Arrival in Positano

Basically you take a very windy road through various tunnels and spectacular vistas across the Bay of Naples towards Napoli in the distance, and follow the coast road until just before Sorrento the village of Meta. Here we took a left turn up over the hill which separates the Amalfi coast from the Bay of Naples. It is a very sharp ridge so it is only a few minutes from by-passing Meta until one sees Tyrrhenian Sea and the glorious coastline. I was pleased that I was not driving as the road becomes even more narrow and winding and clings to the side of the hills as they drop very steeply down to the sea providing spectacular views that are exciting as one is passed in the opposite direction by mad motor cyclists cars and very large tourist buses that require one or the other to back up on some bends so that they can get around without pushing you over the edge. On the next pages are some photos from Napoli that I missed in the previous section, they indicate some of the natives on their beach and better picture of the Castel dell’ Ovolo.









The next pictures are of the approach to Positano and the outside of our villa, ‘Torre Dei Quattroventi’ (the Tower of the Four Winds), it was built as a watchtower in the fourth century to alert the citizens of Positano of any impending invasion from the sea by the Saracens or Sarcacino. A brochure in the villa describes it:
The Tower of the Four Winds has been carefully restored, and extended over time, it offers one of the most suggestive sojourns on the Amalfi coast, in an atmosphere of bygone times. It is furnished with antique pieces, some of them extremely precious. From the terraces and from almost all the rooms there are enchanting panoramic views over Positano and the sea. The well-tended outdoor areas comprise a garden with a fully-equipped loggia, the ideal spot for conviviality and relaxation. On the ground floor is the large lounge with its characteristic sails vault and splendid view, and a dinning room decorated with ancient majolica tiles featuring a large fireplace.
On the second floor the ‘Suite Li Galli’ is elegantly furnished with period furnishings and precious textiles, as are all the other rooms. Situated in the centre of Positano the main beach with bathing establishments, boats and sea connections with Amalfi, Sorrento and Capri, can be reached via the characteristic lanes and steps, 70 kms from Naples airport.
At this point I should record that inside the villa there were sixty three steps from the kitchen to the rooftop patio outside Adam and Rosalind’s bedroom, where we had drinks and ‘nibbles each night’ and seven hundred steps to get to the beach and town centre. The steps did not include the steep roadway that was also part of the trip. It was longer of course if one avoided the steps which was the option that Sheila and I elected most times.







All the ivy covered villa was ours for the duration, to the left hand side can be seen the start of a stairway that leads down towards the town centre and beach. On the way down one day a local explained with some pride that the section we had just traversed was the most steep in Positano.



A view from my bedroom window.