INK? Then spend fabulously in Positano

The day after I was in Naples, I took the tram back to the station to catch a train further south to the Amalfi Coast.  I’m going to warn you – there isn’t much of a story here because I didn’t really do much here.  Not much but stare at the exceptional beauty, eat exceptional food, drink exceptional wine, watch an exceptional sunset, and enjoy an exceptional state of feeling fabulous.

Before I ever traveled or did anything with my life, and long before that dumb movie Bucket List came out, I wrote a 101 Things I Want to Do Before I Die list.  And visiting Italy – or what I imagined Italy would be – was #30-something.  This whole trip has been a small dream come true, and I saved getting down to the Amalfi Coast for last because I knew it would be the highlight of checking this number off.

There are several cities you can stay in when visiting the Amalfi Coast, Amalfi being one of them and Positano being another.  If you’ve ever seen Under the Tuscan Sun (a much better movie than the aforementioned), Positano is the town in which Marcello lives and takes Francis to when they’re looking for the chandelier.  That alone has become a cheesy reason for me to visit the town, only to be able to say “I’ve been there!” when I watch the movie.  But the Amalfi Coast is one of the top tourist attractions in Italy, and Positano came as one of the highest recommended places to see.

INK? Enjoy an evening in Sidi Bou Said

Tunis, Tunisia

I had to travel to Tunisia for work after our trip to Morocco, and we had events scheduled all over the tiny country.  Located on the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans, Tunisia is a unique mix of European and Arabic cultures in a North African country.  In recent decades it was most famous for its abundance of seafood and island lifestyle, luxury relaxation and exotic local.  Today of it is known as the birth place of the Arab Spring – the series of revolutions that have taken over the Middle East and North Africa region.

Our first stop was Tunis, and we checked into the Moevenpick Hotel, which offered stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea.

The first night in town the hotel concierge recommended a trip into nearby Sidi Bou Said for dinner and some drinks.  From our hotel in Gammarth just outside Tunis it was an easy 20-minute taxi ride.

First images of Sidi Bou Said

My first thought upon arrival was that we had taken a wrong flight somewhere and ended up in the Greek Isles.  Almost all of the buildings were perfectly painted white with blue doors, and the only thing that reminded you that you were not in Europe was the fruity smell of sheesha everywhere.

Just like in Santorini or Ios, the taxi couldn’t make it through the tiny walkways.

Streets of Sidi Bou Said

We had directions for a restaurant but quickly gave up when we got lost in the maze of restaurants, cafes, and street food vendors.  Open-aired dining areas with pillowy couches and flowing curtains invited us in kids darted through the crowds with blinking jewelry and noisemakers.  We followed our noses through the summer evening to finally find a delightful outdoor cafe overlooking the bay that flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Tunisian Tea

We dined on huge fish caught fresh that day, and washed it down with sweet tea with pinenuts.  Then we smoked some of that Tunisian sheesha, as the sun set over the balmy Med.

Sunset on the Bay

Evening in Sidi Bou Said