The sun is starting to set on another beautiful day along the Amalfi Coast.
Im going to start with a couple of myth busters…
1.) Italian men are all loud mouths.
The fact is, I’ve noticed the more mature Italian men are very soft spoken and choose their words carefully. They seem to command more attention with a soft and deliberate technic.
2.) Italian chefs are the most talented people in Italy.
This is a close call but I’m going to give that title to the Amalfi Coast SITA bus drivers. These guys are talented. All you need to do is drive one time from Salerno to Positano and you would fully agree. Their driving skills are amazing and it might be why the drug Valium was invented… you definitely need it as a passenger.
3.) I do not like pastries for breakfast.
My nephew John rebuked my comments about preferring an American breakfast over an espresso and pastry but truth be told, anything eaten or drank on the Amalfi Coast is nothing short of pure joy. I enjoy watching the people head to the village square and grab an espresso and a zeppole.
Mornings are certainly peaceful here. Families wait together for the school bus and then moms and dads watch as the bus drives up the narrow cobblestone road, winding out of sight. The casual conversation slowly stops and people scurry about their day. You see shutters open and laundry being hung to dry in the fresh sea air. A local produce bus pulls up next to the square, filled with fresh fruit and vegetables. The people start to gather around, buying up the produce. I just buy a bundle of bananas, he weighs them and tell me 1.40, I give him 1.50 and thank him but he stops me and says “no, no, no, you get change.”
Some wondered why I wanted to stay so long, but it has been 11 days into our journey and I’m just now starting to see the true spirit of the village and the sparkle to life. I grab a real sense of what my Nona and Papa experienced in their quite simple, but amazing life. It saddens me that they had to leave such an enchanting place to come to America. We should all slow down and experience the old world charm of a small, Italian village.
We finally made it out on a boat in the Mediterranean. More specifically, a row boat inside a cave. The only way into the cave was down an elevator shaft where we then got into a rowboat. A guy with forearms bigger than my thighs took us on a ride through the cave where the water turned a fluorescent blue. Sunlight filters through the turquoise waves of the Mediterranean and into the grotto through an underwater opening. The light becomes tinged with a magical emerald color that sparkles a reflection into the waters of the cave. When we started to disembark the boat, Popeye said in a strong voice “I speak English and treat you good now please treat me well.” It was the first time anyone requested a return for their hospitality and who was I to refuse the brawny Italian man with forearms bigger than my thighs.
After our boat ride we realized we were in the middle of nowhere on the Amalfi Coast. We could’ve waited for the bus but we decided to walk along the coast and see what towns came our way. We ended up coming across numerous spots that offered magnificent views and some very small villages with a church, a few small shops and an occasional restaurant. We also found a stairway leading to Marina Di Furore. It was a narrow cove with a beach under a bridge and a small restaurant with an amazing view. The restaurant was called, Trattoria da Armandino. Julie and Jordan had the gnocchi marrinara, Mikayla had ravioli with ricotta and fresh tomatoes, while I for some reason opted for a fried veal and french fries. Our waitress actually laughed and repeated “fried veal.” It was actually quite tasty, possibly could’ve been better with some white pepper gravy but who knows, maybe thats Julies influence on me. But, who doesn’t like a good country fried steak with white pepper gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans.
After our midday snack and short walk around the beach, we started our ascent up the steep bank of stairs to the narrow road. We enjoyed another beautiful moment of wandering the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast with Jordan and Mikayla. We finally made it back in the early evening and Jordan and Mikayla headed off for a romantic dinner together while Julie and I decided to stay in with a couple of pizzas. She had margherita style and I had mine topped with spicy salami and slices of peppers.