Sunday, June 21, 2009

Amalfi Coast

Nathan writing. We'll post later with more details, stories and pictures, but here's a short trip update in the meantime.

We had a great time in Cinque Terre where we hiked and explored the five seaside towns and managed to squeeze in some beach time to boot! Rome was great to see and take in the history, even if it was hectic and crowded. Naples was...strange...a beautiful city in many ways, but also dirty and intense. It really did have the best pizza we've ever tasted. What makes the Neapolitan pizza so good, in my opinion, is the dough. It's thin, slightly chewy, and not too bready. Actually, now that I think about it, it is a bit like Naan bread. In any case, with a few basic toppings and a wood fired oven, it makes for a fantastic pizza.

We're about 2/3 of the way through our Italy trip and are now in the town of Positano on the Amalfi Coast. It is really beautiful here, and I think this may be our favorite destination (though we'll have to see how Sicily, our last stop, compares).

Here are a couple of pictures from the Amalfi Coast. First, a couple of shots of Positano.





And then a picture from Ravello, another town on the Amalfi Coast, which is best described as being "closer to the sky than the sea" because it is 1100 feet above the shoreline.



However, of all the beautiful things we've seen, I personally think the most gorgeous picture is this one from a cafe in Rome where we escaped the mid-day heat. It's no wonder that we get better service from the guys here when Shera asks for help ;)

Friday, June 5, 2009

Buongiourno Italia!

Nathan and I leave tomorrow for our 3 week Italian vacation. We've had this trip planned since 2004. We just didn't know when we were going to take it. And here we are! 2009 and the year I turn 30. I am a bit bummed that I will not be able to celebrate my 30th birthday with my friends and a nice big party, but a trip to Italy comes in a close second.

We will be traveling mostly down western Italy. Sadly, there is never enough time to see it all, and we had to make some sacrifices. We are the type of travelers whom like to spend at least a few days in each location to try to get a feel of the area. So, we'll be in the Cinque Terre for 5 days, Rome for 5 days, Naples for 3, the Amalfi Coast for 5 and Sicily for 5.

We will see everyone when we get home to Santa Cruz (for 2 weeks for Nate, the month of July for me) on July 1st.

Ciao il mio bellas!