Positano

Ask any traveller in Sorrento what their travel plans are and you'll hear them rattle off Positano, Amalfi and Ravello in the same breath. Afterall Sorrento is the base from where they set off on a scenic drive along the Amalfi Coast to visit these pretty villages.

Amalfi, a town which opens like a fan towards the sea, is famous for its devastingly beautiful scenery but it would take us all day to walk there.

Ravello is even further. Unlike other towns along the Amalfi Coast, it is not located by the sea but 3km inland. The most famous attraction here is Villa Cimbrone, a luxuriant garden that is home to many rare botanic species, statues, fountains, temples and artificial grottos.

By choosing to walk, we can't cover so many villages in one day, so we settled for Positano, a town set in a dramatic panorama of colours - pastel shades of the Mediterranean houses, the silvery grey of its pebble beaches and the blue of the sea.

 The name Positano, is linked to a legend.
In ancient times, a Turkish boat became beached just off the shores of what has since come to be known as Positano.
Aboard the ship there was a painting of the Virgin Mary.
The captain heard the painting whisper "posa, posa" ('set me down, set me down') and, obediently, threw the image into the sea. Miraculously, the ship floated.
The locals built a Church on the spot where the painting washed ashore, interpreting the episode as a sign that the Virgin had chosen their town as resting place.

 

 Positano lies at southern feet of the Mounts Lattari, protecting it from the Northwinds, and thus enjoys the advantages of a mild, dry climate. It is surrounded by soft green mountains and valleys, with patchwork patterns of ancient olive groves and vineyards clinging to the hillside. Here the air is heavy with the scent of lemons and flowers.

 

Cars can only go half way down to this vertical town as it slopes down the mountain towards the sea.

 

I fell in love with this white hat.

Just beneath the summit of Montepertuso is the tiny hamlet of Nocelle, a fraction of Positano. We took a bus up to the summit of Nocelle and walked down a flight of 1500 steps.

We wound down the "Path of the Gods", passing vegetable gardens and flowers clinging on crumbling stone wall. It was indeed one of the most picturesque views we had ever seen.

Met this cute dog at the top of the Nocelle.

Starting our descent.

Down the "Path of the Gods".

Vegetable patch.

The lemon trees here are huge.

The colourful village of Positano in the background.

Ceramics for sale.

The path ended at one end of Positano Village.

The majolica tiled dome of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta can be seen from every corner of town.

A boutique by the sea.

Access to Positano is by a series of little alleyways and steep flights of steps just big enough to handle one person at a time. They wind in and around the town and take you back to a time when the town was still a fishing village.

Talented artists flock to Positano to hone their skills.

We had a little snack by a seaside cafe.

As we left Positano in the evening, I turned back to capture the soft hues of the enchanting village one last time.

Sorrento and Sant'Agnello

My love affair with Italy began with the book Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. I wanted to make that kind of life-changing trip of my own too. By the time I returned from Rome, Florence, Bologna, Venice and Trieste in 2005, I had fallen hard for Italy. Now, after 7 long years, I longed to rediscover my love for the beautiful country all over again. This time, I traveled with my good friend down south, all the way to Sicily.

Now I am back and more in love with Italy than ever.

We touched down in Rome, traveled to Naples by train (about 2 hours) and boarded the Circumvesuviana train (1 hour) to Sorrento.
 

The coast.

Also known as Land of Mermaids, Land of Orange and Lemon Groves, Land of Colors, Sorrento is famous for the cultivation of lemons, oranges and olive trees on terraces looking out to azure waters to Ischia, Capri and the Bay of Naples.

The peninsula is surrounded by the Lattari Mountains which hug the Sorrentine coast and the Amalfi coast, rich with plateaus, sheer cliffs, peninsulas and deep gorges. Sorrento is hence the ideal starting point for visiting Capri, Ischia, Naples, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Positano and Amalfi.

At Sorrento train station.

Church in Sorrento.

We stayed in Casa Mazzola, owned by Luigi and his son Ugo, up in the hills of Sant'Agnello. It was in this enchanting village that we discovered it is also a place where kindness and hospitality are handled down from one generation to the next.We experienced that for ourselves throughout the trip.

Our room at Casa Mazzola.

Casa Mazzola.

View from our room.

Casa Mazzola.

Ugo Mazzola.

Luigi Mazzola.

That night, we tasted our first real Italian meal at Stelluccia, an unassuming restaurant set in the village of Sant'Agnello that is really popular with the locals.

The restaurant exudes the warmth of the Southern Italians which we hear so much about and the food is hearty and fresh, we couldn't get enough of. We only paid 25Euro for the salad, pizza, pasta and jug of wine for 2.

Dinner at Ristorante Stelluccia.

The best mozarella cheese and tomato salad ever.

The pizza was yummy.

Pasta vongole.

We woke up to gorgeous weather and decided to visit Positano, the charming town nearby. The only way to get there is to take a bus from Sorrento. Trouble is, the buses tend to be packed with tourists, so we decided to get there on foot.

It is, afterall, a natural oasis with countless foot-paths among ancient farmhouses, archaeological areas, Mediterranean bush and awe inspiring landscapes, on enchanting sea and beaches. What better way to appreciate its beauty than by walking?

Ugo thought we were crazy to consider the 8-km walk along the narrow and windy road that threads along the high cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea. Since he couldn't make us change our minds, he sent us to Cocci di San Pietro where we began our walk.

Cocci di San Pietro.

Starting our 2-hour walk.

We came across 3 Italian men who were walking too.

 

We were treated to stunning coastal views along the way.

This region is famous for the production of limoncello made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar.

We came across the first roadside stall selling lemons.

The next one had what we were longing for - lemon granita (crushed ice)!

The stalls sell other agricultural products like citrus fruit, wine, nuts and olives too.

I was impressed with the huge bunches of tomatoes on the vine.

The town of Positano finally came into view.

If we had the stamina, we could even walk to Amalfi, another 15 km away.

I will write about the beautiful town of Positano in my next post. Meanwhile, that night, we returned to Sant'Agnello (by bus) tired but happy and treated ourselves to a wonderful dinner at a nice restaurant.

 

Catch of the day - fresh shrimps cooked simply in salt and pepper. So delicious!

The grilled chicken was good too.

A proud moment

YK received his Diploma in BioTechnology yesterday. It was something he chose to study and now that he has graduated with good results, I am really proud of him. The studying doesn't end here though. After his 2-year stint in the army, he will further his studies in the university. Still a long road ahead.

Funny I didn't have any photos taken with him after the graduation ceremony. Here I am with two of his good friends.

Remembering Yvonne

On a hot Saturday afternoon just 4 days ago, I was by her hospital bedside watching her gasping for breath. We were encouraged to see some signs of improvement, but sadly she passed away shortly after I left.

The last few weeks had been sad. Her condition deteriorated day by day. Hope turned into despair, then finally, we just had to accept that it was time for her to go. Watching someone dear slowly die is so painful. We couldn't bear to see her suffer like that.

She had touched the lives of many people because every time I visited at the hospital, there were friends and family holding her hands, stroking her face, singing to her and massaging her legs. Why must good people like her go so soon?

On Sunday, more than 500 friends turned up for the service at her church. Tears flowed freely as we remembered this wonderful and radiant girl. Clearly, we are all so proud of her. Today she will be cremated but she will live in our hearts forever.

Ciao

There is always an excuse for not running, like bad weather or feeling under the weather. A week ago, it was that jelly belly that finally got me started again. After running almost everyday, I'm beginning to see results.

It's the same with blogging. I used to be too lazy to blog but this time, I was genuinely busy. Then slowly, the momentum for blogging is lost.

During dinner last night, YK asked about the lack of posts. The funny thing is, he has been reading my blog because he has so much time on his hands. He finally received that 'army letter' which means he has four more months of waiting before enlistment.

Now that I'm trying to blog again, I can't even find anything blogworthy to write about. Even my attempt to write about our last trip to Kuching is futile as the photos aren't here. They've already been stored away in my external drive.

I really should bring YK to somewhere nice before his 2-year stint in the army but I've already planned a trip to Amalfi Coast and Sicily in end May with my friend. It's an all-girls backpacking and hiking trip, so we're pretty psyched. This time, I hope to capture the picturesque coastlines of Southern Italy and bring them to life in my blog.

Mom's birthday

My mom turns 75 today. I think she looks great at her age. Last week she told me she feels so blessed to have a loving family and 6 lovely grandchildren. I think so too.

My friend Yvonne

We have been back for a week but I just wasn't in the mood to blog about our latest Kuching getaway. You see, when I got home, I received news that my friend Yvonne is seriously ill in the hospital. I've blogged about her fight against brain cancer and knew her days were ending, yet I couldn't bear to see a gorgeous and once vivacious girl in this sad state.

During my visits, she could no longer recognise me and her vision is impaired. One side of her brain is almost completely ravaged by cancer and she is living in intense pain. In her heavily sedated state, she drifts in and out of consciousness, oblivious to the endless stream of visitors.

Obviously she has touched the lives of many people because she has no lack of wellwishers. We mill around and it is so painful for us to see her life fading away. I see nothing but pain in the eyes of her mother.  According to the doctor, she might live for another 3 weeks yet her partner is hoping to send her for treatment in the USA. In his own words, he said he cannot simply sit and watch her die. In his eyes, I see hope. As a friend, I try to remain strong and supportive.

She was sleeping peacefully when I visited her yesterday. In her sleep, she looked like the beautiful girl I used to know, someone who wasn't in pain or misery. Her skin is now fair and smooth and for once, I notice the cute freckles on her cheek. In my previous visit, she was drowsy yet confused, restless and shifting about in discomfort. We tried to keep her comfortable while the doctor increased her morphine dosage.

Today Yvonne is only 34 years of age, at the prime of her life. Before cancer struck, she was an intrepid traveler. During our beach holiday in Koh Samui 10 years ago, we spent our days lazing in the sun. Amongst us, she was the one who attracted the most number of suitors. Even as we packed our bags to go home, she stayed behind on a small island to work for an European jeweler. She had that kind of charm and spirit that appeal to people from all walks of life.

Now, her Facebook page is plastered with encouraging comments from friends and strangers. Everyone is fervently praying for her recovery or a miracle. In my card to her, I could only write "Get well soon" when what I really want is to have the same old Yvonne back again. The heatlhy and radiant girl with the golden tan and sunniest smile.

Here and there

The lack of posts means I have been busy. Sometimes I think I'm quite mad, juggling so many things but other times, I'm just thrilled to be so productive at work and home. Last week, I was in Malaysia again on a work trip.

From the photo, you can see that we were blessed with good weather that day though it started to pour while we were making our way back to Singapore.

With the wet weather, I haven't been able to run in the mornings. Luckily best friend bought me a hula hoop. I thought I would never be able to master the hula hoop but after a week of awkward gyrating, I can finally keep it spinning around my hip. The hardest part is learning to move gracefully like a belly dancer.

During the weekends, we've been doing lots of hiking in Pulau Ubin and other nature reserves. For a change of scenery, we're flying to Sarawak this Friday to do a hike at Bako National Park. The kids deserve a holiday before one starts school and the other enlists in the army. I wish I could bring them on a longer holiday but traveling can be so expensive.

I promise to come back with lots of photos of Sarawak.

Vindicated

When I opened the mailbox last night, there was a letter addressed to SK. At his age, SK doesn't receive that many letters and this rather official-looking one from his secondary school made me nervous.

I opened it warily and almost jumped with joy. It turned out to be an invitation to the Speech and Awards Ceremony because he topped the school in Art for GCE 'O' Levels. Since he was barely two, he could draw his favourite fishes without any difficulty. I've always believed in him though he has never acknowledged his talent. I think he sets very high standards for himself.

Both my sons are very artistic but only SK has chosen to pursue his studies in Art while YK is more interested in Science.

To me, this award is important in many ways. SK is about to start a diploma course in Environment Design but is suddenly having doubts. He wonders if he had made the right choice as he ponders about his future. I said it doesn't matter as long as it's something he enjoys. I hope winning this award will boost his self-confidence.

Today my colleague reminded me of an incident that I had almost forgotten. In 2008, SK submitted a brilliant piece of artwork for his final year exams but the teacher wrongly accused him of getting help at home. I was so upset because she gave him a poor score (40/100) and he was subsequently punished. You can read the story here and here.

If the teacher is going to be at the ceremony, I hope she will realise that she had made a mistake. I am happy that this award has vindicated SK from her accusations.