Myah is my best friend, so she had the burden of listening to me go on and on about potentially leaving the US to backpack the world for years. When I finally made the decision to do so, she wasn’t surprised at all. Her first response was “when can I meet you and where”. Myah and I met during move-in day freshman year, when my roommate’s shoes accidentally got placed in her room and I went to get them. She asked me if I wanted to go to the beach with her that afternoon and the rest is history. We became roommates in college, studied abroad together, and lived together in Minneapolis after graduation. She’s my soulmate in the friend form and I wouldn’t have the courage to go on this adventure if it wasn’t for her. Every girl needs her Myah and I was so excited to see her and catch up.
I landed around 9pm in Naples. We booked just a night at NAP Hostel. Myah had already spent the day there and made friends with our hostel’s bartender. Together they planned a trip for the three of us to go swimming in the caves of Capri. This is why she’s my favorite person to travel with. We were both exhausted from travel, but the sweet bartender let us stay past bar close to catch up. The next day we got up early to catch a ferry to Positano, a small city along the Amalfi coast. We didn’t have much of a plan other than swim in the sea and eat as much pasta as possible. We arrived to our hostel, Birkette Hostel, (the only hostel in Positano) after figuring out the bus system. The bus was necessary because our hostel is a million stairs up the side of a mountain. We met other people from our hostel that didn’t take the bus and had to carry their luggage up the “stairs from hell”. The bus confusion and wait was worth it. We did eventually walk up and down those stairs though. Many, many times.
We walked around and explored the costal town, finding our way to a beach restaurant for my first taste of Italian pasta. There was no going back at this point. It was the best pasta I’ve ever had and I want to eat it every day for the rest of my life. And you can't forget the gelato... amazing. We had plans to visit Capri early the next day, so we headed back to the hostel early that evening, like smart responsible girlies.
We got on a short ferry to Capri, the neighboring island. Originally we were going to go on a cave tour with Naples-hostel-bartender-man but the conditions weren’t safe so our excursion got canceled. Myah and I still went to the island without a plan. We sat at a little cafe and started to do research on what to do with a free day on Capri. The place was very touristy and crowded, and we wanted to do something off the beaten path. Our server had recommended a boat tour and we found a decently priced one online. We booked for that afternoon and explored/had lunch until then.
The boat tour brought us to some of the caves along the rocky coastline. It stopped for awhile in a little cove where we got to swim in the sea. The rock formations and cliffs surrounding the bright blue water made me feel like I was in a movie. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that my surroundings were real! The whole tour around the island was almost three hours long. When we got off the boat we walked around the harbor and admired the giant, luxurious yachts/sailboats and met crewmates. We lost track of time and made it to the port just in time for the last Ferry back in Positano, although being stranded in Capri wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
We had such a good time in Capri, we weren’t ready for the fun to end. We decided we’d get some quick pizza to-go and get ready for Music on the Rocks, a night club that is literally inside of a cave. It’s also the only club in Positano. Italy is similar to Barcelona, where people don’t start showing up to the clubs until after midnight, so we hung out at the hostel for awhile and that’s when we met our Erin and instantly became a trio. Erin is solo traveling around Europe from Australia. Myah and I invited Erin to come to Music on the Rocks with us and the three of us had so much fun that spent the next two whole days together. We took the bus to the club around midnight, and didn’t return to the hostel until almost 5am. We could hear the roosters on our walk up the million steps from hell. The music was great, we met people from all over the world, and the dj even let me take over for a bit.
The next day was a mandatory beach day because that’s all we had energy for. Which is fine, we wanted to chill like the Italians do anyway. We woke up in the afternoon (if you know me you know I absolutely despise waking up past noon) and spent the the rest of the day laying on the beach, debriefing our fun night and collecting sea glass.
Myself and Myah both received multiple recommendations to check out this restaurant in the Amalfi Coast named La Tagliata. It’s a must, but it’s up in the mountains. The three of us got ready for dinner and headed to the bus stop hoping we could figure out how to get there. First we missed a bus, then we almost got on the wrong bus, we were told two different bus times by two different people, and were left aimlessly wondering around looking for a solution. We eventually found a handsome police officer, Salvador, and asked him for help. He called his buddy who runs a shuttle company. Within minutes we were picked up and brought directly up the mountain to the restaurant. All he asked in return was that we tell Pepe, the owner of La Tagliata, that Salvador says "ciao".
I didn’t know what to expect about this place but I can tell you now that I was absolutely blown away. I have never had a dining experience even close to this one. I will rave about this place on my death bed. This is no exaggeration. La Tagliata is family owned, ma and pop place. The husband and wife that own the restaurant make all of the food fresh every morning, with homemade ingredients they grow right on their property. The wine is even homemade, and it’s endless. I didn’t do research before arriving, I didn’t even know how much it would cost. We sat down and were told by our server that there are five courses, unlimited wine, limoncello shots (traditional to the Amalfi Coast), and a really nice parrot is downstairs if we want to meet him. We received plate after plate of food, to share, family style. I had the most delicious appetizers, salads, pastas, meat, and desserts I’ve ever had in my life. We stayed there for almost four hours, by the time we finished all of the food the servers were taking limoncello shots with us. When we got the bill I was shocked (in the best way). Our price prediction was almost triple what we actually spent. Salvador’s shuttle driver picked us up just before the restaurant closed. We hugged the servers goodbye; that’s how good it was. If you’re reading this and need any recommendation for food in Italy, this is my top one.
Very full on food and wine, Erin, Myah and I brought our comforters from our beds out to the rooftop of our hostel, listened to music and looked at the stars above all the buildings below us. We fell asleep out there. Such a wholesome girls night. This was my favorite part of the Amalfi coast.
The next morning we said our goodbyes to Erin. She's heading to Lisbon next and booked her stay at my first and favorite hostel: Good Morning Solo Traveler Lisbon. I told her to tell the workers there I say hi and if she ever comes to the US Myah and I will show her the best of Minnesota. The three of us had such a fun time together I'm sure our paths will cross again.
We spent our last day in Positano exploring a neighboring village, Nocelle. We were visiting Positano during shoulder season but it was still a bit busy so we wanted to go somewhere a little more quiet and authentic. We took the bus up to Nocelle and it seemed like only cats and dogs run the village. We walked around, found a lot of homes, vineyards, small farms but barely any people. Everything was still in full bloom and you could see Positano down below the coastline. We found the only cafe open, Chico del Sentiero degli Dei. There, we met some really awesome travelers, most from the US, surprisingly. We hung out there for awhile and exchanged travel stories. Myah and I had dinner at this little place nearby that only opens in the evening and it was fantastic. I felt like royalty with the giant lobster on my plate.
The next day we had to go back to Naples. The journey is about two and a half hours. Myah and I both had early flights out of Naples the following day. We hung out at the beach in the morning for a bit, soaking up the last of the Positano sun. Maybe we did this a for a little too long because when we tried to get on a bus back to Naples we were told that every bus was full, the ferries are done for the day, and if we make it on a bus back it wouldn’t be until late at night and the train we’d need to take from the bus station to our hostel in Naples stops running at 10pm. At this point Myah and I got a little nervous. I remember looking at her and saying, “things usually work out for us”. A few minutes later a man approached us, he was apart of a group of people trying to get to Naples as well. He said he found a driver that would take people to Naples, 20 Euros a person, but only if the van is full. They needed to fill two more seats. We climbed in and made it back to Naples in time to have pizza on our last evening together. We went back to the hostel we stayed at originally, and hung out with our Naples-hostel-bartender-man again.
Myah woke me up at 3am to say goodbye before she got on her taxi to the airport. I won’t see her again for another few months, she’s planning to visit me in Thailand in December. I’m so lucky to have friends that will use up their PTO to come see me thousands of miles away. Myah and I had the best time together, like we always do. Running around the Amalfi coast with my best friend? I can't think of anything better. Thanks for an unforgettable week Miss Myah Jean.
I got up around 7 for my flight at 9. My plan was to take the subway, and then two busses to the airport. I didn’t have passes or know exactly how to do this but I hoped I’d figure it out in time to make it to my flight before the gate closes. I probably could have put more thought into this. Luckily, as I was leaving, these two nice Brazilians that were staying at the hostel offered me a ride to the airport with them. They were flying to Manchester and rented a car. I hopped in and the three of us all made it to our flights with time to spare. Brazilians are becoming my favorite. Next stop: Athens, Greece! Here's what the morning in Naples looked like outside the hostel's balcony.
At the moment...
Listening to: Lemon Tree Mt Joy
Reading: Shantaram Gregory David Roberts
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