Positano and Capri

Positano
 "you are starving my life out" a fabulous quote from Hamish after ascending some 400 stairs of the 630 odd required to get back to our house from the beach.

One week in Positano was an exceptional experience for us, Tracey has done well again with the accommodation.  Getting here from Benevento was not such a relaxing drive, the Italians are crazy drivers, overtaking on blind corners, driving at 150 km/h or more whilst talking on their phones and smoking with the other hand. The bends and curves into Positano overlooking the cliffs and ocean are an amazing site, I'm driving like an old grandpa again just so I can see a little of the sites . Poor Hamish the constant turns are making him car sick but there is not much that can be done about that. Buses coming at us from the opposite direction sure make you clinch a little tighter, breathe in and we will fit through.

We finally make it to our destination to meet Julie our host. We pull over on the side of the road park on this skinny little curved street, unload a few bags and head to the villa.  Down 160 odd steps , with two suitaces in hand, drop the bags, get instructions to where to take the car and off I go.  More hairpin turns with no idea really of where I'm going but I'm sure I can't get lost, or can I? Found the one way street I was told about, keep going car park is down here somewhere!  Well finally found it, now to find the house, lucky for me our host sent Emma down the stairs to wait for me so I'd find the correct staircase. Up another 160 stairs and I'm home, what a view, nice villa, plenty of room and fresh herbs, chilli's, strawberries all growing under the grape vines.  I cannot tell you enough about the beauty of Positano and the Amalfi coast, you must come and see it for yourself.

Those of you that are familiar with Jacobs Ladder at Kings Park and thought it was hard work going up and down it try Positano. 630 stairs from the beach to our house, 165 stairs up from our house to the shops, oh my thighs are killing me. Well at least it helps to justify the beer and wine being used for rehydration purposes.

By day 4 we are stair fit, Emma and I take to having running competitions up the stairs, poor Dad is going to have a heart attack on the stairs, oh well at least we have had a great time and seen some sites before I fall over and die in Italy. Hamish is holding on to my shorts,  it is a conspiracy concocted by a 10 year old and assisted by a 6 year old, I can't catch Emma, she claims the victory. I'd argue and protest but I can't breathe.

We have had a very nice relaxing time going to the beach most days, playing chess, checkers and watching the occasional movie. We book a private boat tour to Capri and are not disappointed, the water is sensational and shows a beautiful spectrum of blue and is alot warmer than the water off Trigg beach . Our guide Pedro, takes us along the coast and shows off the caves, the small grotto's and the heritage sites along the coast.  Arriving to Capri Island we are shown some beautiful swimming spots, we swim as a family through the caves an amazing feeling.  Even the old duck, or 'turtle' as she is fondly now often called, decides she is going to come in.  A half day tour around the island and a quick peak into the harbour at Capri and our days comes to an end with a quite beer on our terrace over looking the sunset.  I'm glad we decided to do the tour it really topped off a fantastic week in Positano, some great home cooked meals, lots of time together playing games but alas time to go soon.  Hang on its grand final weekend, going to have to get up early and listen on the radio.

Final Day - 5:30am, something wakes me up, I bolt out of bed turn the alarm off and head out to see if by some chance I can find the footy on the TV, I look at the iPad to see about radio streaming, oh crap I'm an hour too early. Oh well I'll put the coffee on, 6:30am I find the AFL broadcast live on the TV but the commentary is in Italian, kind of weird listening to it in another language, though the broadcasters knew the game and the players.   Hamish comes to join, we turn the sound off and sit and enjoy the game live. Our friends, Craig and Christina and their boys are in Croatia but cannot get the footy, so I grab Traceys ipad and skype call them then hold the ipad on my lap so they can see the rest of the game. Not quite my AFL grand final tradition of going to Yallingup with the boys to watch the game but still not bad.

Games over back to porter duties and drive the car, we are out of here and heading to Rome for 2 nights before heading out for our Eastern Mediterranean 11 night cruise.