Positano

To get to Positano from Sorrento, heading south along the Amalfi coast, you can zip on a hydrofoil ferry, drive, or as I did, take a death-defying bus ride. The road, built from stone blocks, clings to the steep Amalfi hillside, with a large drop to the sea that seems almost vertical. At times the drop to the sea exceeds 200 meters, and the road is narrow and winds continuously. Five minutes into this air-conditioned ride, I found myself slick with sweat – palms to skull – but my eyes were popping. The woman in front of me used her airsickness bag, which this particular bus stocked. The bus is tall, and you often can’t see the road through the window, or the low stone wall that pretends it serves to keep you from vaulting over it should the bus driver so much as sneeze. So, you peer out the window, and what you see is the Mediterranean lapping far below you, tilting and angling away from your view every few seconds.

Positano is impossibly romantic. Picturesque buildings built all over a very steep hillside in this natural cove. No cars anywhere except the main road through town, so it is pleasant to walk everywhere. Because it is so small, and so steep, you can pretty much see the entire town from anywhere you are. Cute little shops, trattorias, cafes, more shops, tiny old and interesting church. Lots of people milling about, coming to and from the little and very cute beach and ferry wharf. Seaside outdoor restaurants. After an hour of this, you realize that if you’re not here for romance, there isn’t much to do. So, I made a note to return with someone someday, and took the ferry back to Sorrento.

You think you might have a final dash of romance in that ferry ride, but it’s a disappointment, because since it’s a hydrofoil that goes real fast, they don’t let you out of the air-conditioned cabin. Not at all like romantic San Francisco ferries. The passengers, struck by the heat, fall asleep in the air-conditioned comfort, and wake up in Sorrento.