Amalfi Coast, Italy

Hey friends! This post is LONG overdue... because well, life! We have been BUSY around here, but I am excited to catch the blog up. 

Ready for a news flash: we fly back to the US in one week. ONE WEEK! It is so hard to believe that our year abroad is coming to an end. 

Anyways, more about that later. Now to share Amalfi. I have dreamed about the Amalfi coast for a long time. I think everyone has that one (or 12) place(s) where they dream about because the pictures are just that dreamy. Amalfi is one of my places. 

The Amalfi Coast is a 50 km (roughly 31 miles) stretch of coastline in Italy, just south of Naples. It is so amazing that UNESCO deemed it to be an outstanding example of Mediterranean landscape. Mountains plunge into the sea between picturesque small towns. (It even sounds dreamy, I know.)

February may not appeal to all Amalfi travelers because the town is a little sleepy. It is not considered tourist season and the weather can be iffy. A lot of shops, restaurants and hotels are closed from October until May. BUT, if you do your research Amalfi has a lot to offer in February. 

One of the downsides of traveling during a low season is that the transportation to and from Naples airport is scarce. You don't have as many trains/busses (so timing is an issue) and there are no ferries that run. We opted for a car and drove the coast, which truthfully may have worked out for the best! 

Google maps was even preparing us for the drive... the street we were turning on is called Panoramica!

Remember how I said the weather could be iffy? Well our arrival day was cloudy, cold and rainy! But the excitement made all that okay.

We stayed in Positano, which is one of the first small towns on the coast. It is incredibly charming. Our hotel was incredible and the workers really treated us extra special. We normally opt for hotels/hostels that are budget friendly - meaning it is clean and has a bed, but Positano was my birthday trip and Blake really pulled out all the bells and whistles for this fancy hotel!

There are only 3 restaurants in Positano that are open in February. One in particular was super close to our hotel and offered a shuttle to and from the hotel to the restaurant- we loved it so much that we ate there every night. 

  

Bruschetta, pizza, pasta, wine and of course limoncello. 

Fun Fact - Limoncello is a liqueur produced from the lemon peels of Amalfi lemons. 

Yes, you have to look at my feet. But woah views! That was pretty nice to wake up too. Day 2 promised sunshine and blue skies!



Walking down to the shore!



Positano



Selfies with my love.



The water was so incredibly blue! Unlike anything I've ever seen!

We declared this day Amalfi day and we dedicated the whole day to exploring this city! After exploring the city, we did a little chunk of the Path of The Gods hike!









Too many pictures, because I love them ALL!



So. Many. Stairs.

But, the view just keeps on getting better!



Our view to the left.

And to the right!



Making our way back down!



I love all the houses!

About this time, I was probably in a tri-pod! I think it was over 1500 steps!

We made our way to our dinner spot, devoured something delicious and went to sleep early!

Day 3 we headed out for the coast!



Just driving along!



A ceramic shop... okay we spent too much time here! How amazing.



First stop: Amalfi (the city on the coast).



Beautiful, but not as charming as Positano - in my opinion!



Amalfi Cathedral



The town was definitely more lively though! There were quite a few shops and restaurants open!



And we found gelato, so I was pretty much STOKED!



Continuing our drive! That peninsula WAY out there is Salerno; the last coastal town.



Ravello: a small town way up the side of the mountain!



Exploring Villa Rufolo in Ravello. *Side note* If you go in the winter months, paying for Villa Rufolo isn't really worth it because all of the gardens are dead!



Lemon trees!

We finished out the evening by driving back to our hotel and heading back to our dinner spot! We met a wonderful couple who were living abroad in Naples. We chatted and drank way too much wine - as one does in Italy!

Amalfi needs to be on your list! It was an amazing few days.

Venice, Italy

Come with me on a gondola ride! :)

We found cheap flights to Venice and set off at the end of January. Typically not a favorable time to visit Venice, but we were bound and determined to make the most of it! And sure enough, it was beautiful.

Venice is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. There are no roads - only canals, and more than 400 bridges! 

I love this. Venice is magical.

Since there are no roads, the only way to get to our hotel from the airport was by a water bus! I wish I would've taken a picture of the airport water terminal, but we were running to catch the water bus! It was very well organized!
You can also take a water taxi or a combination of a bus + water bus, however due to the late arrival time of our flight we opted for direct water bus! Water taxis and water bus's are just boats. Taxis are smaller and cost more, and busses are much larger and much cheaper. There are bus stops all throughout Venice, and the system operates much like any public transport system.



Riding the water bus!

Due to the late hour of our arrival, we were limited with bus line options. The one we took dropped us off about a 13 minute walk from our hotel. 13 minutes, how bad could that be?!
Well. It was pretty bad! It was dark, it was deserted, and it included about 87 turns through tiny dark walkways. It was after midnight, in Venice's defense... but c'mon! It was crazy.

We checked into the hotel, and went right to sleep.

Morning was crisp and sunny - the perfect combo for a day in Venice.







Breakfast at Marchini Time.
Italy truly does have the best coffee. And the fruit tarts were pretty nice to look at too! So delicious.
If you ever find yourself in Venice, go here for breakfast - every day.



Saint Mark's Basilica



Saint Mark's Square



Sweet charming little bridges.

Walking the streets of Venice.



Rialto Bridge



Views from Rialto Bridge!



When in Italy, one pizzas for lunch!
And yes, I just used pizza as a verb.



I like to go to the markets, Blake says they are all the same. Yet, we still go! :)



Happy hour in Venice is a real serious thing. Al Merca is one of the oldest happy hour spots in the city. Grab your prosecco and chat with your friends. Standing room only.

We had some time to kill before our walking tour started. We decided to bite the bullet and hopped on a gondola! When in Rome Venice, right? They are not cheap - 80€ for 30 minutes. BUT they are iconic to Venice and were begging for us to hop in.



Giggling because it was a little bit wobbly!



Getting ready to head out for our 30 minutes. :)









Selfies with our gondola(er).



Rialto from the place where it should be seen - the water!



The 80€ also included the gondola(er) taking our picture, so that was nice. :)
Something that is hard to come by when you travel alone every weekend.

MANY bloggers will argue that this isn't worth it because it is just TOO expensive. While yes, it is pricey, I thought it was well worth it. A city that is filled with 400 bridges is BEGGING to be seen by private gondola. Save up your 80€ and plan this in your budget.



We started a walking tour and got the history behind this marble church - which I wish I could share with you but I would indubitably screw it up.



If you have an emergency, this is where you'd go. Yep, this is the hospital! On the other side is the dock for the water ambulances.



The walking tour took us to this bookstore. I'm a sucker for a good bookstore and this one did not dissapoint.
I give you - Libreria Acqua Alta.





Complete with a book staircase and a gondola.



If two buildings are connected by a decal (I don't know what else to call this) then that means the family on the left and the family on the right had a marriage. It was fun to walk around and notice the pieces connecting two homes and to know that someone was married. :)



We ate pizza. Again. And it was every bit delicious.



Saint Mark's at night.



And no trip to Italy is complete without gelato.
Let me tell you about Suso. Because I believe a trip to Venice is worth it if you ONLY went here. Really. Bold as it may be, it was THAT good!



I have to share this photo, because it makes me laugh. We bought a bottle of wine to have in the room, along with a cheap bottle opener. The opener broke, and we did everything in our power to get it open. For the record, the shoe to the wall trick doesn't work like the videos promise.

Sunday left us with little time, but we made the most of it.

We went back to Marchini Time for coffee and croissants. Because when something is that good, you go back for more.





My favorite view of Venice. Tucked inside a department store! Make your way to the top for the best view.



The streets of Venice were super charming and I certainly fell in love.

We grabbed a quick lunch and boarded a water bus for the journey back to the airport.

Venice, you are magical!

xoxo, Riley