Day 9 Positano 4/8/2012

Day 9 Positano 4/8/2012 Oh what a beautiful town this really is. I woke early and decided I would walk up to the top this morning. Ate a huge breakfast of croissants and toast -i think the owners thought I was a pig..lol....the peach jam here is to die for. I found the police station to make my report, but they had ZERO english, but eventually got across the point that i had to go back to Capri to make my report as it was a different jurisdiction....Ce la vis, I was going back anyway. I started walking up the hill on the road....it was hot and a very long way....and the locals that I talked to thought I was mad. But I made it. Stopped for a water break about halfway and chatted to some Aussies.....they were from Shepparton...and knew the Townsends who we used to camp with at Beaufort every easter.....Its a truly small world!!! Onward and upward I trudged, but I made it, and the views were spectacular as were some of the sights I saw along the way. I find walking you see so much more...and quite frankly, if I didnt do the exercise I would gain so much weight here. It took me a good hour and a half to walk up and about 15 going down as I took the stairs downward. I took some amazing photos. Got back to the hotel and stood in the cold shower for about 10 minutes gasping as I had got so hot.....eventually though I started feeling so much better...sucked in at least 2 litres of water..went and found some lunch, a swim and then back to the room for a siesta before restaurant prep. Restaurant prep was good fun, the chef's had no english, but I told them what I was making in italian. They helped out making the two sauces, and were amazed by the gnocci, we set it out in the sun to dry with big gauze sheets over the top. I made one plate of each type for the owner, and he just kept saying wow, wow.....and did I want a job he even rushed to his mate next door with it. I also made two very large pavlovas...8 eggs, to be served with cream and lots of fresh fruit. The chefs were amazed at how easy my recipe is, and how light and crunchy it was. I think it will be on the menu from now on. I left the restaurant with 60 euro for my pleasure and a free meal later that night. By the time I ate at 10pm, there was no gnocci left....they had sold it all......5kg of it (they had put it on the specials board) and my desert had long gone. Wow, what a success it was. I ate on my own, reflective of my day, and then later at 1.30am met the chefs for drinks down at the pier...it was strange to be drinking with people who had zero english...but somehow, we understood each other and it was ok. Positano was very very safe.