With my trip to see the Napoli Archeological Museum, I didn't end up setting out for Sorrento until 5:30ish. And then, because I am a savvy -- not to mention SUPER smart -- world traveler, I got on tram 4 instead of tram 1, and ended up on the other side of Naples.
Even though this extended my trip for close to 90 minutes, it turned out being kind of cool because I got myself 100% forcibly adopted by this dressed-to-the-nines blonde Italian woman holding tulips, who stuck bodily with me through the tram transfer (forever), defended my seat on the crowded bus, and told me through very involved charades where exactly to get off. I guess she figured "This poor girl is too stupid to know the difference between the numbers one and four; I better watch out for her so she doesn't trip over her shoelaces and fall in front of a vespa."
With her very necessary and appreciated help, I arrived in Sant Agnello, the outskirts of Sorrento where my hostel was, at about 8:30 at night, and got to my hostel itself, Seven Hostel, at about 9:00. As I checked in to this really very incredibly nice and upscale-looking hotel (not even hostel), I noticed a small sign on the desk "informing guests that live music will be played in the lobby that evening". Um, fantastic. I inquired as to the nature of the music and its duration. I was told "rock, then DJ, ending around midnight." Fine. I mean, not great, but fine.
My 10-bed hostel room was literally (I mean this) directly over the DJ booth, separated by a mighty cloth awning. I was not happy. Eventually, for lack of a better option, I went down to the "club" with a few of my roommates and was cheerfully informed that the expected time of No More Music had been pushed back one hour to 1 AM. I protested, and was given tokens for two free drinks. I appreciated this, but also politely articulated the point that these drink tokens actually went nowhere towards actually solving the problem. I went for a walk with two of my roommates, and when we got back at 1:30 the party was still very much happening. Upstairs for a quick shower and totally futile attempt to sleep. And as I lay in bed in the dark, listening to the bass through my earplugs, something inside me exploded.
I boiled downstairs and demanded to see the manager, all politeness gone. It was not pretty. I was furious. It was now past 2:00 in the morning, and to my knowledge not a single person who actually paid to stay at the hostel was actually participating in this retardedness. It was clear the owners of Seven Hostel had decided to get through the slow season by turning the hotel/hostel into a nightclub for the locals, and just plain fuck the paying guests. I told the manager I would be checking out the next morning.
Once my righteous indignation had subsided, I considered the wisdom of being in Sorrento with nowhere to stay the next night. Fortunately I got up early and was able to find another hostel/hotel nearby with very reasonable rates. Booked it, checked out, had a brief but satisfying exchange of words with the front desk guy (the same one who had checked me in the night before), got my money back for the second night (should have gotten a refund for both nights but they weren't having that), and headed off to find Hotel Londra.
Oh... my goodness. Why didn't I book here in the first place!?! The staff were so nice -- let me check in at 10:00 AM, and upgraded me to a single with an ensuite for no extra charge! The hotel was quiet, spacious, with a kitchy 1970s Italian feel. I dropped off my stuff, thanked my stars and the front desk guy, and made it on to the 10:30 bus to Positano.
Ever since seeing Under the Tuscan Sun, I've had this thing for Positano; it was the home of that selfish jerk Marcello, so I didn't want to like it, but at the same time all the shots there were fairy-tale breathtaking. When my sister heard I was visiting Italy, I promised to see the Amalfi Coast for her, so this was me doing that. The plan was to spend a few hours in Positano and then take the bus on to the town of Amalfi itself.
With very little ceremony, the bus dumped us out on a quiet road overlooking this:
I don't know if you've ever bothered to watch Under the Tuscan Sun, and if not you so should, but that right there is pretty much the exact same view Frances looks out on before Marcello breaks her heart (or at least wounds her pride). And down there, in the lower right? Those two triangular pieces of concrete are the ferry docks where she lands. And guess what? The waves were huge that day too.
Once again, Italy shows me that hype has really got nothing on the actual real thing.
I explored, took photos of waves, flowers, and cats, and got pizza in a quiet little taverna that had a back terrace overlooking the beach. After lunch, I followed a trail along the cliff and so accidentally found Positano's second "hidden" beach, where supposedly the locals go.
With the cool weather and ginormous waves, no one was swimming today! That is, no one except a lone American girl I came across as she crouched picking up bits of sea glass. Her name was Lisa and we chatted for a while, eventually deciding to head to Amalfi together. We walked back to Positano proper to see more of the town before setting off.
We explored the town some more, and then decided (for reasons now I honestly do not recall) to walk all the way up and around to the far end of town, and get the bus there, instead of where we were current at. (The bus was going to drive past BOTH locations, so I really do not know...)
It was a longer hike than I wanted, and mostly uphill. Of course my Achilles tendons started complaining almost immediately. We finally got there a few minutes before the bus to Amalfi was scheduled to arrive, and Lisa suggested getting a pastry at a bakery on the corner. When we came back out the bus stop had emptied Apparently the bus had come and gone in the two minutes we were inside.
So. For the sake of a cannoli I was not going to get to see Amalfi on this trip.
Oh well. Positano is on the Amalfi coast, and I'd heard it was actually the most picturesque of all the towns along this particular stretch of coast. So we enjoyed our pastries and watched the sun set over Positano.
The town was beautiful. Almost story-book like. I regret not seeing more of the Amalfi Coast but at least feel I got to see the crown jewel of it. Plus, I got to get home at a reasonable hour and enjoy the blissful privacy of my single room before packing and heading off to...
Rome.
The best is yet to come, my lovelies!!
Even though this extended my trip for close to 90 minutes, it turned out being kind of cool because I got myself 100% forcibly adopted by this dressed-to-the-nines blonde Italian woman holding tulips, who stuck bodily with me through the tram transfer (forever), defended my seat on the crowded bus, and told me through very involved charades where exactly to get off. I guess she figured "This poor girl is too stupid to know the difference between the numbers one and four; I better watch out for her so she doesn't trip over her shoelaces and fall in front of a vespa."
With her very necessary and appreciated help, I arrived in Sant Agnello, the outskirts of Sorrento where my hostel was, at about 8:30 at night, and got to my hostel itself, Seven Hostel, at about 9:00. As I checked in to this really very incredibly nice and upscale-looking hotel (not even hostel), I noticed a small sign on the desk "informing guests that live music will be played in the lobby that evening". Um, fantastic. I inquired as to the nature of the music and its duration. I was told "rock, then DJ, ending around midnight." Fine. I mean, not great, but fine.
My 10-bed hostel room was literally (I mean this) directly over the DJ booth, separated by a mighty cloth awning. I was not happy. Eventually, for lack of a better option, I went down to the "club" with a few of my roommates and was cheerfully informed that the expected time of No More Music had been pushed back one hour to 1 AM. I protested, and was given tokens for two free drinks. I appreciated this, but also politely articulated the point that these drink tokens actually went nowhere towards actually solving the problem. I went for a walk with two of my roommates, and when we got back at 1:30 the party was still very much happening. Upstairs for a quick shower and totally futile attempt to sleep. And as I lay in bed in the dark, listening to the bass through my earplugs, something inside me exploded.
I boiled downstairs and demanded to see the manager, all politeness gone. It was not pretty. I was furious. It was now past 2:00 in the morning, and to my knowledge not a single person who actually paid to stay at the hostel was actually participating in this retardedness. It was clear the owners of Seven Hostel had decided to get through the slow season by turning the hotel/hostel into a nightclub for the locals, and just plain fuck the paying guests. I told the manager I would be checking out the next morning.
Once my righteous indignation had subsided, I considered the wisdom of being in Sorrento with nowhere to stay the next night. Fortunately I got up early and was able to find another hostel/hotel nearby with very reasonable rates. Booked it, checked out, had a brief but satisfying exchange of words with the front desk guy (the same one who had checked me in the night before), got my money back for the second night (should have gotten a refund for both nights but they weren't having that), and headed off to find Hotel Londra.
Oh... my goodness. Why didn't I book here in the first place!?! The staff were so nice -- let me check in at 10:00 AM, and upgraded me to a single with an ensuite for no extra charge! The hotel was quiet, spacious, with a kitchy 1970s Italian feel. I dropped off my stuff, thanked my stars and the front desk guy, and made it on to the 10:30 bus to Positano.
Ever since seeing Under the Tuscan Sun, I've had this thing for Positano; it was the home of that selfish jerk Marcello, so I didn't want to like it, but at the same time all the shots there were fairy-tale breathtaking. When my sister heard I was visiting Italy, I promised to see the Amalfi Coast for her, so this was me doing that. The plan was to spend a few hours in Positano and then take the bus on to the town of Amalfi itself.
With very little ceremony, the bus dumped us out on a quiet road overlooking this:
I don't know if you've ever bothered to watch Under the Tuscan Sun, and if not you so should, but that right there is pretty much the exact same view Frances looks out on before Marcello breaks her heart (or at least wounds her pride). And down there, in the lower right? Those two triangular pieces of concrete are the ferry docks where she lands. And guess what? The waves were huge that day too.
Once again, Italy shows me that hype has really got nothing on the actual real thing.
I explored, took photos of waves, flowers, and cats, and got pizza in a quiet little taverna that had a back terrace overlooking the beach. After lunch, I followed a trail along the cliff and so accidentally found Positano's second "hidden" beach, where supposedly the locals go.
 |
| Positano from the other side, and the enormous waves! |
 |
| Lisa with bright pink miniature car. I want one. |
We explored the town some more, and then decided (for reasons now I honestly do not recall) to walk all the way up and around to the far end of town, and get the bus there, instead of where we were current at. (The bus was going to drive past BOTH locations, so I really do not know...)
It was a longer hike than I wanted, and mostly uphill. Of course my Achilles tendons started complaining almost immediately. We finally got there a few minutes before the bus to Amalfi was scheduled to arrive, and Lisa suggested getting a pastry at a bakery on the corner. When we came back out the bus stop had emptied Apparently the bus had come and gone in the two minutes we were inside.
So. For the sake of a cannoli I was not going to get to see Amalfi on this trip.
Oh well. Positano is on the Amalfi coast, and I'd heard it was actually the most picturesque of all the towns along this particular stretch of coast. So we enjoyed our pastries and watched the sun set over Positano.
The town was beautiful. Almost story-book like. I regret not seeing more of the Amalfi Coast but at least feel I got to see the crown jewel of it. Plus, I got to get home at a reasonable hour and enjoy the blissful privacy of my single room before packing and heading off to...
Rome.
The best is yet to come, my lovelies!!
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