{"id":6130,"date":"2019-11-06T21:14:35","date_gmt":"2019-11-07T02:14:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themaddlife.com\/?p=6130"},"modified":"2020-07-15T08:57:42","modified_gmt":"2020-07-15T12:57:42","slug":"the-big-4-0-italian-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themaddlife.com\/?p=6130","title":{"rendered":"The Big 4-0 Italian Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

Approaching 40 was hard!\u00a0 Life has passed by so quickly that trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was going to be turning 40 this year was so hard to fathom. I must admit I wasn\u2019t looking forward to it.\u00a0 In terms of celebrating, I\u2019m not one for a big party. \u00a0I am generally a low-key type of girl so until late July just figured we would do something together fun that weekend as a family and of course go out to dinner on my actual birthday.\u00a0 But then I kept thinking 40.\u00a0 40 is big, right!\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want to look back and regret that I did nothing \u201cbig\u201d for my 40th<\/sup>.\u00a0 The wheels started churning and for anyone who knows me, knows that my brain was thinking all over the place\u2026France, Spain, Italy, Colorado, Charleston, the Shenandoah, were all contenders\u2026.and ironically they run the spectrum of types of places and cost. After deciding on the Amalfi Coast, after questioning my decision (but not enough to change the trip), after ordering and returning an insane amount of sweaters, shawls, and ponchos from Anthropologie in search of the perfect layering, and after creating a massive list of the girls daily activities for Grandma and Grandpa, Justin and I left for the Amalfi Coast on September 26 – three nights in Capri and two nights in the town of Amalfi.<\/p>\n

I had turned 40 ten days earlier so this trip actually turned into a little bit of an 11-year anniversary celebration as well.\u00a0 We had a 4:15 p.m. flight from Dulles.\u00a0 Justin and I both tried to sleep; however, our attempts were futile. My Fitbit registered one hour of sleep and that seemed about right.\u00a0 We flew into Rome and then had our next flight to Naples a few hours later.\u00a0 We ate breakfast at the airport.\u00a0 While the breakfast sandwiches on baguettes with prosciutto, salami, and cheese and the croissants all looked amazing, I knew eating that amount of bread would make me feel icky and that was not how I wanted to start the trip.\u00a0 We found a little place to sit down that served eggs.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t expecting my eggs to be served cold, but they were.\u00a0 Were they good?\u00a0 No, but they were protein.<\/p>\n

Our flight from Rome to Naples was short.\u00a0 We had hired a private transfer to take us from the airport to our hotel \u2013 while it was not cheap, Justin and I realized it was worth the investment so we would start our trip off not being upset with one another for getting lost and delaying our arrival time.\u00a0 The ferry ride from the port in Naples to the port in Capri (Marina Grande) was when our lack of sleep finally set in and we both dosed.\u00a0 Upon getting off the boat away from the cigarette smoke, and getting some fresh air, we perked up quickly as our convertible taxi was waiting for us.\u00a0 I was full of laughs as we rode up.\"\"<\/p>\n

Our room wasn\u2019t ready upon our early arrival, so after having some fresh lemonade while checking in, we made our way to the Water Zone of our hotel.\u00a0 \"\" There Justin and I enjoyed some time in the steam room and sauna followed by some time at the hotel pool.<\/p>\n

We checked into our beautiful modern deco room at Capri Tiberio Place and then had a much needed shower in our spa inspired bathroom. A quick toast with the mini-bar beer and we were off exploring the local area.<\/p>\n

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The walk away from the busy city center was exactly what we were needing.\u00a0 We stopped and took it all in.<\/p>\n

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We ended up coming across the Arco Natural, another beautiful serene site.<\/p>\n

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For dinner we opted for a place suggested by our travel agent, Jim, with good reviews and within feet of our hotel, Capannina Ristorante.\u00a0 I had the salmon.\u00a0 Dinner was good, but I wanted mouth-watering.\u00a0 The wine was good and went down easy, something that became a common theme through our entire trip.<\/p>\n

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Saturday morning, we were up early.\u00a0 We wanted to explore the town of Anacapri on the other side of the island. \u00a0Monte Solero was in Anacapri and we wanted to hike it, but we also wanted to enjoy some leisurely time exploring the town, without wasting time changing from hiking clothes to regular clothes.\u00a0 SO\u2026hiking in a jumpsuit with sneakers was the solution.\u00a0 We asked the hotel if we could walk to Anacapri. \u00a0\u00a0They thought we were crazy and we took the hint to take the bus. \u00a0On our way to the bus station.<\/p>\n

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Once we rode the standing room only bus up the mountain to Anacapri, we realized how walking up was not possible unless we wanted to risk getting run over by cars and buses for twenty minutes straight. \u00a0We did some exploring of the town first.<\/p>\n

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Then we started our hike. \u00a0Nice look, huh!<\/p>\n

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This just cracks me up. \u00a0Fortunately, we didn’t encounter too many people hiking up. \u00a0Most made their way up via this route.<\/p>\n

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We made a few wrong turns, but thankfully we persisted.<\/p>\n

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We passed goats along the way.<\/p>\n

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Thankfully Justin carried my sandals for me for a quick change after our hike.\u00a0 And once we got to the top!\u00a0 Wow\u2026just amazing!<\/p>\n

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Justin had a beer to quench his thirst.<\/p>\n

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After our hike, we ate a delicious lunch at Ristorante La Zagara under the lemon trees.<\/p>\n

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I had tuna and Justin had risotto.\u00a0 Both were excellent.<\/p>\n

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We even had wine with lunch. \u00a0We laughed.<\/p>\n

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We took the bus back but instead of getting on the bus with the exit in the town of Capri, we got on the bus with the exit at Porte Grande, down by the port.\u00a0 Next, we explored the port for a few minutes.<\/p>\n

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Then we took the funicular back up into town. \u00a0We chose to have a little down time by the pool before showering and getting dressed for the evening.\u00a0 Since we ate a late big lunch, I wasn\u2019t feeling a big dinner.\u00a0 But I was feeling gelato.\u00a0 I searched and searched online for the best gelato place and I found it, Gelateria Buonocore, according to various reviews anyway.\u00a0 It was good, but it wasn\u2019t the to-die for gelato I was seeking.<\/p>\n

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Justin still wanted dinner, so we went to a local spot that Justin found, Lo Sfizio.\u00a0 It was indeed a great local spot.\u00a0 The menu was expansive.\u00a0 Justin got the pizza and I just a small side salad.\u00a0 And like other nights, we shared a bottle of wine.<\/p>\n

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Saturday morning, we started out as we did every morning with breakfast at the hotel.\u00a0 I love a great breakfast included in the rate.\u00a0 The breakfast at Hotel Capri Tiberia was amazing.<\/p>\n

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Station after station of food to chose from!<\/p>\n

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We headed to Marina Grande to take a boat trip around the island of Capri.<\/p>\n

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We chose a public one and we opted to not see the Blue Grotto, largely in part due to it not even being open at the time we wanted to depart.\u00a0When it did open up later in the day, it was a couple hour wait to even get in! \u00a0It really was amazing and throughout the boat ride, I kept saying, we are on a boat ride in Italy!\u00a0 I had to keep saying it aloud to remind myself this moment was real! \u00a0The Faraglioni Rocks.<\/p>\n

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The water was so green and so blue in various places…just beautiful.<\/p>\n

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We were exhausted after the boat ride.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t like we did much, but the sun on the water clearly wiped us out!\u00a0 Back in town, we grabbed some pizza and gelato. \u00a0We took a stroll through the Botanical Gardens.<\/p>\n

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Then we took a nap at the hotel.\u00a0 We sat outside in our regular clothes on this super comfy dual lounge in the shade at the pool and we fell asleep close to an hour.\u00a0 It was glorious.\u00a0 Despite being groggy from not being active enough that day, we realized being active was exactly what we needed.<\/p>\n

We put on our workout clothes and hiked up to Villa Jovis \u00a0Holy hike!<\/p>\n

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It was the workout we needed.\u00a0 And I totally was not expecting what we saw when we got to the top!<\/p>\n

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It amazes me that in the year AD 27 THIS fortress was completed.\u00a0 I\u2019m seriously in constant awe of what people who lived generations ago were capable of.\u00a0 I can\u2019t even imagine being at the top of this fortress having a view of the entire island to scope out enemies. \u00a0It totally revived us.\u00a0 Such a great afternoon hike!<\/p>\n

We went to another local spot for dinner that was recommended by Jim, Ristorante Le Gratelle and we had passed by a few times.\u00a0 Dinner was good, but I was hoping for spectacular this meal, and it was good, but not spectacular. \u00a0I think my expectations were too high because I was expecting the food to be way better than something I can make. \u00a0We again enjoyed a bottle of wine with our meal.\u00a0 We definitely enjoyed the vibe of the place and don’t get me wrong, dinner was good. I had the fish…which I did almost every night….some sort of local white fish this time.<\/p>\n

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After dinner, we walked to the city center and danced in the piazza, an experience I will always remember.<\/p>\n

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Monday morning, we awoke early as usual and had our last breakfast at the hotel before catching the 9:30 a.m. ferry to Amalfi.\u00a0 I made the most of my time waiting for the ferry.<\/p>\n

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The ferry ride was delightful.\u00a0 Again, I was just taking it all in constantly reminding myself that I was in Italy. \u00a0I continued doing the same upon our arrival in Amalfi!<\/p>\n

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Our hotel was literally stories and stories high and at the bottom of the hotel was a beachfront property.<\/p>\n

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We lounged for a little more than an hour.\u00a0 I wanted to remember this moment forever!<\/p>\n

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We even got in the water for a few!\u00a0 It was cold and refreshing!\u00a0 I can say that I have swam in the Tyrennian Sea!<\/p>\n

We then walked into the city center of Amalfi.<\/p>\n

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We checked out some stores. \u00a0There were tons of souvenir shops!<\/p>\n

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I saw the biggest lemons I have ever seen before. \u00a0I touched the, got yelled out, and then clearly saw the sign that said no touching.<\/p>\n

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We explored the church.\u00a0 Again, old churches simple amaze me.\u00a0 The fact that hundreds and hundreds of years ago people could build such beautiful intricate works of art amazes me.<\/p>\n

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We also ate some gelato.\u00a0 There was seriously a gelato place every 20 feet. \u00a0Which one to go to was a touch decision! \u00a0We picked one though, Il Pianeta Del Gelato, and holy slam dunk\u2026.it was the gelato I had been waiting for the whole trip.\u00a0 It was absolutely amazing.<\/p>\n

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I was then convinced we could hike to Ravello, a neighboring town from the city center of Amalfi.\u00a0 I had read the reviews on hiking from Amalfi to Ravello and I knew it would be a workout!\u00a0 But I knew it was possible and would take a few hours.\u00a0 Holy stairs!\u00a0 Holy legs! \u00a0I knew the hike would be long and I had read that while there were “bathrooms”, one should bring their own toilet paper. \u00a0I came prepared!<\/p>\n

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According to the online discussions I found on the hike, the hike was supposed to be fool proof.\u00a0 Well Justin and I were fooled.\u00a0 We took a few wrong turns and were able to get back on track once, but we got to one part, where we honestly couldn\u2019t find the next location.\u00a0 It was so frustrating because we had hiked for a little over an hour and were probably less than a half hour away at this point.\u00a0 Justin was feeling like we could get murdered though, so we finally decided to turn back around. \u00a0The way down was much easier than the way up!<\/p>\n

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Monday night we ate at Sensi, an up and coming Michelin Star restaurant.\u00a0 It was the only restaurant that we ate at that\u2019s menu was truly different than every other restaurant we ate it.\u00a0 It was very similar to Clarity in Vienna.\u00a0 It was good, but they forgot one of the amush bouche’s that I saw them give to the table next to us and the portions were even smaller than one would expect for even this type of restaurant…so very good but I had higher expectations for this type of rated restaurant.\u00a0 The bread though\u2026.phenomenal!\u00a0 We took a nice stroll through town home, which was a must after the two entire loaves of bread that I ate!<\/p>\n

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Tuesday our last day, we opted to hire a private driver to take us along the coast from our hotel in Amalfi to Positano and then Ravello. Our driver, Salvadore, was excellent! \u00a0We made a\u00a0few stops along the way.<\/p>\n

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Positano!<\/p>\n

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Hello wallets!\u00a0 Seriously so many shops!\u00a0 I wanted to get the girls something and with so little time to price shop, I found myself just buying without much consideration if I could find something I liked more at another shop or for a better price.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m so glad we were able to make it to Positano.\u00a0 How I would have loved to have been more leisurely.\u00a0 Next time Positano. We made a\u00a0few more stops along the way as we made our way towards Ravello!<\/p>\n

Ravello!\u00a0 Ravello was totally up our alley.\u00a0 Quieter, more artsy, not as touristy.\u00a0 We were also short on time in Ravello, but we made the most of it.\u00a0 We walked around town. \u00a0We took in all the simplicities and the details. \u00a0We ate a delicious lunch.<\/p>\n

We explored Villa Rufolo.\u00a0 Absolutely breathtaking.<\/p>\n

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And we topped it off with gelato, which was just as amazing as it was the prior day. \u00a0We got back to our hotel at 5:15 giving us about a half hour to relax at the beach club before it closed.<\/p>\n

We decided to eat at the hotel since we had a voucher. Dinner was not bad, certainly overpriced.\u00a0 We were on our way back up to the room and decided we needed to walk more.\u00a0 We walked outside and the next thing you know, we walked into town.\u00a0 The wine we had at dinner may have swayed that decision some.<\/p>\n

We laughed, we had fun, Justin had a drink, we decided to have gelato yet again, which made it my fifth time having gelato in four days.<\/p>\n

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It was five days of pure bliss and joy. A vacation that was rather spontaneous.\u00a0 A bucket-list vacation that was made possible by working hard, making good financial decisions, and having two grandparents who were happy to watch the girls for a week.\u00a0 Grateful!<\/p>\n

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Approaching 40 was hard!\u00a0 Life has passed by so quickly that trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was going to be turning 40 this year was so hard to fathom. I must admit I wasn\u2019t looking … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themaddlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themaddlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themaddlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themaddlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themaddlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themaddlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6130\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themaddlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themaddlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themaddlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}