My wildest dream didn’t include a zodiac with a private skipper zipping up the Orosei Coast but that’s what our reality was! 
Laurel and I hired a boat for the whole day at the little port in Santa Maria Navaresse on the Island of Sardenga – complete with a skipper ready to meet our every whim and to share his intimate knowledge of the area given he had spent his life here on the water.
Tucking into stunningly beautiful beaches, exploring spectacular but rather creepy caves, and just taking in the rugged coastline scenery was a thrilling experience.
Faces soaking up the sun, the wind in our hair, breathing in the salty sea air and for the moment not a care in the world – time stood gloriously still. Sitting side by side, no words necessary , basking in the profound sense of being deeply connected.
Most beaches are only accessible by boat or by hiking in over steep terrain so most were practically deserted. Some were soft pink pebble beaches while others deep fine velvety sand. All of them had the most incredible crystal clear azure blue and turquoise water – Mediterranean magic I like to call it.
Our skipper would drop us off and come back to pick us up at our agreed upon time. It was such marvellous fun and it felt so surreal.
We are both die-hard beach bums so it was an experience of a lifetime. Something we will reflect on for years to come, savouring the memory of these precious moments lolligagging under the Mediterranean sun!
After researching extensively I decided to take the four hour train from Florence to Salerno and then the Travelmar Ferry from Salerno into Positano. The train ride is nothing special but the hour and a half ferry ride up the coast to Positano is positively stunning with breath-taking vistas round every bend. And after listening to a dinner guest retell the agony of driving down the Amalfi coast with its appalling traffic I knew I had made the right choice.
If ever you are presented with the opportunity to visit Positano jump at the chance – only then will you truly understand what I am trying to share here.
Every block surrounding the Duomo, not a word of a lie, has at least two different bars/coffee/pastry shops, a gelato stop, several trattorias or bistros, and a restaurant or two. Just deciding where to eat, never mind what to eat, becomes an almost unsurmountable challenge.
I love that bars here are coffee stops during the morning and switch to serving liquor at night – makes perfect sense to me! And I say coffee stops rather than shops because coffee here is usually consumed standing at the bar – where you pay less money, down your shot of espresso and continue on your way in a matter of minutes. If you choose to sit and sip you often pay more for the luxury of a seat.
I’ve also learned that you order your coffee at the till, move down the bar to wait for it, then drink it before returning to the till to pay for it. I looked very much the foreigner the first time let me tell ya – ah, the nuances of protocol in a new country!
Food everywhere in Florence is so exceptionally delicious it’s dangerous to leave the apartment. My daily gelato is to die for, the Cafe Americano knocks my socks off, the pastry makes me want to weep and this all before noon – Mamma Mia!
Pizza here is an explosion of flavours! The ingredients are so fresh and the crust fat-edged to hold everything in yet thin in the centre. When drizzled with olive oil infused with herbs it reaches the ultimate in perfection – an experience not to be missed. What’s the bet this guy eats the whole thing?!
Paninis and baquette sandwiches are made with mouth-watering cheeses (often bufala which is my favourite), salami, sun ripened tomatoes, a bit of lettuce if you’re lucky and not a lot of sauces or mayonnaise because they aren’t needed. Artichokes and roasted eggplant are common ingredients as well. These open-faced options below are frequently my dinner.
A fabulous sandwich at my favourite stop, Accademia Cafe, is 4 euros while coffee and a scrumptious pastry is 2.50 euros. Can’t beat that! Needless to say they know my name now. Aldo, the owner, and I cobble together conversations in “Englitaliano” which is great fun and although I tell him I’m Canadian he still thinks I’m Swedish.
But better than street food is visiting the local markets to stock up on items to cook at home. Two favourites here are the Sant Ambrogio Market, predominantly visited by locals, and the more up-scale tourist market of San Lorenzo. Very different but each has its own delights.
Sant Ambrogio Market, a few blocks from the apartment I’m renting is one of the main reasons I choose this location. Wishing to live like a local and experience the local colour was a major criteria for my stay in Florence and this market doesn’t disappoint!
The market vendors are a friendly bunch who love their jobs and it shows. They chat away, joke with the locals, smile warmly and try to speak English or some other language with those who aren’t Italian. Their laughter pierces the din like a xylophone riff – it’s so infectious. They take time to make recommendations and ask questions. Buying a roast beef was a bit difficult since I non parlo Italiano and the butcher thought I wanted steak. So even with hand gestures and much pointing I still headed home with the fattest steak ever tucked under my arm. Ha – such fun!
The selection of cheeses, breads, salamis, pastries, and fresh pastas is almost overwhelming and choosing one over the other presents a major challenge and is the reason I always head home laden with more than I need. Everything is just too damn tempting and so ridiculously delicious it’s insane!
By contrast the scene at the San Lorenzo market is more up-scale and geared toward tourists – it has many delectable delights.
Huge truffles worth 300,000 euros come to mind and no, I did not misplace a zero.
The second floor of the San Lorenzo is strictly a fresh fast-food market with many quality choices and the opportunity to sit and sip a prosecco or glass of wine while watching the crazy throngs of tourists – entertainment in itself. 
My afternoon delight – one of many – love the place!
tripsandtrappings 