Positano & Capri: Positively Captivating

Anna, Danny, and I have had a busy couple of days.  We are staying in Positano, which many consider to be the jewel of the Amalfi Coast.  We have wandered around the town for parts of Saturday and Sunday, and have enjoyed the scenery, the food, the drinks, and catching up with each other.  Anna and Danny also shared some of the year's best comedic videos with me -- an episode from a cable comedy that I intend to start watching in earnest when I return to California, and this year's installment of the best law-firm produced entertainment in the United States.

Today, we took a ferry to the island of Capri.  This too is a beautiful place to explore -- dramatic cliffs, blue seas, and charming little towns.

Time to catch some zzzzzzz's before we set out on Monday's adventures.  Buona notte!

Off To Amalfi With A Couple Of BFFs

First, a quick shout-out of thanks to my friend Matt for taking the helm for a bit.  After our 12-day sojourn through Italy, France, and Spain, Matt is now not only the single person on Earth with whom I've traveled the most, he also is my first guest-blogger.  He set the bar pretty high for any who will follow in his footsteps.

Moving on, the whirlwind travels continue -- with new cherished visitors.  Many readers already know Anna.  Anna and I started as summer associates together on the same May day in 1991.  We then worked in the same firm together for 20 years, and even made partner at the same moment.  We have gone through a lot together, and have been there for each other through thick and thin.

Anna and her wise hubby Danny arrived last night.  We've had a wonderful 30 hours in Roma.  But we are off to the Amalfi Coast -- Positano in particular -- bright and early in the morning.  We make a pit-stop in Napoli for a lunch with some of Anna's family's friends, and then motor down to the land of limoncello.  Please keep your fingers crossed for us with respect to the weather.  The gods cooperated today in Roma.  We need just a few days more.

Dinner at Roman Hot Spot #1: Roscioli's 

Lunch at Roman Hot Spot #2: Romeo's

Greetings From Guest Blogger Matt Glickman

Hello Readers:

Marc has been kind enough to let me take the helm here and to serve as his first guest blogger.  It's a privilege to step in and reach all of you.

After spending 12 days with Marc on the road in France, Spain, and Italy, there's one point I want to make.  For those of you who haven't seen our blogger for many months now, all I can say is "Wow!"  This guy is a changed man.  It was wonderful to see the transformation that Marc has undergone in this short time since he left his law practice.  It almost startled me.  "Relaxed" is not the word.

Remember the old Marc?  That guy who was tethered to his office?  That dude who was always at his desk or on his Blackberry for 20 years?  He's not that "I don't have time to talk, I gotta get back to my desk and respond to some emails" guy anymore.  Really, you've never seen him like this before.  Here's some photographic evidence --

Cinque Terre: The Big Hike

After brushing up on our hiking skills on Wednesday afternoon, Matt and I decided to make our last full day on the road a challenging one.  On Thursday, we tackled our "el guapo" -- the fabled hike from Riomaggiore (which is the southern-most of the Cinque Terre) to the town of Porto Venere.  Our hotel guy warned us about this 5-hour hike.  He said emphatically that we should not even attempt the hike if it was cloudy, let alone if it was raining.  And the forecast called for rain.  But the morning skies looked like they would hold out, and so we embarked.

It wasn't easy, but we conquered our el guapo.  This was definitely, by far, the toughest hike I've done. But it was great.  Slow-going for sure at certain stretches.  That's inevitable when you're on a hike that is so long in both overall elevation and distance, has such treacherous and slippery terrain, and includes such dramatic exposure.  There were many points where I was stunned at how precariously perched we were over the sea.  The scenery was tremendous, and the huge castle that suddenly appeared as we approached sea level in Porto Venere made it all worth it.

Hiking In Cinque Terre

Matt and I drove from Pisa to Cinque Terre on Wednesday morning.  This was my first time in one of Italy's most dramatically scenic areas.  The landscape and views were truly astounding.

The Cinque Terre are 5 villages on the Ligurian coast, up in the northwest of Italy.  The 5 towns, from north to south, are:  Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.  The area is most famous for the crazy construction of the villages along the cliffs, and the hiking paths -- which are perched up on the cliffs -- that you can take from village to village.  There was severe damage to the Cinque Terre caused by torrential rains and floods in 2011, and not all of the hiking paths have yet reopened.  But some of them are open for business.

Matt and I spent Wednesday afternoon hiking from Monterosso to Vernazza, and then from Vernazza to Corniglia.  Glickman is not the old pro I am when it comes to hiking, so I had to take it slow from time-to-time.  But he soldiered on like a trooper.  We made it through.  No matter how much you read about the sinuous hiking paths and the unbelievable views, you have to see it to appreciate it.

[Note: OK, anyone who knows me or Matt knows that the above characterization of our skills was a joke.  Until this past week, I think I've "hiked" maybe 4 times in my life.  (I use quotation marks only because I've never really been sure what "hiking" means.  What qualifies?)  Matt, on the other hand, is seasoned.  He grew up in Cleveland, after all.]

Belated Bye-Bye To Barcelona!

I've fallen behind here a bit, but wanted to provide an update about my trip with Matt.  If you exclude pit-stops in the United States for Sam's various bar mitzvahs, this was actually the longest trip (12 days) of my anno sabatico.  We were on such a blistering pace that it's been hard to keep up!

Our last night and half-day in Barcelona were outstanding.  We hit 2 wine bars on Monday night that a WSJ article I'd clipped a year ago recommended, and both were superb.  Consider visiting Monvinic and Bar Mut if you visit Barcelona.  They are both in the Eixample district.  The former has one of the sleekest and modern vibes you'll see anywhere.  Some might argue they even overdo it here.  But it's still a good place for a glass of vino or two.  The latter is not quite so over-the-top.  Bar Mut is rather modern in its own right; but, while crowded and lively, it's a little more traditional than the ultra-hip Monvinic.  Bar Mut is elegant enough to pass for a chic wine bar in Paris.  Great food, great staff, and great vino.

Tuesday morning is still a blur.  We had a (big) breakfast at the Mercat de la Boqueria -- Barcelona's biggest food market, which many contend is the best one in Spain.  You'll get no argument from me on that claim.  Our breakfast of bulls-tail risotto (!!!) and squid was hearty and delish; wandering through the rows and rows of stalls, and eyeing all the produce, meat, fish, etc., was entertaining fun.

We then strolled around the base of the Montjuic area.  Although we didn't go in to see the art, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is a cool sight that offers tremendous views.  The little Pavello Mies van der Rohe is also a good place to visit.  This pavilion was designed by a German architect for the 1929 International Exhibition, and it is considered a classic of modern rationalist architecture.  

Matt and I then had our Cronuts before taking off for Italy.  Thus ended my quest for this quintessential new American delicacy.  Now, if I can only find a Ramen Burger......

Passing Through Pisa

Matt and I spent a night in Pisa on Tuesday evening en route to Cinque Terre.  I spared you back in July from any too-cheesy shots at the Leaning Tower.  But we last night could not resist.  I think this is at least one of the more creative of the clichéd photos you always see from the iconic spot.

Update tomorrow from Cinque Terre.  It's good to be back on Italian soil!