SIGH! This feels like two lifetimes ago now. Since we travelled to Italy for a friend’s wedding in July 2013 we have also been to Barcelona, Tenerife, Amsterdam, Athens, and traveled around some Greek Islands and Italy still is a strong contender for our favourite holiday ever (Except for you, Naples! Your pizza may be amazing but that doesn’t make up for the nightmare that you were!).
We found out that Nick was going to have to move back to the UK and he left Australia within weeks meaning that we hadn’t seen each other for five weeks when we were reunited in Rome.
Ah, Roma! 35+ degree days never ending history and amazing architecture.
We spend three days eating gelato and just generally getting lost. It was the best three days seeing each other after five weeks!
So a few days in Rome and we were off to Naples! Lets not dwell on the negative… but in a nutshell we left an iPad, a watch, some sunglasses (see watch and sunglasses in above pictures on Nick) and cologne poorer… thanks to the hotel cleaner! Anyway, the usual to say about Naples. It was exactly the same as I remember when I was 15. Dirty, rough, but strangely fascinating. Both times I’ve been there have been concerning situations with cab drivers but both times the pizza was very good. Basically, couldn’t wait to leave.
We even paid for a taxi outta there! A 100 euro taxi! When we got to the train station there were no working ATMs to get money out for the train tickets, there were little gypsy kids begging for money, putting their hands into your pockets and eying off your luggage. We finally got tickets and got to the train platform to find more gypsy kids walking the platforms and squeezing onto packed trains and standing next to tourists with open pockets who were distracted with all their suitcases… GET US OUTTA HERE! (Obviously we just had a bad experience and are a little bitter about it! I’m sure Naples can be fantastic! Let me know your experiences and where would have made it a great place to visit!)
Ah! Cruising the Amalfi Coast in our air-conditioned taxi! We were FINALLY on holiday. Positano, ti amo!
Positano is just the most romantic and beautiful place. The food is stunning and the views even more so. It’s quiet enough to relax, but there is enough to do to keep you busy. There are a few (albeit pebbles as hot as my straightening iron) beaches to relax on, lots of restaurants and bars and plenty of shops to max out your credit card in. You can also take day trips to surrounding island like Carpi (this was a particular highlight for us and Capri was just as I remembered it 15 years ago!). Have I already mentioned the food? Well, who cares because I’m mentioning it again. WOW!
Nick tore me away from Positano kicking and screaming and we were off to our friends wedding in the small but beautiful town of Arpino. This town isn’t a tourist destination and most of the locals don’t speak English.
Proseccos all round and we are celebrating in the local town square. The poor bar didn’t know what hit them with 100 tourists piling in drinking them dry. We probably made them their rent for the whole year that night! One thing that I have to say about Arpino – the best pasta dish of my life was eaten here. We watched the pasta made fresh in front of our eyes and the ingredients were so simple. Don’t laugh, but I still think of that lunch to this day. As my Dad would say “I would walk over hot coals for that”!
Post wedding hangovers didn’t help our mini bus journey back to Rome the next afternoon and the idea that our holiday was over in a couple of days made it even worse 😦
Tags: 30 before 30, 30 under 30, 30th birthday, adventure, Amalfi Coast, australia, Barcelona, beach, before 30, bucket list, Capri, England, Europe, fresh food, fresh pasta, fresh produce, holiday, Italian food, Italy, London, moving overseas, Naples, Napoli, Positano, Road trip, Road trip ideas, Roma, Rome, sunshine, top 30, travel, travel tip, vacation, wine tasting
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