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Amalfi Coast Stories

Local tales, lifestyle & photography on the Amalfi Coast

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Apr 08 2017

The Amalfi Lemon Experience

Laura Thayer
See & Do

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One of the symbols of the Amalfi Coast, the lemon adds its colorful touch to the terraced landscape, to the hand-painted ceramics and, of course, to the local culinary traditions. The Amalfi Coast lemon is a treasure and one that you should experience while you’re visiting the area. What’s the best way? On the Amalfi Lemon Experience Tour! Created by the Aceto family, who have been cultivating lemons on the Amalfi Coast for six generations, this is a unique opportunity to walk among the lemon groves. Along the way you’ll learn about the history of lemon production on the Amalfi Coast, the unique challenges, and enjoy a tasting and visit to the family’s personal museum and laboratory where they produce limoncello and many other delights!

Recently I was able to join the Amalfi Lemon Experience Tour with Nicki from Positano Daily Photo, and we loved it! Enjoy her fun video of the tour and then read on below for a photo tour of the day exploring the lemon groves of Amalfi.

 

 

Wasn’t that fabulous? I love Nicki’s videos, and if you enjoyed that as well don’t forget to subscribe to her Nicki Positano YouTube channel so you don’t miss any in the future. Now come along and join me on a photo tour of the day!

Piazza Duomo Amalfi Lemon Tour Meeting Point

A beautiful day for a Lemon Tour! The meeting point is in Piazza Duomo in Amalfi.

 

Amalfi Lemon Tour Cart

Hop on the cart for the ride up to the top of Amalfi to the Aceto family lemon groves

 

Learning about how the terraced lemon groves are created and the green and black nets to protect the trees in the winter

 

Salvatore Aceto leading the Lemon Tour – he is so passionate about his family’s traditions!

 

Taste testing Amalfi lemons – you can eat the whole thing since they are organic

 

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Walking through the lemon groves and learning about the harvest and hard work it is to grow lemons on the Amalfi Coast

 

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The terraces of lemons are connected so the lemon trees grow from one terrace to another to maximize space

 

The delicate lemon trees are covered with black nets until late spring to protect them

 

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Although much of the harvest is done by hand and heavy crates of lemons carried on the shoulders, this helps them move the crates down the mountainside

 

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Luigi Aceto, Salvatore’s father, is still hard at work splitting the willow branches that are used to tie the lemon tree branches to the wooden pergolas

 

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Charming display for a tasting of lemons during the tour

 

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Fresh lemonade and lemon cake are a sweet treat during the Lemon Tour!

 

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A stop in the family’s museum on the tour shows their incredible collection of historic pieces

 

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Pieces of Amalfi’s past, including the stencils that were ones used to mark bread

 

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Taking a peek inside the laboratory where the family’s limoncello is made

 

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So many choices! All made right in the laboratory below the Aceto family lemon groves.

 

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Having fun taking photos with Nicki from Positano Daily Photo

 

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Amalfi Coast lemon perfection – the true sfusato amalfitano lemon

 

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A special visit to the Aceto family lemon groves overlooking Amalfi

 

Would you like to discover Amalfi’s incredible tradition of growing lemons firsthand? Find out more about the Amalfi Lemon Tour Experience and how to book here!

Ravello Torre Maggiore at Villa Rufolo
Mar 28 2017

Visit the Torre Maggiore at Villa Rufolo – Opens April 1st!

Laura Thayer
See & Do

Ravello Torre Maggiore at Villa Rufolo

The Torre Maggiore at Villa Rufolo Opens as the Torre-Museo on April 1st

If you’ve been to Ravello and visited the Villa Rufolo, you’ve likely stood and enjoyed the view looking up at the Torre Maggiore. This historic tower dates back to the 13th century when the wealthy Rufolo family called the Villa Rufolo home. Behind the scenes a major restoration project has been going on to open the Torre Maggiore to the public by transforming it into a museum and creating a viewing platform at the top. The project is complete and opens to the public on April 1st!

Torre Maggiore at Villa Rufolo Garden

Can you spot the glass enclosed view platform on the tower?

Last weekend the Villa Rufolo opened the Torre-Museo for a sneak peek viewing by residents on the Amalfi Coast. I’ve been eyeing that viewing platform for some time now. I just new it would have an incredible view! Last Saturday morning was clear and beautiful, so it was the perfect time to visit the Torre-Museo for the first time.

Let me start with the viewing platform on the top, because that’s what really took my breath away. The view from the gardens of Villa Rufolo are justifiably famous. But what climbing to the top of the Torre Maggiore does is give you a bird’s-eye view over the gardens with that incredible sweeping view of the coastline and Bay of Salerno.

Plus, since it’s surrounded by glass on all sides, you get views of Ravello and across the valley to Scala that you wouldn’t see from anywhere else.

Since the inside of the tower has been transformed into a museum and interactive experience, the climb of about 100 steps really goes by quickly. The staircase itself is a fascinating site, twisting and turning like an M.C. Escher design.

Along the way on each level there are architectural pieces, artefacts and explanation about the history of the Rufolo family and the tower.

The lighting is striking and creates and evocative setting for displaying pieces. Along the journey climbing the stairs, there are also light projections and audio recordings to bring the history to life.

At the entrance to the tower there’s a small room displaying artwork showing Ravello, the Amalfi Coast and the Villa Rufolo.

A visit to the Torre-Museo is a great way to start your exploration of the Villa Rufolo. Then you can wander through the beautiful gardens and buildings that you spied from on top of the Torre Maggiore.

The Torre-Museo opens to the public on April 1st, 2017 and entrance to the tower will be included in the price of the Villa Rufolo ticket. Entrance to the tower may be limited to a certain number of people at a time to improve the visitor experience, so if you’d like to go you might want to check if there’s a line when you arrive at Villa Rufolo.

Find out more about opening times and ticket prices at www.villarufolo.com.

ciao-amalfi-toulouse-feature
Mar 16 2017

Is This Your Cat?

Laura Thayer
Amalfi Coast Lifestyle

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From the moment I met our cat Toulouse, it has been an adventure. This furry little guy arrived one Monday morning three and a half years ago, when someone buzzed at our gate and asked, “Is this your cat?” When I looked at the orange and white fuzzball with impossibly big ears, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It wasn’t very many hours before the adventure began, when this little kitten was attacked in front of our eyes by another cat and left for dead. We rushed him to the vet and I helped nurse him back to life. You can read all about that adventurous Monday here.

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It took some time for Toulouse to get his name. But to give you an idea of his playful nature, his first nickname was “Bitey McBite.” While it took awhile for just the right name to arrive, it took no time at all for him to work his way into our hearts. This little nutcase has been non stop craziness and fun since he could get around again. He is my constant companion and writing buddy. He makes me laugh so many times every time. He brought a smile to my face during some very tough times over the last few years. How could you not laugh at a kitten hiding inside fruit bag?

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Toulouse recovered well in all areas, except one of his front legs. He had suffered too much nerve damage to that leg and couldn’t move it much. So after having him for about 6 months, we made the big decision to have that leg amputated. And boy was he brave! I shared about that story here. Although in retrospect, I think the whole adventure was more traumatizing for us than for him. He never looked back … and has been rocking three legs ever since!

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We’ve had more adventures along the way with Toulouse (look up “twitchy cat syndrome” sometime if you’re truly bored), but I couldn’t image our life without this cat. And even though he sometimes gets annoyed with Toulouse, I suspect his big brother Puffy feels the same way.

Puffy and Toulouse

So now, after three and a half years and many adventures, I can answer with certainty, “Yes, that is my cat!”

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Animals definitely have a way of coming into our lives in unexpected ways. How have pets changed your life? I’d love to hear your stories!

 

 

 

Italy Blogging Roundtable

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This blog post is part of a series called The Italy Blogging Roundtable. Every month our group of Italy based writers takes on a new theme, and you can read the contributions for this month’s topic – Pets – at the links below. We’d love to hear your thoughts and comments. Please share the stores if you’ve enjoyed them!

Brigolante – Of Dogs and Death

Italy Explained – Caesar’s Cats

Amalfi Coast Ferry Schedule 2017
Mar 10 2017

Amalfi Coast Ferry Schedule 2017

Laura Thayer
Getting Around

Amalfi Coast Ferry Schedule 2017

Amalfi Coast Ferry Schedule 2017

If you’re planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast this year, one of the most enjoyable ways to get around the coast is on the ferry. The company Travelmar runs regular, daily ferry service connecting Positano, Amalfi and Salerno, and they’ve announced their schedule for this year! Service begins on April 1st and runs through October 31st, 2017. Remember, of course, that the ferry service on the Amalfi Coast is always weather permitting. That being said, the ferry service is only rarely canceled throughout the season.

Below is the Amalfi Coast ferry schedule 2017, and you can find out all the details at www.travelmar.it – which is also available in English!

Travelmar Amalfi Coast Ferry Schedule 2017

Book Amalfi Coat Ferry Tickets Online

One handy travel tip I can recommend is buying your Travelmar ferry tickets online. You can book your tickets in advance online here. Or you can also download the Travelmar app for information while you’re traveling. Very handy! If you’re not sure on your travel plans or timing, that’s no problem. I’ve always just bought my ferry tickets from from the ticket booths in Amalfi, Positano and Salerno right before departure.

Amalfi Coast Ferry Schedule 2017

Find Out More About Amalfi Coast Ferries

Have questions about ferries on the Amalfi Coast? I answered some of the most popular questions in this fun Amalfi Coast Ferry Q&A. I also highly recommend following Travelmar on Facebook, which is the best way to find out if the ferries are running on iffy weather days as they post notifications if the service is canceled.

 

Travel Inspiration

Need even more reason to hop on the ferry to get around the Amalfi Coast? Travelmar created this gorgeous video that really captures the ferry experience on the Amalfi Coast. The gorgeous views from the sea, the incredible photo opportunities and … best of all … no traffic! It really is the best way to get around the Amalfi Coast. Enjoy!
 

Find out more at Travelmar!