a wonderfully laid back relaxed community of about 4,000 year round residents. as of the beginning of
November the town pretty much shuts down for the winter and reopens in
April.
during the summer and the shoulder months of the year it is
a playground for many as its allure seems to know no end.
however, the history of Positano is very much different than
today's playground for the well to do and others who seek out a break from the
day to day fast moving world that we live in. Positano has been through times when it was poor, and times when it was well off.
what does one do in Positano. relax.
there is no movie theater, no soccer field, no gyms to work
out in, no golf courses, no pickleball courts, no performing arts theater, no
concert hall.
all there is to do is hang out. take in the spectacular views of the Mediterranean Amalfi
coastline. spread out on the pebbly,
non sandy beaches. take an occasional
dip in the refreshing blue waters of the Mediterranean. eat.
eat and eat. most of the
restaurants and eateries have fantastic views.
and there is some shopping. they
are known for their clothing, especially linen clothing. also ceramics and made to fit sandals are
popular.
there is only one street in town, and that is a very windy, circuitous,
one way only, narrow route that has numerous switchbacks and hairpin turns. it also serves as the path for many
walkers. yet, there are no
sidewalks. so the narrow road is shared
by foot traffic and auto traffic.
the biggest challenge in Positano is getting to and from
where ever you are to where ever you want to go. the only real option is to walk. taking a car makes no sense. not only is the one road crazy but there is
no place to park. some of the locals use
vespa scooters.
yet, even walking presents a challenge in Positano. the topography is almost straight up and
down. the homes and hotels are built
into the sides of the cliffs that drop into the sea.
the answer is STAIRS.
yes, there are stairs everywhere.
stairs with steps. with many
steps.
my guess is that the number of steps from the beach to the
top of the town is over 3,000. what I
can tell you is the number of steps from the beach, which is the center part of
the town, to where we are staying is 1,375.
that is the equivalent of climbing at least 30 stories.
what makes this number so sure in my mind is that any time
that you want to do anything -- say, go to the beach, go shopping, eat a meal --
you must walk down or up to get there.
these stairs are all made of stone. they weave in between homes and
structures. they sometimes have hand
rails, sometimes don't.
the stone steps are uneven.
some rise 6 inches, others rise 11 inches. you have to pay attention to every step. .
to give you an idea of what this can mean in a day. yesterday we kept track of the steps that we
took.
let me set the stage for you. we did "nothing" yesterday. all we did was go to the beach, eat some
lunch, lay out on the beach, come back to our apartment, take a two hour
walking tour, eat dinner and return to our apartment for sleep.
and yet, we walked 15,679 steps!! we climbed the equivalent of 46 stories or
floors. we walked (or more accurately,
stepped) over 8 miles. believe me, our legs at the end of the day were very much aware of these statistics. they were screaming at us.
so, the irony is that to stay in Positano, this laid back
relaxing community by the sea and to partake in the relaxed environment and ambiance, one has to step up or step
down at least 1,375 steps every time one leaves or returns to the apartment.
I am very aware that there will be some of you reading this
that will not be shedding tears for PJ, Tom and myself as we try to
"negotiate" Positano.
however, I wanted to make sure that you were aware that we
are putting out at least a modicum of effort to be able to enjoy the Positano,
Amalfi coast experience.
one thing is for sure. we are getting our steps in every day.
one thing is for sure. we are getting our steps in every day.
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