Last month we made the 3 hour drive down through Naples and Sorrento travelling further along the Amalfi coast to Positano. Words simply cannot describe how beautiful the Amalfi Coast is "see Amalfi and die happy" so they say or something to that effect and like the countless endless Napolitano love songs it is so very true.
A beautiful blue azure ocean dotted with simple fishing boats, a truly hair raising winding road to traverse and the most stunning villas dotted here there and everywhere make Positano a simply gorgeous coastal destination one which overlooks the island of Capri.
The town is packed with tourists from everywhere in the world, some rich and famous, it's full of narrow little lanes with the most wonderful exotic tiny shops and exclusive designer boutiques. Small trendy boutique hotels and rustic restaurants all mingled in with al fresco dining tables outside as cars whizz past, making it an iconic place that if I ever won the lottery I would live there but I would need at least 10 million euro so I truly doubt that will ever happen, also, the 300 steps the locals have to walk up and down into town every day may well put me off but I think it's a drawback I could live with!!! I hope you enjoy the photos below I love it there and am already planning our return next year.
I came to Italy with good intentions of writing a blog and a book but I have not been writing much as the heat has taken over my body. It has been in the high 30's since June and I am wilting fast, we still have the almighty August heat to get through so lord help me! I am desperate for rain I never thought I'd ever say that but I am seriously contemplating doing a rain dance butt naked out on the balcony but I might be arrested by the local carabinieri or put the neighbours off their dinner so best skip that idea.
It's so hot that it's all I can talk about, all my emails to my girlfriend Beate are titled "Hot Hot Hot" and I am starting to sound like a parrot! It always amazes me how some women can look so glamourous on the beach with their cool trendy shades, immaculate hair, peachy make-up and sexy bikini's whist I on the other hand end up looking like a beached whale! Seriously it is not fair, my bikini barely covers my stomach and it's so hot I can't bare to feel my hair on my neck so it has stayed scrunched up on top of my head for the past 3 mths and has also not seen a hairdryer let alone a hair brush for that long either and my face has been free of any make up for 3mths. I can barely put any clothes on, I just want to lie naked like a beached whale every day eating cold ice-lollies.
How these women pull off this super cool casual chic summer look I have no idea, my body shape is just not meant for summer clothes, I am typically English pear shaped therefore I have always hated summer clothes it's not a look I can do. Winter however is my forte, black, black and more black in fact 95% of my wardrobe is black I love, love, love it so I really think I should have gone to live in Norway or somewhere really cold, ice cold, freezing cold, now that is a look I can pull off I think I was a Viking in the past as I have always had a yearning to go to Norway and am often looking at Norwegian cruise brochures fancying myself being ravished by Christopher Lambert in Highlander!!!! Well who wouldn't!
I have been so hot but oddly and slightly masochistically I have been watching English programmes on Christmas of all things. I kid you not!
Yes I spent a great afternoon yesterday eating ice-lollies in 38 degree heat watching Sarah Beeney's show "A Great British Christmas". It showed Rise Hall decorated for Christmas throughout the ages in the Georgian, Victorian and War Time era's. Sarah renovated the house magnificently and it was very nostalgic watching Christmas in England, my favourite time of the year, very odd in 38 degree heat but I couldn't face another day at the beach.
I also watched the re-make of the movie "Far from the Madding Crowd" another beautiful period drama. The English countryside was beautiful, absolutely stunning and the historical houses they used were glorious, it also showed Christmas scenes in the snow ah it was truly beautiful. Film locations were Claydon House which is a National Trust property but my favourite was "Mapperton House". Mapperton House has an interesting history having passed through many prominent families down the centuries into the current Earl of Sandwich.
His predecessor the 4th Earl of Sandwich was the First Lord of the Admiralty and sponsored one of Captain Cook's voyages of discovery, his reward was to have the "Sandwich Islands" named after him however in a 100 years' time they were referred to by the name of the largest of the islands "Hawaii". But his lasting claim to fame is what has been called Britain's biggest contribution to gastronomy, is the humble "Sandwich", as not wanting to leave his gaming table in 1762 he put a piece of meat between two slices of bread and voila the "Sandwich" was born and named after him. If he were alive today I think he would be absolutely astonished at how many varieties exist and the sheer volume of sandwiches consumed around the world!!!! Which just goes to show that one day you never know what you might be famous for???
If anyone conjures up some rain please send it my way, until then happy holidays....................
Positano
Terrace of Punta Regina Hotel
Fishing boats (the three islands in the background were once owned by Rudolf Nureyev the Russian ballet dancer
Church in Positano
Souvenir from Positano my fish nightlight
Mapperton House used for filming Far from the Madding Crowd and home of 4th Earl of Sandwich famous for inventing the Sandwich
John Montagu 4th Earl of Sandwich
