Day 205 Naples, Italy (Part 1)

After sailing into the port of Naples in the dark, we took an amazing tour with Joe Banana Limos and our driver, Paulo…..  I went on this amazing tour with Brad & Gloria, Leslie & Handler and Ann & Cathy.  Here was a description of our trip which is pretty accurate:  “We'll meet each other at port, either me or my driver will be standing at the port, holding a sign with your name on it.  We'll drive by Naples and Sorrento, and soon after we'll find ourselves on the Amalfi Coast. We'll stop a few times to have some beautiful pictures, we'll find ourselves driving down-hill directly through Positano we will descend down the winding one-way road, bypassing many picturesque houses and shops, and arrive in the heart of the town, at Piazza "dei Mulini" is the last point where we can get by car ,we park our car  and we walk downtown where all the streets leading to the waterfront are . Here we can have about one hour or more to discover this beautiful village denominated "the jewel of  The Amalfi coast" Positano has beautiful things to see; the cathedral, shops selling ceramics, lemons, shoes and I'm sure you'll love it. Back on the main Amalfi coast road and leaving Positano the coastal road begins and runs through , the fishing villages of Praiano, Furore and Conca dei Marini, and continues until it finally reaches the busy square of Amalfi (piazza del duomo) which is situated on the seafront.  In front of the port of Amalfi, there is the one and only bus station along the coast and the shopping area lies just behind this. If you would like to steep yourself in Amalfi's history there are some interesting sights to explore: one of the most spectacular being the cathedral situated along the coast, the paper mill museum. Behind this square lies the main shopping street of Amalfi, that terminates at the furthest and highest point of the town. Along the pedestrian street are various bars and cafés, not to mention the many shops selling limoncello, casual clothing, swimwear, gifts, basic groceries, and of course, ceramics. We will then take a meandering, relaxing drive uphill along a very narrow road passing several wineries and olive factories which will lead us to Ravello, a rural village completely unspoiled by tourism, perched on top of the mountain cliff situated above Amalfi and Minori. Ravello, is famous for its breath-taking views, natural beauty and ancient monuments and these are seen at their very best in the stunning gardens of Villa Cimbrone. After this beautiful stop we'll drive back to the ship which is about an hour away”  So, how was the day?  Spectacular!!!  We saw such scenic beauty that words can’t describe it.  Despite less than optimal weather conditions, the drive along the Amalfi coast is beautiful….  We really enjoyed our stops at Positano, Amalfi and Ravello….  Paulo did an amazing job!  Here is part 1 of I’m sure several parts when I finally get done in the next day or two….