Tolls, Gas, and Autogrills..

I will be happy if I never see an AutoGrill again..the US's version of a rest stop but much more. There is a restaurant, food, wine, local specialties for wherever you may be. And yes, we purchased Parmesan-Reggio cheese in Reggio. I can't quite understand what the draw is to a "rest stop". Really, isn't it for a quick stop for gas, bathroom, and get the hell outta there? Apparently not so for the Italians. They seem to enjoy them.
Here are our totals for various things
Gas: 346. 09 euros
Tolls: 381 euros
fights in the car between C&E: 2 (1 of which involved Pringles)
Hours of driving time: 40
Hotels: 6
Photos taken: 800
Trip of a lifetime with Erich: priceless!

Back to Reality

We apologize for the lack of posts while we were in the Italian Alps. The internet there is a joke but here are some pictures of our trip to Lake Maggiore. We extended our stay in the Italian Alps because we loved it so much and did not go to Beaune in the end. Erich is back to work, my heap of laundry is staring at me and since I ate my way through Italy for 3 weeks, the gym is calling.

A late route update - we travelled from Torgiano to Amalfi last Thursday.



Today we are on our way back toward Paris. We travelled from Amalfi to Bologna and we are spending the night before continuing on to Verbania in the Italian Alps tomorrow. It is nice a cool! Only 60-65 at night and it is kind of relieving!

Capri

We had a great day in Capri although the weather was not completely cooperative. It was hot and cloudy, but we have to say that Capri is absolutely beautiful and we want to go back and spend more time there.

This is a view from the centre looking down at the port.

Capri centre shopping, dining, hotel area. This was a very nice place to spend the day. No pictures here but we had lunch overlooking the harbor from above.

From the port is was a nice 750m climb to the centre. I would have preferred the funicular, but Carolyn said no without reading this sign...

Cool Capri taxis.

Nice boat - over 200 feet. Notice the helicopter on the back and the sailboat "tender" mounted on the side. The sailboat has to be 35-40 feet. There were several of these around the harbor.

More Amalfi and Positano

Here are some more Amalfi pictures as well as a couple from Positano. We took the boat over to Positano for the day and found that it was quite nice, it has a bigger beach than Amalfi, but much more crowded and a lot more large tour groups from cruise ships. There were a lot of nice restaurants along the beach and we had a nice lunch.

Amalfi with a view

We finally made it to Amalfi after winding, hilly, and breathtaking views of the sea. Amalfi is an amazing town with an energetic feel. Our hotel is in the perfect location, thanks to Erich, personal travel agent extraordinaire. We have a balcony with a view that overlooks the square and the marina. We continue to have the most amazing meals even at the most simplest places. The mom and pop's type restaurants are underrated and the price is certainly right. One of our favorite meals was at Gamma. Erich and I split a smoked mozzarella baked in lemon leaves. Erich had the fresh catch of the day, grouper, and I had the most amazing blue fin tuna. There is no such thing as "no dessert" so of course we were treated to a shot of Limoncello with chocolates to go with it. The next night we went to a 2 person run restaurant and it was fantastic. Erich and I split roasted red peppers with basil and I had the freshest fusilli with cherry tomatoes. Erich has become a fan of the "house" specialty pasta dish. They do not disappoint.

Pompei

I have come to realize 2 things. 1. I should have paid better attention in history class and 2. My husband is my walking encyclopedia. He is so smart! I am not one to brag about my husband but he is the best and is an abundance of information. On that note, Erich was really looking forward to seeing the Pompei Ruins. He had to give me a "cliff note" review of what happened in Pompei and I was shocked to actually see what occurred there. The town was completely covered with ash during an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79. During the 1700's the streets were excavated and most of the town was still intact. It was a sight to see.