Coasting Along Positano

While Googling pictures of the Amalfi coast, I was struck by the otherworldly images of Positano: the cliff hugging colorful houses, the incredible sunsets, the rows of parasols that look like candies on the beach. I imagined that Frog and I would spend our days relaxing on the beach overlooking the gorgeous turquoise blue waters or enjoying a lemon sorbet after a hike under the sun. Instead we were met with a moody weather forecast. It was overcast most of the time with the sun peeking through the rain clouds of curiosity. Sometimes you don't get what you expect but you still get a pleasant surprise: the low hanging clouds and soft light gave Positano a very serene look. Despite the fact that the high season was just starting, there were already many tourists eager to take a bite out of this dream-like destination.    Frog and I stayed at the Venus Bed & Breakfast: it had the most amazing hillside and ocean view. Our host, Gippy was extremely friendly and made us feel welcome. He was always up for a friendly chat and offered us advice on what to see and where to go. Originally from Rome, Gippy worked as a salesman selling various goods and services. It was a very stressful lifestyle and whenever people saw him: they'd roll their eyes and go: "ahhh not another one..." So when his grandfather offered him to take over the B&B, he didn't hesitate. In Positano, he worked as a barman in one of the resorts and met his future-wife while she was on vacation from Hungary. It's the ultimate vacation love story! 

We met the chillest cats here: they'd approach you to offer you their butts to scratch and didn't give you attitude if you didn't rub them in their preferred spot. Now that's what I call the Positano effect: even the cats are laid back and friendly :)

Roman Holiday

Ciao! Frog and I are back from our one week trip to Italy. The weather was cloudy and chilly during most of our stay. I got too optimistic about the warm weather so I underpacked and caught a cold. All the nose-blowing, sneezing and itchy-eye-rubbing could not stop me from enjoying the beauty we experienced during this trip. Our first stop was Rome and from the Eternal City, we travelled to the sun-filled Amalfi coast passing by Pompei, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. Even though we are physically back, my soul missed the plane and is now lingering in one of the gelateria's back in Rome licking a pistachio gelato. 

Like a good tourist, we checked off the must-see sights: the Colosseum (jam packed with people), the Vatican (jam packed with people), St-Peter's Basilica (didn't even go in because the security entrance was jam packed with people), the Trevi fountain (if going into the water was legal, it would have been the human sprinkler), the pantheon (do I even need to repeat myself?) and enjoyed some people-watching in the many piazzas. Frog and I were in awe of the history embedded in each building; it has seen so much throughout the centuries! It's amazing that they maintained their beauty through rise and fall. Apart from the sightseeing, we fulfilled every single one of our food duties: had cappucino and cornetti for breakfast, ate the creamiest gelato ever, tasted the quintessential Roman artichoke, slurped spaghetti like a noob (because over there people use spoons for their spaghetti), chowed down on some gigantic meatballs, digged through a whole box of banana tiramisu and devoured porchetta sandwiches like true piggies. Frog had pizza for lunch every single day. In Italy, the pizza is as big as two heads and costs only a couple of euros. We really indulged in our roman holiday :)