view from our balcony
As I promised you last week…I bring you more Positano. But quite honestly, I don't see how it could ever be enough. It all started when we saw the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. When Frances goes with Marcello to the coast to meet his family for dinner on the beach, and subsequently returns in her fabulous white dress, only to find he has a new lover….that glorious place was Positano. So no visit to Italy would have been complete for me, without a stop here. Most people take the boat or the bus…but we were coming from Rome and had rented a car, so feeling adventurous, we drove the 3 hours.
We drove down the Amalfi coast, just like they did. Uh, well, we were in a SmartCar and they were in a red Alfa Romeo sports car. Minor technicality. Twisting and turning among the cliffs, most times I felt suspended in mid-air. I was plastered to the car door, scared to death, while Chris was grinning ear to ear, gunning the engine and jerking the steering wheel left and right as though he was having uncontrollable spasms in his arm. We were told to watch for the crazy Italian kids on Vespas. They think they are invincible and pass you going uphill around a blind curve upward of 50 miles per hour. I would close my eyes and pray for them as I heard them roar by.
along the coast, from out of the car window on the door I was clingng to
When we got to our hotel, which we had booked very far in advance, we found a delightful surprise. The hotel had undergone construction, and we had booked the highest possible floor(which we later found out used to be reception). As luck would have it, the top floor had been totally renovated and now contained a huge master suite with a private balcony, new tile floors and the largest bathroom in all of Europe. The bathroom was larger than most of the hotel rooms we had occupied up to that point. Oh, did I mention the Jacuzzi tub that was part of the deal. And the best part…the manager gave this room to us…at the regular room rate, just because we took a chance and booked during a construction period. So nice they were! So here we are, enjoying the most wonderful views, in this magnificent suite, all for 150€ per night, when it normally books for 300€ per night. As if this was not enough…this insane price includes breakfast brought to your room and served on your private balcony every morning.
our suite..basic, clean and spacious
our balcony
Just to give you some perspective on this. Positano is a posh celebrity destination. The Hotel Sirenuse is located directly across the narrow street from us, and rooms book there for 800-3,100€ per night..easy. And as much as everyone raves about the Sirenuse…our room and private balcony was situated above them, so we actually looked down on them…and we had a better, more unobstructed view of Positano and the sea…at a fraction of the cost. The rich celebs get robbed, and the poor Travel Consultant on a budget…scores a great deal! True Story.
Hotel Sirenuse
view from our balcony, the red building in foreground is Le Sirenuse
My next post will be about the wonderful 3 days we spent and of course…more pictures!