Buffalo Girls in Italy: Arrivederci Roma, Ciao Amalfi!

DAY 4: Monday, May 21st: Today we were leaving for the Amalfi Coast, so early in the morning our Private Driver, Domenico, picked us up at our hotel in Rome to take us for the three hour ride to the town of Amalfi with a tour of the Amalfi Coast along the way. Domenico worked for Francesco Marrapese Tours and was handsome and funny and spoke perfect English that was self-taught. We were in good hands as he drove us away from Rome and along the curves and cliffs of the Amalfi Coast.

We drove to Ravello, a picturesque town high above the coast, then stopped for lunch in Pontone, a small hill town above Amalfi. We sat in the covered outdoor area with panoramic views of the surrounding hills and valleys and the Mediterranean far below.

We all ordered the "Tasting Lunch" which started with a sparkling glass of prosecco wine followed by several regional dishes and ended with a couple of limoncellos for each of us. We finished lunch then continued on our way to the town of Amalfi and the Marina Riviera Hotel, our home for the next few days (the big white building in the center in the photo below):

I can't say enough about this hotel, an old noble villa that has been in the Gargano family for many years and has been tastefully renovated into a beautiful hotel. The location was perfect, the rooms were so pretty, the service was excellent, and the owners - Antonio and Giusi - were so gracious and charming. All rooms have a sea view and ours had a beautiful balcony overlooking the harbor and the town of Amalfi.

We knew we were in good hands from the moment we arrived and found a pair of slippers waiting for each of us in our rooms. I couldn't resist taking my usual "feet" picture that I take everytime I see a pretty tile floor in Italy.

We loved our slippers, and the first night before going to bed Jo Ann and I decided to see if we could find the recently installed pool up on the rooftop terrace. Since it was late we thought no one would see us so we left our room wearing our slippers. We walked into the lobby and saw an older woman sitting on the couch. We told her we were looking for the pool. She said it was closed but said maybe she could find the key, and left. We didn't want to get anyone in trouble so Jo Ann asked the desk clerk if it was ok if that woman went to get the key. And the clerk responded - that woman is the owner of this hotel! The next thing we knew, we were being given a tour of the hotel by the distinguished hotel owner and the whole time Jo Ann and I were in our slippers!

We found out that Giusi and her husband Antonio ran the hotel along with their beautiful 5-star sister hotel, the Santa Caterina, which was located a short distance away. Antonio did all the cooking, and each morning we would see him at breakfast, and each evening he'd still be in the kitchen cooking dinners and preparing for the next morning's breakfast, which was served each day in a beautiful room with terraces overlooking the sea. It was one of the best breakfasts we had in Italy with a huge buffet of hot and cold foods, seasonal specialties, eggs cooked to order, and delicious homemade pastries. Antonio and Giusi were a gracious, charming and hard-working couple and we enjoyed getting to know them and spending time in their beautiful hotel. We wanted a light dinner one evening and even though their restaurant is in a nearby location, they offer light meals at the hotel in the early evening. Our waiter was so charming, and at the end of the meal he brought us out a huge bowl of fresh-picked cherries and said, "Compliments of Antonio". It was just one of the many small things that made this hotel exceptional.