A Postcard from Positano
ROMA-NAPOLI-SORRENTO-POSITANO– It took over 23 hours to transfer ourselves from South Carolina to the Amalfi Coast. We flew to Newark, where we had a five-hour layover, to Rome, where we caught the treni (train) over to Central Rome, where we caught a third train to Naples, where we caught the Circumvesuvia rail down to Sorrento, where we caught a bus into Positano, where we flagged a taxi to our hotel, where we fell onto the bed for a quick nap before emerging onto the rooftop ristorante, where we finally stopped, melted into our chairs and sank our teeth into our first Italian feast of our vacation- “to the teeth”- al dente fresh pasta with arugula, a light sauce of tomato and pepper, topped with chile oil and baby shrimp. It was well worth our journey.
Positano is a meandering, majestic cliff-side town, where every new corner turned brings its own feast– stunning views of the turquoise Mediterranean, pastel-stuccoed buildings draped in bougainvilla, and the sounds of rolling R’s followed by the laughter of the Italians enjoying life to its fullest.
If you avoid the more touristy trattorias and seek out some of the finer ristorantes, the food in Positano is excellent. Frankly, the touristy stops are so superior in their offerings compared to many American restaurants that it’s hard to write that with a straight face. But, this is a tourist’s town, so even the Italians will steer you away from certain offerings on the menu. Ask for recommendations and you’ll be thrilled with the freshness of the daily fish, seafood, local olive oils and cheeses.
For our first full day in Positano, we lunched at a nearby ristorante. Rich had a carpacchio of beef with arugula, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and pepper. Ten years ago, for one of his first Christmas presents, I gave Rich a pepper grinder. I soon found out that he didn’t eat pepper. What a long strange trip its been. Apparently, now he loves the pepper as this is his second plate of our vacation full of peppery, spicy arugula and the freshly ground black stuff.
September 19th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Looks like you are having a great time. I’m getting hungry looking at the food. We plan to go to Italy and tour the Med. in 2010. Gets lots of info of places to see and things to do. Don’t get me any French attractions. Check your e-mail for a birthday card next week.
January 31st, 2010 at 4:14 pm
[...] the rustic torn pasta. I’d first fallen in love with this type of pasta on our trip to the Amalfi Coast a couple of years ago. So, last night, like any sorceress worth her salt, I conjured it up [...]