Looking back, it was pretty clear from early on that Kevin and I had a different travel style than most. True, when on your honeymoon, you mostly want to decompress and not be on the go, but we embraced the slow and relaxed pace from the start – spending most of our honeymoon in one location, Positano, and not over-extending ourselves, as many Americans tend to do.
It’s also fascinating to think now that we were lucky enough to spend eight nights in Positano, in addition to a few in Rome at the end of our honeymoon. We have several friends who have visited this Instagram-worthy destination since then, and the price has gotten astronomical in comparison to what we paid in 2012.
Also blessed with great weather on the trip, we went in search of Fornillo Beach, a smaller, less touristy strip of sand not far from Spiaggia Grande. The water was a little too chilly to swim in, but we enjoyed relaxing and taking in the spectacular view and teal blue sea.
Another essential Positano restaurant is located not actually in Positano itself, but Montepertuso, the small village in the mountain above the town. When researching restaurants, we kept coming across La Tagliata. It’s family owned, inexpensive, and sources most of its food from the owner’s small farm, ensuring that the ingredients are local and fresh. If you request ahead of time, they also have a convenient shuttle bus that picks you up from your hotel and drives you up the mountain. The restaurant boasts a beautiful view of Positano from above with seating both inside and out. On our first venture there, we were seated at an outside table on the side of the cliff. Kevin, who was not yet used to wearing his wedding ring, kept playing with it throughout the meal. Halfway through, I heard a clink as the ring fell from his hand and almost dropped off the mountain. Thankfully, he was able to catch it in time, as I looked on in horror.
If you choose to go to La Tagliata, make sure you bring your appetite. For a very reasonable fee per person, you are given about eight courses of food, plus the owner’s homemade wine. While the restaurant does cater to tourists, it still offers a unique experience for its guests, especially with the authentic cuisine and gorgeous mountaintop view. Live music rounds out the evening and, after several glasses of wine, the shuttle bus back down the mountain is always an uproarious time.
At the end of the evening, we started talking with two groups – one American couple who were also on their honeymoon and a British couple enjoying a short holiday in Positano. We all laughed at the British man’s name – Ben Franklin – and ended up heading back to Music on the Rocks with them for a nightcap or two.
By day seven of our Italian adventure, we had pretty much mastered dolce far niente, the Italian phrase meaning ‘the sweetness of doing nothing.’ Another leisurely lunch on the beach, this time at The Brasserie, filled the afternoon, and introduced us to one of the most heavenly of Italian antipasti – stuffed zucchini flowers.
As far as wine bars go, the Dark House is the real deal and I am so happy that we found it. It’s close to the beach and the main drag in Positano and the owner is a delight to talk with. We went on several occasions over our honeymoon and subsequent trips and always engaged the staff in wonderful conversation. On this trip, Nico, the owner, wrote the origin of the name of Positano on a piece of paper for us, while explaining the interesting history of the town, including facts about ancient pirates who roamed the nearby waters and how the area was affected during World War II. We asked to take a photo with him, but he politely refused, claiming that he believed being photographed would take a piece of his soul. On the wall was a photo, which must have been at least a century old, that depicted a men’s rugby team. Since one of the men in the photo looked identical to Nico, we assumed he was a ghost and have not given up the theory, despite having met him on several other occasions.
For dinner that night we chose to get the tasting menu at our hotel – the Palazzo Murat. It’s funny thinking about this now, as we are no longer big fans of tasting menus – we prefer more rustic meals – and we would not normally choose a hotel restaurant, opting for more locally run and sourced establishments. Yet, from what we can remember, and the photos we were left with, this meal did not disappoint.
On our last day in Positano, we wandered around town, climbing up and down and exploring some hidden areas that we hadn’t seen before. What amazed us the most, having never been to Europe before, aside from the bright and vibrant colors of the buildings, was the amount of animals that were allowed to roam free. It seemed that everywhere we went, dogs and cats lazed about in the sun. When we ate a pizza lunch at La Brezza art cafe, near the beach, a little dog came to join us for the meal.
Still nursing a cold and sore throat, I didn’t want to go too crazy on our last night. We had a quick aperitivo on the beach, before enjoying dinner at Rada, the restaurant on Spiaggia Grande above Music on the Rocks. It was an early night for us, as we were leaving early the next morning for Rome.
Recommendations
- La Tagliata – Via Tagliata, 32B, 84017 Positano SA, Italy. https://www.latagliata.com/
- Wine – Dark House – Via del Saracino, 6/8, 84017 Positano SA, Italy
