Here we go, off to Positano atop a ferry with 180 degree views – surrounded by the blue Mediterranean (called the Tyrrhenian in this slit of the sea), passing colorful villages clinging to the seaside cliffs.
We and our Music and Markets guests are loving the breeze along with the views….and there’s Positano, immediately identifiable with its pastel cascade of homes tumbling down the hill.We have a particular destination in mind, and wind our way through the souk-like lanes lined with “Positano style” – the gauzy linens and cottons so popular with resort-goers.The narrow lanes open up to a bougainvillea- topped arcade with yet more shopping opportunities.Resisting temptation, we keep climbing until we find our goal – the little boat filled with the best lemon granita (like a slushie) we’ve ever tasted.It’s as appealingly delicious as we remember,and spiked with the little bottle of limoncello that Kirk bought as we walked up it’s a smile-producing refresher.
While Kirk and the others do a bit of shopping,  our guest Jacqueline treats me to one of her favorite Positano tastes, a flute of prosecco topped with tiny strawberries – yum!She spent several weeks here a few years ago and is enjoying checking out favorite shops and sights as we stroll.
A few sights and shops later, we tackle the cliffside path, the Via dei Positanesi Americani, named for the scores of locals who emigrated to the US in the early 20th century.It is said that there are more Positanesi on Columbus Avenue in New York than in Positano. Renata welcomes us with a big hug to of our favorite Amalfi Coast restaurants, O Guaracino.
After a fabulous lunch, featuring seafood caught within sight, we’re all so relaxed and enjoying the view that we don’t get up from the table.
A toe-dip in the Med, and we’re back on the ferry, heading for Amalfi, where we’ll meet the rest of the Amalfi Coast Music Festival group for concerts and dinner.
A splash in the fountain refreshes usbefore checking out some Amalfi specialties,such as handmade paper, a craft dating back centuries.There’s a new treat at La Piccola Republica, a favorite shop where we taste the chilled specialties of the area – limoncello, crema di melone and crema di limone (creamy melon or lemon which we keep in our freezer at home in Virginia – a perfect finale to a special meal).The new taste is Crema di Pesca (peach) so we have to add a bottle of that to our getting-more-stuffed luggage.This town has a much more lived-in feel than Positano – neighbors stopping to greet each other in the midst of a busy street, calling out to a shop owner as they walk by, pausing for a quick caffé at the bar.
Lots of music today from the Amalfi Coast Music Festival – first a Young Artist Recital, in the museum of the cathedral,followed by dinner with a serenade at Da Maria, then we walk back up the cathedral steps,glancing at the sunset through the loggia for the last concert, “Music of the Americas” -from Latin American pieces to a recent ragtime composition in honor of  the day – July 4, U.S. Independence Day.
Goodnight Amalfi -we’ll be back next year.

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The best way to describe us (Kirk and Anne Woodyard) is that we’re interested in the stories that make the places we visit come alive.
We’ve visited Europe more times than we can count, learned some entertaining stories there, and met some warm and helpful people who also enjoy the wonders of music and life in Europe.

Between our music-related travels, we split our time between our homes near Washington DC and the south of France. We look forward to sharing these stories and friends and experiences with our Music and Markets guests.

While both of us have experience in organizing travel and music groups Kirk’s background is in project management and competitive writing, and Anne is an accomplished pianist with over thirty years of teaching experience, and a travel and food writer specializing in France and Italy.