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.