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Amalfi Travel Guide: Reviews, photos, & videos
Have you been to the Amalfi Coast of Italy?
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Other Viscapers would love you for it! :)
March 16, 2010
Have you been to the Amalfi Coast of Italy?
Write a review and share photos!
Other Viscapers would love you for it! :)
Light rain. There is a 60% chance of precipitation. Cloudy. Mild. Temperature of 51.3°F. Winds SSE 11.73mph. Humidity will be 73% with a dewpoint of 43° and feels-like temperature of 51.3°F.
Hi: 51° F, Low: 42° F.
Sunny. Mild. Temperature of 55.15°F. Winds NE 13.25mph. Humidity will be 50% with a dewpoint of 37° and feels-like temperature of 55.15°F.
Hi: 55° F, Low: 41° F.
It is a bit difficult to appreciate the spectacular beauty of the Amalfi Coast when every muscle is taught, knuckles are white, eyes are wide in terror and you realize that the unholy moan you hear is coming out of your own grimly compressed lips. Just when you think that your frazzled nerves can’t take another blind turn or narrow miss from a tour bus, you see it - the pull off for the scenic overlook. I actually thought I heard angels singing. And yes, the scenic overlook with its panoramic vistas make it all worth while. Soon you are making a cliff side descent into an idyllic town. There are several of these oasis dotting the coast. It’s easy to see why the Amalfi Coast is such a popular tourist destination. We relaxed at a seaside trattoria over pizza and beer. Then feeling recovered for the most part we poked around a few ceramic shops before continuing our journey to Positano. We had booked a room with a view and were anxious to get settled before dinner. We found our hotel and miracle of miracles nearby parking where we were fairly confident we wouldn’t be ticketed or towed. The Amalfi Coast is famous for its lemons and you see them everywhere. So our next order of business was to sample a limoncello, which is a lemon flavored shot of fire water. I’m told that it is an acquired taste, so I’ll have to give it another try when I return. Care to meet me in Positano for a limoncello?
Even though I grew up in Southern California, I had never been much of a beach girl. Who has the time to lie around and burn in the sun? It all seemed like a posing game- at least that’s what it seemed to be on the beaches of Los Angeles. Everything changed when I traveled to the coast of Amalfi and visited the quaint little towns along the Sorrentine Peninsula. In Europe, they say that the coast of Amalfi is the best strip that exists in Europe! For someone that did even like beaches to begin with, I still had to agree wholeheartedly when I finally laid eyes on the picturesque terrain. My arrival was conveniently planned right after the summer rush, so the experience was amazingly peaceful and relaxing, sans the normal packs of tourists that flock to this area every year. It seemed like life here was purposefully moving at the slowest pace possible - attempts to squeeze as much enjoyment and beauty out of the land and lifestyle, I suppose! The Mediterranean Sea was still warm enough to soak in and the slight breezes along the beaches felt like flirtatious tickling on my skin. My entire mindset of what defines the beach lifestyle was changed forever and I was completely converted into a beach kinda girl. Let’s get a beach house, honey! Please? Pretty please? Okay, so it’s not just for this little piece of beach heaven that you should visit the coast of Amalfi. It’s really the whole package that makes it so charming and inviting to everyone. I hiked up to the surrounding hills and visited the old villas, admiring the view of the sea and surrounding landscape. Every tourist has to visit the main towns like Sorrento, Ravello, and Positano to get their fair share of museums and souvenir shopping as well. However, getting lost off the beaten path and soaking in the simple details of everyday life was also enchanting for me. A quick lift from a passing scooter up the hill, the tip of a hat from a friendly stranger and a leisurely stroll with laborers and their mules – every day I was drawn more and more into the Italian lifestyle. There’s the glorious beach life, fantastic cuisine and flashes of fabulously chic scenes remembered from films referencing la dolce vita every corner you turn…what other pleasures lay ahead? If you want to stop time and really just soak in all the beauty around you, come to the coast of Amalfi. Maybe you’ll be converted into a beach girl as well (or beach boy) if you don’t love it already!
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