Path of the Gods Hike and 1700 extra steps

Yesterday, a few of my cousins, James, and I, decided to hike the Path of the Gods, which is a famous coastal hike ending in Nocelle/Positano.

It was a moderate 4 mile hike providing amazing views of the coast and flora and fauna. We started in Bomerano, which was about 40 minutes from our Villa, so we organized a driver. It was a fabulous decision as he shared history and stories the entire way. He provided useful tips to make the most of our experience (like where to buy a mozzarella/prosciutto sandwich before getting on the trail, where to find lemon granita at the end, and how to buy a local bus ticket) along with helpful instructions for the hike itself. 

 

The plan was for us to end our hike in Nocelle, take a local bus down into Positano, and catch a city bus back to our Villa. Well, we were too busy chatting across the street from the bus stop that we didn't read the social cues in time to cross the street and get on the local bus. We ended up being last in line on a too full bus, and we're told we had to wait another 45 minutes for the next one! We quickly found out the only other way down is to walk 1700(!!) steps into town! How bad could that be?! Ha! Today, I'm regretting the decision to run down the steps as my calfs are so sore I can hardly walk! But, I do feel very accomplished!

We successfully boarded our local city bus (SITA) and enjoyed the air conditioned, wild ride home. I have to take a moment to acknowledge all the bus drivers as they handle these small curvy two lane roads, so impeccably. As we prepared for this trip, we watched a few YouTube videos on these buses and it's a skill on its own level. The part I liked best was that they had different horn sounds to communicate (i.e coming around a blind turn, move over). If you have a minute it's worth watching a video! On a broader driving note, cars, scooters, and buses navigate very assertively but politely. I have only seen two stoplights and there is no road rage or honking. Things just seem to flow.

After we returned, we spent some time in the pool cooling off and our host cooked us a delicious seafood pasta dinner!

More family arrived earlier that day so it was another late night of togetherness!

Starting our hike: 

Lemon granita at the end: 

Passion flower:

Terraces:

the final few stairs!

We are family!

Cousins and our partners 

(Almost all) Rossi cousins