GROTTA DELLO SMERALDO
The “Emerald Grotto” is a pretty cool excursion en route to Amalfi. It’s easily accessible, simply get off at the stop before Amalfi when the driver yells “GROTTAAA” (for more info on the Amalfi Coast, check out my post here).
The ticket in will set you back €5, about half the price of the Blue Grotto in nearby island, Capri. However, I gotta say I enjoyed Capri’s grotto far more. For one thing, it lasted longer. Back in 2013 when I backpacked around Italy, I actually jumped out of the boat and swam in the shining blue waters (technically illegal) while the boatsmen sang magnificently. Here, only a small part of the water was a greeny colour, nothing spectacular. Our boatsman however did do a marvellous job in singing to us and making a couple of entertaining jokes, but the experience overall was pretty bland.
WALKING TO AMALFI
On the bright side, hopping off the bus at the grotto and not knowing when the next bus would arrive meant P and I had a fantastic stroll along the coast to the pretty town of Amalfi. The walk took us about 40 minutes, it would have been quicker but we kept stopping to snap photos and admire the outstanding panorama’s. It was a little scary walking along the road though- when buses and cars whizzed past there was nothing but a worryingly low guardrail between us and a 150m (500ft) drop to the sea.
WANDERING AROUND AMALFI- a snippet of real vita costerina (“coastal life”)
Amalfi is a lovely little town although flooded with tourists. It was definitely less crowded in April than it was last time I visited back in July a few years ago. We were really lucky with weather, it was wonderful, so warm that some people sunbathed on Amalfi’s little gray-sand beach- a few even dipped in the sea! After a quick bite, a glass of vino bianco and a wander up and down Amalfi’s busy little streets, P and I had a mini siesta in the sunshine on some rocks facing the beach. I opened my eyes now and then just to gain another look at this charming little spot in the Mezzogiorno, the Italian South.
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