On my way to a new adventure, I finally found some time to write about the last one. It’s been a month since I returned from Italy, a country I want to keep coming back to again and again, and there are still so many new and beautiful places to explore!
About a year ago, direct flights from Tallinn to Naples suddenly started, and right nearby is one of my dream destinations—the Amalfi Coast! I immediately decided that I had to go! I initially thought about a family vacation, but after researching the destination more closely, I realized my boys wouldn’t appreciate it. They need a proper beach and a place where they can relax. And God forbid, any serpentine roads—they get car sick… And the Amalfi Coast is all about serpentine roads. So I let go of the idea of traveling there, but not for long. Then I saw good flight deals and suggested to my friends that we go in March 2022. We bought the tickets, but didn’t fly because the COVID madness just wouldn’t end. But by spring, the restrictions were lifted, and we booked tickets for October, hoping for the best. And the best happened!
So, from October 10-14, 2022, when it’s warm in Italy and we’re already in the dreary fall. I’m a positive person, but our fall can make anyone depressed. So we extended summer.
It turned out that my usual detailed trip planning didn’t happen; I was buried in work. One of my friends took on the whole load and booked hotels and a car. Each night in a new place, each one better than the last!
We arrived in Naples in the evening, picked up our car at the airport, and headed to our apartment. The location was right in the center, and on a Monday evening—everyone was out and about! No tourists in sight, just Italians everywhere. The traffic in Naples was busy, but it didn’t feel chaotic. A minor traffic jam, a few rows of cars, and an older man on a bicycle passed by. Dressed in a sharp suit, well-groomed, stylish, with a relaxed face and a light smile. And there he was, winking at us while on the move, and we found out where the best pizza in Naples is! Smiling, we parted ways! From the very first moment, you understand—this is real Italy!
We didn’t make it to the pizza, as we ended up at a small restaurant nearby, and it was delicious, just like everywhere in Italy! The next morning, we set off to explore Naples in no particular direction. I knew Naples was dirty and had terrible crime rates. As for crime, fortunately, I didn’t notice much, but the dirt—yes. There was a lot of it. It felt like the trash hadn’t been collected in years. But maybe because I was prepared for it, it didn’t stop me from enjoying the city’s atmosphere. It’s very—very Italian. It’s big, but not overwhelming like Rome, for example. The underwear on balconies, everything like in every other part of Italy—such a joy of recognition. What was most interesting and what no one mentioned—there are neighborhoods where it’s clean, and the people on the streets are entirely different. No more underwear here. Everything feels very affluent. But the Italian spirit is still present; it’s not like the affluence of Germany, for example. It feels warm and like dolce vita. The pizza is delicious everywhere (and I’m talking about the whole region!), people smile, and the atmosphere is delightful!
On the way to the Amalfi Coast on Tuesday, we stopped in Pompeii for a couple of hours. To say it was impressive is an understatement. But I wasn’t at all prepared; history isn’t my strong suit, I remembered almost nothing, and without a guide, it’s hard to navigate. I’ll definitely return there one day with a guide and with the kids.
Next, we drove to the sea. And those views, which everyone has seen in pictures—they’re not Photoshop. It’s incredible beauty around every corner! Small towns flowing into one another, the sea, cliffs, the sun, and those sunny people!!!
By evening, we arrived in Sorrento. Our hotel was, as I understand it, not exactly in the city but higher up on the hill. The view was stunning, with a terrace surrounded by olive trees, citrus, and avocados. Stepping out onto the balcony, my heart skipped a beat. Later, we went down (by car, walking in the mountains in the evening wasn’t ideal, and it was quite far) and strolled through Sorrento in the dark, which looked just like a fairy tale.
The next morning, I had to work, and it was quite challenging. There’s almost no internet in those parts. Seriously. No WiFi, no 4G could handle what I’m used to doing effortlessly in minutes. I needed to join a meeting, and using the camera was out of the question. I could barely hear half of the discussion, and my colleagues heard me about the same. It became clear quite quickly that it was the mountains’ fault, so my friends drove me to a café to finish the call, hoping for better internet. But it didn’t work out very well. Afterward, we went for a walk, and by morning, the impressions were calmer. The town was just a town, cute, like all of Italy. We strolled around and moved on.
The next hotel was also not on the coast but high in the mountains, in a place called Agerola. It would probably be more convenient by the sea, but prices were too high even in October, and the mountains are just as beautiful, especially with a car. Without a car, I don’t understand how to get around—there are buses, but they have their nuances.
Having a car also has its quirks—if you’re not confident behind the wheel, this is not the region to drive in. In October, there’s no traffic, but in summer, they say it’s a nightmare. Even without traffic, it’s serpentine roads, narrow, sometimes it’s hard to pass an oncoming bus, and Italians are relaxed, drive swiftly, park as tightly as everywhere in Italy. Everyone merges into one lane simultaneously if needed—two cars and several scooters can easily fit together. Whoever gets there first, gets the spot! It’s all done with a smile and interaction :)) Parking isn’t easy—along the road or in larger paid parking areas. Prices are not cheap, in Amalfi center it’s 6 euros per hour.
So, we just drove along the beautiful road toward Agerola, and along the way, we stumbled upon a small beach in the cliffs. We stopped to swim and have lunch. The lunch was delicious, the sea beautiful, but it was too cold to swim. It wasn’t hot, the water was actually warm, definitely warmer than ours in the summer, but I only dipped my feet. The beach is pebbly, and it’s not a place to go for a beach holiday. But just passing by in season, it’s definitely worth swimming, the water is very clear!
And so, slowly and enjoyably, driving along the coast past our Agerola and enjoying the views, we decided to reach an absolutely amazing place—Villa Cimbrone in Ravello. A friend had heard from someone that it was beautiful, and we made it there, then hiked up a path in the mountains, and were left speechless. It’s a magical place, and we arrived too late; we wanted to explore more, but it started getting dark. The villa was like a fairy tale, and I definitely want to return!
Returning to Agerola, if already dark and tired, we went straight to dinner. A random restaurant in the middle of nowhere, cozy, delicious, and cheaper than Tallinn. This was true for all the places we ate. And the pizza… I’ve never had pizza every day before, but it was incredibly delicious!
We went to bed with the thought that our hotel had an amazing view, and woke up to the sound of pouring rain. The kind of rain you’d call Estonian, real, like a wall, everything gray, in fog, with no end in sight. Our plan for the day was Positano. But there was no point in going since we couldn’t see anything and it was wet to walk. So we decided, out of desperation, to go to the Centro Commerciale La Cartiera shopping center, about an hour’s drive from us. On the way from the sea, the rain lightened a bit, and the mountain views, despite the grayness, were stunning. The shopping center wasn’t worth a special trip, but I found some decent things.
We returned and checked into the next hotel. In a cliff! Right by the sea. The place was magical!! In good weather, you could have jumped into the sea right there, and the beauty is beyond words!
In the evening, we had a planned tour of the Marisa Cuomo winery with a tasting and dinner. Highly recommend!!! We were shown around the vineyards, told and showed a lot, and then we went into the restaurant and were completely blown away! The terrace had such a view!!! The wines were magnificent, and one of their wines had won the title of best wine in Italy in some year. The food was beautifully presented, but it didn’t quite have the wow effect.
The next morning, we woke up in our room in the cliff, which resembled a cell (no windows!), had breakfast with an amazing view, and drove to Amalfi. There was little time left, and I had the feeling that Amalfi was too short for me. On the way back, we passed by Ravello again and had coffee in the central square. Such a cozy little town!
For the first time in my life, I was ready to book my next trip there immediately—that says a lot. I didn’t have enough time, maybe because of one rainy day we lost, or maybe because there’s always too little time in those places… I’ll be back soon.