Positano Stairs

In lieu of the lack of availble bikes for hire (aren't we continental?), we decided to head over to Positano on the other side of the penninsula today. We grabbed the SITA bus from the station around the corner which took us on a long windy road over the mountain along the cliffs to Positano. The views are spectacular but the road is narrow so it can be a bit nerve wracking at times. (People with the initials JA would be pumping their imaginary brakes the entire time!)

The bus let us off about 800 ft up, so we had to hoof it down the stairs. Not bad on the way down, but we were not psyched about the return trip. Positano has a really neat old world feel with very narrow streets and tons of shops. Of course, we aren't big shoppers so most of that is wasted on us. Positano must be known for its sandals because about everyother shop was selling them. A few places had guys outside actually making them.

We ran into a family that we met yesterday catching the train. It was good to see they made it as they got on the wrong train! We also met a family from Connecticut with a near identical itinerary as us. They actually did us a favor and let us know that there was construction on the road to Amalfi, so we ended up not going. We grabbed a nice lunch right on the beach and then headed back up the mountain. It actually wasn't all that bad and we were passing people left and right, so our form isn't completely gone.

The bus ride home was quite an adventure. The first bus that came by was stuffed and only one person could cram in. By now, there were probably 30 people waiting to head back to Sorrento. When the next bus came, it didn't look much better. For some reason, this bus was only 2 minutes after the first, but the buses are usually at least a half hour apart, so we knew this might be our only chance for a while. Seeing an opportunity, April made a dash for the bus, knocking old ladies to the side (accounts may differ). It was great to see such tenacity and very unexpected! Luckily, I was able to sneak into her wake and sneak onto the bus. About another 10 people were able to get on and people left road side were very upset.

Apparently in Italy, there are little to no safety requirements as there were people practically stuffed in overhead bins. It was insanely hot, so we didn't much mind that this driver was more aggressive than our first. He basically, just honked his horn the entire trip to say "coming through, move it or lose it". There were a couple hardened old cyclists along the road which was like rubbing salt in our wounds. The saddest moment of the day when an older man in his 70's, about as tall as Tom's waist, tried to get off the bus but by the time he made it through the crowd, the driver had started up again. Everyone yelled to stop, but that driver was hard core. The bus drove on for another 10 minutes before he was able to get off at the next stop. April almost cried.

So far the neatest thing about Sorrento is the vibrant independent puppy community. We say independent because they are not affiliated with any specific people. They frequent most of the shops and take siestas outside the others. Some enjoy strolls with their friends and others prefer more solitary walks.

Tomorrow we head to Pompeii.