17 Oct THT- Italy Trip Part II- Amalfi Coast

After spending eight days in Rome,( ROME POST) we were headed to our place in Vico Equense. (near Sorrento- Amalfi Coast)

This part of our trip was 5 days in this beautiful town within a bus ride away to Sorrento.

Our House In Vico Equense

If you read Part 1- Rome post, you read that my husband and I enjoy staying where the locals live and just outside the city. The house was a short walk to the bus line and not hard to get around.  “Vico” known by some of the locals is part of the Amalfi coast and is another charming town.

From Wikipedia, “Vico Equense is a small town on the Bay of Naples, very close to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. The name “Vico” derives from the Latin vicus, it mean village, group of homes, while “Equense” also derives from the Latin term Aequana which was an ancient town which was destroyed by the Goths.”

What I enjoy about staying at VRBO’s is the ability to spread out, have a house or an apartment to ourselves. This house had a wonderful outdoor view that I could stare at daily.

One thing I found interesting is how environmentally conscious it was in Italy. We would get one towel and wash cloth each for the week, and there was a washer, but no dryer. The clothes and towels would go on a drying rack, or get hung outside, just like my grandma used to do!

You know how we have nail salons on every corner? Well, it was like that instead, though with Pastaccerias. ( Pastry and coffeeshop).

The Bus Tour of the Amalfi Coast-

We would spend the day on a tour bus. At first, I did not want a single window seat, as the curves and hills of the Amalfi Coast made me a bit nervous to travel by bus. However, I came to quickly trust the local bus driver and I would enjoy the magnificent views and scenery. We would have a tour guide on the bus, and then we would have one and a half hours to explore the towns.

Sorrento- You know the song, “Everything’s Coming up Roses”.? Well, in Sorrento, it is “Everything’s Coming up Lemons”! Each corner you turn you can find a lemon print. I laugh to myself when thinking about scouring the internet last summer for a lemon print dress. NO problem here!

Amalfi- The history is long and the houses on the hillside passed down from generation to generation. I was just amazed at the beauty.

Ravello- You knew music was going to be involved did you not? Concerts are held here as are festivals. This town dates back to the 10th century. We did a wine tasting there and bought 4 bottles of Italian wines, a lemon olive oil and a balsamic to be shipped to the US.

I was determined to dip my feet in the Mediterranean!

Wine

I like to think of myself as a wine connoisseur, hubby says, “wine snob”! Haha. I promise you I am not, but I do love an excellent, dry, rich red. We did wine tasting in Ravello, and bought 4 bottles of red wine, a bottle of lemon olive oil (made with fresh lemons, not lemon powder) and a balsamic vinaigrette. This was my hubby’s “souvenir”; I love the ones I can enjoy as well!

Pizza- Oh My

I had to share this picture of my “personal” pizza! This is what pizza dreams are made of!

Conquering Fears-

Chairlift to the Top

We would see Ana Capri and Capri, and when I found the way to get to the top was through a chairlift with one bar holding me in, I was a bit apprehensive. Over the past few years, I have felt the need to challenge myself, my fears, and do things I wouldn’t get a chance to otherwise. I do have a fear of heights, but after I was on the lift, I settled and found peacefulness above with the quiet.

Loved the High-Speed Train

We got the high-speed train for a day at Florence. It was tough trying to see things on the spur of the moment, and we weren’t able to get to see David, but I am one to be fine with just exploring a city. We also got the upgrade on the train, so there were beverages, snacks, we had a table with more leg room. It was quite comfortable!

Capri- The Blue Grotto

I learned prior to the trip that the accent is on CA-pri (not like the pants)! This was on my “bucket list”! I wanted to go by boat to the island and explore. Part of our trip was visiting the serene and mystifying Blue Grotto. We had to jump off our boat into a little paddleboat and duck our heads when we were told to see it.

We did so much in 2 weeks time, I couldn’t have covered it all here. I will be sharing a bit about the Italian Fashion and Pompeii on Friday’s post.

I’ll leave today’s post with one of my favorite Italian pasta dishes, Cacio e Pepe.

I hope I gave you a bit of a “taste” of our trip!

Have you been to Italy? What parts did you visit?

I will be sharing Pompeii and a bit on Fashion for Friday’s post, so join me then as well.

JOIN IN NOW ON THE TURNING HEADS TUESDAY LINKUP PARTY!!