Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello

Prev :: Friday, 14 October 2005 :: Next

43. Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello

Photo Gallery

The spectacular, rugged coastline running southeast of Sorrento was definitely one of the great highlights of my trip. One way to see it is by bus — but I couldn't bring myself to sit on a bus for such a trip! Driving a car is senseless, as parking is an impossibility. A bike would be wonderful, but the distances are not small. So it was settled — I would rent a scooter! This was completely insane, as I had never even driven a two-wheeled motorized vehicle in my life, and here I was about to drive one down one of the twistiest roads in Italy! But the place simply calls out to you and forces you to do things you would otherwise never consider.

It all worked out wonderfully — with one big exception, which is that I was ripped off here. Still, compared with my expectations after Milan and all the mafia stories, spending a week in southern Italy and only getting ripped off once actually could be interpreted as doing rather well. Getting to the point, I do not recommend the "Hotel Nice" in Sorrento (or at least it's car-rental arm). I showed up a few minutes after 8:30, the advertised opening time. I asked the hotel staff when the rental counter would open, and they said within ten minutes. So about 45 minutes later, the people finally show up (of course, the hotel staff were able to swipe my credit card right away, effectively discouraging me from going to the place across the street when I finally noticed that they had opened on time). I asked to get a map, but they said this would have to wait until the rental guys unlocked the desk. I finally get the scooter — a bit wobbly at first, but it's not that bad! The worst part is figuring out how to operate the kickstand (you have to lift the back end up off the ground, and it isn't light). I drive around the block and then come back, remembering the map. Of course, there are no maps. (I notice the many billboards advertising maps included with rental are actually for their competitor, Jolly Rental, which might be a much better bet.) So that's another €5 to buy a map in a shop, and the rental already wasn't cheap at €29 (rental cars are often cheaper in the US!). The gas tank is right on empty, meaning I have to guess exactly how much I'm going to use (I got it wrong and returned it half full). The major problem is when I return the scooter. They find a small (perhaps 2cm by 0.1cm) scratch on the underside of the thing, which you can't really even see unless you put your head down to the ground. For all I know, it had already been there in the morning — I never hit anything. I've had a bigger scratch on my car polished away for free by the dealer. And they have the nerve to charge over €100 for this, as if they are going to replace an entire big body panel! So, stay away — the place is a total scam.

Even after all that, the trip down the Amalfi coast had been well worth it. It really is amazing — at least as rugged as the most stunning parts of the California coastline, but with the beauty of Italy and the sparkling blue Mediterranean. I stopped frequently to take pictures on the twisty road. This road is a very impressive feat of engineering. Traffic is not too bad — but it must be far more enjoyable now than it would be in August. I kept crossing paths with Carmello Monetti, a lively old character who drives tourists around by car. He likes to show the cards of the impressive luminaries like Gore Vidal who have toured the coast with him, and when he heard I was from San Francisco, he excitedly produced a glowing newspaper review of his service written by a woman in Pleasant Hill, CA!

I stopped in the beautiful town of Positano, which is full of expensive galleries and women's clothing stores. With houses and narrow lanes on the steep hillside rising out of the sea, it almost reminds me of Sausalito back home, but Positano is far better. I parked on the east side of town and walked all the way west to pebbly Fornillo beach and went for a swim. The water is astonishingly clear considering how close it is to a major population center which isn't exactly known for its cleanliness. I continued on to the town of Amalfi, which has a nice wide sandy beach with some extraordinarily attractive Italians in very slight bathing suits. For some inexplicable reason, I didn't stop long, but turned inland up the winding mountain road to the village of Ravello, high above the sea. The interesting part of this town is back towards the south, near the edge of a precipitous drop to the coast below. I took a quick walk through the lovely Villa Cimbrone, taking pictures from the overlook, but I didn't stay long because I had walked a long way through the village and it was already around 15:00.

At this point I was fairly comfortable on the scooter, though I never went much past 40 km/h, which meant that I got passed by pretty much everybody except the slowest of the cars. It had been quite warm in the midday sun, but now in the late afternoon I was pretty chilly from the wind, even wearing my jacket. I rode all the way west to the Capo di Sorrento, where a trail leads down through the olive trees to a rocky shoreline. There is a remarkably beautiful circular cove here, completely enclosed except for a small tunnel connecting it with the sea. A local tried to chat with me, but he spoke no English whatsoever, which seemed slightly unusual for an Italian of a reasonably young age. I went for a quick swim before I got too chilly in the evening air, walked out onto the rocks to enjoy a beautiful sunset, and then rode back into town. The streets here become lively pedestrian zones starting at 19:00, so you have to be careful not to drive too far in, as I did initially.

Jonathan's Travel Blog :: Europe

Contents

Prev :: Friday, 14 October 2005 :: Next

43. Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello

Photo Gallery

Next