European Summer: Amalfi
This summer we upgraded from the Jersey shore to the gorgeous beaches of Italy! I am blessed that this was not my first trip to Europe so I had a general idea of the landscape around planning a two-week excursion and so was the self-appointed tour guide for my little sister’s first trip overseas :,) I had so much fun opening her eyes to a different culture, art, and breath-taking places.
I am going to outline what we did and what we could have done better in case you are planning your own trip to Europe.
Day 1: Fly! Make sure you arrive early enough to eat dinner or bring something for the plane. The airplane food is actually horrendous- even the flight attendant responded “Good idea” when I politely declined the “dinner” saying I had already ate. Also, make sure to get a luggage scale so you don’t have to frantically remove things at the airport check-in counter. Unfortunately, I know from experience that this is very stressful.
Day 2: Arrive! We took an “overnight” direct flight with the time difference so when we arrived it was noon in Naples! Be careful of the date when booking hotels. I arranged for a driver, Antonio, to pick us up and take us directly to our beautiful hotel on the sea. This was definitely a win. It made getting out of the airport so efficient and quick. To arrange this, I called our hotel and they put me in contact with two drivers that they frequently utilize.
We are stayed at Villa Scarpariello Relias in one of the seaside rooms in Ravello. Although it is technically Ravello, it really is closer to Amalfi. Ravello is generally considered at the top of the mountain more inland. This hotel is a half a mile walk from the beach in Amalfi and a mile walk to the beach in Minori. I would not suggest staying in true Ravello because it is far from the beach (and an uphill climb) and about a 60 euro taxi ride each way up and down. Our hotel was BREATHTAKING. We absolutely loved it. They do warn you, but take note, that we did have to carry our suitcases down 120 (yes, we counted) steps. And honestly, this is not totally uncommon in Italy. So pack light :,)
This day, we laid out by the sea at our hotel, jumped in the water and swam around, and then all fell asleep for a nice nap in the sun. You will definitely be jet lagged from the plane so try not to sleep too long so you can resume a normal schedule but the nap was definitely needed and the sun felt so good. We finished the day with dinner on the water at L'Antica Cartiera. This was a little pricey but delicious and beautiful. I started with a lemoncello spritz and had the ravioli for dinner. Portions in Amalfi were small so I would get primi and secondi when you order.
Day 3 and 4: Walked to the beach in Minori and rented chairs at Lido Ambrogio’s. We loved this. Know that the prices for the chairs are not set so feel free to negotiate a bit. We sat in the front row and could dip our toes in the water while still sitting in our chairs. It was so lovely and they brought around frozen sugared lemons! There were plenty of restaurants around for lunch and coffees/drinks. The one night for dinner we went to Ravello and ate at Bella Vista Sul Mare. Definitely make a reservation and ask to be seated by the sea. And make sure to go shopping at Blue Mediterranean and their children’s store- their items are so cute and original. There is also a large piazza with a beautiful church.
