Ten Days For Ten Years

[NoName]

Day 3


While we were only staying 2 nights in Paris, our flight to Naples was (by design) in the evening so we effectively had another full day before leaving. And we were certainly happy about it! Lazed around the room until mid-morning before going to check out and left the bags with the desk. Then it was walking time! Off to find somewhere for brunch and also discovered a market along Av du President Wilson. We would have loved to have grabbed a bunch of things here but as we were leaving that night it wasn’t really an option.





Got back to the Champs Elysees and turned towards the Louvre. Didn’t really have any interest in going inside but felt it was a worthwhile direction to walk.






Place de la Concorde

Grabbed a baguette for lunch by one of these pools in the Jardin des Tuileries.

 

[NoName]

Day 3 - Continued……


Got to the Louvre and its fair to say that tourism is back!

Continued walking, now in the general direction of Notre Dame, crossing the river a couple of times over some of the bridges.





Arrived, grabbed a crepe and relaxed out the front. Again, tourism is clearly back. Plenty of people around here despite not being able to go in due to the continued restoration.




It was now mid-afternoon and after walking around for several hours without much rest, we were happy to call it a day. Grabbed a train at the nearest metro station and went back to the hotel. We had an extremely over-priced drink in the Atrium bar and at 5:15 we gathered our things and began the trip to the airport.

Always impressed how they navigate around this roundabout!

 

[NoName]

Day 3 – Continued


We were originally going to leave for CDG a bit later but after it took over an hour to get to terminal 2F, we were glad we left when we did. Air France had requested copies of out vaccination certificates the previous day “to speed up the airport process” which we had provided. It was just uploading the file from our phone to their website and email confirmation of their acceptance came through pretty quickly. This was the only time in the whole trip we were asked for these. No idea what the process at the airport would have been if we had have ignored this request. In any event we were good to go. Once we were in the terminal the bag drop was easy and efficient. Similar to the QF self-serve thing except it seemed easier in some way. Dropped the bag and then quicky through security and down to the gates. Terminal seemed modern & clean but a fairly small area. Quite nice. About an hour later we were ready to board.

AF1578 – CDG-NAP
Seats 14A & 14B

Had the usual scrum of people clambering to board, appearing to think that if they didn’t shove their way to the front they might somehow miss the flight. Glad to know that these things cross-cultures. Unlike our flights a few days earlier we were far from being allowed on first. Infact, we may well have been the last boarding group called. All good. We made it on (masks compulsory as we were flying to Italy), doors closed and we were away. Flight was only a couple of hours and I was that tired I was nodding on and off the whole time. So not much to report other than it being standard sardine-style short haul. Landed in NAP with quite a thud which woke me right up.

Hopped off into what seemed a different world. It was after 11pm at this stage and the half an hour to get bags followed by an hour of chaos waiting for taxi was not an enjoyable experience. Eventually got to the front of the line and ended up sharing with some woman who was going more or less in the same direction. No idea if we ended up picking up the whole bill but at 12:30-ish with a 8am ferry ride in a few hours, we didn’t really care. The ride through the streets of Naples reinforced my thoughts from last time that there is no reason to stay here other than as a transit point before visiting Pompeii & the Amalfi Coast. Happy to be corrected if there is infact something worthwhile seeing here.

Pulled up at the port and walked into the Smart Hotel Napoli. Unfortunately don’t have any photos of this but have linked the website. I had booked this due to the very reasonable price (approx. A$200) and the location being right next the departure point for the ferry the next morning. Being located inside the ferry terminal building also meant there was 24hr security in the area which may or may not be a consideration. The room was basic but clean, a decent size, had working wifi and included breakfast the next morning. I would have no hesitation in staying here again if I was on a similar itinerary with a morning ferry departure. Absolutely recommend.

 

[I love to travel]

Will be in Paris in 41 days and loved the refresh of the sights I will see.

 

[NoName]

Day 4


Woke up at 6 and felt like we had only just fallen asleep. Quickly packed up and went down for breakfast. It was pretty basic – pastries, cereal & juice – but much appreciated. Shoved a few things down our throat and went to check out.

Walked the 100m or so to the port and waited for our 8am ferry to Capri. We booked through SNAV and cost for the two of us plus two bags was €49.60. Jumped on board, grabbed a seat and relaxed for the approx. 40 minutes it took to reach Marina Grande. We’d been debating how we were going to get the bags up to the top of the town so when we saw a guy dressed in a sailor’s outfit with a sign with our hotel’s name on it we breathed a sigh of relief. Gave him our bags and took off for a look around the marina area.





After a while we were ready to go up so went and got in line for the funicular. A short ride and we were in Capri!





After taking in the top of the town we made our way through the streets to our accommodation – Hotel Mamela. Cost for 2 nights in a Superior room with sea view was €1,125.

This place was fantastic! Room was nice, decent size, and the location overlooking the ocean was spectacular!

 

[NoName]

Day 4 – Continued…….


Went for a walk back up into the main part of the town and found somewhere for lunch - Al Capri. This was your typical Italian restaurant offering pasta and pizzas but with a not so typical view looking out onto the hills below and down to the ocean. Spectacular!




For food we jumped straight into what we had been craving – pasta with pippies for Mrs NoName and a pizza for me. Both were pretty good, although we thought overpriced. This is something we would come to notice this trip as prices for everything did seem to have gone up quite a bit since our last visit.




From here we jumped on a bus to Anacapri which is another small town on the island. Kind of more laid back. Here we took a chairlift to the highest point on the island - Monte Solaro. Single seat, which was a bit nerve wracking for Mrs NoName who doesn’t like heights but she managed to survive. The views at the top were well worth it.

Amazing views at the summit!

 

[NoName]

Day 4 – Continued…….



Next was a walk around the small town and a few of the attractions, photos of which appear to be minimal for some reason.




Once we were done seeing all that we had come for we figured it was swim time. Back on the bus plus a short walk and we were back at the hotel. Down to the pool where we relaxed by the pool with a few drinks for the next couple of hours.




Pool views!

 

[VPS]

Is anyone else not able to see all the photos or maybe videos?

 

[Pushka]

Is anyone else not able to see all the photos or maybe videos?

I can see them. Maybe slow to load for you?

 

[NoName]

Is anyone else not able to see all the photos or maybe videos?

I can see them. Maybe slow to load for you?

Have just checked on another device and they all load. If anyone else is having issues please let me know.

 

[VPS]

I can see them. Maybe slow to load for you?

Have just checked on another device and they all load. If anyone else is having issues please let me know.

All good now thanks - must have just been a little glitch

 

[NoName]

Day 4 – Continued…….


The hotel front desk had recommended the restaurant next door and that was good enough for us. Villa Margherita was a popular restaurant overlooking the ocean which provided a superb dining setting. Would the food be as good as the views? For the most part, yes it would.

Starter



Mrs NoName’s entree - squid. Recall it being pretty good.



I went with the steak tartare which is becoming a bit of a theme it has to be said. Didn’t regret.



Standard Mrs NoName main - seafood pasta. She loved it.



More steak for my main. On polenta this time. Taste was good without being great. It was very filling though which was a plus.



Beautiful night views over the sea!



Cost was approx. €180 for the food and bottle of wine which seemed reasonable given the quality and location.

We had chosen to skip dessert at the restaurant in favour of a gelato and wander around the town. Good choice! Ice cream was great and seeing a perspective of the town we had missed out on last time was a huge plus. We wandered around for a while before deciding to call it a night.

 

[Stewey]

Great TR

 

[Gladstone Tim]

I can see them. Maybe slow to load for you?

All good for me.

 

[NoName]

Day 5


Breakfast was included at the hotel so after a fairly slow start we got out of bed about 8 and went down to see what was on offer. This was great! Pretty much a buffet with numerous different choices – from pastries, to cereal, to fruits, bacon & eggs, sausages, meats etc etc. Really good. We grabbed a table on the balcony overlooking the pool and the sea beyond. What a great way to start the day!

Breakfast views!

From here we were off down to Marina Grande for a boat tour around the island. It was just the two of us (and the guide) so we had the boat to ourselves. We just lay at the front and let him take us around. Saw beautiful sites all around. Stopped for a while so we could jump in for a swim. Water was quite cold but not anywhere near as bad as the last time we had visited. It seems the 4 weeks between end of April & end of May make quite a difference. Once we were in the water was fine and we swam around a bit. I swam 100m or so into the nearby beach for a quick look as well which was a bit of a workout. All up the tour was a great experience, although probably on the expensive side at €220 + €20 tip.

Marina Grande



Off we go!







Marina Piccola



Faraglioni di Mezzo

 

[NoName]

Day 5 - Continued…….





And we are back!



We jumped off the boat and it was immediately time for lunch. Went and sat down at one of the restaurants at Marina Grande (sorry can not recall the name) and grabbed something to eat.

Pippies again for Mrs NoName



Gnocchi for me. Not too bad.

 

[NoName]

Day 5 – Continued………



We spent the afternoon the same way as the day before – lazing by the pool. Nothing exciting to report there sorry. But once early evening came we put on a change of clothes and made the short walk to Capri Rooftop which is a lounge bar overlooking the ocean (again). Another brilliant venue well worth a visit. We ordered a bottle of rose and took it all in.

After we had nursed the wine bottle for as long as it could possibly be nursed for we hopped up and decided to go for another walk around the town.






Came across a small restaurant in one of the alleys we walked through and decided it would be a good spot to stop for food. We shared a pizza & salad which was perfect. Very well priced.




Continued our walk around a few of the streets, seeing a bit more of Capri at night.




Next came the nightly gelato which we consumed on the way back to the hotel. The time in Capri had come to an end. We LOVED it and would absolutely come back for more relaxation and to see more of the island. Tomorrow we were off to Positano which was another highlight we had been looking forward to for months.

 

[NoName]

Day 6


Got up and went down for another excellent breakfast. Again, this was amazing, a great way to start the day! Once we were done we went back to the room, packed up and checked out. Bags were taken (for a charge) down to the marina for us and then we headed there as well. Down the funicular, found the right ticket booth and then waiting on the dock for our ferry to Positano. A few minutes before 11, the Positano Jet arrived and we grabbed a seat on the outside upper deck to ensure great views. Total cost was €43 for 2xPAX + 2xbags. We thought this was a pretty good deal.

Goodbye Capri!

Ferry took around 45 minutes and for the whole time I was pretty much glued to the left of the boat taking photos of the amazing scenery and waiting for that iconic Positano shot to come in view.






Eventually it did come into view and wow, it was worth waiting for.

Hopped off the ferry, grabbed our bags and began making our way to our hotel.

 

[NoName]

Day 6 – Continued………….


Last time we visited we had stayed fairly high up, around a 15 minute walk from the beach up steep stairs. While we enjoyed the hotel, Mrs NoName was keen to be lower down this time so she booked us in at Palazzo Murat Positano which is less than 200m from the dock. Cost was €1,770 for three nights in a superior room.

Dragged the bags up the short distance to the hotel, was able to check in immediately and we were home. For the next three nights anyway.

Bottle of prosecco for our anniversary – a nice touch.




We grabbed a quick non-memorable bite to eat from one of the cafes nearby and then headed to the beach. Its fair to say covid is no longer a thing in this part of the world either. The place was jam packed with people. Took about 10 minutes to find a spot to put our towels down it was that busy. Yes, it was a Saturday but it was something to behold. And fantastic to see! Jumped in the water for a swim and relaxed on our towels for a while just taking it all in.

 

[NoName]

Day 6 – Continued………….


For the rest of the afternoon we just lay on the chairs by the hotel pool and had a couple of drinks. Just relaxing.





Dinner time rolled around so we decided to take a walk up the road and see what we could find.




Wandered up looking at a few of the sites before coming across da Vincenzo approximately 10 minutes walk up the main road from our hotel. They were busy but we got lucky and were able to secure a table.




Started off with prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella.




We each had enjoyable seafood pasta dishes for our main.




Also had a bottle of red but unable to find a photo. Decided to forgo dessert and go for the usual gelato. Overall very happy with dinner and would return for sure.
Wandered down to the beach through a series of steep steps and alleyways

Found the place we had been looking for and grabbed an ice cream



Bed was calling so we made the short walk back to the hotel and called it a night.