1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #289 - Bus Ride Amalfi-to-Positano, Italy

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #289

- Bus Ride Amalfi-to-Positano, Italy 

(The bus ride from Amalfi to Positano has been described by magazines as the most beautiful 20km coastline in the world..but it was also the scariest! This SITA bus became our best friend in our roadtrips along this route because it stopped right in front of our hotel on the way back to Amalfi. The videos here will describe the bus ride the best, with hair-pin turns everywhere. But the bus captains are stories in themselves, with one easily qualifying as the bus driver in the world, for sure. The views one get from these rides are worth every euro, which was a super cheap 1.80euro to Positano, one-way)

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #288 - Positano, Italy

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #288

- Positano, Italy 

(You know you have come to a special place when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when you get the first glimpse of it. This is Positano. Like Amalfi, it takes your breath away. About 45mins away on public bus from Amalfi, Positano exudes charm due to it's enclosed cove. In one 360-degree sweep (see video below), you get to see how beautiful the Italians have made this place..pastel-coloured houses standing out from it's cliff sides. And there was this resident-painter doing his artwork right on the beach platform, giving you that feeling of da Vinci or Michelangelo doing his great works beside you. Aah..I can smell the fresh air, on an unusually warm 20C Christmas-eve afternoon - we had to take off our jackets several times!)

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #287 - Miramalfi Hotel, Amalfi

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #287

- Miramalfi Hotel, Amalfi

(This is our hotel in Amalfi, Miramalfi Hotel..right on a cliff, with the clear blue water 50 metres below. We saw the review in TripAdvisor that it was good..but not this good! It's possibly the best view from the coastline to see Amalfi town from afar. It's a good 15minute walk to the town centre but just look at those sunrises, blessing our balcony each morning for 5 mornings..heavenly! The morning breakfast was so invigorating we got first bites every morning from Paolo's preparations..it's the breakfast table and view to die for!)

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #286 - Amalfi, Italy

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #286

- Amalfi, Italy

(I am finally here in Amalfi - literally straight from Rome airport on the same arrival day after a 30hr commute non-stop. This small coastal town of Amalfi lights up like a pearl on a golden chain. And just look at it, under the spell of the setting winter sun at around 4.30pm and 16C? Magical. It looks even better than what's written in the "1000 Places to See Before You Die" book. The video clip below captured the setting sun best - my 2nd sunset beauty after Mykonos 8 years ago - click here: Mykonos sunset. This is a part of Italy that I didn't know existed - the previous 2 packaged tours through Italy simply did not make any mention of the Amalfi Coast, making this find even more special for us. So peaceful and romantic..)

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #285 - Private Car Transfer (Mercedes Benz), Naples

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #285

- Private Car Transfer (Mercedes Benz), Naples

(Our private-car-transfer driver from Naples to Amalfi was right on the spot when we arrived at the Napoli station - Giovanni of Benvenuto and his Merc. What a pleasant surprise indeed! To be whisked away like the Queen (okay, it wasn't a Rolls but good enough for me), with views even a 20-hour flight+train ride could not fail to impress. Just look at what this 90min private car ride gave us - our first look at the infamous active volcano Mt Vesuvius and the cliffhanging Amalfi coastline. Not a bad deal at all for Euro90.. )

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #284 - Roma Termini, Italy

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #284

- Roma Termini train station, Italy

(Fresh off the boat..at Roma Termini at 0700hrs, after a 12hr-flight from Bangkok. With a refreshing 12C and time to shop at Benetton at this train station itself and our first croissant + latte, my Roman holidays has begun, enroute to Naples and Amalfi. Trains here and in France are simply a delight - clean and almost always on-time. This time our eyes lit up, not because of the hyper speed of the train but look who else was in it? A roman lassie in the midst of returning home for Xmas eve, in a coach filled to the brim - it can only happen in Europe)