On Wednesday my parents and I headed out to hike the “Path of the Gods” – a trail that winds its way around the cliffs of Amalfi Coast, high above the coastal roads and towns. We started in the village of Praiano, about a 20 minute bus ride from Positano. We heard this was a nice place to start, but what we didn’t know is how high we would first have to climb to reach the actual trail – you could say there were a few details lost in translation.

1,700 vertical feet later, the majority of which were stairs, we reached an ancient monastery from the 1300s. It was from here that we actually linked up with the “Path of the Gods.” The stairs had been our warm-up. 😉

We stopped at the monastery for a breather, and there we found a local man set-up with a little lemonade stand. How could we resist fresh lemonade? He brought us all cups and we took a big first gulp…only to find that it was straight lemon juice. No sugar added. I’ve never drank straight lemon juice before, but they are right when they use the word mouth-puckering to describe something sour. Wow! Somehow we all finished off the juice – and actually by the end of the glass, it really wasn’t so bad. They are known for their lemons here, after all. It’s only right that we sampled the pure juice of this award-winning citrus.

After we left the monastery, we still had a bit of a climb to reach the level part of the path. Amazingly, we didn’t feel tired nor did our legs cramp up – perhaps there’s something to drinking straight lemon juice.

Once on the famous trail, it’s very easy to see how it got its name. The trail follows the line of the mountains, high above the sea with stunning views of the coast and towns. You feel you are closer to heaven – not just by the height of the trail, but also by the sheer beauty of the area.

Three and a half hours later we finished our hike in the village of Nocelle, where we celebrated our efforts with a satisfying meal at the Santa Croce Trattoria. And, a very well-deserved taxi ride back to our villa.