Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Driving on Amalfi Coast

Inna booked Luciano, a private tour guide, for an 8-hour Amalfi Coast tour with stops in Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, and Ravelo.


We woke at 7:00, showered, and dressed to get ready for the tour. At 7:45, we left our Bed and Breakfast on Corso Italia 185 and walked 3 minutes to Gentile Cafe, our favorite nearby cafe.

We sat down and ordered small breakfast items, including the following:

  • Boris: Scrambled Eggs, Cappucino
  • Inna: Salmon Toast, Black Tea
My scrambled eggs were delicious but took some time to prepare. We gobbled down our food and ran to our meeting place with Luciano.



Luciano arrived in a black Mercedes Benz at exactly 8:30, and we immediately got in and started our drive to Positano, along a very windy but scenic road along Amalfi Coast.



About an hour later, we arrived at Positano, with Luciano parking the Benz at one of the garages. Inna and I walked down to the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta



There, we split up, as Inna wanted to do a little shopping and explore all of the cute boutiques in the area. I decided to walk uphill to see a different side of Positano.



My walk was exhausting, with hundreds of steps in a never-ending climb to the top. I encountered many exciting restaurants, hotels, and beautifully decorated apartments.

At around 10:15, I returned to the car, running into Inna, who was shopping nearby. We continued our drive down the Amalfi Coast to the next destination.



In Ravello, we stopped by for lunch at Garden Ravello Restaurant, but it was all booked up (and could not accommodate our part of 2). We then continued to Restaurant Salvatore nearby and were seated indoors (due to heavy winds). We would have preferred to have been placed outdoors for a better view of the surrounding Amalfi coast.



After looking at the Restaurant Salvatore menu, we ordered the following items:
  • Appetizer: Waffle Soffiato
  • Boris: Stracotto di Manzo (well-cooked beef)
  • Inna: Crespolini Salvatore (crepes)
  • Drinks: Sparkling water, cappuccinos
We really enjoyed our dishes here! Our lunch was spectacular, from the unique Waffle Soffiato to the delicious Crespolini and the well-cooked Stracotto di Manzo. Since we were both sleepy, we ordered 2 cappuccinos to refresh and awaken us.



After lunch, we noticed a light drizzle, so I put on my light raincoat (Inna forgot to bring hers). We decided to visit the highly-rated Villa Cimbrone, about 13 minutes away. We also wanted to stop by Villa Rufolo, but we needed more time (and it seemed much more crowded).



After paying the 20.00 euros for 2 adults, we entered the villa and were amazed by the Italian elegance and beauty.



The gardens were lovely, and Minori's surrounding views were out of this world! This was a definitive highlight of the Amalfi coast trip. We are glad that we did not miss it.





Amalfi Trip Report

Highlights
  • Touring Villa Cimbrone in Ravello
  • Eating lunch at Restaurant Salvatore in Ravello

Lowlights
  • Not enough time to visit all the Villas
  • Large crowds in Positano


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