Ciao Amalfi!

A Sunday Drive to Salerno

Laura — Sun, 05 May 2013 11:05:20 +0000

Zooming along the Amalfi Coast curves looking toward Amalfi

The first sunny weekend on the Amalfi Coast and everyone … and I mean everyone … hits the road for a drive. When there’s only one road, that can be problematic. But with the Amalfi Coast road, it’s always best to pack a little extra patience … and your camera! Fortunately, there are the views and the sheer magnitude of this road carved out of the mountainside to keep one company. The colors in the springtime are a nice touch, too!

Bright colors of spring along the Amalfi Coast Road

A couple of weeks ago we had a Sunday lunch invitation with family in Salerno, so we hit the road along with everyone else. The scooters and motorcycles were out in droves. After the rainy spring, I can’t blame them for wanting to enjoy a ride on a sunny Sunday. What a view!

Around the curve toward Salerno!

Spring was in full bloom and the scent of wisteria and lemon blossoms filled the car with all the windows open. What a heavenly scent … I wished I could just roll up the windows and keep it inside. Looking at the photos brings back the memories of that warm, spicy scent and the sunshine on my arms.

The scent of wisteria wafting through the car

After passing Capo d’Orso, the Cape of the Bear named after a bear-shaped rock, the road climbs higher and twists and turns as it winds in and out of ravines in the mountains. Before long there’s a quick glimpse of the harbor at Cetara, which is an absolutely charming little fishing village.

Catching a glimpse of the port of Cetara

The road curves through Cetara just above the level of the rooftops of many of the houses and about eye level with the colorful majolica tiled dome of the church. If you’re driving along the Amalfi Coast road and have time, do stop off in Cetara and explore the village, enjoy lunch and the pretty beach.

The colorful majolica tile dome and rooftops of Cetara

One of the most captivating parts of the drive is just barely catching a glimpse of an incredible panorama and then a moment later it’s lost between the trees or around another curve. It’s one massive temptation … curve after curve!

Beautiful Vietri sul Mare and Marina di Vietri beach

It took me quite a few attempts to get a clear shot of Vietri sul Mare, above, with its beach area called Marina di Vietri. The beach wasn’t packed like it is in the summers, but it was definitely a popular spot on this sunny Sunday. Around a few more curves and I tried to catch a clear shot of of Vietri sul Mare with the dome and bell tower of the Church of San Giovanni Battista. There it is … can you see it?

The Church of San Giovanni Battista in Vietri sul Mare

The Amalfi Coast road never fails to impress me, with it’s intense beauty, crazy curves and views that make you want to drive it again and again. If you’re lucky enough to be the passenger … bring your camera!

See Mamma Agata’s Cooking School on MasterChef UK!

Laura — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:22 +0000

Very exciting news for all of you Amalfi Coast lovers in the UK! Tune in tomorrow evening to the MasterChef UK show on BBC One to see the semi final, which was filmed at the beautiful Mamma Agata Cooking School on the Amalfi Coast. In this episode, judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace take the semi finalists on a culinary odyssey to Italy, including a stop in Ravello to learn Mamma Agata’s cooking secrets and enjoy those dreamy Amalfi Coast views. Sigh … and what amazing views they are from the Mamma Agata cooking school!

Enjoy a sneak peek here with the preview for this episode of MasterChef UK. But you won’t have to wait long to see the full episode! Here are the details:

MasterChef UK on BBC One

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

9pm

Spring Showers on the Amalfi Coast

Laura — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:20:19 +0000

A Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Spring Day

This has been one of those days that just couldn’t make up its mind. Beautiful spring morning … sure thing! Sudden thunder and hailstorm with pounding down rain … why not? My husband called mid morning to say batten down the hatches (well, he didn’t really say that … but now I wonder if there’s a similar expression in Italian?) since he was on the boat to Capri that sailed through that big black storm. I did fix the outside shutters in place, unplugged all the electronics and took in the newly planted basil, parsley and herbs from the terrace. In the sunshine.

Sure enough … not long after I heard the thunder rumbling in the mountains and looked out to see dark clouds up above. The rain and grandine (small hail) weren’t far behind. As the cats slept (they miss just about everything that happens…) I peered out from the dark house (always a good idea to unplug things, see?) at the rain pounding down. Perfect for the garden, but I was glad I heeded my husband’s warning and brought the delicate new herbs in. Some fat snail has already sat on enough of the new basil plants, and they certainly didn’t need a hailstorm!

Now the sun is shining and, besides the shimmer of raindrops on the plants, there’s no sign of the sudden storm. Spring brings with it so many remarkable moments – just sharing one of them on the Amalfi Coast!

Spring Laundry

Laura — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:43:17 +0000

After a long and unusually dreary winter on the Amalfi Coast, the time change and arrival of spring temperatures means it’s finally time to dry laundry outside again. If you heard a loud cheer recently from the general direction of the Amalfi Coast, it was all the housewives who could finally put the laundry outside to dry again. While some lucky women have a balcony or terrace with sun exposure in the winter, our terrace receives sunshine for approximately 35 seconds per day in the winter. (Sure, I’m exaggerating … but 35 seconds is really what it feels like!) I’ll spare you the drama involved in drying laundry in a humid and cold house all winter long, but I will tell you that it involves much creativity, patience and small prayers to the heavens. (Translate: socks and underwear on every electric heater, buying special towels for the kitchen that dry quickly and seriously debating wearing the same thing for 12 days in a row…)

And then one day the sunshine arrives and all is good and right in the world again. Quickly we forget about icky smelling clothes that never dried, days upon days of being lost in the low-lying clouds and the monumental effort of trying to dry queen size flannel sheets without a dryer or sunshine. Now the laundry smells like sunshine … and I don’t want to hear anything about winter until I have to. (Usually I pass the denial of winter phase about January, so we can talk then…)

Happy spring from one very happy southern Italian housewife!

When It’s Pizza Day

Laura — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:35:31 +0000

Pizza home delivery on the Amalfi Coast

There are some days that—without even having to think about it—are unanimously pizza days. Sometimes that means we go out in the evenings for pizza or stop in one of our favorite restaurants in Amalfi for a quick lunch. Other days it means making a quick call and having pizzas delivered to our front door. Oh … yeah … now that’s the life in Italy!

Pancetta e cipolla in bianco

Today was very much one of those days to order pizza for lunch One of my favorite pizzas in Italy, pictured above, is pancetta e cipolla in bianco, which is made with pancetta and onions without a tomato sauce. While I love the traditional pizza, many of my personal favorites are without the tomato sauce. If you haven’t tried pizza without the tomato sauce, give it a go on your next trip to Italy!

Pizza with prosciutto cotto e funghi

Of course with the traditional pizza margherita you can have all kinds of different toppings. My husband likes prosciutto cotto and mushrooms. The pizzas are delivered on a scooter from the next village over, which accounts for the mushroom that looks like it tried to make a flying leap over the crust. So now you know … this is what you do when it’s pizza day on the Amalfi Coast!

If you love Italy ephemera and pizza, you might get a kick out of Pazzo for Pizza Boxes (Crazy for Pizza Boxes) on Facebook!

On a Sunny Saturday in April

Laura — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:36:04 +0000

Beautiful blues and greens in Amalfi on a sunny Saturday in April

It amazes me each spring just how quickly we can forget certain things. Dinner with the gas heater blazing by the table for warmth, the hot water bottle (or cat) sitting on my lap to keep my fingers warm enough to keep typing and that old “for the rain it raineth every day” attitude. But then one day I noticed that it has been several days since we’ve turned the heater on for dinner and my fingers are no longer so cold. It’s the sun – it makes us forget all those cold days of winter and look forward only to the warmth of spring.

This morning the sky was clear blue and after a busy week it was time to enjoy a walk in the sunshine. Much needed – both the break and the sunshine! Here’s what was happening in Amalfi this sunny Saturday morning in April.

Checking the nets

Not sure where the swimmer for this gear got to ...

All kinds of buses in Amalfi - the season has started!

Signs of spring in the harbor of Amalfi

Gorgeous colors of spring looking toward the Amalfi harbor

I love the brilliant green of the sea today. That peculiar color is a leftover from the bad weather the last few days. Here’s hoping that spring sticks this time and that we’re done with winter until next year!

Sunny Palm Sunday in Amalfi

Laura — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:28:51 +0000

A beautiful Palm Sunday in Amalfi

Palm Sunday arrived last weekend with some much needed sunshine for the Amalfi Coast. We opened the windows in the morning and sat up a small table nearby to enjoy the warmth of the sun during breakfast. After that there was only one thing to do … go and enjoy the sunshine and the holiday atmosphere in Amalfi! Easter is one of the most important holidays of the year in Italy, and you can really feel that it’s festival time, especially when the weather is nice. A storm had just passed the night before and the sea was still rough with that bright turquoise color that comes with bad weather. But in Piazza Duomo it was all sunshine!

Up the steps of the Duomo

With all the bad weather the season has been slow getting started, but there were those first signs of the busy season already in the piazza. We climbed the stairs to see the Palm Sunday mass in the Duomo of Amalfi, which was standing room only.

Palm Sunday mass in the Duomo of Amalfi

Outside it felt like spring had finally arrived! The beach had a few families and brave souls wading into the rough water. There was a school group of kids from the UK and they all seemed busy drawing away on notepads. What a beautiful spot for an artistic moment!

The beckons visitors to the beach

The sunshine really was glorious and has been sorely missed this spring. You could feel the energy that the sun added to the lively Sunday morning atmosphere. Even the turtles in the fountain in Largo Scario were piled up enjoying the warmth of the sun!

Everyone ... even the turtles ... enjoying the sun!

We took a leisurely walk along the port to the pier were we spotted some rather desperate sunbathers who had found a warm spot to enjoy the sun. Behind the port it was protected from the breeze, and they had the entire area to themselves. Where there’s a will there’s a way!

Soaking up the sun in Amalfi

After another rainy week, the sun is out again today. We’re all willing that spring will finally come and we can dry out from a very rainy and cold winter on the Amalfi Coast. That reminds me … I’d better dig out my swimsuit!

The Quiet Season

Laura — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:26:05 +0000

Things have been pretty quiet around here on Ciao Amalfi lately, and I apologize for the lack of updates! In some ways it’s quite natural as life slows down this time of year to savor a bit of quiet on the Amalfi Coast. After the buzz and celebrations of the holidays, the rest of January and February are very quiet months around here. This is the time of year to rest, enjoy a bit of holiday time and to mentally and physically prepare for the busy season ahead. Easter comes early this year at the end of March, which is usually the kick-off to the holiday season on the Amalfi Coast.

Despite the lovely quiet that I’ve been surrounded with, this year has gotten off to an extremely busy start. The days of full of the click click click of my fingers dancing across the keyboard trying to keep up with a rush of writing work. I love the way this work inspires and challenges me. I’m exceedingly grateful to be busy with work I love and to be working with people that bring joy into my life. (Although watching my husband relax during the winter season has made me seriously reconsider the value of seasonal work!)

As the weather improves and beckons me out with my camera again, there will be more life and activity on Ciao Amalfi. The new season is coming … and with it sunny days, lots to do and all the beauty of the Amalfi Coast to enjoy!

Buon San Valentino!

Laura — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:02:24 +0000

Sunshine in Amalfi for Valentine's Day

After hearing the weather predictions for this week, we never expected such a glorious day with sunshine and bright blue skies for Valentine’s Day. What a pleasant surprise … the perfect setting for love! After lunch in Amalfi we were strolling along the port and I recalled an email a reader sent me last week about the best places to propose on the Amalfi Coast. It made me smile to think that somewhere along the coastline with this beautiful sunshine he was proposing to his girlfriend. I hope she said yes!

This boat should be called the S. Valentino!

Wishing you a very special day however you may be celebrating or not celebrating. Sunshine and warmth in the winter are always reasons to celebrate!

Snowflakes on the Amalfi Coast

Laura — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 19:07:41 +0000

Snowflakes and terracotta roof tiles

With just a few days left before Lasagna Eating Day … er, I mean … Carnevale, the temperatures have dropped and snow has arrived at high elevations on the Amalfi Coast. It snows so rarely here that it’s often a welcome surprise. This morning while we were having breakfast I noticed the snowflakes starting to fall outside. Is there anything better than being home, warm and enjoying a cup of tea and the newspaper while watching the snowflakes fall?

Morning snowflakes

They didn’t fall for long and the sunshine quickly melted the teeny bit of accumulation, but it was a happy sight while it lasted. Since it’s hard to capture the fleeting magic of snowflakes out the window, I’ll leave you with the image that welcomed us back to Naples yesterday evening. The snow atop Mt. Vesuvius was the first sign that the temperatures had dropped while we were away last week.

Mt Vesuvius in Naples with snow on the top

The weather is cold and we have to bundle up inside and out, but I’ve been enjoying these rare glimpses of winter’s beauty the last few days. Wishing everyone who is dealing with blizzards in America and big snow in Italy to stay safe and warm!