A weekend honeymoon - 20 years later
Trip Start
Apr 15, 2003
1
101
119
Trip End
Ongoing
Positano,
Campania,
Italy
Sunday, April 20, 2008
To celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary on April 23, Melanie planned a surprise trip to Italy's Amalfi coast. Chris knew we were going away, but didn't know where - even after Melanie let it slip that it would be somewhere in Italy - although he did eventually figure it out before we arrived. We flew into Naples, rented a car, and drove just over an hour to our hotel, Il San Pietro di Positano, situated on an outcropping with a 270 degree view of the coastline, just south of Positano. After a tour of the hotel we were shown to our beautiful room - complete with walk-in closet, jacuzzi tub and a balcony with a view up the coast to the coastal town of Positano and beyond. Champagne and a fruit plate arrived shortly thereafter and allowing us to enjoy just lounging and looking at the view.
That night we had dinner at the Michelin-star restaurant in the hotel and the next day took the hotel shuttle to Positano. Positano itself is a very touristy hill town full of shops and narrow lanes. Most of the lanes eventually lead down to a beautifully large black sand beach. It's still low season there and a bit cool, so more dogs than people were in the water. We enjoyed strolling the beach and having a gelato before returning to the hotel and it's small beach.
The hotel's setting is beautiful and it has been built to take advantage of the setting in many ways. There is an elevator that takes guests through the rock from from the hotel to sea level. There is a small rocky beach at the hotel and a large outcropping with a bar and lounge chairs for enjoying the view with a drink. Chris was determined to test the water and did go in - although the hotel's boxer, Betty, thought it was too cold. Chris found it "refreshing"!
There's also a beautiful pool on the opposite side of the outcropping, which gets the morning sun. Melanie was more enthusiastic about that than being in the chilly sea, so we spent a few hours at the pool as well.
Anybody who knows us, knows that this is not the sort of hotel or restaurant that we typically stay in. But, once every 20 years (especially if you didn't have a honeymoon - and we didn't), it's an excellent treat for a special occasion. The staff were incredibly nice and welcoming and the hotel was stunning and comfortable. This was definitely worth a weekend splurge.
Enjoy the pics!
Melanie and Chris
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Resources:
Where we stayed: Il San Pietro di Positano. OK- this place is incredible...and incredibly expensive (at least for us!). But they were running a special that reduced their normal 3 night minimum stay to 2 nights, provided a discount off the room rate, and included champagne and fruit upon arrival. Plus, but going the weekend before our anniversary instead of the weekend after, we were still in the low season instead of high.
Where we ate:
* The hotel restaurant. The service was impeccable, including a wine steward who looked very much like a less-goofy Adam Sandler. Melanie had a wonderful artichoke appetizer and a lovely fresh fish with vegetables. Chris had amazing meatballs and meat rolls in tomato sauce for his main. Chris' appetizer was the only strange thing. He ordered assorted bruschetta, which arrived as one traditional bruschetta and 3 shot glasses filled with purees of various sorts and small breadsticks for dipping. Not really assorted bruschetta. Dessert was a death by chocolate sort of thing, plus a plate of petit fours including freshly made marshmallows rolled in fresh coconut. Yummy!
* La Taverna del Leone: From the hotel a 300 yard walk up the winding road with no shoulder took us to this lovely local restaurant. We had wonderful pizza there for a much better price than the rest of the weekend! There was a wood-fired pizza oven and most of the people in the restaurant seemed to be locals. There were many people coming in and getting pizza to go as well, so it had to be good...and it was!
Comments
love the pictures!