The next leg of our journey was to the Amalfi Coast. Amalfi, for those of you that are unfamiliar, is a series of small towns/villages on the west coast of italy, just south of Naples. Each town is essentially set on a cliff, making for dramatic views and even more dramatic driving. The first part of the drive across the Italian countryside was tremendously scenic and actually very pleasant---up until we hit Salerno, that is. Before Salerno, we listened to music, chatted away, checked out the beautiful landscapes and enjoyed ourselves. Once we hit Salerno, all that changed. The GPS said it was about 12 miles to our destination, which is great when you’re on a regular highway, but the Amalfi Highway is well, a bit more ‘technical’. The road winds along cliffs and features a series of very tight turns (probably close to 300), up and downhill... So in this situation,12 miles equates to approximately 40 minutes of INTENSE, white knuckle driving.
For those of you that have driven the ‘Road to Hana’ in Maui, the Amalfi experience is similar, only there are motorcyclists passing like maniacs and full-scale tour busses whipping around corners with a ‘it’s your fault if I hit you, and I ain’t stopping’ mentality.
Every turn where we made it unscathed became a sigh of relief because you truthfully don’t know what’s coming around the corner until you take it. Very emotional journey, let me tell ya! A few times, we both had to turn our side mirrors in just to make it past the oncoming traffic. Jon did all the driving, so he had a reason to be stressed, but I felt like a basket case just being a passenger. I don’t think either one of us really enjoyed the ‘scenic’ drive into Amalfi but, we’re still glad we did it!
When we got to our destination, the Hotel Aurora, we were exhausted and relieved. We had found the hotel on Trip Advisor, where it had gotten great reviews and high praises. Once we got to our room, we wondered if we were at the wrong hotel or, if everyone on trip advisor viewed the world through rose-colored glasses. Not sure if it was the cans of Raid in the hallways, view of the cement pier, scent of mildew in the room, or the slate-rock bed, but one night was quite enough for us, so we decided to try our luck in the next town up the road, Positano. We woke up the next morning, had breakfast, said goodbye to the Hotel Aurora, and headed to our new digs in Positano, the Hotel Pasitea (great hotel with an awesome terrace/view)! After some lunch and a little R&R on our patio, we headed into town to look around and have a snack by the beach, eventually making our way back up the hill for dinner. The walk up and down the cliff is a REALLY good workout and definitely exhausting - picture the steepest flight of stairs you have climbed and now extend that up the side of a mountain and you will get the idea...You literally earn your meals if you decide to walk ;)
The next day, we took a boat to the Island of Capri. Boat ride out there was pretty uneventful but, it was nice to be out on the water. town of Capri was okay--seemed like there was a lot of shopping, which really didn’t interest us much because we’ve had to haul around everything we’ve bought and our suitcases are at maximum capacity (although I could probably justify buying another suitcase if need be). Anyway, the most fun part about our trip to Capri was the boat ride back to Positano! We met a couple from Vancouver (Denise and Brian) and another couple from NY (Helen and Richie), and had a great time on the boat laughing and chatting with them all the way back to Positano. Such a good time that we ended up hanging for several drinksafter we got back to shore. It down-poured outside so, we just kept chatting away.Finally we decided it was time to eat so, we moved on and found a place for dinner called ‘Cafe Positano’. The food was excellent and the views from their outdoor seating area were impressive as well. And there it was, another successful night of eating and great company too!
The following day, we agreed to just stay in town and enjoy the day without moving around too much. We did exactly that and enjoyed every bit of it! We had lunch down the street and found THE BEST Spaghetti Puttanesca around! In fact, after one plate and a pizza, we ordered another plate... Bummer that we had JUST found this gem of a spot on our last full day in town! Since it was our last night, we wanted to have a great dinner--so, we made the trek up the hill to have dinner with our new friends, Denise and Brian, and ate at a highly recommended restaurant called Scirocco. There is a reason this is the number one restaurant in this area. It’s truly excellent and the waitstaff is highly entertaining.....a perfect ‘last supper’ to cap off our time in Amalfi.
The next morning we checked out and made the drive to Napoli where we were off to the next part of our trip. Now this is the part where I tell you that the next leg of our journey is to Florence, followed by a couple of days in Rome. Well, SURPRISE! Once we got to the Amalfi coast we decided that 10 days in Italy was enough, decided to change our plans, and booked flights to Spain for our last week of R&R. Oh, the journey! So, we flew out of Napoli, and we are now in Majorca, Spain!
We're in the home stretch now but, still loving every minute!
We arrived in Puglia from London. Flight was great, we landed on time and then went to pick up our rental car. This was the first place where we realized this was really going to be an ‘adventure’ of sorts because no one spoke a lick of English. Either way, we finally got the car and realized quickly that we should probably spend the extra money and get the GPS system. At this point, I should mention that I’ve had several strongly worded disagreements with ‘the voice’. At times I have found myself in an all out argument with ‘her’. That said, she’s been helpful for the most part and, well--she speaks English.
This section of the trip was dedicated to exploring the heel of the boot. First stop was the Lecce area. The place where we stayed is what they call a ‘masseria’ (translation: farm). It’s a nice piece of land where they typically grow olive trees and make their own wines etc.. with a property to serve guests. Gorgeous place and very relaxing. Once we arrived, we dropped off our stuff and spent the rest of the day in the town of Lecce exploring and scoping out the scene. Nobody spoke English so, we were just winging it (driving included). It’s about 2:30pm and we quickly realize that nobody is in the streets of this old town and most of the shops/restaurants are closed with the exception of a few. Come to find out later that places don’t open until 5pm and they stay open until 1am. Who came up with this system? Either way, while all the Italians were waking up and opening up their doors, we were beat and ready to head back to our farm to eat some dinner. All in all, it was a beautiful old city and we enjoyed exploring it!
Dinner at the hotel: Well, eating at the farm was highly recommended and quite the experience. They had a very welcoming dining room and the menu looked great. Our waitress hardly spoke English but, the menu had some translations so, it was all good. We ordered and then saw some kind of stew like dish go by that looked really hearty and good so of course, I had to ask what it was.. She responds--”It’s cavallo” and then proceeded to act it out as if she had reigns in her hands and began galloping. Ok, crystal clear--you eat horses here. OMG. Jon and I look at eat other in shock and we act as if that never happened. Next thing we know, she is bringing us this dish--’compliments of the chef’. Oh shizzle. What do we do now? Neither one of us could get past the idea of eating horse and the whole galloping reenactment really solidified my discomfort with this particular speciality. All that said, ‘when in Rome...’, so Jon and I made an agreement to at least try it (even though I couldn’t get over the visual in my mind). Honestly, it tasted like stew meat and the potatoes were really good. I probably won’t ever eat it again but, I did do it. Second night at the restaurant: So, the food at this restaurant hasn’t been bad, the only problem is, there is a serious language barrier and the translated menu isn’t exactly accurate (I know this due to my experience from the night before...). This particular night, they had a ‘fish soup’ listed. Naturally, I asked what kind of fish was in the soup and the response was: ‘lobster and shrimp’. Yum, that sounds awesome--I’ll take one! Our dishes come out and I notice mine is on a PLATE and it’s one shrimp and 4 calamari on a thick green paste. Right-o. Wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for ‘soup’ but, it was food and at that point, I was ready to eat.
The next day, we head south along the coast towards Otranto. Otranto is so quaint and the water is soooooo blue ;) We arrived and found a great spot to have lunch right on the beach. Probably one of the best lunches we’ve had since being down here. Jon got the mussels in a tomato wine sauce and I got the caprese which was extremely fresh! Throughout the lunch we have a great conversation in Italian with the waiter (thanks to our Italian dictionary :). Spent the rest of the day walking around the old castles and churches--snapped some great pics and then hit the road. We both loved Otranto but, that town definitely has something against toilet seats...this was a reoccurring theme. My thighs are pretty toned at this point from all the squatting--makes no sense. While in Puglia, we also ventured off to another town called Martina Franca where we stayed at a quaint (and hard to find) bed and breakfast. We did a lot of walking and had an AMAZING dinner in town. This little place was called ‘L’Osteria Piazzetta Garibaldi’ -- owned by a husband and wife team. You will seriously feel like you’re eating at their home. They were both super warm and their food was excellent. As we made our way north to Bari, we stopped in a town called Alberobello. This town is famous for it’s trulli homes and structures. Cool to see something totally different and unique. The trulli's make you feel like you're in a real life Smurf's episode (loved that show...)! Overall, we loved this part of our trip! Lots of history, great food, adventure, fun and not overrun with tourists! Ok--so, I really condensed this post but, hopefully you get the idea and the pictures help too ;)
Driving in Italy: I’ve always said that Jon has an aggressive driving style. Could be because he grew up in Boston...could be something else. Whatever it is, it REALLY came in handy while driving in Italy. Jon has become an expert Italian driver and has literally driven us around the entire heel of Italy (and 10 million ‘roundabouts’) and now across the country to the Amalfi Coast! Not many people can say that... I definitely give him props for his stick shift driving skills, in a foreign land, amongst drivers who don’t obey traffic signs, or laws. Bravo, Giovanni!!
Sorry for the delay in posting here....we haven’t had a chance to sit down and write out a post for London since we got to Italy....
Last Tuesday we said goodbye to a brief but action-packed three days in London. Truth be told, we hadn’t even planned to visit until we saw the tour dates for the Roger Waters show, and decided to make it a stop on the tour (so to speak). I’ve written enough about that concert, so onto the rest of our stay in Jolly Old England.
Day 1: Took the EuroStar (via The Chunnel) from Paris to London in what has to be the most pleasurable travel experience we’ve had here in Europe. More on that in an upcoming Airline Ranking post, but suffice to say, EuroStar is a definite challenger for the top airline spot, even though it isn’t an airline. My first impression of London was a cab ride from Saint Pancras Station to our digs for the next few days, the Park Lane Sheraton....for those of you that have not had the pleasure of taking a cab ride in London, there are two key things you need to know
The cabs all use a car model that is distinctly British, both in appearance and origin (every cab has a ‘Made in Coventry With Pride’ placard in the cab). They are all impeccably clean and odor free. The passenger area of the cab is super roomy, with a bench in the back and two additional seats that face backward and fold up if nobody is using them. For a 6’3” guy who has spent a number of hours sandwiched into the back of Chicago cabs with knees pressed against his chest breathing in the sweet, sweet aroma of rotting Crown Victoria upholstery, this is a big deal.
The cabbies drive in such a way that you don’t have to hold on to the ‘oh shit handles’ for the majority of the ride. Not to mention, they are consistently able to brake without causing whiplash. Can we import some of these guys and their cars to the Second City please?
Upon arrival at the Sheraton we quickly realize that we are staying at a hotel that hasn’t been redecorated since The Blitz. They promptly checked us into a room that smelled like one of Churchill’s cigars and a bathroom that reeked of Mildew... Although we are in an English speaking country, they were apparently unable to read the ‘non-smoking room’ preference on my reservation. One night in that room and we couldn’t help but ask to be moved. Not a strong showing, Sheraton.
Extremely large Fish, and Chips!
Next up, our first cliche London Tourist move: Eating Fish and Chips at a pub. Generally speaking ‘Fish and Chips’ in the UK and ‘Fish and Chips’ in the US is about the same thing. Cod, or some other low-end, mild, flaky fish, fried up in batter and served with french fries and tartar sauce. The key difference is, in the UK, they pretty much serve you the ENTIRE fish, which is a fairly daunting meal (especially if you are a petite person named Jannine). We did the best we could, but neither of us could finish this monster meal.
While we are talking about food, let’s cover some other ‘traditional’ English fare:
Sausage and Mash: I ate this at another pub near Oxford Circus, and have to say ‘YUM’!
Food in general: Bland (with one exception which we will cover shortly).
Beer: I was all fired up to ‘drink a pint’ in a real English Pub. Now, basically every pub in England serves Guinness, a couple of ‘flavors’ of Fuller’s, perhaps a couple of other local ales, and if you are lucky, Stella, Carlsberg or, some other European urine. I committed to stay away from the Guinness, and tried to stick to the English brands, if for no other reason than to avoid my second cliche of the trip. Well, let’s just say that I now understand why Fuller’s and the like are not imported to the US----because it tastes like toilet water. Now you are probably thinking ‘Jon, how do you know what toilet water tastes like - have you drank it before?‘ To which I say, ‘Of course not! That is a euphemism for something that has a fairly bland taste with just a hint of stale pee.’ Bottom line - English Beer is unimpressive.
Next day we made our second cliche tourist move, the double decker bus tour. Did we feel like lame tourists? Yes. But, if there is a better way to get a lay of the city, show it to me. We had an excellent tour guide who told us such facts:
The Queen of England cannot enter the ‘City of London‘ (a section of the overall city) without the Mayor of the city of London escorting her.
There are a series of royal parks throughout the city that are now open to the public, but had once been exclusive to the royal family with entrance by a ‘common man’ punishable by death.
The original London Bridge (or more accurately, the one that replaced the one that they burnt down) was bought by an American. It was disassembled and reconstructed in Arizona, where it is the #2 tourist attraction in the US. For those of you from the US thinking ‘that’s bullshit, there is no way some random British bridge in Arizona is our #2 tourist attraction’, I have to say--I agree 100% and we thought the same thing when we heard it. However, we were in no position to challenge him.
If you become a ‘Freeman‘ of the City of London, you are entitled to the following benefits:
Able to get married in the St. Paul’s Cathedral
Allowed to walk the streets of the City of London with a drawn sword
Allowed to walk your livestock (pigs, cows, horses, etc.) across the London Bridge
.....and, all of this can be yours for the low price of 30 Pounds...a good deal if I have ever heard one.
That night brought us to the Roger Waters concert - well documented here. The following day was spent shopping (for the most part) in and around Regent Street and Oxford Circle. It wasn’t until that second day (and a couple of near misses) that we finally started to look the ‘right’ way for oncoming traffic while crossing the street. Coincidently, this was also the day that we finally noticed that every crosswalk was painted with instructions as to which direction to look when crossing the street. I can only imagine how many tourists got mowed down before they resorted to literally writing directions as to how to cross the street right there on the pavement.....
So that brings us to our final night in London, which we spent at the Cold War Kids concert. They were playing at a little venue in London called Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Prior to the show we took up a recommendation from my boss Stacy, and headed to a small pub in Kensington called the ‘Churchill Arms’, which is of course is a small, traditional looking English pub that is home to some of the best Thai food in London (highly recommended!). You kinda have to be there to understand how bizarre it is to order thai food surrounded by WWII and soccer memorabilia, but the food was excellent and the place was totally packed... A couple of Pad Thai’s (YUM!) and Fuller’s (bland!), and it was off to the show.
For those of you that have been to the Riv in Chicago, Shepherd's Bush is pretty much the exact same place with crappier beer and better accents. Or, said differently, an excellent place to see a concert. Won’t belabor you with the details, but they put on an excellent show and managed to hit every song we wanted to hear. Here are a few videos from the show.
So that was London! We really only scratched the surface but, had a blast and saw two excellent concerts. We’ve now moved onto Italy! Lots to update---will try to post again soon...
Jon & Jannine
p.s. Sorry we couldn't post more pics...blogger is not allowing for uploads right now.
The next leg of our journey was to the Amalfi Coast. Amalfi, for those of you that are unfamiliar, is a series of small towns/villages on the west coast of italy, just south of Naples. Each town is essentially set on a cliff, making for dramatic views and even more dramatic driving. The first part of the drive across the Italian countryside was tremendously scenic and actually very pleasant---up until we hit Salerno, that is. Before Salerno, we listened to music, chatted away, checked out the beautiful landscapes and enjoyed ourselves. Once we hit Salerno, all that changed. The GPS said it was about 12 miles to our destination, which is great when you’re on a regular highway, but the Amalfi Highway is well, a bit more ‘technical’. The road winds along cliffs and features a series of very tight turns (probably close to 300), up and downhill... So in this situation,12 miles equates to approximately 40 minutes of INTENSE, white knuckle driving. 
The next day, we took a boat to the Island of Capri. Boat ride out there was pretty uneventful but, it was nice to be out on the water. town of Capri was okay--seemed like there was a lot of shopping, which really didn’t interest us much because we’ve had to haul around everything we’ve bought and our suitcases are at maximum capacity (although I could probably justify buying another suitcase if need be). Anyway, the most fun part about our trip to Capri was the boat ride back to Positano! We met a couple from Vancouver (Denise and Brian) and another couple from NY (Helen and Richie), and had a great time on the boat laughing and chatting with them all the way back to Positano. Such a good time that we ended up hanging for several drinksafter we got back to shore. It down-poured outside so, we just kept chatting away.Finally we decided it was time to eat so, we moved on and found a place for dinner called ‘Cafe Positano’. The food was excellent and the views from their outdoor seating area were impressive as well. And there it was, another successful night of eating and great company too!
