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Arola-Preazzano

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    • Medriatic Sojourn
      Day 26

      Positano and Beyond

      May 4, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

      We began the day by driving down the Amalfi coast. I had no idea of the spectacular scenery we would find. Towering mountains fall right down into the sea. The coastal road hugs a tiny ledge that often rises 2000 feet above the water of the Mediterranean Sea. Massive cliffs rise vertically out of the ocean to a crest another thousand feet above us. The coastline here is even more magnificent than the California road traveling from Carmel down to Big Sur. We stopped in Positano at a wonderful family restaurant called Constantino’s. Our five course meal started with a Caprese salad, continued with a pizza course. This was followed by a pasta course consisting of cannoli, tagliatelle, manicotti and a wonderful cheese filled crêpe. The meal ended with lemoncello cake followed by a small shot of the beverage itself.

      The scenery became even more magnificent as we swung back-and-forth on switchbacks. We went into higher mountains with terraces for growing white grapes, lemons, olives, and a host of other agricultural products. The terrain looked as though a giant accordion has been thrown down the mountainside. Each new turn revealed another mountain with hundreds of terraces going up the side. Each terrace was supported by a thick retaining wall made of huge stone blocks. Each of these blocks had to be hauled up the mountain side, usually by donkeys. It must have taken an unbelievable amount of work over centuries to haul all of the stone necessary to build those retaining walls. The terrain is so steep that even today stonemasons in brickmasons use donkeys to carry their loads to the worksite. We took time to visit a resort that our travel agents wanted to investigate. It is the opulent San Pietro resort near Positano. Rates here start at €3000 per night. We also saw the lovely town of Ravolo that hosts a classical music festival every June.

      At the far point of our trek we were delighted with the sites from the Villa Rufolo, an estate begun as a castle in the 13th century, modified by the Saracens around 1500, and completely renovated in the 19th century. The estate belonged to a cousin of the pope, a nobleman who essentially ruled the Amalfi coast. This building originally reflected an unusual balance between Norman, medieval, and Saracen styles. However, the major renovation in the 19th century incorporated some romantic fantasies which upset that balance. Nevertheless, the house and watchtower are interesting, and the gardens are stunningly beautiful in their springtime colors.

      We returned to our hotel after a long day, said good-night to a bejeweled Vesuvius and dropped into bed.      Read more

    • TravelerSentiero Italia 2023
      Day 65

      Fontanelle

      May 25, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

      Heading further to the cape, the trail is often really overgrown. At least not much brambles. But high grass and it is blooming! My allergy started immediately. That's tough.
      The ground is so uneven and someone's so sharp rocks/stones. Al in all, hard to walk. Hefty for the knees.
      We started at 6am too get a bit done in the morning hours. Now at 11am it is already pretty warm. I do not find often fountains to shower Lupo a bit.
      So I guess we will slow down now and try to relax in the shadow too.

      Passing the main road and some "villages" you immediately got the crowds. Tourists, cars, scooters and noise... Pulling on the nerves immediately. Better to leave and hike... Cause not too man tourists hike and I guess it will get more quiet after a short time.      Read more

    • TravelerItalian Adventure Sep 2023
      Day 9

      Amalfi Coast

      September 24, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      After breakfast in the hotel at 8.00am, the bus departed full of excited Australians keen to explore the Amalfi Coast. Danielle, our guide, explained the history of the area as we marveled at the scenery from the bus and at the various stops along the way to take photos. It must be at the top of the list of the most amazing coastal drives in the world. We were blessed with sunny weather today so the coast looked its best.
      We stopped for photos at Positano, but spent most of our time in the township of Amalfi. We all met in the town square, but then went off to do our own thing. Some of us walked up high in the hills behind the town to explore the spectacular countryside and the waterfalls that supply the town with prodigious amounts of water.
      I also went to the single working paper mill and museum still operas with machines used for traditional paper making. If ever someone finds themselves in Amalfi, this museum is highly recommended. I actually got the chance to make paper from cotton distributed on water. Amalfi used to be the best paper manufacturer in the western world, and there were over 20 paper mills in the Main Street of Amalfi, all powered by the river running down the centre of town. Today there is only one paper mill and it operates as a museum as well as keeping the traditional paper making methods alive for visitors.
      I also visited the shipping museum. Amalfi was one of the four maritime powers of Italy, the others being Pisa, Genoa and Venice, and their ships were famous for the products they traded around the world. The museum has a galleon of the kind they moved goods around the Mediterranean during the heights of their maritime power. It was also interesting to see the towers from which they watched for pirates and warned the population from when pirates approached the shoreline.
      After spending the afternoon in Amalfi, which for many included a swim in the Mediterranean, we caught a ferry from Amalfi to Salerno and then the bus back to Sorrento. The views of the Amalfi Coast from the ferry were amazing, particularly with the dark clouds as a backdrop and rain on the seaward horizon.
      On the bus ride home, we watched the sun sink into the Mediterranean in the Bay of Naples, with Vesuvius lit up and golden in the diminishing daylight.
      Upon our return to Sorrento, we briefly stopped into our hotel before heading out for dinner in the township of Sorrento, our last evening in this beautiful town so famous for its coastline, its seafood and plentiful citrus and lemoncello.
      We had dinner at Restaurant Fuoro located on Via Fuoro which was spectacular. I had spaghetti carbonara, which is made with strong pancetta, and a lemon mousse dessert that was shaped like a lemon and had three layers, each as tasty as the next. A tasty way to end the stay in Sorrento. Tomorrow morning we arise early to travel to Siena.      Read more

    • cerotravelsItalija 2016
      Day 9

      Vico Esque - Piano di Sorrento

      July 4, 2016 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

      ...še eno lepo prebujanje v našem miru...zajtrk in zadnji pozdrav malemu Antoniu...cca. 30 km stran na severni strani polotoka nas čaka novi mir in rajska terasa s pogledom na Neapeljski zaliv in Vezuv. Ko se nastanimo se odpravimo danes zelo na easy na plažo. Mestece Piano di Sorrento naj bi imelo plažo, ki je mala, dostopna z avtom in ne preveč ljudi. Vse štima in 4 ure uživamo na plaži, mivka, vulkanska :)...dejansko temna mivka...ni to plaža kot jih premorejo v Grčiji...tukaj se pač Italija ne more primerjat...ampak je prijetno...ko atiju začne najedat mivka povsod :) se spravimo še napolnit gorivo, v trgovino in na našo teraso z fenomenalnim razgledom, kjer si naredimo italijansko spizo...pršut, parmezan, sušeni paradižniki, goveji pršut...in seveda...moj Plavac mali by Roki's....

      Uživamo, se igramo in jutri nas čaka otok Capri....      Read more

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    • cerotravelsItalija 2016
      Day 10

      Sorrento - Capri

      July 5, 2016 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

      ...po obilnem zajtrku na sončni terasi spet na cesto in proti pristanišču v Sorrento. Razdalje so sicer relativno kratke, ampak pot traja. Ozke ulice, kaskaderski italijanski vozniki, počasi nam je malo dosti tega vrveža. Pridemo v Sorrento, parkiramo za 15 eur v garaži zraven pristanišča in začne se eden najdražjih dni. Karte za trajekt za dva odrasla in otroka za otok Capri tja in nazaj, 89 eur. Če smo že tu, pa poglejmo ta famozni Capri. Vožnja s trajektom hitra, ugodna in slikovita. Po cca. 20 minutah pristanemo na otoku Capri in sledi "kulturni šok" saj so vse cene, na katere smo bili navajeni do sedaj, najmanj od 2-4x višje. 2 piva, sladoled in Fanta - 24 eur, pizza, pivo, ledeni čaj, kepica sladoleda in granita od limone, 32 eur....to je vse kar smo si v 3 urah in pol privoščili na otoku očitnega luksuza in prestiža.

      Neopisljiva gneča, invazija oz. kolonizacija ameriških turistov, pretirane cene povsod, trgovine kot so Prada, Mui Mui, Rolex in podobne so povsod...videl sem navadne moške kopalke za 160 eur...pa so bile hudo poceni za ostale zadeve, ki smo jih videli v izložbah. Obleke po 3500 eur, čevlji po 650 eur in več, to je Capri. Na žalost, to je ravno tisto kar mi ni všeč in kar ne iščem. Saj sem si prebral prej o Capriju, pa sem vseeno mislil, da bomo našli prijazen otok, kar nesporno je, če ne bi bil okupiran s turisti in pretiranim prestižem. Vegetacija je krasna, otok je slikovit, žal občutek pokvari vse opisano.

      Do centra mesta Capri, ki je nad pristaniščem smo hodili 800 m v hrib...nič narobe, ampak da bi pa šli na lokalni bus ali vlečnico do gor, bi verjetno morali čakati eno uro v vrsti, da bi prišli do vhoda, ker je takšna nepregledna gneča.

      Utrujeni od sonca, hoje se vrnemo v Sorrento, v zavetje miru na naš terasi s pogledom na Vezuv. Doma skuhana večerja, uživanje na terasi in spat. Jutri nas čaka 520 km do Toskane.      Read more

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    • TravelerLondon, Zypern und der Vesuv
      Day 11

      Tanz auf dem Supervulkan und Pompeji

      October 17, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      Nach einer ca.1 stündigen Fahrt stehen wir enttäuscht vor den verschlossenen Türen der phlegräischen Feldern. Wegen eines Unfalls vor nicht allzu langer Zeit sind die Felder für Besucher geschlossen. Mit dem Ziel, sie wenigstens von außen zu betrachten, ignoriert Uli jedes Verbotsschild und wir fahren engste Gässchen immer weiter fürchterlich den Berg hinauf. Keine zwei Autos passen nebeneinander und wir erreichen den höchsten und schmalsten Punkt des Weges. Ein freundlicher Anwohner weist uns mit intensiven Gesten darauf hin, dass es hier doch sehr gefährlich sei und wir unbedingt den Weg zurück antreten sollten. Trotzdem bleibt genug Zeit, um die seltsame Stimmung und den entsetzlichen fürchterlichen faule Eier Geruch wahrzunehmen, der sich in Rauchschwaden von Rand des Berges in unsere Nase drängt. Vulkan in Miniatur! Von wegen! Am gleichen Abend noch recherchieren wir. Wir befinden uns am gefährlichen Rand des einzigen Supervulkans in Europa. Diese harmlos erscheinende weiße Fläche ist in Wirklichkeit der Krater des bedrohlichsten Vulkans in Europa, mehr noch als Vesuv und Ätna. Wir balancieren also mit unserem Auto direkt auf dem Kraterrand. Den Gedanken, dass dieses schlummernde Monster jederzeit erwachen könnte, verdrängen wir. Der soll warten, bis wir wieder zu Hause sind.
      Nach unserem schwefeligem Abenteuer besuchen wir die vor 2000 Jahren unter Vulkanasche begrabene Stadt Pompeji. Ich hatte sie mir viel kleiner vorgestellt, die Kinder vermuteten unendlich viele zu Stein erstarrte Tote hier zu sehen . Im Gegenteil, die Stadt Pompeji ist sehr groß. All die zu Stein erstarrten Menschen liegen friedlich unter Glas. Unendliche Häuser reihen sich aneinander - oder das, was von ihnen übrig ist. Wunderschöne Gemälde zieren die Wände, akribisch wieder von Asche befreit. Manche Häuser erwecken den Eindruck, schon morgen könne man hier einziehen. Und hoch oben über all den Gebäuden ragt ruhig und friedlich der Monte Vesuvio. Die Lehrbücher heben aber noch immer den Zeigefinger - "Der Ruhezustand kann mehrere hundert Jahre andauern und endet mit einem erneuten großen Ausbruch!"      Read more

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    • Traveler2017 Italy with Moms
      Day 7

      Almafi Coast

      March 19, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

      Mom is back in the game! She didn't have a temperature. But she didn't have much energy. The bus was smaller so that we could get around the tight curves. It was quite the drive. It was the most windy road I remember being on. It was very amazingly beautiful.Read more

    • Italien im Lockdown 3.0
      Day 21

      Amalfi wir kommen

      May 20, 2021 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

      Okay, mit unserem Wohnmobil dürfen wir nicht.
      Tour auf der Sorento Halbinsel Richtung Positano. Also dann … mit dem Rad, dann zu Fuß. Sehr schweißtreibend...aber jeder Meter hat sich gelohnt. Und die Abfahrt war genial!Read more

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    Arola-Preazzano

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