Locate train station's new art

Locate is a small train station just past the little town of Opera, where I live.

The station used to be covered in some graffiti here and there... but NOW it is gorgeously decorated with amazing street art. And I mean ART. I really, really love what's been done and hope that everyone respects it and leaves it as is:

I really, really love that some of the works are Davinci's -- modernized

~Lady with an Ermine~

the comfort of a cuppa coffee  : )

let's go to PAVIA!

A cold but nice day... we decided to go to Pavia on New Year's Day! This would be Sean's last full-day in Italy before heading back to Colorado.

We are at the Locate train station in the photos below... not far from Opera... and then just a 20-minute train ride to the lovely town of Pavia!

Sean

Dad

curves, hills, and a BUS in your face!

The Amalfi Coast bus ride is as great as it is known to be. The curves are sharp and the cliffs are... RIGHT THERE! It's definitely nerve wracking to be on a full-size bus for the ride... but it's surely worth the experience.

At points, other buses would be coming along the road in the other direction... and often, one of the buses (depending on the spot in the road OR which driver is more aggressive) would have to back up, go over as far to the right as possible, and let the other pass by.

Coming around a turn, sometimes we found a bus coming straight at us! Whoa.

We arrived back to Il Nido safely (thankfully!) and enjoyed the sunset from our balconies. ...Dad broke out some Grappa...

Amalfi FAVORITES

Below... my favorite photos from our time walking around the cute town of Amalfi:

air drying undies

sweets!

Bahahahaha. This fountain.

views of Amalfi ...and more stairs

Mom found a trail (leading up more stairs, of course) that gave a beautiful lookout to the sea, the next small town beyond Amalfi, and a gorgeous view looking back on Amalfi itself... so off we went!

The next small town beyond Amalfi:

Stairs, stairs, stairs, stairs.

Our calf muscles are amazing now.   :P

Amalfi, Italy!

From Positano, we hopped back on the public bus and continued the coastal ride to the town of Amalfi. If we had planned to stay a night or two along the Amalfi Coast, I would definitely choose to stay in Positano over Amalfi - but it was a cute town to walk around.

The Amalfi Cathedral is really cool. The cathedral kind of pops out from around a corner once you walk into the central square... and then you walk a bit more until you see the entire front and the details. I loved the dramatic effect and unveiling from the direction that we happened to walk in from.

The buildings around the square where we ate lunch:

Amalfi's Cathedral:

Fish market:

We stopped in a cute bakery/cafe for cappuccinos... 

Which, come to find out when we paid, were triple the cost of anywhere else we've seen in Italy!

POSITANO and some of my FAVORITES

The lovely town of Positano was great for both exercise and photography!

I got a workout from the stairs and hills... and also some lovely photos -- my favorite, random photos from around Positano are below:

anchor on the beach

mosaic art outside the front of Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta

more views of Positano - Amalfi Coast

Mom found a nice little walk for us to take... thanks to her great friend - Rick Steves!

The walk included more steps (of course!) but also more wonderful views:

Looking back at Positano:

I really love this mural:

Mom... conquering the steps with her new, gorgeous sweater!

Positano's church

The church in Positano really stands out among the landscape... set among the many colorful buildings of the main part of town... the church has a gorgeous (and colorfully patterned!) dome top and the building itself is yellow. I really love it!

Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta

the seafront of Positano - Amalfi Coast

We made it to the sandy beachfront! It was pretty cool to have been looking down on all of Positano just half an hour earlier... and now be at the bottom looking up!

I like this town  : )

guys hanging out:

Sean and Mom: