I decided to spend my last solo-weekend on the Amalfi Coast before Scott arrives next Saturday, back in breathtaking Positano.  A quick pat on my back because it was a weekend trip that was well-planned weather-wise I must say! The temperatures in the area have been wavering between 88 and 95 degrees the past couple of weeks; and I’m not talking just hot, but ‘Louisiana-hot.’  A stagnant, no-breeze and no-rain-to-be-found kind of hot where taking a shower before heading out seems to be wasted the minute you step outside and become consumed by the heat.  Sort of made me nostalgic for summer days in Baton Rouge to tell you the truth…The reason I say that this specific trip fell on the right weekend is because the hotel I chose to stay at in Positano thankfully had a pool!  A much welcomed relief to the heat!  I have to say that my hotel itself was so-so, but the pool made up for the rest of it.

I began my day on Saturday morning when I arrived in Positano from Sorrento via bus, heading directly into town for a cappuccino at a truly unique café/home store named Casa e Bottegga.  This quaint space on the main drag in Positano is furnished in a contemporary yet rustic way with tons of white and shades of turquoise blue.  A lovely establishment that serves a variety of pastries, sweets, salads, sandwiches, and coffee drinks.  My friend Deanna and I had discovered this place when we came to Positano for the day back in May, and it was like a lighthouse beacon calling me back.  A relaxing and delicious way to start the day.  I love that even if all you order is a coffee like I did, a small dish of homemade biscotti, or cookies always comes your way as well.  Two small shortbread cookies with apricot jam accompanied by two small meringues in a nice star-tipped pattern.  Now that’s what I call lagniappe (Cajun talk for ‘a little something extra.’)

I wandered the main area of the town for a few hours, poking my head in boutiques, art galleries, and pottery stores.  I even treated myself to a pair of handmade sandals—quality, wooden soled sandals that they make specifically to fit your foot.  Very comfortable and affordable, and from what I hear, will last me for decades to come.  Before heading back to lounge by the pool for the afternoon, I wandered away from the busy area of town up the hill and found a tasty place overlooking the bay for a bite to eat: Café Positano.  A café with a lovely setting, hospitable wait staff, and traditional dishes of the area.  Just what I was looking for.  I enjoyed one of my new favorite drinks, a gin and lemon soda, followed by fried zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella and ham, and then a classic dish of the region, sea bass cooked in acqua pazza, or ‘crazy water.’  A dish I have been meaning to try and was glad I did; tender baked fish in a bowl of slightly spicy broth flavored with cherry tomatoes and basil.  Nicely served with some buttery potato rounds and some crusty bread used for dipping so that no crazy water is left behind.

A memorable weekend to mark the start of my last work week in Sorrento at Ristorante Tasso, and my last week here at Hotel Soleluna.  I have been tremendously lucky to spend these last three months in this gorgeous area learning all that I have learned, and even luckier to have had the time to take weekend getaways like these to really take in all the special historic and cultural sights that this special region has to offer.

Tagged: Amalfi coast, culinary school, externship, Italy, Positano