Che Bello, Amalfi & Capri!

There are moments in life when a place could struck you with awe and astonishment, it seemed like fantasy. The Amalfi coast and the island of Capri give you exactly that. The beauty of the coast of Amalfi (including Positano, Ravello, and Amalfi) is almost transcendental, an unbelievable place; and the island of Capri (and the connecting Anacapri) is historically known as the Roman Emperor’s private summer island, meant for royals with an exquisite charm that warrants it… after a year in memory, I am still dumbfounded .

But there comes the question from a lot of travelers -if they have to choose from the two, which one is better and/or more worthy to stay-in longer? The answer depends on your priorities and the context of your preference.

Let me put my two pennies worth at the following criteria with my respective choices based on my experiences (category – choice – reason):

• Accessibility – Amalfi Coast – easily reachable by train/road; you have to take a boat (normally from Sorrento) for Capri.
• Money – Amalfi Coast – because the coast is part of the mainland, commodities are normally priced; since Capri is an island with limited resources especially for tourists, you’d expect the goods to be priced slightly higher.
• Things to do – Amalfi Coast – Amalfi coast is a long coastline accessible by the Amalfi road which can get you around beautiful towns from Sorrento to Positano, Furore, Amalfi, Ravello, etc. Which means, you have yourself set-up for a lot of beach-bumming and exquisite old town-hopping adventures!
• Beauty & Exquisiteness – Amalfi Coast – hands down. I have the below photos to prove it 😉 Although the island of Capri has its own charm, beauty and exquisiteness -I was more dumbfounded by the towns of the Amalfi Coast, because it offered more!

Who wouldn’t take awe of this view… ahhh, Positano

The scariest road trip, Amalfi road, makes you forget of the cliff edges with its beautiful sceneries

View of Amalfi from its port

Take a breezy boat ride across the coast of Amalfi!

The devil’s cave, the white hotel, and badgley-mischka’s mansion down there!

Lovely view of Amalfi town

Walking around the towns of Amalfi, will never get you tired.

A toddler taking a break from all these travels, at Duomo di Amalfi around the piazza

South view of Amalfi coast from the high town of Ravello

But please, visiting the Island of Capri is a MUST! Although I do not suggest staying there longer than you can stay in Amalfi, mainly for the cost and the variety/extent of things to do.

Overlooking the Faraglioni rock from Augustus garden

Finding a friend at the piazetta, after a funicular ride -lucky we came in autumn or we’d take an hour to queue and ride

Eating well and fair in Italy

Eating well and fair in Italy. The land of pizza, pasta, gelato and more that is globally delightful for the palate and the stomach -Italy. Although eternally packed with tourists, what’s gastronomically fab about being in Italy is the assurance of quality tasting food.

While we were in Rome and the Amalfi coast, we tried cheap and expensive places and one thing was consistent -the quality of food. Hence whether you pay more or less, in Italy, it doesn’t matter.

Sharing below some photos of the places we’ve tried (and remembered to take photos of), our son’s love story with pasta, and a few advice to note.

Fiorentina – A local’s cafe at Borgo neighborhood (around Vatican). Cheap coffee and pastries, for 4 euros you’ve got one capuccino, one espresso, and 2 pastries!

Gelato can be expensive (i.e. 3 euros) if taken around touristy places, but worth it (duh)! 😉

This small hostel restaurant in Vico Equense gives you a bottle of good house wine for 4 euros and a lovely view of the ocean. After aperitivo, our primis come in ravioli and pizza.

Lobster for a starter, for less than 15euros. With the dessert and our mains, the total bill was just less than 60 euros.

An elevated cafe at the tip of porto di sorrento – sometimes you pay extra for the views. Here’s a limoncello dessert for thy espresso and capuccino. But then, if you compare the same order in Dubai, this is cheaper and better in quality.

Argh! This is heaven – mushroom and nuts in homemade thick pasta at the unpretentious, Zio Sam restaurant.

A generous serving of fresh seafood spaghetti at Zio Sam.

Prosecco is ❤ when it’s just 4euros a glass!

Fresh catch seafood for aperitivo at Uncle Sam’s.

Some French sausage to balance the palate *wink

Tiramisu for dessert, anyone? A glorious balance of sweet, creamy and coffee bitterness. Heaven.

Ristorante Pizzeria Tasso is known for their pizza but we ordered pasta O,o

With our lovely preggy couple friends in Rome. Eating out around the Vatican. Bellissimo!

Ah, buon appetito at porto di sorrento.

Managed to keep his shirt clean from all that pasta-gorging! O,o

Seafood pasta (again!) in red ala Ristorante Pizzeria Tasso.

Octopus for a starter. Not bad at all!

Italian rabbit for my better half. I still won’t try a rabbit tho.

Ahhhh… Baba (an Italian dessert soaked in rum!): my second serving for the day (I had 1 set in the morning), already too much for a breastfeeding mom. 😀

Nougat (almond and honey) in some chocolate base goodness. I don’t need to say more, just yum!

To set everything down, have a limoncello shot. Believe me, one shot is enough to shake it off!

From here, let me leave you some Italian wisdom: mangiare per vivere e non vivere per mangiare (eat to live, don’t live to eat). Grazie, ciao!