Aunt Vi Chronicle Redux, Part 4: The Amalfi Coast

Sam was still sick. He had a very bad cold and was on medication. Helen, her mom and I took a private boat to Grand Hotel in San Pietro. It was a beautiful hotel located upon a cliff, overlooking the Gulf of Salerno. There were flowers everywhere.

Positano is a beautiful town with many tourists who come by these large boats called "valaviamore." We did some sightseeing and had lunch at a sidewalk café. We drank San Pellegrino bottled water. Growing up in Harlem, I remember drinking San Pellegrino water. New York was great back then.

We had a nice dinner at a beachfront restaurant called Chez Black. The restaurant was known for it's special seafood dinners, fresh from the sea. It was right next to our hotel.

Tuesday, October 10, 1995

Sam and Helen planned an all day sightseeing trip along the Amalfi Coast. We met our driver Luigi right after breakfast. Oh, what a beautiful day! The views were spectacular, unlike anything I'd ever seen in America. We made stops in the towns of Minori, Matori, Scalen, Amalfi, Salerno, Sorrento, and Ravelo. We ate lunch at La C. Ionna in the gorgeous cliff-top town of Ravelo. Luigi's friend was the owner and both he and his wife did all the cooking. It was a beautiful restaurant and a delicious lunch.

The weather that day was perfect. We were on the road for about 8 ½ hours altogether. I will never forget this day as long as I live. God's beautiful world! The sea, the blue skies, and the beautiful flowers will be etched in my mind forever. Again, I am so grateful to Helen and Sam for blessing me with this opportunity.

We did a lot of walking in Positano. It was such a lively and active place! We noticed the fishermen would leave about five o'clock in the morning, row to their nets, and return with their catch. Then they'd deliver the fish to all the local restaurants and hotels along the beach, just like they've probably been doing for centuries.

Wednesday, October 11, 1995, Capri

Sam would not let me climb the top of the hill to the Piazzi. He made arrangements with the porters. They drove small cars through a tunnel delivering supplies and luggage. Thank God! It would have taken me at least an hour to climb to the top. In the end, I think I made out alright.

We tleft for Capri by boat and took the cable car, or "funiculare", to the Piazza, where we checked into our hotel, Quisisana (another five star hotel!). We lunched at poolside and went sightseeing. Our driver was named Joe. The island is so beautiful and there are so many places of interest. Sidewalk cafes and gift shops lined the streets. Joe's car was a 51 year old Fiat. He told us his brother bought it in America. It was a wreck and Joe rebuilt it. We dined that night outdoors at Paulino's, surrounded by lemon trees.

The following morning we took a private boat to see the island from the sea. The boatman was named Giuseppe and he was a very interesting person. The ride along the coast was great. Giuseppe pointed out places of interest, including the blue, green and gold grottos. Helen, Sam, and Frances transferred to a smaller boat to get a closer look at the caves. I stayed behind with Giuseppe. They said the water in the caves was the same color as the rocks.

In the meantime, Giuseppe spoke to me in a Neopolitan accent, which I understood very well. He would then ask me for the proper words in English. He kept saying "aqua dolce", which means "sweet water." I was getting a little confused until he did what Italians do best, motioning his hands upwards. "Oh, you mean spring water!" I finally understood. We got along quite well after that.

Throughout the trip I noticed that I seemed to get special attention when I told people I was an American with Italian parents. It seemed to please them and made me very proud of my ancestry.

To be continued...