Ann I am laughing out loud at the last comment! Sorry!

I, too, had mixed feelings about Naples and my partner did not like it very much. Or rather, he liked it less than other Italian cities he had visited.

We too had a short time--only 2 nights-- and I think we both would have warmed much more to the city had we had more time to get adjusted. I also think that, because I had had a truly bad experience in Palermo a few years ago (robbed at knifepoint in our hotel lobby!), I was overly anxious about Naples and could not relax enough to truly get into the spirit of the place. I think the next time I would find much more to enjoy without dragging a lot of anxiety along with me. Who knows, maybe I will end up there after a visit to Matera/Puglia! I would return just to devour more sfogliatelle!

Blej: We are in your debt for this report. Truly wonderful. That is quite an amazing story about the laptop and I am convinced it was only your persistence that provided the happy ending. Good for you for insisting!

I am quite mournful now that our little jaunt to Basilicata and Puglia is over! Please let me know about any recipes you attempt and how they turn out!

ekscrunchy: I will be happy to post any Puglian recipes I try, but be forewarned I am only a sometimes cook - only sometimes - when the feeling moves me - or if company is coming. I will let you know if I come across good wines from the three regions we visited that are available to us. I hope your experience in Palermo, and I'm glad you survived it, isn't common. Alot of people have said we should visit Sicily.

Flame - what we need is a chain of, "Last night hotels", with good food, a garden, mini museum and an early morning shuttle to the airport.

Thank you all for reading. I feel like I gave back a little of what I received - although I relived quite a bit in writing.

Great report, blej. I'm just back from Puglia myself and enjoyed it immensely, altho' perhaps in a more personal way, since I went to my mother's home town and discovered a slew of relatives I never knew existed and wound up spending the last part of my trip with them. Truly an unforgettable experience! And, oh yes, the food!!

Welcome back panecott. Will you also be writing a trip report?

Thanks, Flame. Yes, I'll try to organize my thoughts and recollections and start a report soon.

Looking forward to reading your report Panecott. Must have been wonderful meeting new relatives in their home.

Regarding the Saveur article on Basilicata (see posts 4/28 and 4/29 above) I made the pasta with the dried Senise peppers last weekend and will be happy to discuss..

Wonderful report. We also thought that Matera was wonderful, but didn't have time to explore much else of that area at that time and may do so this next October. Thanks for the detail.

Bookmarking for trip in May. Thanks for the great trip report.

This will be one of my guides for an upcoming trip to Puglia.
Thanks for this posting.

Me, too! Bringing up this well-written report for those interested in Puglia, and in off-season driving on the Amalfi Coast.

I would be interested in off-season driving on amalfi coast , was looking to visit it during december this year

That is why I topped this report; they drove on the coast out of high season. The driving is not difficult in winter.

So glad about the lap top!

Hey there - have any of you been to Amalfi in early January or know anyone who has? My wife and I will be there then and although we are aware that its colder..., we are trying to find out how cold is cold...

All I can tell you is that I have been in Rome during a few Januaries. We have had weather warm enough to wear only light jackets much--but not all--of the time. (Perhaps in the range of 55-60F during the day; but dropping into the 40s at night)

But other years there has been snow in January. The Amalfi area should be even warmer if you hit a sunny spell. Hope for the best--in any case, it will not be frigid..

Thanks a lot! Based on your experience, would you base out of Capri or along mainland for the 3 or 4 days we'll be there? Both, including Naples, appeal to us - just would appreciate your opinion!

Bookmarking, enjoyed reading your trip report!

In January I would stay on the mainland, in the town of Amalfi. You want to maximize your chances of finding places--shops, restaurants--that are open and you do not want to take the chance of being stuck on Capri in case of bad weather and cancellation of ferries.

I have never been to Campania at that time of year, though. But there are a few threads here on visiting that area in winter. Try to find them with an "advanced search" here. For example:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...alfi-coast.cfm


Naples is a totally different animal; there will be much more life there in the dead of winter. But that decision depends on your own taste and desires for this holiday-do you want a big, and often rambunctious, city? Or a relaxing, scenic coastal town?

If you want to visit Pompeii, you might also think about basing in Sorrento.

HI. I just saw this activity while posting for a trip to Prague. Here is just a little more clarity on driving on the Amalfi Coast:

We were there off season and still there were times with traffic. At those times, or when you're behind the many buses or trucks, the pace is slow. The road is narrow and there are curves after curves and there is a wall next to you and Italians do love to drive fast.

However, if you can relax and have the confidence to drive at the pace you find comfortable and not care who is tailgating you - you will quickly get used to it - especially if you use the mirrors that are installed on the curves. As in most places it is nice to be able to just get in the car and drive to the next town or just drive and see the countryside without a schedule. You will see things you otherwise wouldn't know about.

It does pay to have parking available at your hotel. If you drive to one of the small hilltowns I would avoid turning off the main road on any narrow road that goes uphill. People will park wherever there is land, even if they stick out into the street.

Do investigate a GPS with Europe preloaded or which can accept a card with the country you'll be in. We had it and it was very helpful - even if it told us to make some turns which would have meant our driving off a cliff.