Every Mile a Memory ( Part 4 ) Amalfi

We drove to our next destination --- AMALFI.

Amalfi is one of the most historic towns along the Amalfi Coast. It is not a big place - the population of Amalfi  is less than six thousand people. However, because of its location, climate, historic and cultural heritage as well as the beauty of the sea and surrounding landscape,  thousands of visitors come to Amalfi. 

Our bus dropped us off at Piazza Flavio Gioia which is primarily used as a transportation hub where tourist buses, cars and boats arriving in Amalfi every day load and unload visitors. This piazza was dedicated to Italian mariner,  Flavio Gioia, who is credited with inventing the modern-style magnetic compass. 

The city starts at the water's edge with a pretty promenade along the Mediterranean and a marina full of colorful boats with their international flags. From Piazza Flavio Gioia we proceeded to Piazza Duomo where the crown jewel of the town, Duomo di San Andea Cathedral, was located.

The focal point of the historic center is the Piazza del Duomo, in front of the striking cathedral. 

Here is a panoramic view of the piazza del Duomo. 

Up close, the Duomo di San Andrea dedicated to St. Andrew was truly a beautiful structure. One has to pay a nominal fee to enter the cathedral. 

The piazza is clustered with sidewalk cafes and elegant shops, but the sixty steps leading to the church to visit the Byzantine style structure that bears Moorish-influenced arches and decoration was a bit tiring for me to do that day. 

( courtesy of Lulu Kamatoy )

We decided to have our daily cup of cappuccino and a pastry called Santa Rosa at the Andrea Pansa pasticceria. Our tour guide told us that this pastry was very  popular dessert in Amalfi. We had to try it!

It  had a vanilla cream based filling with orange bits and flaky crust topped with a slice of cherry.

As soon as we finished -- we boarded again our bus and headed for Torre el Greco. This town, is better known as the world capital of cameo and coral carving.  We visited a licensed Giovanni Apa Cameo factory.

Every Mile A Memory ( Part 3 ) Amalfi Coast and Sorrento

Buon Giorno!!

We docked at the port of Naples. Let me bring you with me as we drive through the Amalfi coast to Sorrento and Amalfi. Italy is a dazzling, mesmerizing feast of a country. The Amalfi coastline and Sorrento  are one of the country’s  " must-see " highlights on your trip to Italy. 

According to our brochure which we get nightly on our mailbox, the temperature today is 21 degrees and clear skies !!! Finally -- I will be able to get some photos of our next destination. The tour to Amalfi and Sorrento will last 8 hours. 

We disembarked from our boat at 8:15am to meet our tour guide to accompany us to Amalfi and Sorrento.

On our way to Sorrento passing through the Amalfi coastline I was able to see Mount Vesuvius . Mount Vesuvius, on the west coast of Italy, is the only active volcano on mainland Europe.  This volcano is best known because of the eruption in 79 A.D. that destroyed the city of Pompeii. Mount Vesuvius is still considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world due to the large population of the city of Naples and the surrounding towns on the slopes nearby.

Positano - There are a number of villas on the coast of Positano. We were not able to stop in Positano ( it was not on our list of places to see ).  the ruins of which can be seen in the vicinity of the Church dell'Assunta.

The Amalfi Coast  - is one of Europe’s most breathtaking drive. Cliffs terraced with lemon groves all the way down into sea, whitewashed villas cling to unforgiving slopes while the sea and sky merge in one vast blue horizon. It was indeed a beautiful road trip. I would recommend going on a bus instead of  driving. The road is winding and narrow. There are many buses, scooters and that use this road. The scenery is too beautiful to be missed.

Along the Amalfi coastline you will see the Li Galli Islands. According to old legends , our tour guide, told us that these islands were inhabited by sirens who seduced sailors with their melodious voices thus losing control of their ships and end up inevitably crashing on the rocks of the islands.

Sorrento -  is located about a 90 minute coach ride south of Naples. Sorrento is often regarded as the gateway to the Amalfi Coast. 

The center of Sorrento is Piazza Tasso. Corso d' Italia is the main thoroughfare and in the evenings the road is closed to traffic to allow the locals and visitors to walk around in all their finery.

Tasso is full of large bars and restaurants with huge patio areas while Corso is filled with tourist shops, gelateria and some designer stores. For me the beauty of Sorrento was just to wander around the tight little streets checking out the shops and attempting to eat every flavor of ice cream they had.

Here are some things you can buy to bring home :

We stopped by this amazing store, Gargiulo e Hannazzi. It was amazing and the inlaid wood furniture was a work of art. This is a fifth generation family business and the pride shows in their work. They have a great selection of marquetry works and other gifts.

We were given a demonstration on marquetry.

Here are some pieces I liked in this store.

This showroom is a " must visit " on your trip to Sorrento. Their store has gorgeous workmanship and elegant inlaid wood on their products. Worth every penny and a stunning addition to any home! I highly recommend this store to everyone !

Next stop .. AMALFI town

Every Mile A Memory ( Part 2 ) Livorno to Cinque Terre

Buon Giorno !!

I tried to get a shot of the sunrise today in our balcony but I was not successful... the temperature was around 13 degrees. It felt like it was 10 degrees with the wind factor on our balcony. We arrived at Livorno, Italy at 7:00am. We had to get dressed, eat breakfast at the Lido buffet and run down to the Vista Lounge to get our bus schedule. Our shore excursion today was Cinque Terre which is approximately a 9 hour tour.

The trip to Cinque Terre from the port in Livorno took 1 1/2 hours with a pitstop at Auto Grill. The Auto Grill is my favorite pitstop while driving through the autostrada. They have restrooms, good coffee, newspapers, great maps, sometimes a sit-down restaurant. Most Autogrill stops are designed with the same layout. You enter into the cafe,  the restrooms are nearby. 

At the cafe you first go to the cashier to pay. For breakfast there are fresh pastries and croissants. They have good sandwiches. Go look at what's available at the counter - the sandwiches all have names. I had a prosciutto crudo. 

Then go to the cashier and tell him/her what you want, pay and take the receipt to the service counter to get your food/beverages. There are also items you can buy at the Auto Grill :

For wine lovers --- try out their Valpolicella or Montepulciano d' Abruzzo. There are more expensive brands like Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino. The Brunello di Montalcino is one of the most famous and prestigious wines of Italy. It is made out of Sangiovese grapes grown on the slopes of Montalcino --- a classic Tuscan village south of Sienna. 

Parmagiano Reggiano or " Italian hard cheese". There are other Italian cheeses you can try which are  Aged Asiago, Pecorino, Fontina, Romano and Provolone. However the better known cheeses are Mozarella and Ricotta.

Limoncello - One of the most famous after-dinner drink ( called digestivo ) in Italy. Limoncello is also the pride and joy of Italy’s Campania and Liguria regions. If you’ve ever had a sip of this sweet, almost fluorescent-yellow liqueur you would know that it’s not like any other digestivo. Limoncello isn’t sour or bitter, it’s tangy and refreshing. It’s also balanced between acidity and sweetness. The best limoncellos don’t burn your throat, neither are they sickly sweet. Other after-dinner drinks in Italy are Amaretto di Saronno, Sambucca and Frangelico. 

Prosciutto - There are two categories of prosciutto, one is "  cotto  " ( cooked ), while the other is "  crudo " meaning raw but seasoned. The best quality of Prosciutto is San Daniele del Fruli. The prosciutto from San Daniele is sweet with a full bouquet and a lingering aftertaste. This delicacy is best shaved thin and consumed with bread or grissini, perhaps combined with a small amount of fresh soft cheese, to appreciate its sweetness. Another brand is Prosciutto di Parma. The prosciutto from Parma is savory. It can support sauteing while retaining its distinct taste.

different  Italian dry salamis

After our pitstop at the Auto Grill -- we proceeded to our destination... Cinque Terre. Our bus took us to Portovenere. It is a typical fishing town. Beautiful views, nice atmosphere, plenty of small shops with local produce. I just felt bad that when we visited Portovenere and Cinque Terre --- it was drizzling the whole time and Lulu got drenched in the rain. 

Portovenere is so "Old Italian", colourful, interesting and full of history. Portovenere’s waterfront is a colorful hodgepodge of narrow tower houses. Portovenere is a truly scenic seaside resort which can be reached by bus from La Spezia.

Trattorias, enotecas and bars line the bottom floor of the buildings. A walk through the old quarter, which consists of a main narrow street, is like taking a stroll in a different epoch, full of timeless charm--- old liquor shops and taverns, shops selling spices and herbs and a lot of artisan shops. 

We walked till we reached the St. Peter the Apostle cathedral. The old church high on the point overlooking the strait was well worth the climb  Out of the rock, the church of Peter the Apostle looms above us. According to our guide, this church is not functional anymore. They use it for weddings these days. 

We walked down to the harbor to take a ferry taxi to Cinque Terre ..