My Gnome Little World

After a few hours getting lost and contemplating death in Pompeii, we headed to Sorrento where the streets were packed with people, scooters, cars, lemon covered and flavored everything, and yes, happiness.

We found a spot to park, which was miraculous, so it was a sign to stop, explore and eat. Although it was hot out we opted for a table outside, but in the shade. We love people watching!

After lunch things got scary, for me at least. I picked one of the most southern towns on the Amalfi Coast to stay in, so we could drive through all the towns on the way there. The drive to them, through them is what roller coaster horror stories are made of, but if so beautiful!

Jim, I think had a blast driving the road, well at times. The other times either his nerves were shot from scooters passing him up on roads barely wide enough for two cars, much less the mass amounts of huge tourist buses going both ways. And let me talk about the people walking on the side of these roads with no sidewalks. I literally saw a family slam their bodies against the cliff wall as a huge bus went by. I was not going to walk that road, nope not me, not ever, especially married to Safety Jim!

But with all that said, it was fun for us. Yes, I learned my tummy gets a bit squishy when looking straight down at the beautiful coast line on a very high cliff road in a moving car. The wonderful scenes made me look! The beauty upon beautiful stacked up on beauteous is mind boggling. My photos do not do it justice.

Even though most of the Amalfi Coast is situated with towns that climb down the cliffs, ours, Mairoi was all basically at sea level. There was defiantly a good slant downward toward the water, but our hotel was at sea level. Mairoi is a small town, but with everything one would need to vacate their for a weekend, week or on a month long holiday, especially since there are cheap ferries to all the towns along the Amalfi Coast.

Our first full day in Mairoi started off with a good breakfast at the hotel over looking the sea, and then we got to laundry. Not our favorite part of the trip, but a necessary one. We found if we barely wore something, or did not sweat much in…it could be worn again, but not the underwears and socks. We became very good at washing them out in the hotel room sinks and either hanging them about the room and if we were lucky, the balcony.

The funny thing about this day is although we decided to stay in at town at sea level, we also decided to go on the “Path of Lemons” which is path of over 1000 steps over cliffs raising up as high as 525 feet above sea level between Mairoi and its smaller neighbor town of Minori. One town is small and the other is smaller.

The best idea we had that day was to stop in an over the top wonderful bakery on our way to find the trail. We gave ourselves treats, yummy delicious, sweet sugar filled treats! And yes we did it before the hike. Don’t judge us!

Although all over the internet says it only 2.2 mile / 40 minute hike and good trail, they did not mention the heights we had to climb up and down to do it in the middle (yes, we left at 2pm) of a hot day. Again, it was a workout like most of the trip’s activities had been, but it was worth it.

The views, the lemons trees growing on cliffs with trellises is amazing, the views of the towns and the sea wonderful, the mom and daughter selling lemon water along the trail adorable! And the town of Minori was worth it too.

After we got to the back of the town we started to make our way down to the water and in search of something to drink. The town is medieval in its architecture, so we were looking all over the place. One place caught our attention, in the back of a dark business we saw an old guy pouring something into bottles, ah, limoncello. Of course, and they gave away free samples. It called to us, I mean, isn’t that what one does after a steep 1.5 hour hike over a cliff? Well, in Italy it is, at least for us. It was a tiny taste and we bought a little bottle of our own.

We then headed for the beach again, and again, I was stopped in my track. A bishop maybe, maybe someone higher in the Catholic religion was surrounded by at least 3 photographers walking up the steps of a cathedral. I had to take a photo too, I never got a photo of his face to try to see if I could find out who was this mystery man of religion. But I was there for it. Jim wandered ahead looking for something to quench his thirst.

After that we found out about the ferry back to our town as we were not going to climb over that cliff again. We ate at the beach and I did a bunch of sea glass hunting while we waited for the ferry. We were also entertained by two guys working on laying down a wood path on the sand. When on holiday, chilling, you notice the little things. It was quite a nice afternoon and ferry ride back.

We showered and got ready for dinner, and a nice dinner under lemon trees we had.

The next morning we opted for an early ferry to the town of Amalfi. After wandering the streets and checking out the beach, we found an activity to do.

A tour of an ancient paper making factory. They made paper out of old material! They even rerouted the river through town to go into the factory as it was used to power the machines that were still there. One ancient and one super duper  old. I even got to make a sheet of paper after the mashing/mushing part of the material was done from a large vat of material pulp. Very cool for us nerds.

After that it was time for a meal and I do think this is where I found my now beloved cocktail. An Amalfi Spritz, similar to the well known Aperol Spritz, but put limoncello in place of the Aperol. What a wonderful idea, and an even more wonderful taste in my mouth! Again we sat outside, the streets were packed with tours, cruises and vacationing people for our viewing pleasure.

We ferried back to our town, showered and changed for dinner on the rooftop restaurant and bar at our hotel, which also had live music. Our last night in Italy.

Italy, you so did not disappoint. You exceeded our expectations! Between Rome owning up to giant history with huge buildings, my own family history coming to life around Sant’ Agata di Goti, being so bowled over by the magnitude of Pompeii that we got lost, and now, the overwhelming beauty of the Amalfi Coast.

We will be back! For me, I’ll be back sooner than the last time I visited. I went to Florence and Sienna in the summer of 1986, right after I graduated from college on a 2 month European holiday. That trip is what set my love of travel. That and the road trips we took with Mom when we were kids.

To explore unexpected paths, adventure through land and history, see beauty beyond imagination, experience from another’s viewpoint, and learn, constantly learning. It’s in my heart, my bones and it’s part of my fiber. I met my match in Jim.  I’m crazy thankful for the experiences in my life.

And I appreciate you taking a gander through some of them here in MY GNOME LITTLE WORLD!

____________________________________________________