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November Snow Above Scala

TRAVEL · November 27, 2013

November Snow on the Amalfi Coast

Yesterday morning we awoke to a wintry surprise ... snow! A cold front blew down from the mountains overnight and left a light dusting of snow at the highest elevations along the Amalfi Coast. Even at the top of Scala the cars were covered with a slushy white covering we don't see all that often ...

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Ciao Amalfi Coast Travel Ravello Villa Cimbrone Wisteria Walkway

TRAVEL · June 8, 2013

Spring Blossoms at the Villa Cimbrone

Spring came a bit late this year, but it wasn’t stingy with its beautiful colors and much needed cheeriness. One sunny day when the internet went kaput I took a ride up to Ravello and headed toward the Villa Cimbrone. I’ve shared photos of a picture perfect autumn stroll through the Villa Cimbrone ...

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TRAVEL · August 19, 2012

Chestnuts in August

Weekends in August are generally a time to avoid the beach on the Amalfi Coast. Crisi or no crisi, I swear half of Italy is on the beach in Amalfi this time of year. With hotter than usual temperatures right now, unless I can nab a spot close to the edge of the water I feel like reenacting the "I'm ...

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TRAVEL · April 3, 2012

Spring Blossoms

This evening I was out folding the laundry while admiring all the spring blossoms that have burst out in the last week. Just when it seems like those cold days of winter will never end, suddenly spring arrives and everything feels better in the warm sunshine. Just yesterday we were trying to ...

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LIFESTYLE · February 4, 2012

Birdwatching in Amalfi

When it's almost lunch time in Amalfi in the winter, the streets go quiet as the locals start to climb the steps that will take them back home. There aren't many tourists around this time of year to keep the pizzerias and quick food spots busy during lunch. Yet, there's always something to watch in ...

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TRAVEL · November 27, 2011

Autumn Glory on the Amalfi Coast

"The pleasure of doing a thing in the same way at the same time every day, and savoring it, should be noted."   — Arnold Bennett One of the joys of doing the same thing over and over again, whatever it may be, is finding the beauty in the littlest of details. While out walking, I love watching the ...

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TRAVEL · November 16, 2011

An Autumn Walk in Ravello

Autumn is a glorious time of year to visit the Amalfi Coast. One of my favorite spots to walk during any season is the town of Ravello located high in the mountains overlooking the coastline. If you enjoyed the Autumn Walk in Scala, you're going to love coming along on a beautiful autumn walk ...

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TRAVEL · November 12, 2011

An Autumn Walk in Scala

Autumn arrives quietly on the Amalfi Coast. Slowly the grape vines take on a rich red hue and the leaves of the sycamores turn a golden brown in the evening light. It's an exercise in looking closely at first, but before long the landscape is dotted with autumn colors. This year's warm and dry ...

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LIFESTYLE · September 5, 2011

Old Man of the Mountain

One day I was having lunch on my own in Ravello, or at least I thought I was having lunch on my own. I looked up from the table to see along the top of the mountains the face of a man with a bulbous nose and prominent chin. I've heard locals point out several faces in the outline of the mountains ...

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LIFESTYLE · May 9, 2011

Stopping to Enjoy the View

The thing with steep hills and lots of steps is that you just have to stop sometimes for a rest. Last Thursday, a cool and dry wind blowing down from the mountains had cleared away any trace of humidity left in the air from the rainy days before and turned the sea into an intense shade of azure ...

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TRAVEL · April 25, 2011

Wisteria Blooming in Ravello

After a couple of years of rainy and cold springs, the Amalfi Coast is finally having the mild and beautiful spring weather that it's famous for. The wisteria has been blooming for weeks already along the coastline, and I've been enjoying its sweet scent filling the air. While the wisteria in ...

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PHOTOGRAPHY · April 15, 2011

Photo Friday: Wisteria in Ravello

Last weekend I was walking in Ravello and passed through a walkway that leads in one place between and under part of the beautiful gardens of the Villa Rufolo. I could smell the sweet scent of wisteria as I climbed a steep staircase, and as I reached the top was welcomed by this beautiful trellis of ...

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My name is Laura and the Amalfi Coast is my passion and my home. I’m a writer and photographer who is endlessly inspired by the incredible beauty of the Amalfi Coast. Welcome to Ciao Amalfi!

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The 66th Regata delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare The 66th Regata delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare is here! This weekend is full of exciting events as the Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics returns to Amalfi after 6 years. This event sees teams from Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa, and Venice compete in a boat race in historic galleons as well as a historic parade. Stay tuned for photos and videos from the parade today and the boat race tomorrow. Forza Amalfi! 💙

#amalfi #amalficoast #ciaoamalfi #visitamalfi #italyhistory #italytravel
Last month I did a mini staycation in Positano and Last month I did a mini staycation in Positano and I loved it! Even though it’s just down the coast from Amalfi, I enjoyed the quiet of the early morning and breakfast with those famous Positano views. And a relaxed dinner without a long (and twisty!) drive home. This view from above Arienzo beach is one of my favorites of Positano.

#positano #amalficoast #positanoitaly #amalficoastitaly #costieraamalfitana #italytravel #positanoview #arienzo #amalficoastview #ciaoamalfi
That this place is just down the coastline is stil That this place is just down the coastline is still a marvel to me. Yesterday morning the colors in Positano were brilliant. 💙

#Positano #AmalfiCoast #ciaoamalfi #amalficoastitaly #positanoitaly #amalficoastbeaches #positanobeach #positanoview #positanoamalficoast #expatlife #italyexpat #italyexpatlife #italytravel #italyiloveyou
You know that feeling when you’re walking around You know that feeling when you’re walking around with something weighing on your mind? I didn’t even realize that’s what I’ve been doing until I had a follow up exam yesterday and got the all clear. At the same office in Amalfi where this whole journey with breast cancer began last June. I took a different sort of walk afterwards and that cloud over Amalfi made me laugh a bit. All clear! Float away little cloud of worry that has been following me around. Vattene! 🌬
After Flavio Gioia, the next natural stop for the After Flavio Gioia, the next natural stop for the #AmalfiCoastCompass series is the Arsenale, where the galleys and ships were built and repaired during the Republic of Amalfi. Just a few steps from Piazza Flavio Gioia, the Arsenale is the only medieval shipyard in Italy to have survived intact. Dating back to the 11th century, its two long aisles with stone cross vaults and pointed arches creates an evocative space.

Today the beautifully restored Arsenale is the setting for art exhibitions and cultural events. Yesterday was the opening for Kerameikos (April 8 - May 10, 2022), an exhibition of contemporary Vietri ceramic arts curated by professor and art critic Massimo Bignardi and organized by @agarte_fucinadellearti. The show brings together 160 works by four master ceramicists from the Amalfi Coast: Salvatore Autuori, Vincenzo Caruso, Giuseppe Di Muro, and Ferdinando Vassallo.

Take a look through the photos to see a glimpse of the exhibit. Second photo: I loved the bright colors and geometric shapes of Salvatore Autuori's work. Third photo: beautiful historical elements in pieces by Giuseppe Di Muro. Fourth photo: look closely at the textures from nature in Ferdinando Vassallo's ceramic series. Fifth photo: the mix of colors in this vase by Enzo Caruso was stunning in person.

The exhibit is free to visit and is open from 10am-1pm/ 4pm-4pm Wednesday to Sunday. For more information check out www.arsenalediamalfi.it.
It’s already back to rainy in Amalfi, but yester It’s already back to rainy in Amalfi, but yesterday was something splendid when the sun came out. Colors quite like this don’t come along with the storms. I’ll take it all!
One of the first things I noticed about the Amalfi One of the first things I noticed about the Amalfi Coast was that I had a lot of questions. It was unlike any place I had ever been. Just over 15 years later, I still have plenty of questions and am constantly seeing new things. This place really has taught me to slow down and look closer.

With that spirit, I’m starting a new series called #AmalfiCoastCompass where I’ll show you places you might have missed, things you might have wondered about, and ideas for your next trip to the Amalfi Coast.

There’s no better place to start the Compass Series than with this statue in Amalfi. Have you noticed it before in the middle of Piazza Flavio Gioia? It’s a statue of Flavio Gioia, a figure from the 13th century credited with inventing the compass for sailing. He stands holding a bussola, or compass, gazing intently downward at the instrument in his left hand while his right points forward. 

While the existence of this particular mariner is questionable, what is sure is that Amalfi was Italy’s first maritime republic and its sailors not only crisscrossed the Mediterranean and traveled as far east as Constantinople but also created maritime codes that were used for centuries. So while the exact creator or individuals behind the perfection of the compass for navigational use will likely never be known, the statue represents Amalfi’s contribution to travel as we know it today. 

This statue was created by Alfonso Balzico, an Italian sculptor born in 1825 in Cava de' Tirreni - not far from Vietri sul Mare on the Amalfi Coast. He studied in Naples and created many important statues around Italy. His statue of Flavio Gioia was created in 1892 and won a gold medal at the 1900 World Exposition in Paris. (Flavio Gioia was still getting around the world!) It was on display in Rome after Balzico's death in 1901 until the city of Amalfi acquired the statue and it was placed in Piazza Flavio Gioia in 1926. It’s been moved a couple of times (at least) but now it’s located in the center of the traffic circle surrounded by a fountain and little landscaped garden. And one last little curiosity: the statue of Flavio Gioia is oriented facing north.
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