Positano

Public transport is so easy from Sorrento to neighbouring places so we thought we would take the bus along the Almalfi drive to Almalfi and what a drive - hair raising to say the least! The distance is 28 miles along a narrow zigzagging road clinging to the contours of the steep mountains with lots of bottlenecks where buses and lorries try and negotiate passing spaces without falling down the precipices. The journey should have taken an hour and a half but there was a slight panic when the van two vehicles in front of us clipped the underside of someone's balcony overhanging the road and delayed us and all the traffic for 40 minutes. There were a couple of elderly but colourful Americans on the bus who were beside themselves with anxiety as they were to "catch their ship" from Amalfi and were frightened it would sail away without them. Were we all relieved when we saw their sleek white ship still moored up in the bay on our arrival!!

We had entered the old Duchy of Amalfi which was once the oldest maritime republic in Italy between 800 and 1200 AD. The town, built at the bottom of a steep gorge, was also famous for its law schools in medieval times. After a snack in one of the piazzas we climbed the 52 steps up to St Andrew's Cathedral. Many interesting things to look at and this is where the bones and relics of St Andrew (patron saint of Scotland) were brought from the Middle East and are still housed.

Not wanting to face the potentially sick-making journey back by road we were in time to catch the slow ferry along the coast back to Sorrento. Another two hour journey but well worth it! And here is Positano which we had already passed from up above but were too lazy to explore since there are many many steps to climb if one wants to explore (there are no roads in the old part) and N's wonky knee wouldn't have stood up to it. The church at the bottom is Santa Maria Assunta and has a majolica tiled dome. Many rich and famous have stayed here since the 1950's including John Steinbeck who wrote "Positano bites deep, it is a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone."