Ahhhh, Positano. It's the reason that everyone travels to the Amalfi Coast. And for good reason, it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.
Positano is truly a beautiful place. But even though we traveled there before peak season, the place was PACKED with tourists. I mean, it was hard to really soak in all of the beauty when it felt like we were at Disneyland...in the summer... on a weekend. Luckily I booked a wonderful airbnb spot in Montepertuso, a beautiful little town that sits above Positano (more on that in a bit). One day we braved the town but only to rent a little boat for a few hours, taking it all in as if we were the only souls there. Staying outside of town was perfect for us, we got to enjoy the incredible views, without the stressful crowds.
On to Montepertuso. I originally was a little dissapointed that everything in Positano was insanely expensive and we felt like we would be missing out on the real experience of the city... But then we arrived, quickly noticed the chaos and were eager to see what our little town would be like. Colle dell'ara B&B was a little slice of heaven, and exactly what we needed. We arrived just as the sun was setting and hiked up the overgrown path that led to the B & B, this 15 minute hike looked entirely like the photo below.
As we arrived on the balcony, welcomed by the drink of the region, Limoncello. Our host told us the story of Montepertuso which translates to "hole in the mountain". There are only three such formations in the world, and Montepertuso is very proud of theirs. The legend states that the hole was created after the Devil and Virgin Mary had a competition to see who could break through the mountain. The devil tried and tried but only managed a few dents here and there. Then the Virgin Mary touches the mountain with her finger and creates the massive hole that you see today. This triumph of good over evil is celebrated with a huge festival each year where the entire town hikes up to the hole and a reenactment is performed.
The B & B was family owned, Giacomo gave us the history of the beautiful place and we felt so lucky to be included in a tiny bit of it's legacy. Giacomo's father was the first business owner in Positano, years and years ago. Now the entire family pitches in with the B & B, one brother cooks alongside the father, another tends to the garden, another is the hospitality major and tends to the guests. After a blur of travel to make it to Positano, we were so relieved to be greeted by an entire family and welcomed into their home. I highly recommend this place if you ever travel to the area.
Check back in tomorrow, we'll head to the countryside of Paternopoli and then into the city of Rome!