On our last visit to Rome we decided to take a day trip South to Pompeii. We didn’t want to drive ourselves so we hired a car service to take us on the three hour drive from Rome, along the Amafi Coast to Pompeii.
We were picked up at our hotel “InterContinental” at 7:00 a.m. by our driver Manilo from Limousine Service in Rome. To our delight, Manilo spoke perfect English. We were a little tired from getting up so early but really enjoyed the scenic drive down the Amalfi coast.
We stopped along the way for a short visit in the town of Sorrento to see a inlaid wood factory that makes furniture and small boxes called Miss Bellevue. It was interesting to see how they create decorative compositions by cutting, inserting, and assembling different colored pieces of wood to create a design or picture. These pieces are set into a surface to create a design. The pieces are then pressed into wood surface so they are leveled with the surface. They finish each piece with lacquer and line the inside with fine fabric.
The craftsmanship and art that goes into each one of these pieces make it truly a one of a kind artwork. I fell in love with this jewelry box and purchased it along with a few others for my girls to remind me of our trip to Italy.
POSITANO
We continued our drive down the coast to the first town on the Amalfi Coast “Positano”, a town I’ve always wanted to visit. It is said that Positano is one of Italy’s most romantic and luxurious towns along the Amalfi Coast. They were right! It was exactly as I had pictured it, with its crystal blue waters and homes built vertically along the hillside cliffs.
Positano was a relatively poor fishing village during the first half of the twentieth century. It became popular with writers and artists in the 1950’s, especially after John Steinbeck published his essay about Positano in Harper’s Bazaar in May, 1953: “Positano bites deep”, Steinbeck wrote. “It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” I’m not entirely sure what that means but I totally agree with it!
We stopped at a restaurant on the hilltop of Positano called Ristorante il Capilano located in Hotel Montemare for an Italian meal and some drinks. After feeling refreshed we headed all the way down to the beach.
The beach was filled with local artist selling their paintings along the walkway, we even saw a few painting. People would stop to look and admire some of the paintings.
The streets of Positano are filled with boutiques, selling anything from fashions, shoes, ceramics for visitors in the village. We enjoyed walking along some of the streets and exploring the area. We brought a few ceramic plates as souvenirs.
Positano is approximately a 75 minute drive away from Naples and twenty minutes away from Sorrento. In the summer months, it is easily accessible by boat.
The stop in Positano was fantastic but a little rushed. I’d love to have spend an afternoon and evening soaking up the atmosphere. But time was short, so after lunch, and spending an hour in Positano we rushed on down to Pompeii. Which was incredible! I’ll tell you about it next week…
How you ever traveled the Amalfi Coast? What was your favorite town?
This blog post is part of the #SundayTraveler series, hosted by Chasing the Donkey and a few other great travel bloggers.
Hannah
August 25, 2014 at 11:24 pmI ADORE those little boxes! They are beautiful. Next time I’m in Italy I’ll need to go find one for myself.
Carmen
August 26, 2014 at 1:36 amHi Hannah, My little jewelry box was the perfect souvenir from our trip, although it wasn’t cheap. It was a real treat to see how they are made.
Eimear
August 26, 2014 at 12:42 amWow I would have loved to visit the place where they make inlaid wood designs, I find that type of traditional craftsmanship fascinating. Thanks for sharing!
Carmen
August 26, 2014 at 1:41 amHi Eimear, It wasn’t a plan visit. Our driver knew the people and asked if we wanted to stop and see it. We said “yes”, and I’m glad we did. Thanks for stopping by.
Alli
August 26, 2014 at 1:16 pmLooks beautiful and filled with so much artwork to enjoy!
Carmen
August 26, 2014 at 8:02 pmThanks Alli, One of my favorite things about Italy has always been the brightly colored plates. It’s hard not to want to buy a few to bring back.
Tim
August 26, 2014 at 8:29 pmIn what now seems like another life I was a tour guide in Italy and the Amalfi Coast, especially Sorrento and Capri, were spots I always looked forward to. It really is such a gorgeous area and am so glad you enjoyed it and shared these pictures. Brought back a lot of memories. I still have one of the paintings of me from 1986 when I went there the first time.
Carmen
August 27, 2014 at 8:11 pmHi Tim, Wow, that’s so fascinating that you were a tour guide in Southern Italy. We’ve purchased a few oil paintings from local artist in the area. I have them up in our house. It reminds me of the trip each time I look at them. We ended our trip in Pompeii, which is my next post. Thanks for stopping by.
SJ @ Chasing the Donkey
August 26, 2014 at 9:30 pmWe loved Positano, though the driving up those windy roads in a rental car was a little much! Thanks for joining us again Carmen.
Carmen
August 27, 2014 at 8:13 pmHi SJ, I got car sick several times on the windy road. We had to stop to get some fresh air. I was also sitting on the side that looked down the cliff, which didn’t help me either.
Paul
August 27, 2014 at 8:27 pmI enjoyed this part of Italy so much although the time I had there was quite frantic, would definitely love to go back and explore more especially this area and The cinque terre. I love how the villages are all set into the hillsides and staggered. Love the photo from high up looking down into the town!
Carmen
August 27, 2014 at 9:33 pmHi Paul, Same here, we only got to spend one day. Next time, I might skip Rome and head south a few days all the way to Capri. Thanks for stopping by.
Matilda
August 28, 2014 at 2:52 amGreat post and photos! Bookmarking this for some friends traveling to the Amalfi Coast next year- I know they would really enjoy a stop at Miss Bellevue.
Carmen
August 30, 2014 at 8:50 pmHi Matilda, Your friends are going to love the Amalfi Coast. We really enjoyed our stop, and learned a lot about the art of inland woodworking. Make sure they go to Pompeii.
Anna | slightly astray
August 28, 2014 at 8:17 pmI keep on seeing posts on Positano/Amalfi Coast lately and it’s making me want to visit Italy sooner!! i love those little boxes made of different colors of wood. So cute!
Carmen
August 30, 2014 at 8:53 pmHi Anna, It seems that Positano is in everyone’s minds these days. 🙂 Italy is one of my favorite counties to visit. It’s filled with charming little towns all along the coast. I hope you get to visit soon.
Adam
August 31, 2014 at 2:57 amThe Amalfi Coast is one of those places one has to see before they die, and this post is more proof of that!
Carmen
September 1, 2014 at 12:45 pmHi Adam, I would have to agree with your statement. It’s one of these places that no matter how many times you’ve visited you never want to leave. I hope you get a chance to see it one day.
Kathi
September 5, 2014 at 1:18 pmBeautiful pictures! We were blessed to be able to go on a cruise last year and drive along the Amalfi Coast. Sorrento and Ravello were our favorites. The views are amazing. Thanks for bringing back such wonderful memories. We would love to go back and just spend a couple of weeks there and explore.
William Tang
September 10, 2014 at 8:03 pmPositano looks absolutely stunning! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Kim
October 8, 2014 at 7:29 pmItaly has to be one of my favorite places to visit and can’t wait until I can go back to Sorrento one of these days. I never made it to Positano so reading about your experience makes me feel like I was there.
Carmen
October 9, 2014 at 10:19 pmHi Kim, We drove through Sorrento and didn’t spend any time there. I’ll have to add it to my list of places to visit in Italy.