Italian Culinary Adventure ~ Day Eight & Nine - Positano

Positano- Day Nine
Sunday, June 30th. 2002

With light pouring into our room through the open balcony doors, we awoke early, luxuriating in the only sounds being those of the sea. We were the first down for breakfast since it was still so early, and we enjoyed a breakfast of the nice selection of cold cuts, cheeses, fruits and baked goods the hotel had laid out. I find I am getting to enjoy breakfasting on a slice of crusty Italian bread with a slice of sweet prosciutto, and a slice of Pecorino cheese alongside a good cup of cappuccino each morning.The sun has yet to make an appearance, so we walk down towards the beach to buy the paper and make a few phone calls. Since I had promised my husband a few quiet days by the sea on this trip, we collected our beach things from the room, and climbed down the steep rock staircase from our hotel to the private beach. The "beach" isn't really a typical one, as it is made from a series of platform levels cut from rock that overlook the sea. Since the beach to the right is quite rocky, we decide to stay here on the rocks, and rent sun loungers and an umbrella to use for the day. We are told that the first level of chairs has been rented out for the season, so we sit one level back and settle in for a quiet day by the sea. The sun doesn't make an appearance until after 11am, at which time it quickly becomes very warm. I slather on sunscreen, and settle down under the umbrella with my latest book of fiction which is set in Italy. As time passes, the beach begins to fill up, and we notice the busy ferry taking folks to Capri as well as other islands nearby, is full each trip. Click on photo for larger view!

At 1pm, we head down the beach to return to Chez Black, and to try one of their pizzas for lunch which looked so good the night before. The beach has become quite crowded, and there are vendors selling everything from cold drinks, to oil paintings moving among the crowds. We both order the pizza topped with pomodorini and cheese, not having had enough of these amazing sweet tomatoes the day before. We were both just amazed how full of flavor these little tomatoes really were! The pizza was just as good as it looked, although I am sure there must have been a mixture of cheese rather than simply the mozzarella as was stated in the menu, because it was just too full of flavor to me just the mild mozzarella cheese we are used to. We each drink a large bottle of water with our meal to re-hydrate after being out in the heat, and return to our lounge chairs for a few more hours. I sit in the shade and read my book, watching all the mix of people in various states of undress while my husband bakes in the sun, never seeming to get enough of it. I am always amazed when visiting a seaside resort in Italy how unselfconscious the people are about being out in public with little or no clothes on. Many middle aged women with very middle ages bodies stroll up and down the beach in tiny bikini bathingsuits, not caring at all that anyone can see all their flaws. I just wish I had some of their confidence! Click on photo for larger view!

At about 5pm I call it quits, and we head back to the room to shower and change. There were a few shops I had wanted to investigate before dinner, and hopefully to buy a few souvenirs for those back home. I buy a linen dress decorated with silk flowers, and look through a few more shops selling everything from local ceramics to artwork, to English books until we come across a store selling only products made of, or decorated with lemons. The store's fragrance enticed you from the street, and we were quickly lured into buying room spray and candles made with the fragrance of lemons, as well as a couple of ceramic serving pieces decorated with lemons. The owner was quite a character, joking with everyone in her store, and gave us a nice bottle of Limoncello to take home as a gift. We again arranged shipping back to Canada, and then headed back to our hotel. Although it was still fairly early in the day, we had noticed the town had really cleared out, with the daytrippers, or those spending just the weekend there already having left. The evening was wonderful, and we sat on our balcony for an hour or more, sharing a bottle of the local white wine watching the sunset. Click on photo for larger view!

Having made reservations at Bruno's earlier, even though the outdoor tables were packed; as soon as we arrived we were seated. One of that day's pasta specials was ravioli stuffed with ricotta with a simple tomato sauce that sounded too good for me to pass up. Although I found the pasta a little undercooked, the flavor was amazing. My husband ordered the seafood appetizer once again, which turned out to be a nice plate of marinated fresh anchovies, and a seafood and fruit salad in the center. It was obviously very fresh and he enjoyed it thoroughly.

For my second course, I decided to forget about calories (at this point it seemed ridiculous to worry anymore until I went back home!) and ordered the Fritto Misto, or mixed fry, which contained both calamaretti, or baby squid, and shrimps. I was a little leery when I first viewed my plate, as the shrimp had been fried whole, with both heads and tails. Once I tried them though, I quickly got over my squeamishness, and happily crunched through my serving which was very crisp and light, even though it was deep fried. Being a creature of habit, my husband once again ordered the Aqua Pazza since he had enjoyed it so much the day before. It was just as he had hoped for, and we completed our meal al fresco, overlooking the sea, both sorry we were leaving Positano the next day.

Hotel Marincanto
Via Colombo 36
Positano
Phone: 089 875130
Amenities- American style showers, safes in each room, balcony overlooking the sea, parking, breakfast included, and steps down to a private beach. Note. as with most seaside beaches, you have to pay extra for use of the chairs. Click HERE for more information!

Cucina Locale di Bruno
Via Colombo

Ristorante Pizzaria Chez Black
Via del Brigantino 19/21
Phone: 089 875036

Buon Appetito!
By Deborah Mele 2002
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