mountain roads with crazy turns (where every time you make one your heart sinks and you cross your fingers that there's no bus n the other side!), but it was filled with the most amazing views of the mountains and the sunset over the water. We arrived in Positano, one of the town in the Amalfi Coast at around 8 - just in time to see the city light up. Most of the town consisted of a single street that went up the mountain, and all the buildings were constructed along this one street, which made the place look like something from a fairy tale. Since I won't do justice describing it with words, here are some pix:

We were greeted by a spectacular display of fireworks when we stepped out to walk to the beach and make our way to the restaurant. Naturally, we thought that we were special, buuut we later found out that there was a saints festival of some kind. However, seeing those fireworks over the water and the mountains was something out of this world - Mark and I both agreed that it was the best fireworks display we've ever witnessed!..sorry Canada Day :D

Our first dinner highlight was Chez Black - a resto on the beach of Positano, recommended by several foodies, and by Chef Mario Batali himself. They were all right - the place was un-be-lie-va-ble! I had prosciutto and melon (the juiciest melon I've had in my life) and a mushroom and pepper pizza, while Mark had a sorrento mozzarella salad and a white prosciutto pizza...all washed down with nice regional wine and some lemoncello. I estimate that I gained at least a pound after that dinner, but it was most definitely worth it!

Santiero Degli Dei aka best hike of my life

Our Day 2 in Positano was one of epic adventures. We started it with a breakfast on the terrace of our hotel, staring at the ocean and the mountains all around us and snacking on some great pastries. Olesy, if you are reading this, I had a chocolate croissant that would be good competition for the one we had in Barcelona hehe. 

What followed was a Santiero degli Dei, or the Walk of the Gods - a 3 hour hike over the mountain to a village on the other side. Yes, we actually took a bus to a tiny village on top of the mountain, and hiked all the way up and over to a town called Praiano. I mean it when I say that it was the best hike of my life. We got to walk through different areas of the mountain - some green with trees and grape wineries, some bare with cliffs and rocks, while feasting our eyes on the spectacular views of the two towns, the ocean an the mountains below and all around us. We met a tour guide on the bus who told us that the hike is called 'Walk of the Gods', because one feels like one's looking on earth from the heavens.

The hike up Vesuvius seemed like a warm up after this...Mark and I will never look at stairs the same way again lol, especially going down the stairs, after having to climb down 1200 stone steps *shudder*

This is the reward that was waiting for us in Praiano - a cute beach resto called Il Pirata. Here we feasted on a platter of octopus, calamari and sardines, and some freshly caught red snapper - mmmmm!

Our dinner highlight number two was at a resto called Il Capitan, also recommended by Mario Batali. The deliciousness there included buffalo mozzarella with prosciutto, a seafood risotto for me, and an eggplant gnocchi with clams for Mark, followed by some chocolate cake with ice cream...one of the 20 ice creams and gilatos we must have had on this trip! This is  probably where I gained my 2nd pound hehe.

We ended up spending one more day in Positano, taking it easy and doing as many Italian things as we could think of: going to the beach, eating canollis and gelato, relaxing with a bottle of wine at the beach snack bar, drinking cappuccinos at a cafe, wondering the town and its boutiques, and avoiding being run over by a local 'orange bus' hehe: