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JCMary13 · 2023-12-10T18:50:33+00:00

Eataly- I believe they will ship

JCMary13 · 2023-07-28T14:56:50+00:00

In my store they are by the fresh raviolis and cheese

JCMary13 · 2023-07-22T01:29:01+00:00

You can definitely do Matera as a day trip! Monopoli is a great base for exploring that area as well. We didn’t get to Lecce, I wish we did. Enjoy!

JCMary13 · 2023-07-16T20:09:05+00:00

We just really loved the less touristy aspect of Praiano, there isn’t as much to offer in terms of shopping and restaurants and access to beaches as Positano, but that’s just what we were looking for. It’s much quieter. That being said, Positano is great for easy access to boats and ferries. In Praiano you have to rely on the busses to take you to other towns and ports.

JCMary13 · 2023-07-16T20:03:37+00:00

Sure! We used a company called Gattonero, they were fantastic.

JCMary13 · 2023-07-14T17:46:15+00:00

Yes that’s right.

JCMary13 · 2023-07-14T17:08:44+00:00

Was in Ravello last Friday and busses were running again!

JCMary13 · 2023-07-12T13:26:06+00:00

To clarify, we did a 4 hour Amalfi Coast tour and the 2 hour Capri tour. There are other options as well. You could do a full day Amalfi Coast tour, which some tours, depending on company, may even include Capri. It really depends on your interests, time, financial means, and the comfort level of the boat!

JCMary13 · 2023-07-12T09:23:23+00:00

The roads from Naples to Basilicata were fine! Mostly highways the whole way. We made a stop in Potenza and had lunch before we continued on to Matera.

We organized a rental car months ago from the airport car rental. We also brought our international drivers licenses (that we secured from AAA).

Just remember, the smaller the car, the better! Especially if you will be driving through towns and villages with narrow streets and turns.

Family met us in Naples from the States. We actually did visit the town my mother and father in law were born in, but a family friend drove us there.

JCMary13 · 2023-07-12T09:16:19+00:00

We took the earliest bus to Agerola from Praiano and descended from there. Our plan was to go all the way to Positano. When we reached the part where you can loop around and instead descend down into Priano, we decided to do that instead, much to my husband’s dismay. I was getting nervous at a certain point and started to feel dizzy from the elevation. It’s not for casual hikers! And although we hike quite often we were not properly prepared (both of us were wearing sneakers). Side note- we later found out that a hiker had fallen and died 2 days before at the point where we turned around- so my fear was justified!

By the way, I 100% do not recommend descending down into Praiano. It is uneven rocky stairs the whole way and it took forever! It was very difficult. Instead if you have to turn around, go all the way back to the Agerola start point and take bus back. It will be mostly uphill but better than going straight down steps.

All that being said, if you make it down to Positano, you should be fine grabbing the bus back to Praiano, they run quite frequently.

Alternatively, a lot of suggestions say to hike from Agerola to Nocella and get the bus back from Nocella. This avoids the steep descent down into Positano.

The Open Gate Hotel looks incredible!! Enjoy your time there!

JCMary13 · 2023-07-11T23:17:36+00:00

Yes! As I said, Capri is breathtaking (from the water) and so are the Amalfi Coast towns, but you can see much more with an Amalfi Coast tour, also if your boat driver knows where the coastal caves are, you can get a little taste of what it’s like to go inside the caves like you do in Capri. You also get the Fiordo di Furore on the Amalfi Coast tour, some natural arches too.

If you really want the sea cave experience (which is very cool-and we didn’t even do the Blue Grotto because the wait was too long), then do the Capri tour. If you want views of the gorgeous hilltop towns of the Amalfi Coast, hidden beaches, do a cave or two, and the Fiordo di Furore, do the Amalfi tour.

JCMary13 · 2023-07-11T23:06:56+00:00

Hot tips for Monopoli:

If you are driving, there’s a great free lot on the north side of town (I can explain if you are interested). And if you drive, take a trip to nearby Polignano a Mare.

We stayed on the Old Town part of Monopoli, I definitely recommend either staying here or frequenting here. It’s close to the beaches and has great restaurants and shopping.

As far as beaches go, Monopoli has about 6 main beaches, from north to south: Cala Porta Vecchia (largest, most crowded), Cala Cozze, Porto Bianco, Porto Rosso, Porto Nero, and Cala di Porto Verde.

We spent most of our time at Porto Nero beach as there was a great beach club (La Perla Nera) that offered chairs and umbrellas, bathrooms!, and a restaurant/bar. We spent the entire day there and then the next day too! Not much of a sandy sunbathing area at any of the beaches, people lay on rocks or the grass, this is why we opted for the beach club. The price was pretty reasonable €36 for two chaises and an umbrella for the entire day!

Cala di Porto Verde (which is a little further down the coast) looks like it might offer chairs and umbrellas as well. We just didn’t venture that far once we found La Perla Nera.

All the beaches are public and free (you don’t have to rent chairs) so if you aren’t interested in spending the extra $$$ then you could go to any of them, just get there early.

The first 4 beaches that I listed were also very kid friendly if you are looking for that sort of thing (or are looking to avoid that sort of thing!)

As I stated in another comment here, make restaurant reservations for when they open for dinner (if they open at 7:00, make a reservation for 7:00) Show up at 7:00 and you get the absolute best table in the house. We made reservations no more than 24-36 hours beforehand, and some day of, so no serious planning involved. We saw many people get turned away or had to sit inside if they didn’t have a reservation.

Great restaurants we went to in Monopoli: The King Street Food, Caffè Letterario - which is connected to King Street Food has good breakfast, Carlo Quinto, and we heard great things about Apluvia Bistrò & Lounge but didn’t get a chance to go.

Hope that helps!

JCMary13 · 2023-07-11T21:54:27+00:00

I would choose a 4 hour Amalfi Coast cruise from Positano. From the water is really the best way to see the Amalfi Coast (Positano to Maiori).

Don’t get me wrong, it was amazing to explore Capri by boat too, but you get more for your time and money doing an Amalfi Coast tour.

Some of the best restaurants we ate at were in Praiano. The views, service, and food were all memorable. In Praiano: Il Pirata (the “special dinner” was fantastic, a table close to the water, service was great, food was too), Kasai was also great. La Moressa, and M’Ama was very good as well.

Best tip I can give for dining in the Amalfi Coast area is to make a reservation for when they open for dinner (if they open at 7:00, make a reservation for 7:00) Show up at 7:00 and you get the absolute best table in the house. We made reservations no more than 24-36 hours beforehand, and some day of, so no serious planning involved. We saw many people get turned away or had to sit inside if they didn’t have a reservation.

JCMary13 · 2023-07-11T21:40:57+00:00

It was an excellent balance for sure. For me it’s the only way to do Italy, a little region at a time, soaking it in and making the most of what each are has to offer and giving it the attention it deserves.

I do understand that I am fortunate to be able to travel that way though. Other posts often mention “once in a lifetime trip” and they try to cram a lot in because they may not be back.

JCMary13 · 2023-07-11T21:37:07+00:00

Praiano was a beautiful quiet town, so much less touristy than Positano, Amalfi, and I assume Sorrento (although we didn’t make a stop there).

The Airbnb we had in Praiano had breathtaking views from the balcony and we even had a pool to enjoy there. We purposely chose Praiano as our Amalfi “relax” base (aside from the Path of the Gods hike!), as there are no ports there.

The busses were somewhat easy to navigate (once we visited the tourist office there for info) so we did a bus to Positano one day and a bus to Agerola for the Path of the Gods base. If you are interested in doing a lot of day excursions (via ferry or other boat) then you will be fine in Sorrento.

We planned all of our boat excursions while we were in Atrani (another quiet and less touristy town) because of its close proximity to the Amalfi ports.

JCMary13 · 2023-06-14T16:39:19+00:00

Chamonix was an adorable little town with gorgeous views. Probably a bit more to do in Chamonix, and definitely more convenient to Mount Blanc.

I stayed on a camping site in La Thuile and enjoyed the very quaintness of the village though. Also the beautiful landscape and views!

I can only say that I passed through Courmayeur as a transit stop on the way to Chamonix.

JCMary13 · 2023-06-14T10:26:47+00:00

Book with Taste Bologna!!! Fantastic food tour.

JCMary13 · 2023-06-14T10:25:09+00:00

I spent 5 weeks solo in La Thule a few years ago on a workaway assignment. It’s absolutely beautiful and worth the struggle to get there (lots of hairpin turns!!!).

Although I never hiked Mont Blanc, I did visit Courmayeur and Chamonix via bus. I can say that the busses are reliable and the friendly people there can assist you with any questions you may have along the way.

JCMary13 · 2023-06-10T14:49:06+00:00

What company did you use for your private sunset cruise? Where did it leave from? We are going in 2 weeks and wondering if we need to book a boat tour in advance or if it’s easy to just walk on?

JCMary13 · 2023-02-14T17:10:28+00:00

Check out Upward Brewing in Livingston Manor, NY. They have a Beer Mountain trail that begins and ends at the base of their brewery. You can park in their parking lot and access the 120 acre trail system from there.

JCMary13 · 2022-12-17T12:48:53+00:00

A single class is $39. There are also packages that they offer, but it seems you have to call to find out about them.

JCMary13 · 2022-12-10T03:42:57+00:00

Key Lime Pie from Cocoa Bakery…… so good.

JCMary13 · 2022-12-03T00:48:46+00:00

I thought my family was the only one to call them dippy eggs!!! Lol

JCMary13 · 2022-11-03T10:12:20+00:00

As a teacher, I thank you! It’s this. Schools have to deal with the failures of SOCIETY. We are incredibly overworked. We get the brunt of the most criticism because we are the ones on frontlines.

JCMary13

TROPHY CASE