Italy Part 4 – Amalfi Coast and Rome

After our time in Florence, we travelled to the Amalfi Coast.  When we arrived it was pouring but we walked into town anyway.  The area is known for limoncello so we bought some bottles for gifts and yummy limoncello candy for us! The next day we woke up before dawn to go on a bus tour of the coastline.  Our travel agent had told us our bus would be arriving at the bus station at 7:55 and we got there extra early at 7:25.  At 7:50 tour buses started pulling up but none of them had our names on their lists.  As time passed, many busses pulled up and eventually left, and none of them had our names.  Eventually, at 8:20, it became clear that our travel agent must have screwed up.  Brian went up to one of the drivers and offered him cash if he would let us on his bus.  He agreed and we got the last 2 seats on his bus.  The tour was beautiful and the coastline was just breath taking.  Tiny colorful cottages clung to the cliff side with a sheer drop down to the ocean.  When we pulled up at a spot to take photos, I slipped the driver €70 and Brian gave the tour guide the same.  Before we got back on, the guide told us that they would give us free lunch and a free boat ride at Amalfi.  We stopped at Amalfi which is a charming town and took a boat ride along the coast and saw incredible views.  After that we stopped at another town for lunch where we sat at a large table with other people from our tour.  We realized that about 98% of our tour group was 60+ which was actually really fun!  They wanted to hear all about us over lunch and raised their glasses to our honeymoon.  Our entire tour was 8 hours and just spectacular.  When we got back to the hotel, Brian looked up how much that tour should have cost us.  Without bribery, it would have cost €118 + €13 for lunch + €15 for the boat, so €146 per person.  We saved €152 by bribing the tour guide and driver with cash!