Brekke dining at La Dame aboard Silver Whisper (left) and a rare quiet moment in Positano (right). | Welcome back to Travel Diaries, where one of our editors shares all the whats and hows of their latest trip. This week, Brekke Fletcher, our Senior Director of Content, is sharing the details of her Mediterranean cruise last month. And if you want to hear even more about the trip, read about it here.
For as long as I can remember, my 83-year-old mom has wanted to visit Positano, Italy. She’s not alone, mind you: this picturesque spot on the Amalfi Coast has drawn everyone from Goethe to John Steinbeck to Jacqueline and Aristotle Onassis. It’s a strikingly beautiful place (though these days it's overrun). I’ve been wracking my brain for years about how to get her there, if only for an afternoon, but the idea made my head hurt. Then I came across a Mediterranean Silversea cruise that stopped in Sorrento. Dismissing misgivings about the crowds and heat we might encounter, I threw caution to the wind and booked it in May. At the end of June, we were ready to embark from Rome. Even before we confirmed, I thought about all the logistics we'd have to manage. Traveling with an older parent means you’re the one who'll be doing the work: picking flights, making packing lists, reserving excursions and meals. It wasn’t always easy, but we both got what we wanted: to spend time traveling together. | Senior Director of Content | | | | Brekke and her mom on the cruise. | | | | | Give yourself at least one full day before your cruise leaves to ensure you make the depature. I arrived two days prior so I could have a day in Rome all to my lonesome. | | | | | How to get to Rome from the airport | Take the train if you’re mobile and strong enough to handle yourself and your baggage. Mom, on the other hand, was arriving from the USA's West Coast with an 8-hour layover. I arranged a car and driver for her in advance. | | | | | Where to stay in Rome before the cruise | You could stay near the cruise port (in Rome, that's Civitavecchia, about 90 minutes from the city center). Because I had two days, I stayed at Hotel Locarno in the heart of the city. | | | | | How to get around town before you set sail | I walked everywhere, but the public transportation in Rome is pretty easy to navigate. My mom needed to take cars, so we prearranged one to transfer us to port, but there is also a train. | | | | | I hewed pretty closely to this list. It was the peak heat of summer, so I brought lots of sunscreen, a hat, comfortable walking shoes and a lot of light linen clothes. | | | | Sorrento, Positano, Ravello | Morning:
Our 9am Friday excursion took us by tender to the port in Sorrento, where we met our guide and driver for the surprisingly short – but extraordinarily beautiful – 40-minute drive to Positano. The early hour meant the traffic was not terrible, and we were walking around the picturesque town within minutes.
Getting around:
What we encountered was precisely what I had feared: crowds and heat. My mom walks with a cane, so the vertical nature of this gorgeous seaside town, as well asits uneven, slippery stone paths with steep inclines and stairs with banisters, meant we took it very slow. The rest of the group went on their way, while we carefully picked our way down the hill.
When I say I nearly killed 46 people who I believed were intentionally trying to knock my mother to the ground...well, you understand. The crowds make this place challenging for anyone and even more so for those who need assistance. The heat made a bad situation even worse – and it was only 10am. We got to the bottom by the beach, and for a moment, the throngs seemed to dissipate. We found a cafe near the sea, where we drank iced cappuccinos and ice-cold water and just looked at the scenery, waiting for noon, when we would meet our group for lunch. Where to eat:
We arrived at Il Covo dei Saraceni, a perfectly situated luxury hotel and restaurant just above the north end of the beach. Here, we could quietly and calmly enjoy the glorious view and the ferry dock.
It was gorgeous: exactly what my mother had dreamed, and the meal was a delight. Our charming table companions – two couples from the Dominican Republic, all fellow passengers on our ship – made the stress I had experienced the prior hour melt away. Prosecco, perfectly ripe tomatoes, mozzarella, pasta: perfection. But then came all this noise: engines, yelling, wheels on concrete, ship horns. The ferry dock was suddenly overrun. It was…not amusing. Afternoon:
I couldn’t wait to leave! But things had gotten even hotter and more crowded, and we had to climb back up that hill, over those same steep slippery surfaces. If I ever return, it’ll be in April or October. I’d also make sure to do everything before 10am – Positano is small enough to see in a short time.
Soon, we were off to Ravello – another gorgeous, picture-perfect hilltop town on the coast. Instead of touring Villa Ruffalo, we devoured delicious strawberry gelato at a small table in the shade at Bar Kingslor, adjacent to the Duomo. I was worried that the day had been a bust. Yet when we returned to the ship, my mother was absolutely overjoyed. Her dream had come true. | Skipping ahead to our stop in Monopoli, in Puglia, on the Adriatic side of southern Italy. Neither of us had been to this region, and both of us were very excited. We toured the town on foot – stopping in shops and churches and relaxing on benches, taking loads of photos. My mom got a Christmas ornament. I bought some locally-made olive oil. How to spend the day:
Monopoli was busy and bustling, but not overwhelming. The relatively flat 16th-century historic center made our wandering a breeze – even though it was still pretty hot. We could always find shaded outdoor seating – one such bench was right on the harbor, between the police station and some fishing boats. We sat and listened and watched and enjoyed what we surmised were the lively conversations between the cops and the fishermen, just laughing and smoking and gesticulating. Later, we walked along the sea wall, where we saw people sunbathing on rocks, their coolers filled with cold beverages. Some of them were fishing. A few of them had very happy dogs. This is what I’d hoped we’d be able to experience. It was simply perfect.
Where to eat:
I reserved lunch for us at the delightful Locanda sul Porto, just west of the harbor. They have a beautiful covered patio, though we ate indoors by an open French window. I ordered a spritz. We had fresh oysters and seafood pasta and finished with a delicious chocolatey dessert. It was Wednesday, and they had just opened for lunch, but the restaurant was immediately packed with locals. After lunch we returned to our ship, sated, happy, satisfied. We rested by the pool, swam, read and decided to take it easy and just have dinner delivered to our stateroom. | | | | Photography credits: iStock; Brekke Fletcher/Lonely Planet | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
