Positano

On Saturday we drove to Positano, the gorgeous town on the Amalfi Coast. The last time we went there was early spring, before the tourist season and warm weather. This time, Positano was alive: blooming petunias adorned nearly every building whereas purple bougainvillea vines drenched pastel walls and what otherwise would have been boring fences; art galleries lining the pedestrian paths meandering down the mountain to the beach bustled; dozens of boats, many of which were classic wooden motorboats, sat a few hundred feet off the pristine coast; and tourists of all stripes set out to explore the charming village.

One of the most charming and unique aspects to Positano is its narrow pedestrian walkways. It's not so much what's to the left or right of you when you walk down the roads, but rather what's above you. Lush, blooming vines create a natural ceiling - providing shade and splashing purple and red tints on everything below.


Another notable characteristic of Positano is the clarity of the water. There is a small pier that juts out into the ocean where the water appears to be between 15-20 feet deep, yet you can see individual rocks at the bottom. The ocean is clear as a swimming pool. Just beautiful!

Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day Dan! Here's your present... Love, Ethan.

PS On second thought, how about I let you sleep in until 7:30 am tomorrow instead?

Lucca and Todi

After Cinque Terre, the six of us spent the late afternoon riding bicycles around the city walls back in Lucca. Allison rode on back of Dan's bike and Ethan sat behind me. This was Dan's favorite part of the trip, making the leisurely ride on these ancient walls with expansive fields on one side of us and the medieval town center on the other.


On the way home we "ditched" Gega and Papa in Lucca so that they could take a train into Florence and spend a few days exploring on their own. We started the drive home and hit Todi, a quaint hill town in Umbria with spectacular vistas. We found a restaurant that had the most incredible food, only outdone by its view of the Umbrian countryside.

Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre was our destination on Sunday morning. The Cinque Terre (Five Lands) is a series of small, timeless villages along the Italian Riviera in the Italian province of Liguria. The towns are connected by railroad and rustic hiking trails. Luckily the first two villages, Riomaggiore and Manarola, are connected by Via Amore, a stroller-friendly trail.

When Dan and I were here ten years ago, these towns were considered off the beaten path and were truly remote, but nowadays Rick Steves devotes a full section in his Italy tour book to the towns and tourists flock here in droves. Nevertheless, spending time in the gorgeous area is amazing. The mountains are terraced with olive orchids and vineyards, and the dramatic terrain falls suddenly into the crystal clear ocean below where you can see straight to the bottom of the sea. There are plenty of staircases leading to secluded giant, flat rocks that touch the ocean where families or couples lay claim for a day of sea and sun. In the distance, you can see boats of every size and type - from yachts and sailboats to classic wooden boats.

Tenuta del Buonamico

On Saturday afternoon, we drove to a nearby winery for a private tasting, tour, and antipasti buffet (that turned into dinner). As Gega, Allison, and Ethan explored the olive trees, the rest of us tasted delicious wines. Although we expected some snacks after the tasting, we weren't prepared for the huge array of antipasti laid out for us: fresh mozzarella and plum tomatoes, thinly sliced meats and salamis, bread covered in fresh olive oil made on the premises, a cherry and strawberry salad, aged and fresh pecorino cheese with marmalade, and glasses of our preferred wine from the tasting. Adding to the experience was the fantastic setting: a large patio overlooking the nearby vineyards with a hill town in the distance. The meal was something you expect to read about in a magazine or watch on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Of course, they would probably edit out when the 2 year old starts throwing cherries or the 4 year old has a meltdown for no particular reason, but that's neither here nor there.

Road Trip: 3 Regions, 4 Days, 850 miles

Since Dan's parents are in town, we decided to do a whirlwind weekend trip with stops in three of Italy's most beautiful regions - Umbria, Tuscany, and Liguria.

After making a quick pit stop in Orvieto for lunch and gas, we headed up to our hotel inside the medieval city walls of Lucca, a town in northern Tuscany, about an hour west of Florence. The city has incredible facades and quaint squares, but the most notable part of the town is its well-preserved ancient wall surrounding the entire historic center. No longer needed to keep enemy armies at bay, today locals and tourists use the tree-lined top of the wall to ride bicycles and jog.

On Saturday morning we headed out to Pisa. Although everyone tends to discount Pisa as overly touristy and offering little other than the Leaning Tower, we had a nice time letting the kids run around the lawn in front of the large cathedral while we ate pizza and paninis.

Girl's Day out...

Some friends and I decided to take a much-needed day trip (sans kids) to Capri Island this weekend. We had a great time! Capri (pronounced Cap-reee, emphasis on the Cap) is an Island off the coast of Naples and is a major tourist destination. It is known as a playground of the rich and famous. It is beautiful, and there are some spectacular views. I don't think it is any prettier or nicer than the Amalfi Coast- Positano definitely gets my vote- but it was a nice day nonetheless. We took the aliscalfo (hydrofoil, fast ferry) over, had a relaxing breakfast in the main piazza while people-watching, shopped for a while, and had a really nice lunch. Then we roamed around the small side streets some more, had some delicious gelato in still-warm homemade waffle cones, meandered down to the port again, and boarded the ferry home. After a relaxing day like this with good friends, I feel rejuvenated and ready to come home and face my many responsibilities with a fresh new attitude!

photos courtesy Caroline Smith