Italia - more than a few surprises

I remember last time I was in Italy 2 years ago with Rob, I had mixed feelings. I loved Cinque Terra because of the beauty and swimming in the Mediterrian, but I wasn't exactly overwhelmed with the touristy feel of Rome. Albiet it was suffering from a heat wave at the time. This time around we went wiser and spent most of our time on the Amalfi Coast down south. It was a good decision as we got to experience some great food, swimming and locations.

We spent 3 nights in Conca, a small costal village on the middle of the Amalfi coast, 3 nights in Ravello on a plateau overlooking the coast and 1 night in Rome.

We arrived in Conca on the 1st day late after an early start from Madrid. But this time our bus woes were behind us and we had amazing connections all the way to our front door. We got shown to our room, not knowing what to expect. We were happy when we opened the doors to the balcony and the Mediterran view was endless.

It was a good start and we had good vibes about the place. We immediately walked down the stairs to the water, went for a swim and lay for a while soaking up the last of the day's sun.

After relaxing for a while we ventured out for dinner. We were staying outside the main town of Conca so we just started to wander in the general direction of the main town. We saw some houses high on the hill but didn't know if it was it or not but we started walking up some steps. We walked up for ages not knowing where we were heading. Luckily at the top we found an old lady who was standing in her doorway and asked if there was a 'ristaurante' nearby. She said the name of the one we were looking for and through sign language managed to convey that it was just down the road. When we got to the restaurant the view was amazing and the food was also amazing. It was our first taste of real Italian seafood pasta on the trip. We had a ricotta and pear tart for desert which is on every menu in Amalfi we saw afterwards but it was so awesome we had it at least 3-4 times again. This is view from the restaurant. We had walked up from sea level.

The walk down was a lot easier and luckily was partially lit. We counted the steps on the way down. It was almost exactly 500. Add the extra 150 or so extra ones and it equates to about 1300 steps we walked to get to dinner and back. I think we earned the pear tart.

The next day we ventured to Positano, the most famous of the Amalfi towns. We had bought a book on Amalfi by Amanda Taberer(Maggie's daughter) who had lived there for 18 years and so went to Amalfi armed with a list of things to do. One was to try the lemon granita's here. This is Krishni's first one. Check out the cool hat Krishni also just bought.

There are lemon trees everywhere so they have come up with a million and one things to do with lemon. Another of the tips was to go to Adolfo's, a resturant in a bay just around the corner that you need to catch a boat to and one she married into. As luck would have it, the boat was just leaving as we wandered onto the dock. We weren't even planning to go at that time but sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

The beach was cosy. It catered for the well off crowd as we later saw many of them taken back to their own boats. It obviously wasn't a very touristed place as they all seemed very Italian. But it was one of the best experiences on the coast. Adolfo's is the little one on the right hand side.

The following is a picture of the Adolfo boat and some people getting off it.

We didn't manage to get an umbrella so we crashed on the rocks. It was hot and the first boat out wasn't till 4pm. It was beautiful water though so nice to cool off. The lunch of fresh fish also made it worth it.

The rest of the day was just spent wandering Positano. By the time we got home we were buggered but it was another great day.

Day 3, we investigated the nearby grotta (or cave) which gives the water a bright blue tinge due to the lighting coming from the underwater entrance. This is similar to the one in Capri. Was ok but wasn't really spectacular - maybe it was the time of day.

We kept on walking to the main Marina area of Conca - the place we originally thought we were staying. Another beautiful beach, supposedly one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in Italy. It was pretty nice but when you come from Australia, nothing really compares. All the beaches are crowded but the water makes up for it.

The Amalfi book had recommended the Flying Squid Pasta from one of the little restaurants serving the beach crowd.

It truly was the best Pasta I think we have tasted. The squid was so soft. I was disappointed the last time I was in Italy with the food I had. But then I was mainly in the big cities. It is different in the coastal towns. If you like seafood, then you are spoilt for choice.

The closet beach to where we were staying was just down the road - literally 200m if you dare the traffic. There are no footpaths. I would put it down as the most beautiful I swam at while there. It was in a small fiord so created a cool atmosphere with towering cliffs on each side. They also hold the famous Italian diving competition here every year.

After 3 nights we moved onto Ravello, a magical little picturesque town above the town of Amalfi. We had rented an apartment which was fantastic as it gave a lot more space. The view was amazing as well. Just as good as any on the whole Amalfi coast.

The first 2 nights we thought we would just eat in and had bread, cheese and procuitto for dinner on the balcony. The photo is a bit dark but you get the idea. It was truly amazing watching the light fade over Amalfi and the lights come on.

We spent half a day down back on the coast at Amalfi and Minori which was cool to check out a few of the towns further down the coast but also a little dangerous after a close encounter with a moped.

The last day we decided to just hang about and relax at Ravello. The humidity that hit us on the previous days had disappeared so it was nice to just wander about. Ravello is known for its Music. From July to September, they hold concerts almost every night. Except for August, they hold concerts on a stage overlooking the coast inside the grounds of one of the beautiful Villas.

Unfortunately we were there at the wrong time so didn't managed to see one. We will need to come back as it would be spectacular. Ravello has a cute little square surrounded by restaurants and ceramic shops. It has a nice feel to it. Really easy to just sit back, and watch the world go by.

After a rest back at the apartment for the afternoon, we ventured out at about 6 to check out the best villa on the plateau - Villa Cimbrone. The weather was warm but not too hot. The villa's grounds were huge and covered the entire tip of the plateau. After getting a bit sidetracked, we got there about 6:45. It was really beautiful. It was ornamented with statues throughout the gardens.

The centerpiece of the Villa is the 'Terrace of Infiniti' which overlooks the coast and is breathtaking. The entrance was guarded by a statue and the terrance was adorned with 18th century marble busts.

The busts are on almost every postcard of Ravello you can find.

It was easy to take photos. It was a special place. There were a few people around. They seemed to hang around but I wanted it to be just us to take it all in.

We left the terrance and wandered throughout the rest of the gardens. It was nice but there was something on my mind. I mentioned that we should head back to the terrace for some more photos as the sun was starting to drop and was casting a good light. We wandered back. The light was fantastic with the different shades of colour.

There were still a few more people taking photos. We just sat for a few minutes taking it in. They were taking their time leaving. Finally the terrace was empty, the sun was setting. It was a perfect opportunity. Krishni went to the corner for a photo. I came up close but not with a camera, but with a ring box. I wasn't actually that nervous but still couldn't say much more than, I have something for you. She looked down and I opened up the box. It was an engagement ring. Somewhere along the line I asked her to marry me and she said yes. She cried and I might of shed a little tear as well. It was the perfect setting. Everything just clicked. Here is a picture of Krishni, just afterwards.

We had the terrace to ourselves for a good 5 minutes before people started showing up again. We got someone to take a photo to mark the occasion. I don't think they were any the wiser.

For those of you who are interested, here is a picture of the ring. It looks great on.

I didn't think I would see the day come around but sometimes it just does. I am sure more than just me are surprised that I have finally made the jump.

We left Villa Cimbrone to head towards dinner. We had seen a nice restatuant on the way. The view again was fantastic. The moon had replaced the sun and was just above the horizon. It was an outdoor setting so there was a nice breeze.

As expected, the food was excellent. It was a good place to celebrate. After dinner, we wandered back through the streets to the main square. Even the walk back was nice. The whole place just had a nice feel.

We had already planned on seeing a violin player play that night. It was the only music event on. She played what was once described as an impossible piece to play. The speed of her fingers were mesmerising. She played in a small chapel next to the main church in the main square. It was already quite full but we managed to get seats in the second row. It was a good way to finish the day.

After the bus ride we finally arrived in Madrid late afternoon. It was sweltering. Hot, hot, hot. No wonder people have seista's here. It is generally cool in the Mornings, heats up by about 12 and then stays hot till about 11pm. The first night, aka my Birthday, we went to check out a flamenco show. We got hooked in when we booked the accommodation as it came up as one of those added extra's. It was one of the best around apparently so it was good to see. In true Spanish style it didn't start till 10pm which was fine because we didn't really want to venture outdoors and we had dinner from 8-10pm in the same place. The following are some clips from the night. It is about 7mins long so it is up to you how much dancing you can put up with.

If had finally cooled down on the way back so was a nice 20min walk home through the streets.

We even came across one of the main squares that had a bunch of flamenco guitar players jamming in the centre.

The next day we again decided to take another bus tour after it being semi worthwhile in NY. This one wasn't so worth it with just a recording you listen to that sounds a bit like - ".... and on left we have the BBVA bank. This is beginning of the street, we will soon be moving through the middle and finally down the end of the street where we will find a plaza. As you can see, there are many shops on the street...". There were little episodes of it being quite informative but you would have to wait a while. On the first day we didn't really get on till about 1pm which was a mistake because it was hot inside the cabin and also in the direct sunlight on top of the bus. We learnt our lesson the next day and started at 9:30am for the alternative route and it was just right. We were also pretty much the only people on it at that time.

Apart from the bus trip, we pretty much just chilled out, wandered about a bit and ate. As I remember, the food was great. There was a perfect place called the 'Museo de Jamon', which means 'Ham Museum' in Spanish. It just had a whole bunch of cured ham so you could get cured ham baguettes, cheese and best of all a damn cold beer to cool down.

The next couple of nights we just ventured out for a bit of tapas or paella. Here is a another square we came across with a lot of beer cafes and flamenco dance buskers.

The last night we tried the paella in a cute little corner restaurant.

It had ham in it as well? Pig hooves and all.

The following are just some general photos of some architecture around Madrid which really is magnifico. The corner near our hotel.

Some random fountain near plaza mayor.

Plaza Mayor with a evil panda wandering around!

Exit to Plaza Mayor.

General random photo with me in it.

The San Miguel market which resembles a beer hall. This was at 10pm at night.

On the way home.

We leave for Amalfi tomorrow, the destination we have been looking forward to the most. Don't know if they have internet as we are just staying in smaller B&B's and an apartment. Will still see if I can post something half way though.

Adios!

Lisboa

The last few days haven't been as smooth as the first few weeks. There have been some high's followed by some lows but that is traveling I guess.

We left New York in Style. We got to the airport early for our 9pm overnight flight to Lisbon as we had just about had enough of just wandering the city. A pleasant surprise awaited us. We had been upgraded to Business Class. Yippee! Now your talking. And it was good timing too. An overnight flight that lasted about 8 hours. No more weariness the next day. We were flying Iberia - the main Spanish airline. The staff were really nice.

We boarded and settled in the 1st row of the plane. I spent a good 5-10mins playing with all the different positions my seat could go. Back Lumber, footrest, lying position. All good. I put it back in the upright position and we took off. After taking off, I tried to put the seat back. I couldn't, I had stuffed it with all my playing. Bugger, my chair spent the whole night in the upright position while everbody else's were down almost flat. It wasn't the comfortable sleep I was envisioning. Krishni felt sorry for me and we swapped half way through. The rather nice hostess took my name so we will see if we get another upgrade from Spain to Italy.

On the upside, the food was really good up front. A 3 course meal that kept us eating till 3am in the morning. Didn't really need it as we had already some dinner in the lounge. But it was still good.

Lisbon was cool though. It was nice to be out of the concrete jungle and into one of those romantic style cities of Europe. Nice squares, cafes on sidewalks and lanes to wander through. This is the location of our first meal.

Including some portuguese tarts for desert. They were everywhere and we had a few in our short stay. These were the best though.

The architecture of the city was cool. Very Classic.

This part of the trip was the unplanned part. We had 1 night accommodation booked in Lisbon and then some in Madrid a few days latter. The plan was to hire a car and just stop off in the odd location on the way to Madrid. Krishni wasn't up for driving really so we went in search of train and bus departures. We spent the first night walking to the train station after not having much success on the net. There was only one train that was overnight and that was full. The first train with seats was on the night of the 17th but that was too late. We needed to be in Madrid on the 17th.

The next day we planned to head to the bus station but I managed to actually find a good website, after some searching and we booked a bus to go half way to Madrid on the 16th and then keep on going on the 17th. Now our journey to Madrid was all sorted, we relaxed into Lisbon and just wandered the streets. Nothing really planned, just wandered. We didn't wander far but enough to get a feel for the city. It was really nice. We came across some restaurants playing Fado that night, so we resolved to come back. Fado is a style of music that we had no idea what it was but it seemed to be pretty popular. It involves some guys playing guitars with someone singing. While heading to our restaurant we passed one that was getting a bit of a gathering outside. It was packed later on when we passed again.

The Fado at our place was quite funny. It started out with the guys playing guitar and a girl singing away. Then she disappeared but then the maitre-de just started singing. Then after a while, another guy from the audience(well it looked like it) just appeared and just singing as well. Then the hostess had a go. They were all excellent and got the mood going.

We were suckers. We bought the cd of the matrie-de. Here is us outside afterwards.

The next day we had a bus to catch at 10:30am. A reasonable time. We got there in good time and just hung around with the others waiting for the bus. Like a lot of places where bus travel is popular, the buses were really nice. Our bus finally came, we loaded our bags and started boarding. The bus driver asked for our passports for id. We looked at each other - Bugger! They were still in the safe at the hotel. We had previously always put a reminder in the phone to check but forgot this time. Things were unravelling as my mind raced through all the scenarios. Since the bus was leaving in approximately 1min we didn't have a chance to go back and get the passports. That means we would lose the accommodation we booked for that night plus the bus cost for the next day. The cost was mounting fast. Dumbfounded, I unloaded our bags. @#$^. I asked what the bus' next stop was to see if we could race back to the hotel, and then race to the next stop and re-join the bus. We jumped in the cab but the cab driver didn't know where the next stop was even though I tried in my best portuguese to say the name - there goes that plan.

We made it back to the hotel and got our passports. The concierge at the hotel helped us but ringing a few car companies to see if they had any cars. They had none but apparently they could get a driver for 600 euros. Bugger that. They suggested we go to the airport to check the car companies as it was a higher possibility of getting a car. We cab'ed it back and checked. Only Avis had a car but the cost to take a Spanish car back to spain was apparently 350 Euro. For one day. That's about a grand. For one day! For some reason we seemed disinterested and amazingly the price came down quickly to 250 and then to 150. It was still too much but it was an option. We had to get to Madrid by the 17th or else the cost of lost bookings would start to mount. We had booked a flamenco thing for my Birthday.

We went upstairs at the airport to use the internet. We found that the next bus out was at 9pm that night. It get us to our next stop by 2am which would still allow us to get the next bus at 8:45am the next morning. We didn't book but decided to head back to the bus station to see if there were any companies going earlier. We wandered around but being Sunday, most stalls were closed. Luckily our bus company had someone in there now but unluckily the seats that we thought we available for that night weren't there. Another bugger. Luckily though we managed to get a ticket with another bus company leaving that night.

It was now about 1:30pm. We were at a bus station with our bags with 7 or so hours to kill. We managed to eventually stow our baggage. Rather than head back into the city we just wondered around the shopping mall just next to the bus station. It was really quite convenient in the end because it was quite big, there was stuff to do and we managed to check out a few shops that had been closed the previous day due to a public holiday. I did a bit of retail therapy at Zara while Krishni searched the bargin bins.

We also checked out a movie, GI Joe, which passed another couple of hours. I was quite relaxed now. We knew the movie finished around 8:30 with our Bus leaving at 9. Plenty of time. Krishni was nervous though as prior that day we had seen someone have trouble getting there bags out of the lockers. When the movie finished at 8:32pm, I have never seen Krishni move so quick. She was half way out the theatre by the time the credits started rolling. We got back to the bags, and then to bus in less than 10mins.

The bus rolled into Merida, our stop just before 3am. We managed to get a cab to our hotel. A beautiful looking place right on the main square. It was also one of the best rooms we had stayed in.

Inside of the hotel was just as nice.

We got up again at 7am and wandered a little trying to find some breakfast but they just don't wake up this early.

It was the most expensive 4 hours ever but at least were back on track.