Positano: A Feast at La Tagliata

Today was a rainy day so we decided to stick close to Positano, do a bit of laundry and go out for lunch up the hill to Montepertuso--La Tagliata.  This was one of the few restaurants that made its way to my infamous spreadsheet.  To say we were excited about this place is an understatement and, yes, it held up to our high expectations!!  We have had some amazing food experiences so far, but this was hands down the best and will be tough to beat.  It started with the bus ride to the town--which, of course, was incredible.  The restaurant is situated on the side of the mountain with 3 gorgeous terraces and each with a panoramic view of Positano and the islands nearby, including Capri.  Each terrace has its own vegetable garden that is used in the kitchen.   The service was excellent.  The food was superb....every single dish!!!  

I started to take pictures of the food but got caught up in the moment so unfortunately no photos of the food.  Here's our menu instead:

OUR MENU:

Vino: La Tagliata house red

Antipasti (6 plates): mozzarella di bufala with prosciutto, chickpeas and panzerotti, spinach and green peas, pinto beans and quiche, mediterranean potato salad, bruschetta

Second Course:  homemade pastas--raviolli, stuffed gnocchi, fussilli pasta with vegetables and "mamma's pasta", sort of like lasagna without the layers.

Dessert: Cream cake 

Digestivo:  limoncello

Positano: Visit to Ravello

Rain was in the forecast today so we had planned to have this be our rest day.  However, to our surprise, we woke this morning to sunshine!!!  Looks like the Positano weatherman is not any better at predicting the weather than ours back in the States.   We had a quick caffe and set out to continue our tour of the Amalfi Coast.  Our adventure started with a ferry ride to Amalfi (M declared it the coolest ride ever; me not so much...I stayed in the middle of the boat to prevent from getting sea sick!), then hopped on the local bus (see a theme here) up to the town of Ravello.  

Ravello is known for its spectacular views (again, do you see a them here?), incredible gardens--Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo-- and its summer music festival.   No music today but we were treated to the views and unexpectedly stumbled upon many art galleries along our walk.  

A post card for M's teacher.

Sis' hand in hand....adorable!

Except for the ferry ride, this was probably not the best day for the kids---they were bored after a couple of hours--but this was a mommy/daddy day!

Traffic jams--the norm. This is our bus driver directing traffic.
He received a standing O when he returned to the bus.

Positano: Sentiero degli dei (Path of the Gods)

Breathtaking.





Natural.





Beauty.





Today, we took the local bus up the mountain to a charming little town called Nocelle to hike part of the Path of the Gods.  You simply can't step out the front door here without amazing views but the bus rides are exceptional.  I don't really know how the path got its name...  I'm going to say it's because of the view and it appears that you are walking up to heaven.  We seriously felt like we were floating in clouds at times.

Waiting at the bus stop in Positano.

Once at the bus stop in Nocelle (which is literally the side of street that dead-ends), we walked to the center of Nocelle through its tiny, narrow alleys to the entrance of the path.

Town of Nocelle

There we found a rustic stone path, steep in parts but plenty of opportunities to rest.   We saw wild gorges, caves, terraces dropping from the cliffs to the sea and deep valleys.  I am told that the path is still used by farmers, woodsmen and shepherds, as it touches old vineyards clung to the mountain.

Vineyards at the path in Nocelle.

I wasn't sure what to expect walking this path with a 3 and 7 year old, but really they exceeded my expectations again.  M's favorite part of the hike was rock climbing with her dad and ARose was a little bunny rabbit jumping from stone to stone.  Mine was the stunning views and seeing the girls and Chris so happy.   The path was a bit crowded at times but everyone was so friendly especially to the kids.  They were the only kids out there which made me even more proud of them.

After our hike, we treated ourselves to a fresh, delicious lunch at Santa Croce in Nocelle, then took the bus back to Positano for more gelato!

Absolutely spectacular day!!!!!

Positano: Our Da Adolfo Excursion

Chris and I stumbled upon this hidden gem 10 years ago.  It's still here and better than ever.  You look for the boat with the red fish at Positano.  Hop on board for a 10 minute trip to a private beach with a fantastic beach side restaurant.   The seafood was as we remembered.....simply prepared in local olive oil, garlic and lemon; mozzarella melted in lemon leaves and mussels with pasta.  We ate and lounged all afternoon while the girls played with rocks....yes, just rocks.   I never knew rocks could be so entertaining!!  

The kitchen.

Anchovies...the way they are supposed to taste!

Our slice of heaven was on the right ...the little shack.

View from the boat

Her face says it all...it was time to leave:-((!

BUT.....gelato saved the day!