Adventures in Italy: Day 11 Sorrento, Positano

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Italy Day 11, Friday, October 14, Sorrento and Positano.

This morning Ben gave us an orientation walking tour of our new city. Sorrento, was also called Surrentum in Roman times. The ancient Greeks laid out the city to get the best advantage of weather patterns in an efficient grid. Today there are more Roman ruins than Greek, that are buried, yet to be recovered or restored. There is so much reference to Roman history here and yet this area remained mostly Greek with the oldest ruins dating back to 600 BC. I read that Sorrento was founded by Liparus, relative of Ulysses and Circe. This ancient Greek settlement was originally devoted to the cult of the Sirens, the name Sorrento is a derivation of this. We walked past an exposed ruin contradicting the modern hotels that surrounded it. Sorrento has been known for its wine and fish but in ancient times even more for its lemons and oranges which were not yet known throughout the region of what is now Italy. Besides the famous foods, we found references to Sorrento’s signature Campanian red vases throughout the city.

This area has been a hot spot for upscale tourism for centuries and in recent times, encouraged by the popular 20th century song Torna a Surriento (Come Back to Sorrento). Among the famous who have lived and worked here are Henrik Ibsen, who wrote A Dolls House here (he has a park dedicated to him near in town) and famous Soviet writer Maxim Gorky. Ben showed us the important locations such as the good local restaurants, the 14th century Monastery of St Francesco with it’s lovely courtyard and park across the street in which a joyous St Francis stands praising God. The promenade along the Bay of Naples was close by with its cafes and views of Vesuvius. Unfortunately I did not learn about the stairway down to the famous close knit fishing village below called the Port of Marina Grande with its rustic old world cliffside homes and cafes just below. A missed opportunity.

Opting out of the local school visit, my husband Dave, friends Donna and John, and our new friends Mary and George, and Carol and Chuck and I left Ben and the GCT group in the Piazza Torquato Tasso, the main intersection in Sorrento, (the place to go for a passeggiata or stroll for locals and visitors) to spend the day in Positano. With map in hand we found the local bus to Positano and for a mere 1.80 euro each way we were on the hour long bus ride to the magical cliff side town. Getting there was half the fun. Jammed in like the sardines from the sea we careened along the narrow switchback road with a wall to our left and the sea dropping miles below the bus window on my right. The scenery was stunning but you prayed the driver stayed on the road.

Positano is an ancient fishing town perched on a very steep hill smack dab in the middle of the famed Amalfi Coast. Positano has probably been trendy for eons and we can see it surely is now. John Steinbeck “discovered” Positano in the 1950s and after his article in Harper’s Bazaar, many others discovered it as well.

Our bus dropped us off high above the town (we knew to get off the bus when the driver said "finished! Positano!). We then began our descent down the steep narrow sidewalk into the town below passing shops and restaurants while looking down on tops of roofs, churches and the beach below. It is a wonder that the buildings have clung to the hillside for centuries without being washed down to the sea. As we walked we saw plenty of Positano’s iconic domed rooftops, painted white with a layer of sand under the curved shape. The sand and white color helps to maintain an even temperature indoors.

The colorful yellow, green and blue Majolica tiled dome of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta repeatedly grabs the eye as you descend into the densely packed streets below. This church dates back to the 10th century and is linked to the Benedictine monastery of St Mary honoring a much venerated Byzantine icon representing the Virgin Mary known as the Black Madonna. Legend has it that the icon was stolen from Byzantium by pirates. The pirate ship was traveling across the Mediterranean Sea when a storm blew up threatening the lives of all on board. The frightened sailors heard a voice saying “Posa, Posa” meaning ‘put down, put down’. They landed the ship in the quiet fishing village and as they carried the precious cargo on shore the storm abated. Thereafter the fishing village was known as Positano.

Busses and cars are relegated to areas well above the town. On our descent into the tiny town I was nearly run over by a scooter reminding me to watch where I was going. Half the fun is getting lost in the narrow steep lanes so to really embrace the ambiance and not miss the details I stopped frequently for a great photo shot.

Six of us GCT travelers (Carol and Chuck opted for the beach) were on the quest for a particular restaurant touted by Rick Steves to be superb but sadly I had not written down the name. On our way towards the cove I poked my head into an intriguing palm lined terra-cotta entrance that lead into a beautiful old building with bougainvillea draped porches. As I stepped further into the entranceway I discovered this was a grand hotel with a restaurant. But after further inspection I learned it was not just any hotel, it was the Palazzo Murat Hotel, a 4 star Michelin Guide Hotel, once a Benedictine monastery and later turned into an 18th century villa for Gioacchino Murat, the king of Naples, and husband of Napoleon’s sister Carolin Bonaparte. I was delighted! (I too have very good taste). The historical elements of the hotel, surrounded by lush gardens, lemon trees, palms and small statues looked like something out of Architectural Digest. As we explored the hotel gardens we found a lovely dining area on a quiet terrace under a white canopy protected from the wind. Our own private piece of heaven away from the madding crowd, the perfect place to have a leisurely lunch. Among the six of us we had fresh salads, gnocchi with pesto, sea bass and ravioli. Wine and cookies added the final touch to an elegant and memorable outdoor repast. This may not have been Rick's Steve’s suggested restaurant but we all agreed that we did one better finding Restorant Al Palazzo.

The meals were excellent but we decided we'd lingered long enough under the lemon trees and pergolas. It was time to explore Positano. Photography and shopping was yet to be completed! Up and down the narrow stone lanes shops offered many kinds of soaps, towels, decorations and drinks made from or about lemons. The scent of the sea mingled with the many scents of lemon coming from all the shops in the cobbled and hilly paths was a sensory delight.

I had wanted to go down to the Marina Grande beach where fellow travelers Chuck and Carol had gone but everyone (except me) had had their fill of Positano and if I chose to stay I would do so alone. We all left the cobbled pedestrian paths to climb back up the steep roads past speeding cars and motorbikes on the narrow winding streets to catch the bus back to Sorrento.

Back at the Cesare Augustus, still wanting to savor the day’s enjoyment, I asked a bartender to open my wine bottle from Tuscany. We had planned to enjoy the rooftop terrace but the wind was too much and the view was so obstructed by buildings that we decided it was not worth staying there so Donna, John, Dave and I went up to our hotel room on our own private terrace overlooking the hotel gardens where we enjoyed a late afternoon social hour before getting ready for (more food) dinner.

In Sorrento, GCT offered several intimate dining options. Instead of 40 some people cramming into a large dining room, there were many local restaurants to choose from with a fixed menu. We strolled into town between raindrops to find dinner at Ristaurante Refood Al Vicoletto, one of the best choices we made from this list. It’s hard to believe but we had another amazingly excellent dinner, this time with a complementary Prosecco toast, bruschetta, wine, linguini with goat cheese and clams then veal scallopini with grilled vegetables and finally a pistachio mousse. We dined like royalty today. After dinner we strolled past the shops to the harbor where we sat by the bay with a limoncello or wine or cappuccino and savored the balmy breezes remembering a fabulous day with good friends.

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