We zipped by bullet train to Naples and then drove “Mama Mia” road to Positano. The windy, narrow road is aptly named with its steep cliffs and fast drivers that make you shout, “Mama Mia!” By some miracle, I didn’t get car sick. Perhaps from all the extra oxygen I took in while my mouth hung open? I couldn’t help but gape at my first sight of the Amalfi Coast. I really thought the pictures I’d seen were too good to be true. Surely they were all photoshopped? We soon discovered that our destination was better than we could have imagined.

After arriving, we climbed roughly 10 flights of stairs in search of our hotel, Villa Mary. We were won over the moment we arrived. Our hostess brought us cappuccinos to sip on the balcony while she went over a map of the area. We followed all her recommendations, from where to eat to what to do, starting with a walk down to the beach. The shops were charming and we bought a few prints. We made friends with a pair of golden retrievers that the shop owner introduced to us as, “es a Joe and es a Mia!”

We enjoyed an amazing dinner of ravioli and lemon veal with an equally amazing view. It felt like the perfect spot to dream so we sketched house plans on a napkin of the home we want to build some day. After dinner, I discovered my favorite gelato combination: hazelnut and coffee.

The next morning, breakfast was served to us on our balcony. We savored every bite and left eager to explore. On the way to the bus stop, we had the perfect view of Positano. I couldn’t resist stopping to take pictures, of course, and had to run to catch the bus! We sat beside a couple from Australia and loved hearing stories from their travels.

In Amalfi, we walked along the beach, toured a church, and browsed more shops. A local artist made gorgeous paper that I would have loved to buy but we had no extra space as we travelled carry-on only.

We decided to take the bus further up the coast to explore Ravelo. Once on the bus, we regretted this decision. Not only was it extremely packed, but I sincerely thought the bus was about to drive off the cliff several times. We met a sweet, French couple who appeared to be equally traumatized by the bus ride. After stopping for lunch and gelato, we all chose to hike back to Amalfi rather than take another life threatening ride.

Climbing down 1200 ft by 2000 steps ended up being the most memorable part of our entire trip. The views were unbelievable. We walked through towns, residences and lemon groves. We rested in Atrani where many movies have been filmed.

Back in Positano, we ate at around 7pm (still very early for Italians) and had the entire restaurant to ourselves. We got to sit in front of the kitchen and watch the cooks prepare our meal. Are you sick of hearing how good the food was? Well, it was amazing again. Our server laughed at us when we asked if Italian cooks receive any formal training. He told us their whole life is training and that it’s a skill passed down generations.

Our main regret from our whole trip was that we didn’t have more time in Positano. It was hard to leave, but after another delicious breakfast on our balcony we said Ciao to the Amalfi Coast.

Ci vediamo. Until we meet again.

See any photographs that you love? I’ve created a gallery so you can purchase prints to help us raise money for adoption! You can find my favorite captures from our travels here. If you don’t see the size or print you are interested in, send me an email and I will happily do a custom order for you!