Today we welcomed Jordan and Mikayla to our adopted home on the Amalfi Coast. We started our adventure in Maiori with a great American style breakfast featuring eggs, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans and toast. Okay so technically I’m not sure if I’ve ever had this exact combo back home but it sure beats just a pastry for breakfast. What really made this breakfast even better was the fact that we were enjoying it outside. We were about 40 meters from the beach and the beautiful, crystal clear blue of the Mediterranean Sea and the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast.
After breakfast we headed away from the coast in search of the start of the lemon path. The Path of Lemons, is a scenic trail connecting the town of Maiori and Minori. The trail passes through lemon groves and olive trees. The trail was originally used by the lemon growers to harvest and care for the lemons and bring them to the harbor for trade. Even today, donkeys are used along this trail for various purposes.
The trail had over 400 stairs for us to climb and took us about 2 hours or so to walk. We could have walked it quicker but Mikayla stopped to pet the numerous cats we encountered along the way. The walk was relaxing and the views were breathtaking.
The trail ended in the town of Minori where we stopped in the, Pasticceria Sal De Riso, this pastry shop is famous for its, Delizie al Limone, lemon delight. All the pastries we tried were delicious.
After a brief walk through the town, we hopped on a bus and headed to the town of Ravello. This town is high up in the mountains and home to the famous, Ravello Music Festival, where all the past Italian conductors have performed. There are two famous villas in Ravello, the Villa Rufolo and the Villa Cimbrone. The villas send you back in time and show you how the rich lived. The garden, with its views of the Amalfi Coast, is simply stunning. The town itself is a classic, old mountain town filled with quaint streets and shops.
Once we were done wandering the town, we headed back down to our home in Atrani. For dinner we had a caesar salad, scialatielli pasta with bolognese sauce, lemon chicken, clam and mussel spaghetti and the old family favorite, gnocchi with marinara sauce.
Arrivederci for now, tomorrow we are off to Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii.