Tempting Tuesday: Autumn Drive to Monte Faito

Laura Thayer
Amalfi Coast, Costiera Amalfitana, Driving, Tempting Tuesday

 

I mentioned last week when I posted about our Autumn Drive to Tramonti that we’ve been out enjoying these fine November days with a few drives. One day last week the beautiful blue sky and autumn colors just begged for a road trip. Heading out early we set out sights on Monte Faito. At 1,150 meters (about 3,773 feet), Monte Faito is one of the highest peaks of the Lattari Mountains that run along the length of the Sorrento Peninsula. The colors along the way were exquisite as we zoomed past Tramonti, over the Chiunzi pass, down to Pompeii and along the coast toward Sorrento until reaching Vico Equense.

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Monte Faito 1

 

From Vico Equense we started the long climb up and up and up and up until reaching the beginning of the Monte Faito park.

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Monte Faito 3

 

We climbed slowly along the narrow road that took us twisting through beautiful yellow woods.

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Monte Faito 4

 

We passed a sleepy donkey taking a little break in the middle of the road.

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Monte Faito 5

 

And a few ponies and horses watched over by a very large white dog.

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Monte Faito 9

 

Close to the top of Monte Faito we entered a magical world. All the leaves had already fallen off the trees and covered the ground with a soft layer of brown leaves. There was no one else to be seen as we slowly continued along the twisty road.

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Monte Faito 6

 

At the top is one of the most spectacular views I’ve ever seen! We could see Mt. Vesuvius, which seemed small in the distance. Looking to the left we could see the entire Sorrento Peninsula, Capri and the islands of Ischia and Procida across the bay.

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Monte Faito 7

 

Me and Mt. Vesuvius:

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Monte Faito Laura

 

I’ll leave you with this breathtaking view with a promise to share more soon!

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Monte Faito 8

 

 

Related Posts

 

 Tempting Tuesday: Autumn Drive to Tramonti

Tempting Tuesday: Church of Santo Stefano, Capri

Tempting Tuesday: Autumn Colors on Capri 

 Tempting Tuesday: Amalfi Coast End of Summer Blues

Tempting Tuesday: Autumn Drive to Tramonti

Laura Thayer
Amalfi Coast, Costiera Amalfitana, Driving, Seasons, Tempting Tuesday, Tramonti

 

Last weekend we took a morning drive up to Tramonti, one of the Amalfi Coast’s lesser known towns. Driving into the mountains from Ravello toward the Valico di Chiunzi and the pass that takes you over the mountains and down to Naples, you will drive past the town of Tramonti along the way. It is not one centralized town, but a series of villages tucked here and there around a valley. The name stems from the Latin phrase intra montes, or “between the mountains,” which is the perfect description for Tramonti. This is a wonderful time of year to visit Tramonti to try its local DOC wines and the autumn food specialties in this mountain town. Think wonderful meats, cheeses, fresh porcini mushrooms all washed down with the novello wines from this year’s harvest. If you think the Amalfi Coast’s cuisine is all about lemons and seafood, you simply must visit Tramonti! 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Autumn Tramonti 1

 

This time of year is also perfect for a drive up to Tramonti to see the beautiful fall colors. While the sky was a bit overcast, I still was able to snap a few good shots while we zoomed around the corners.

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Autumn Tramonti 2

Oranges, yellows, reds!

 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Autumn Tramonti 3

The road ahead

 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Autumn Tramonti 4

A mountainside of color!

 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Autumn Tramonti 5

Chestnut trees

 

We’ve been out driving and exploring the mountains recently, and boy do I have some pictures to knock your socks off coming up this month. Stop back by again soon!

 

 

Related Posts

 

Tempting Tuesday: Church of Santo Stefano, Capri

Tempting Tuesday: Autumn Colors on Capri 

 Tempting Tuesday: Amalfi Coast End of Summer Blues

Tempting Tuesday: Summer Yellows on the Amalfi Coast

November Banner: Sunset Over Capri

Laura Thayer
Amalfi Coast, Banner, Capri, Costiera Amalfitana

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast November Banner Capri

 

It’s official. There has been a change of season here on the Amalfi Coast. But this time I’m not talking about the weather. The “no tourist season,” as Scintilla from Bell’Avventura calls it, has begun. From the end of October to the beginning of November is one of my favorite periods during the year to go to Capri. The island is m0vingly beautiful this time of year. The restaurants and shops have yet to shut down for the winter and there are far fewer tourists to deal with. This past weekend, we hopped on one of the boats to Capri and spent a beautiful and sunny day just wandering the streets of Capri Town, looking for fall colors and enjoying marvelous views and an exquisite lunch. I’ll be tempting you with those photos all November!

 

The banner photo for this month celebrates Capri in November with a view of the island I took last November on a sunset boat ride back to Amalfi. If you look closely on the left you can see the sun shining through the hole in the Faraglioni rocks. The photo above shows the very tip of the Amalfi Coast on the right. Capri never fails to be a magical place for me, and I hope to share some of that magic with you this month here on Ciao Amalfi!

 

Happy November to all!

Tempting Tuesday: Summer Yellows on the Amalfi Coast

Laura Thayer
Amalfi Coast, Capri, Costiera Amalfitana, Nature, Ravello, Scala, Sorrento, Tempting Tuesday

 

It’s cold. It’s officially cold, and I’m not ready for it yet. For a few days it felt like we skipped right past autumn to winter. That’s no good! Temperatures across Italy have been well below the seasonal norm this past week as a nasty cold front swooped down from Russia. This has sent me back to my summer pictures with pleasure! Just looking at the vivid yellow and bright sunny days warmed me up inside. Here are some yellow-themed moments from life on the Amalfi Coast this summer  . . .

 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Broke Garden

Broke lounging in the early summer sun

 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Church Sorrento

Can’t do yellow without including the bright yellow Baroque facade and atrium on the Chiesa della Madonna del Carmine that sits right on Sorrento’s Piazza Tasso. It always makes me smile!

 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Crosswalk

If you look in the Italian pictionary under “fruitless endeavor,” this is the image you’ll see.

 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Ravello Festival

Ravello was covered with beautiful pansies in early spring.

 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Yellow Dress

This could have gone with pinks last week, but I love how the yellow dress at the end just jumps out!

 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog San Michele Anacapri

Pale yellow and white interior of the Chiesa Monumentale di San Michele in Anacapri

 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Wild Snapdragons

Wild Snapdragons, Scala

 

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog View Villa Rufolo

View looking toward Salerno from the Villa Rufolo, Ravello.

 

 

Stop back by next week for the final color themed summer photo post!

 

 

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Tempting Tuesday: Sunset on the Way to Salerno

Vietri sul Mare Travel Guide on ItalyItalia.com

Laura Thayer
Amalfi Coast, Costiera Amalfitana, Vietri sul Mare, Writing

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Vietri ceramics

 

Vietri sul Mare is often called “The Gateway to the Amalfi Coast,” as it is the first city you meet when you drive the Amalfi Coast Road starting in Salerno. While it has a few popular hotels for conventions and groups, it is town few people get to know when they visit the Amalfi Coast. Vietri sul Mare is famous for its tradition of ceramics and its colorful streets lined with endless temptations for lovers of ceramics.

 

Vietri San Giovanni Battista

Church of San Giovanni Battista, Vietri sul Mare

 

Vietri is the town I stayed in during my first visit to the Amalfi Coast, and I have since been back to spend days walking its streets, admiring the views and admiring a little too much the ceramic shops! It is a town that feels different from the rest of the Amalfi Coast, and that has always intrigued me. It is perhaps a bit more like its much larger neighbor Salerno. You feel less the impact of tourism when you walk the streets, and the genuine character of Vietri sul Mare comes through. I’ve shared some of the history and my favorite things to do in the Vietri sul Mare Travel Guide over at ItalyItalia.com. Pop on over to read about this charming town on the Amalfi Coast.

 

Ciao Amalfi Coast Blog Donkey from Vietri sul Mare

 

While there you can read about Vietri’s tradition of making “Il ciucciariello,” or the little green ceramic donkeys. Did you see those in ceramic and gift shops all over the Amalfi Coast? They started as a symbol of Vietri sul Mare when a German artist working in Vietri named Richard Dölker started making them in 1922. Nowadays you will seem them all over the Amalfi Coast. The little guy above came from my first trip to Vietri sul Mare. He traveled across the ocean to Minnesota where he made me smile, and now he is safely back to the Amalfi Coast where he keeps guard over my books. He still makes me smile!