Positano wakes slowly. Before eight, the lanes belong to the delivery carts, the bakers and a few cats. This is the hour we love most, and the one most visitors miss.

Start with a coffee standing at the bar of the little café by the church. Then take the steps down to the beach while the umbrellas are still folded.

The first hour is free

By ten the boats arrive and the town becomes a stage. Until then, it is simply a village by the sea — and, for a little while, it is yours.

Slow is not a speed. It is a way of paying attention.