Europe Part I |Positano, Italy
September 2, 2015
Today I am sharing my first set of photos from my anniversary trip to Europe! In July I vacationed in Italy to celebrate my 5 year wedding anniversary. We also visited England, where I grew up, and then went to Bristol to photograph a wedding before heading to London. We then spent a short spell in Paris, France before flying home. It was the trip of a lifetime, and it was incredible!
Positano is a tiny beachside town nestled in the hills with hidden stairs and winding roads leading down to the coast. The streets are so small and there is no side walk, so two way traffic and pedestrians share the “road”. Our hotel was amazing. The view during sunrise was breathtaking. And yes I was awake for sunrise because I was still adjusting to the time difference, haha.
Walking around, there are staircases you can find that go in between buildings to take you down to the beach front and town center. It takes you through markets. Lots of exploring.
Instead of going to the main beach (pictured below) we followed a cliff side path to Fornillo beach, the less touristy beach. Best decision ever. The first day on the beach there were a lot of jelly fish, so we spent more time sun bathing than in the water (and sipping Limoncello!). But the second day we found a cove that seemed clear and we spent two hours in the water.
Here are three iPhone snaps I took leaving the main beach and at lunch:
There are lemon, olive, and fig trees everywhere, tons of purple flowers, butterflies, and lizards. Positano is magical. One day a marching band just happened to be coming through the street right past our hotel while we were on the balcony! I got it on video! Every night we saw fireworks. It was so romantic.
One of our favorite dining and cocktail spots was Le Sirenuse Champagne Oyster Bar. The bar is on a open terrace, candle light, stunning views, it was luxury.
Our last day in Positano we took two buses to get to Bomarano which is where the beginning of the trail head for 'path of the god’s’ hike is. Matt and I both agree that it was one of the most incredible views on a hike we have ever experienced. It started in a rustic village, all the homes were villas with vineyards and orchards, and the hike took us up into the cliffs overlooking the sea along it’s sea to sky trail to Nocelle. From Nocelle we could have taken the bus back to our hotel or we could walk down over 1700 stairs to take us back to town. Guess which option we chose? haha. We chose the stairs! It was exhausting but there was a fresh lemonade stand in a church courtyard at Nocelle so we felt a little refreshed.
Our first night here our driver into Positano recommended a restaurant at the top of the town and told us to order the family style option that was not on the menu. So for 28 euros each we had, prosecco, caprese salad (the basil leaf was the size of my hand!), pizza, three pastas, red and white wine, limoncello, lemon cake, and pear and ricotta cake (my favorite!). Our table had a view of Positano and the sea, we got to watch boats on the water, the moon was out, and fireworks went off from the water!
Positano was a magical adventure, and my favorite part of Italy.
