My Last Nights in Rome

Ok. It's so weird to say that I've been home for about a month and that I have no idea when I'm going back to Italy. It's been a good month, but strange. It's strange to be in Fort Lee and New Jersey and to know that I have no idea when I get to go back to the ancient sites and beautiful culture that I love so much.  There's definitely a hole in my heart right now.  I seem to have left part of it in Italy again, maybe the chunk is larger this time since I left a piece in Florence and now a piece in Rome too.  So if you find the pieces, feel free to mail them back to me.
Oh well, Jersey is here and for the moment I still have lots to talkabout Italy wise.  I still have to write about my trip to Florence (the one that was only supposed to last 2 days, that wound up being 5 days instead... yeah, that one lol) and of course my last couple of days in Rome.

Going away party deliciousness

On Tuesday I went to a goodbye esque party with coworkers and friends. It was hysterically amazing
complete with rain pouring down our backs (yay, outdoor seating!) but I'll do a whole separate review because the food was great. We got an assortment of delicious food and it was a great evening.
Then Wednesday I went to work to clean out my classroom.  It was a sad day for me, but good too because we had a going away party.  My coworkers were going to try and surprise me but I didn't have to

turkish delight

be there at any set point so they had to schedule it with me ahead of time.  It was great though. We had tortilla chips with salsa (a wonderful treat after months with no salsa), delicious cheese and prosecco.  I also tried Turkish delight for the first time.  My student brought me some from his vacation and it was delicious, extremely sweet, but delicious. I could only eat one since it was so rich. We also had delicious pastries that Ashley brought.  It was awesome and a lot of fun. I am so grateful to have worked with such a lovely bunch of creative, intelligent, strong women this year. It was a great experience and I was quite sad to say goodbye. But you never know, maybe I'll go back one day and do it all over again.

Delicious treats

Thursday I spent my day walking the forum and the Coliseum. I played tourist and then stubbornly decided to walk home in the sun as well. It was around 8 miles of walking total that day. That 8 miles with no shade also explains my minor sunburn and how cracked out I was by dinner time.

A wonderful view of the Coliseum from the Forum

Pesto Pork chops

And dinner was hilarious. I made myself pesto porkchops and pesto tortellini in an attempt to finish off the stuff I had in the fridge. It was pretty good and super simple to make. Apply pesto liberally to porkchops. Grill. No recipe necessary.  Make tortellini and coat in sauce.  I had so much other stuff in the fridge that I could have made, but this was the easiest.
Friday was panicked/depressed packing.  It was ridiculously painful and I really didn't want to. I'd already packed the majority, thank God, but still it was an annoying job to do. And then luckily enough for me, my friend Laure invited me out for a relaxing beer to chill out behind Piramide. She brought me to a fantastic little pub with an amazing rotation of beers. The barista really knew her stuff and was able to recommend some fantastic and particular beers. I got a Vudu, slighly sweet and bitter while Laure got one with a lighter, citrus taste. I wish I could go back there since they regularly switch up their beer choices.
Then we went over to Termini Station to meet Morgane (from France) and Steffi (from Germany). I met them 4 years ago in Florence while doing my masters.  I saw them in Florence that last weekend I visited. It seems fate pulled us together again for some fun. And then they speent Friday night in Rome hanging out with me which was awesome.
We got them settled into their B&B and then we went to Ai 3 Scalini. I've been wanting to go there for a while. It's an aperitivo esque bar famous in Rome. A bunch of people had told me about it but there's always a line. Luckily, Friday it wasn't incredibly croweded and we didn't have to wait. I'm guessing because August 1st means that most Italians escape to the sea (not that I can blame them with the heat in city center). It was

absolutely fantastic.
We shared a bottle of wonderful white wine and then I ordered eggplant parmigiana as did Steffi.  Morgane got a bufala mozzarella and tomatoes. Laure got fresh ricotta with a truffle honey.
Everything was fantastic.  It was one of the best eggplant parmigiana's I've ever had and the various cheeses were amazing.  The mozzarella was perfect and the ricotta was creamy and rich while the truffle honey added such a lovely kick to the dish.  The truffle honey was sweet but had a potent, yet delicious kick that complemented the creamy ricotta incredibly well. Sitting in Jersey, I would kill to have any of the delicious food in front of me now.

Then Laure had to go, so we said our goodbyes and Steffi, Morgane and I explored Rome at night for a while on a hilarious walking tour on the sites of center. They kept asking me where to go and I sadly still don't fully understand the whole layout of Rome. It is a huge city. We had a fun night and then said our goodbyes and I walked back home.
Saturday was more packing, lots of walking for some last minute errands and lunch and inner at home.  I made myself pasta with the tomato sauce that my previous roommates mother made.  Let me tell you, there is nothing like homemade tomato sauce. It was delicious and so much better than anything bought at the store.
Then after dinner, the girls and I went to Gazometro which is behind the house. If you're anywhere near Piramide you should definitely go for some vibrant night life!
And that's how I ended my time in Rome. It was definitely a good week with great people who I'm missing a lot right now.

Arrivederci Roma!

So I've been in the United States for 5 days.  I left Rome 6 days ago and I miss it like crazy but I know I'll be back... at some point.  For now it's time for a new adventure and a new life but I can't help but feeling like I left a part of myself behind... again.  My heart is in Florence, and now in Rome too.
It's okay though because I know I'll be back in Italy one day. Florence and Rome are not going anywhere, and neither are my Italian friends.  Unless, of course they come visit me, which of course, I really hope they do.
So for now I'm going to spend my time in New Jersey like a new adventure and see what happens and where the world brings me next.
I wrote this while sitting on the plane on my way home and I was singularly unprepared. Everything had been packed and checked but I was sitting there and I wasn't ready to go. It's a good thing I had 22 hours in Porto, Portugal to sort myself out.
I had been awake since 7am on Sunday morning after staying out with my roommates until 4am. My roomies

and I had gone to Gazometro (behind our apartment) for some dancing, drinks and a late night sandwich.  The dancing and drinks were great.  The hamburger less so.  It was just a little sloppily prepared but what do you expect at 3am?
I got up early with the help of my evil alarm and Dr. Who (I had put it on when I got home for some reason) messing with my dreams.  I finished my last minute stuff, took cold medicine, cleaned the room and chatted with my roomies, without crying once.
Then my roommate Simona was amazing enough to walk me and my heavy bags (well, they weren't that bad, but would have been insanely inconvenient for 1 person) to the train station.  She even waited with me on the track and helped me get my suitcase and carry-on onto the train before hugging me goodbye.  She is so amazingly sweet and I am so grateful that she was there with me.
At the airport everything went smoothly and I miraculously didn't have to pay any overweight fees on my luggage and I went through security pretty quickly. I only received a few odd looks at the 4 jackets combined into 1.

Then I had 2 hours with nothing to do so I found an adorable wine bar and decided to treat myself rather than getting fast food.  I was sorely tempted to get a cheese platter and wine but seeing as it was only 10:30 in the morning I decided not to act on my lush instincts.
Instead I got a caffè and a strawberry torte.

Both presentations were absolutely lovely. It was on the expensive side, but flavor wise it was absolutely

worth it.  The coffee was rich and smooth with a hint of hazelnut.  It was served with a kind of homemade hazelnut candybar.  It was delicious and rich, but small enough that I didn't fill up on it. The bottom layer was cookie, butter and hazelnutwhile there was a cremy layer of hazelnut and chocolate goodness above.
The crostata, strawberry torte was quite good as well but I think it looked better than it tasted. I liked that it wasn't super sweet but I would've liked the crust to be more flavorful. The strawberries were okay but not fresh since they were covered in some sweet gelatinous substance.  It was good but not the best I've eaten. I think their panna cotta and savory dishes probably would've been better, especially the savory since it was definitely more of a wine bar.  I loved the atmosphere and look of the restaurant even though the waitresses weren't super attentive. I was sitting at the bar in front of them and it took forever for them to take my order.
After that I didn't mind much because I just sat enjoying my breakfast without being rushed.

I flew TAP this go round (I've flown with them before) and the staff seems quite friendly. The food on my first flight was okay. It was neither spectacular nor inedible so I was pleased. They served white rice with chicken and bacon, a roll and fresh melon.  I also had a glass of white wine (1pm was definitely better than 10am as a starting point). The rice was super bland so I really only ate the chicken and bacon for the protein. I really liked the quality of the roll. It was fresh and flaky and the fruit was actually really fresh as well. The wine had a slightly bitter after taste, but not bad at all for airplane wine.
Overall I was pleased with my food.
My only issue was the landing because my ears popped so badly that I was almost deaf upon landing for
about 4 hours.  It sucked but I still enjoyed my 22 hour layover in Porto, Portugal. The arrivals hall was amazing. They were having some kind of event and it was great with food to try and people greeting. Someone even gave me a little rooster statue (so adorable and colorful). It was a great entry into

the country and then I headed into the city. I enjoyed my time so much that I'm going to write a whole other blog about it!
Then the next morning I went back to the airport and flew back to the Jersey.  I had no problems going through security and grabbed a tea to help with my sore throat.  I even bought 2 bottles of Port Wine for €15 to bring home to Mom.
The flight food was kind of terrible.  Beef and mushrooms with white

rice.  I ate it all, but it was flavorless. I should have gotten the baccala (a Portughese specialty) but I was scared to get fish on the flight (plus I don't always love fish... I'm challenging sometimes).  The bread was good but the salad... Gross. The salad on the side was gross, it was way too salty. I could not eat it.  The dessert was a strawberry mousse and it was okay. It wasn't super flavorful but it was light.  I didn't finish it all, because I wanted more strawberry flavor. Not the best meal I've had with TAP.  The wine on this flight was good and didn't have the same aftertaste.

There was also a snack towards the end of the flight. It was simple, just a sandwich. One side was wheat bread with cheese. The other was white bread with ham.  Slightly odd but it tasted good.
7 hours, 2 meals, 2 glasses of wine, 1 glass of pear juice, 2 cups of tea.  It was a decent flight and I got to watch the second Amazing Spiderman and the second Captain America! So good.  I also rewatched Julie and Julia. I forgot how cute that movie is. The foodie in me was definitely pleased.
Then we landed and my ears popped again, but on the bright side, I only lost hearing in one ear!   And now I'm in Jersey... and 5 days later, I still need to finish unpacking.
It's been a whirwind.  I've been all over the place.  So in the next few days, expect some updates about my last days in Rome, about Porto and then adventures here in the states (plus all the restaurant review I still have to type up from Rome).

200 posts, The Color Run and a Restaurant Review Rome: Pizzeria Luzzi

Well, it's been a couple of busy days.  Lots of work and lots of play and of course lots of food. But no time for writing until now.  200 blog posts!  Holy cow, I can't believe it.  I didn't think I'd be able to keep it up. It's been years that I've had this blog but only in the last year and a half have I actually been consistent.  And with consistency I've been getting more hits, and more people reading through, glancing through my posts.  Thanks so much for anyone who's been reading for a while and to anyone who's just taken a look!

Cherry granita

And now on to my havoc weekend.  Yesterday I ran my 2nd Color Run, this time right outside Rome in Ostia on the sea.  It was an amazing day with gorgeous sun and heat.  And for those of you who have never run a Color Run DO IT.  I don't love running all the time, but it's a great way to stay fit and the color run is a great motivation to keep going.  It's a FUN 5k because at the kilometer marks you get painted. It's so much fun to have color thrown at you while you walk or run with friends. It was definitely a great day.  The one in Ostia is particularly fun because it's on the water and turned into a day long event with granita and piadini and
then dinner out at a wonderful restaurant.
We got to the course around 2pm to sign in and get our packs. Then we walked for a while and the others
got Piadina, which is a grilled sandwich typical of Northern Italy on a large tortilla and it's delicious. I didn't get one because I'd already had lunch. We sat on a beach at a place called Hakuna Matata and got amazing cherry granitas. Cherry ice, super refreshing while sitting overlooking the water.
Then around 6 it was time to line up and run. So much fun.

The before shot

So much color...

The After Shot

The party and throwing color!

I am still removing paint from my hair and skin! 5 kilometers of fun (even though I wish there had been a

water stop half way down the race). And then a party! Live DJ, more color throwing and outright hilarity.
We had a couple of beers, danced, and had a lot of fun.

And then when the music stopped, around 8:30, we headed back into Rome for some delicious dinner and some hilarious glances from passersby, because we did not shower and get cleaned up before heading over to the restaurant. Four of us were completely covered in paint splatters.  We went to

Sunset over the fantastic party

And that's how we took the subway to the restaurant

a restaurant right near the Coliseum called Pizzeria Luzzi. I've been there 3 or 4 times this year and it has some amazing pizza and food in general.
And the waiters were great last night. They thought we were hilarious and didn't send us away even though we were quite the spectacle.  They joked with us and got us a table outside pretty quickly even though the place was packed. It's always packed tto the brim so be prepared to wait for a bit, but it's absolutely worth the wait. I would suggest sitting outside because there's a lovely breeze and inside, especially during the summer, can get quite stifling with the brick oven burning away. It makes for lovely pizza, but the heat is quite intense. I always prefer sitting outside, even in winter.  They have  outdoor seating with lovely heaters.
Once you're seated the service is quite quick and attentive. They pay attention but don't rush you out. There were a couple of mis-communications. For example, the waiter said there was no meat in the Suppli (a lovely Roman style fried rice ball) but there was. It wasn't a problem for me, but my vegetarian friend wound up not eating it.  It was delicious, crisp on the outside with lovely rice cooked in Bolognese sauce (hence the meat) and mozzarella.
The other mis-communication was about spicy olive oil. One waiter said they had it, another said no. In the end, there was no spicy oil, but there was ground peperoncino, ground red pepper flakes. Minor for sure, but quite entertaining for us.
Three of us ordered beer and three ordered the house white wine.  The beers were great and really refreshing after all the running and walking we'd done and so was the house wine.  The house wine is always fantastic and cheap as well, which is amazing.

The mushroom pizza (tried on a previous visit)

Our food took a little while to arrive, but we were chatting and rehashing the day so we barely noticed.  The pasta dishes came first for the two who ordered pasta.  Their timing is not perfect.  Inevitably some dishes will come out before the rest, but we didn't mind at all.
I tried the fettucine al porcini and it was quite tasty. It's really for mushroom lovers and has that lovely, yet potent taste of porcini. The bolognese was great as well, rich and delicious.
Then our pizzas came.  On the table we had a margarita (classic, delicious mozzarella), a diavola (with spicy

salami), a prosciutto e funghi (ham and mushroom)

My beautiful capricciosa

and a capricciosa (artichoke, hard boiled egg, mushroom, and prosciutto crudo).  Mine was the capricciosa and it was fantastic.  I doused it with a little ground peperoncino but it didn't need it. I just wanted a little spice in my life.

The pizza diavola

The pizza crust was incredible, light and thin and not burnt, with just enough delicious cheese. I really love the combination of the ingredients.  It's definitely one of my favorite pizzas.  Luzzi's definitely does it was with really fresh ingredients.
Everyone loved their pizzas and pasta. We cleared our plates!
And the best part was that our bill was so low. The 6 of us payed 11 euros each and that was enough for tip as well.  Luzzi's has amazing prices and the food is simply spectacular.  I highly recommend it.

Adventures in the South of Italy Part III

The next morning we were up early and checked out of the hotel by around 8:30/9.

gorgeous views

To Amalfi we went.

I ate a banana before boarding the bus and held myself together for 2 hours of that winding road to the city of Amalfi. For some reason our morning ride was obnoxiously long. It should have been about an 1 ½ but it would up being about 2 hours for some reason.

Rounding a bend

Even so, I got some great pictures and focused on the excellent scenery from my window seat. When you’re going towards Positano or Amalfi sit on the right hand side of the bus (not behind the driver) for gorgeous views. Do not sit on the right hand side if you get nervous with heights, or winding roads.

When we finally got to Amalfi, the first thing we did was grab sandwiches from a little coffee shop on the shoreline. We weren't expecting much since it was quite close to the boat rentals and other touristic activities but we were pleasantly surprised. We ordered a couple of sandwiches and they were made right in front of us with fresh ingredients.  I also enjoyed the atmosphere of the shop because it was on the small side. The workers were personable and smiling which was uplifting for my sleepy, kind of nauseous self. Also the price was not bad. For sandwiches and waters, we spent 4 or 5 euros each. 

my yummy caprese sandwich 

Endira and I enjoying our sunny boat ride

We took our sandwiches to go and ate them on a bench overlooking the water.  My caprese sandwich was wonderful with tomatoes and mozzarella.  It was seasoned beautifully with a little, salt and pepper, olive oil, and fresh basil too so I really enjoyed it.

Then we got onto a boat and took a ride towards the Emerald Grotto, similar to its more famous cousin in Capri, The Blue Grotto. These grottos are naturally occurring caves in the side of a cliff that naturally filter

Leaving Amalfi in our wake 

light and appear to glow various colors (according to the make-up of the cave and water).  I’ve wanted to go the Emerald Grotto for years now, so we decided to take an hour long boat ride from Amalfi (there was also the option of going from Positano, but it was a half day trip and more expensive so since we only had a half day to explore we decided to take the shorter journey from Amalfi). It was €10 a person for the round trip boat ride and another €5 to go into the grotto which is considerably cheaper than getting into the Blue Grotto in Capri.

The boat ride was fantastic with wonderful sea breezes and gorgeous views of towns sketched right into the cliffs.  Sometimes I seriously wonder about the sanity of Italian architects. Some of the towns in Italy, especially in Campania, are quite precariously situated on the edge of volcanoes or handing onto the edge of cliffs. 

Cities built quite precariously on the cliffs... Impressive

Our boat ride was breezy and relaxing and we were dropped off right at the mouth of the grotto. 

We lined up and got into a giant paddle boat with our crazy Italian guide who kept shouting “Looky, looky” and pointing at things. Between him and the awesomely fabulous older Spanish lady who started singing half in Neapolitan, half in Spanish (Tu vu’fa l’americano in reaction to our boat guide asking every single person if they were American), we had quite the hilarious boat ride.

Look at that glowing water!

Not the clearest picture: But that's the underwater
Nativity scene!

I really enjoyed the glowing blue green water and the underwater presepe or nativity scene (only in Campania would they think of submerging a nativity scene).  It was pretty cool, but the glowing area was relatively small.  If you’ve not gone to the Blue Grotto, I highly recommend it. It’s more expensive but so gorgeous and far more impressive than the Emerald Grotto. 

After that, the boat picked us up again and brought us back to Amalfi where we automatically decided to escape the heat by planting ourselves on the beach and jumping into the water (again in turns since we didn’t want to leave our belongings unsupervised). The water was beautiful and just the right temperature to cool off after all the blazing sun.  And the beach itself wasn’t quite as painfully rocky as Positano (that being said, I don’t think it was as picturesque either).

After a while we decided to wander around and find the path up to Ravello.  We were completely unsuccessful  but we had fun traipsing up narrow staircases that would suddenly open up to sudden views of colorful town and stunning coastline. It was a lot of fun but if you want to make it up to Ravello I suggest that you take the bus up and then walk down back to Amalfi, just because it’s very easy to get lost. 

the many versions of limoncello

We wandered around center for a bit and saw the main church and piazzas.  We even spotted another limoncello shop where I wandered around. They had so many different versions of limoncello made with lemons or lemons with cream. There were also bottles of liquor that were made with other fruits and flavors. Some were made with orange and there were even versions made with pistacchio which looked amazing. 

Then we got back on the bus to Sorrento. We decided to dine there to make sure that we were able to get the Circovesuviana to Naples and then the 8pm train back to Rome. We both had work early the next morning so we didn’t want to risk getting stuck in Naples. 

Our bus ride back to Sorrento was almost an hour shorter than our morning ride so if we had known that our bus driver was going to fly through the curving paths we would have stayed a little longer. As it stands, we were able to relax and eat an early meal in Sorrento.

A video of the crazy winding hills and our bus ride

juicy cheeseburger

We stopped at a little restaurant a couple of blocks from the station called Bar del Carmine. We sat outside in the sun and enjoyed the breeze while observing the passersby. It was a small restaurant with friendly staff and decent service.  Endira played the American and ordered a cheeseburger and French fries with a beer.  I took and bite and was pleasantly surprised with how tasty it was.  The meat was juicy and cooked to perfection on a wonderful bun with bacon and cheese. I don’t know what kind of cheese it was, but it was quite good. 

my beautiful caprese

beer and pear cider

I decided to stick with my caprese (it seemed like the safest choice after our day of bus rides.  It was a huge sandwich and quite good. It wasn’t as flavorful as my morning sandwich but it was still quite tasty and filling.  I also got a pear cider because I was so surprised to see it on the menu. I had to get it even though it was a tad expensive for a small bottle because I love pear cider and haven’t had it in months.

Our sunlit table with delicious food 

Then to finish our experience down south we FINALLY got limoncello to toast our adventures.  It was served with delicious little cookies coated in powdered sugar but soft to the bite.  I quite enjoyed them and our limoncello. It made a great finale to a wonderful weekend and fun food journey. 

wonderful ending to a wonderful meal

Next thing you know, we were running to the train and then back to Naples (where we managed to get special 25^th anniversary magnum ice cream bars at the train station) and finally we were back in Rome. Home sweet home…

At least for another couple of weeks! 

Missed the other parts of this series?
Part I here
Part II here

Adventures in the South of Italy Part II

When we arrived in Sorrento it was about half past 2 and we went on a long, yet hilarious trek to find our hotel/hostel: Hotel Londra.  It was quite lovely with a beautiful blue pool, lovely service and a tiny room that we didn't mind about because we were in the hotel just long enough to sleep.

the beauty of Positano

Before heading back out, we sat by the pool and had some cool drinks and then we started moving again.
We got on a bus with the intention of going to Amalfi but I got a tad motion sick on the bus so we
decided to get off at Positano.  I really don-t love long bus rides, especially on long and winding roads and these were particularly windy.  I will say that the bus ride is absolutely worth the gorgeous views. Luckily Positano was only 45 minutes away from Sorrento and when we got there we were faced with panoramic views of turquoise blue sea and gorgeous buildings etched into rock. It was stunning.
Then began our trek down through the town and to the water.  We walked through narrow streets and under canopies of purple flowers while we window shopped for beautiful things well out of our price range.  We contemplated getting limoncello, lemon liquor, a specialty of the region that is generally quite reasonably priced and utterly delicious.  Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and most of the Campania region
are particularly well known for their limoncellos but  since it was already 4ish I decided not to go into the shop because I am easily distracted.  I probably could have spent ages there tasting and looking at the various limoncellos.

The beautiful bottles of limoncello!

So instead we went straight down to the beach to enjoy a small patch of ston ybeach for free.  It was crowded but we didn't have to pay so we didn't mind.  If you get there early enough I would recommend paying for chairs and umbrellas.
We took turns swimming and sunbathing and I enjoyed reading the 5th Harry Potter book in Italian.  Then when the sun began to sink behind the cliffs, we started our climb back up.
It's a steep hill but the hike was well worth it for the majestic views.
Then back towards the top of the cliff we found a

little restaurant called Ristorante Bruno that I believe I want to with my best friend Angela 7 or 8 years ago.  It's a seafood restaurant with an incredible view overlooking Positano. It is perfectly positioned for a spectacular sunset, and I imagine, it's always a spectacular sunset.  The restaurant is at the perfect angle to capture the shifting colors an the beginnings of the dawning stars.

the start of a gorgeous sunset over paradise

The food is on the expensive side, but not terrible considering the location and the amazing quality of the seafood.  Our waiter was quite friendly and talkative, and wasn't overbearing. He gave us time to enjoy our meal, but cleared the table quickly when we were done and then left us to our own devices to chat and enjoy the waning light.

enjoying our wine and the sunset

Since my stomach was still bothering me from the bus ride earlier in the day, I decided to stick with

Gamberetti al limone

something small and light from the antipasto (appetizer menu).  I got the gamberetti al limone. It was a small but delicious portion of shrimp in a fresh and slightly spicy lemon sauce.  I could absolutely taste the freshness of the shrimp and the beautiful tartness of the lemon. And I absolutely loved the kick of heat. It was present but not the primary taste. I ate and enjoyed every bite of tender shrimp and used a couple of pieces of bread to soak up the remaining sauce.

La spigola with sun dried tomatoes, onion and potatoes

Endira got an amazing fish dish in a red sauce .  She got the spigola or sea bass and it was tender and flaky with an wonderful sauce made with sun dried tomatoes, capers and onions.  I don't usually like cooked fish, but this was so fresh and didn't taste fishy at all.
I was originally going to get dessert since I'd only gotten an appetizer for a meal, but it got late while we were drinking our delicious Falanghina (a typical white wine from the Campania region of Italy)

I am totally enamored with this view

and we wanted to catch the 9:40 bus back to Sorrent so we could explore the night life of Sorrento.
I went inside to pay since we needed to move quickly (note: pretty much everywhere in Italy, they move pretty slowly, so if you need speed... deal with it yourself, or just be patient lol).  We had ten minutes to get to the bus and I didn't want to miss it since the next one wasn't scheduled until 11:40, meaning no exploring Sorrento at night.  So we headed to the bus stop and we waited and waited and waited some more.
We hadn't missed the 9:40 bus, it just never came.
But we made the best of it and went to the first bar down the path. We had another 1 1/2 to enjoy the mesmerizing view and drank some more wine.  They even served us chips and finger foods while we (ok in fairness, while I ) watched the Germany and Ghana game. I love soccer and will watch any team play, especially if they pay well and Germany and Ghana definitely played well that day.
Our waiter was also quite nice and asked all about us and our Italian skills. Sometimes it's hilarious to be an American who speaks fluent Italian.

The view from the second bar

And then we planted ourselves at the bus stop by around 11:20 to make sure we didn't miss it. Even though the bus wasn't till 11:40 we decided not to take any chances.  The 11:40 is the last sumer evening bus to go back to Sorrento and without it we would have been stuck in Positano all night wihout a roof over our heads.
Luckily for us it came!  And even more luckily I didn't feel bus sick through all the curves, maybe because I couldn't see anything. Sadly though, by the time we got back to Sorrento, we were too tired to explore and we just went right back to the hotel to shower and sleep.

Want to read more about my Southern Italian adventures?
Part I here
Part III here