Well back in January of 2016, we came across a deal where we could fly to Europe in Business class for 60,000 points plus a little cash. The catch was that we had to act that day if we wanted the deal. So, we booked a flight to Paris with the end goal of eventually making our way over to the Amalfi Coast. BTW, if you want to find deals on flights or if you want tips on how to use miles, go to millionmilesecrets.com or follow him on Twitter. It is definitely worth looking into.
If you hate reading and just want to see our trip in video form, here is a video I put together of our trip.
So Natali had been to Europe flying in Business Class when her work sent her over there, so I had been hearing how great it was. Well, let me tell you that it did not disappoint. There is something special about being able to eat a hot fudge Sunday while traveling 30,000 feet in the air and 100s of miles per hour.
Paris
May 21
After arriving in Paris and getting situated at the hotel (we stayed for FREE at a 5-Star, $1000/night in the heart of Paris due to a credit card bonus) we headed to find some food and see some sights. Below is the Palais Garnier. There were lots of people sitting on the steps in front and different entertainers and performers trying to make some cash that made it all very interesting.
The next stop on the list was the Louvre Museum, but on the way over we walked through the Jardin des Tuileries. It is amazing the size of the gardens and the statues and other things that are right in the heart of a big city like Paris. One of the statues that caught our eye was this statue depicting the Good Samaritan.
We thought the symbolism of it was just perfect. Here it sat, often covered in pigeons, passed unnoticed by thousands of people every day in their busy lives, yet out in the middle of a public park for all to see if they take the time. It is a beautiful, moving piece of art. Later we went inside the Louvre and saw other beautiful sculptures and artwork, but this was our favorite thing we saw that day.
We made it over to the Louvre finally. You can't really describe the enormity and seemingly endless art that fills the museum. You can spend days and days trying to see everything inside. We have a short attention span and our favorite thing to see is the sculptures so that is what we focused on. Of course, I enjoy trying to copy what the statue is doing, and I found some great statues to try to copy this time.
The winged Victoria is probably the most famous sculpture in the Louvre. You can only imagine how amazing it would be if it stood whole and unblemished, but there is something special about seeing something that you know has been broken and blemished over the years, yet remains strong and beautiful just the way it is.
Natali just loves being over in Europe, and especially in France. Here she is just enjoying a cool breeze next to the Seine River.
One of our favorite places in Paris is the Latin Quarter, even though it is very touristy and always busy. It is fun to walk around and people watch and also get some good food.
And you can't go to Paris without getting a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower (have I mentioned lately that we love our Gorilla-Pod? We couldn't take pictures of ourselves on vacations most of the time without it!). At this point we were running on fumes and Natali was about to lay down on the grass and go to sleep, but we pushed close enough to the Eiffel Tower to get this picture.
To Naples/Pompeii
May 22
The next day we flew over to Naples and rented a car. We arrived at an odd time that made it difficult to find lunch. Most of Europe is pretty strict on their lunchtime hours. Most restaurants will open from 11 AM until 2 PM for lunch, and if you miss that window then you better be okay waiting until dinner time or else go buy some chips from a grocery store (hopefully you can find one of those open). So here we were, 2:55 PM, haven't eaten lunch yet, somewhere in Naples walking around hoping to somehow find a restaurant that is still open. Just before we were about to give up, we took one more corner and found this little piece of heaven on earth... at least that is what it felt like because we were SO hungry. We had some great pizza and the people were so nice. Side note, 5 minutes after we sat down, a noticeably pregnant woman and her husband came to the restaurant to try to eat, and the server refused and said they were closed. So they are very strict about their hours, and don't expect special treatment even if you are pregnant!
We couldn't go through Naples and over to the Amalfi Coast without passing through Pompeii and looking at the history and architecture that remained there. It is very impressive to see the size of some of the sculptures and buildings. Sadly the mummified bodies were being cleaned so we were not able to see those.
Natali at the "Roman Spa" where she felt the most at home ;)
"Beware of Dog" was a thing even back 2000 years ago.
The view is also very impressive from the city.
To Ravello
The drive over to Ravello was amazing. It's a shame that there were not more lookout points to take pictures, but we were able to pull over and take a couple.
We arrived in Ravello a little late and it was a challenge finding our destination for the night. We booked an amazing place in Ravello that was a sort of Bed and Breakfast but was a little bit off the beaten path. How far off the beaten path you ask... 286 steps off the beaten path to be exact. And not little steps. These are steep, butt burning steps. And that is just to get from the main road down to the house. To get from the house, all the way to Ravello, it is about a 15 or 20 minute walk up stairs.
So, we get to Ravello and have not eaten dinner. After hauling the luggage down to the room, we then decide to walk up to Ravello to try to find something to eat. Natali was very close to giving up multiple times, but we finally got up to Ravello and went to the little Italian restaurant that was recommended to us by another guest as well as the owners of the B&B, and boy were we glad we went there. The Caprese Salad was one of the most amazing things that I have ever put in my mouth. It is worth a trip just to eat this salad. More about the restaurant later... but dinner was amazing and we got to walk a little bit of it off as we hiked back down to the casita.
The place we stayed at was amazing. It was this property on the side of the mountain, with great views of the ocean, that was covered in beautiful flowers and lemon trees and all sorts of other things. The next morning after enjoying a great breakfast, we just walked around for a few hours and took pictures. The hosts were amazing and showed us around and let us just wonder around. If you want to look it up, we found it here.
Let me just say that while the backdrop was beautiful, it isn't anything compared to my beautiful wife. Dang she is sexy! Sorry for the overload of Natali pictures, but I couldn't decide which ones to use so you have to look at all of them.
This little mule might have the hardest job on the planet. They load him up with rocks or cement or anything else, and send him hiking up the mountain. Once he gets unloaded, they send him down for another load. They were hauling rocks up to complete a rock patio area.
Walking up the steps any time you wanted to go anywhere was no easy task. And although it wasn't ideal, it definitely helped us burn a lot of the calories from eating so much cheese and pasta!
Now, back to the little restaurant. We ended up going back the next day because it was SO good. The owner is a little lady that doesn't hardly any English but she comes out and speaks to all of the people that come into the restaurant. She recognized us from the night before and we had to take a picture with her. I got a little kiss on the cheek as well as a cheek tug and a memory that will last forever.
Ravello is a charming little town that is perfect for taking pictures. It was a little foggy and cloudy, but we still enjoyed walking around and seeing everything it had to offer including some gardens and the big church in the middle of the town square.
The most famous picture of Ravello includes the view with this tree in it. It really is a breathtaking view.
Here was the view from our room at night.
To Positano
May 23
The next day we headed to a little town called Positano. That sentence seems like it was so easy... but it wasn't. Driving in the Amalfi Coast is not for the faint of heart. Every moment is intense and scary yet awesome all at the same time. Not knowing whether a bus is going to be rumbling around the corner or what was around the next bend was definitely something to remember. I attached a GoPro to the top of my car to try to capture just how crazy it is, but it just doesn't do it justice. Natali's most used words in the car were "We're not gonna fit, there's no way we fit..." Luckily, we were able to fit every time.
Positano was beautiful. I would recommend if you have a car to drive as far down as you can before you park. We were a little scared so we ended up parking way to high up and had to walk all the way down to the beach... and then all the way back up too. We were able to get some good pictures at least on our walk.
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