5 weeks in Italy, continued…Orvieto, Naples, Amalfi Coast, and back to Rome
Feb 27th, 2020, 04:08 PM
#101
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I’m sorry for the uncertainty surrounding your travel plans. We were in Paris the first two weeks of the month and thankfully got home just before the situation in Europe started to deteriorate. But it was unnerving even by then.
Feb 28th, 2020, 04:48 AM
#102
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Thanks, indyhiker. I'm definitely not alone here, but I'm in the minority in having canceled one trip already and already mulling over what to do about my Plan B trip! I'm still planning on going, but it is very hard to know whether that attitude is foolhardy or reasonable.
Mar 8th, 2020, 06:05 AM
#103
Original Poster
I'm now so glad we had the amazing trip we did and am so sad to see the impact of the CV on Italy - an amazing place. Anyway, back to this trip...
A morning spent in the town of Amalfi was pleasant, though we were both very glad that we had our lovely Atrani to return to...
The Amalfi Cathedral was impressive, and worth some time for exploration. The medieval cathedral, begun in the 9th & 10th centuries, is a miss-mash of styles, from Arab-Norman, Baroque, Gothic, and Renaissance (thank you, wikipedia!). It's dedicated to St. Andrew. The cathedral complex consists of several parts, including the cloister, the original basilica, the crypt and the cathedral. The basilica is now a museum and contains many of the church's treasures.
1,000 year old bronze door, cast in Constantinople
These 13th century heads contain relics of several saints
Looking back to Amalfi from one of the piers
A morning spent in the town of Amalfi was pleasant, though we were both very glad that we had our lovely Atrani to return to...
The Amalfi Cathedral was impressive, and worth some time for exploration. The medieval cathedral, begun in the 9th & 10th centuries, is a miss-mash of styles, from Arab-Norman, Baroque, Gothic, and Renaissance (thank you, wikipedia!). It's dedicated to St. Andrew. The cathedral complex consists of several parts, including the cloister, the original basilica, the crypt and the cathedral. The basilica is now a museum and contains many of the church's treasures.
1,000 year old bronze door, cast in Constantinople
These 13th century heads contain relics of several saints
Looking back to Amalfi from one of the piers
Last edited by progol; Mar 8th, 2020 at 06:28 AM.
Mar 8th, 2020, 06:58 AM
#104
Original Poster
Very sadly, we leave our little heaven-on-earth in Atrani. It's saying goodbye to the lovely couple, Pino and Pina, who own La Scogliera that makes it especially hard to leave. It's the human connection that really makes this place as special as it is.
Next stop will be Salerno, where we will get a car to Paestum! We take the ferry from Amalfi - a short and pleasant ride. Arriving in Salerno is a bit of a shock after staying in tiny Atrani as it's a real city - not just a tourist destination! Fortunately, the Hertz rental office is only a short distance away, and we walk from the port and find the office relatively quickly.
On the ferry
I had initially made a reservation for one night in Salerno, as I had read that it's an underrated city. But when we arrived, I realized it would take more time and energy to "feel" the place, and we added it to our stay in Rome, the last stop in our trip. I was glad I did. It may be worth spending time there, but it isn't a quaint and charming Amalfi coast town, and we didn't feel that one night would really give us a good taste of the place.
Arriving in Paestum
We picked up the car and had a relatively easy drive out of town, arriving a little over an hour later in Paestum at the Il Granaio dei Casabella, a converted granary, overlooking the ruins site. You can just barely make out one of the temples from the hotel window, but it is conveniently located next to the site, and it's a short walk from the entrance. It's clearly off-season in the hotel, and there were very few people actually staying there. It was a bit odd, at first, but we did grow to like the place. There are nice grounds and a spacious interior with several sitting areas, and at a busier time, this probably has a very pleasant ambience. It's ideally located for touring.
From the hotel window
If you look really closely, at the very top of the photo, just in front of the hills, you CAN see the temple!
From the hotel room
Next stop will be Salerno, where we will get a car to Paestum! We take the ferry from Amalfi - a short and pleasant ride. Arriving in Salerno is a bit of a shock after staying in tiny Atrani as it's a real city - not just a tourist destination! Fortunately, the Hertz rental office is only a short distance away, and we walk from the port and find the office relatively quickly.
On the ferry
I had initially made a reservation for one night in Salerno, as I had read that it's an underrated city. But when we arrived, I realized it would take more time and energy to "feel" the place, and we added it to our stay in Rome, the last stop in our trip. I was glad I did. It may be worth spending time there, but it isn't a quaint and charming Amalfi coast town, and we didn't feel that one night would really give us a good taste of the place.
Arriving in Paestum
We picked up the car and had a relatively easy drive out of town, arriving a little over an hour later in Paestum at the Il Granaio dei Casabella, a converted granary, overlooking the ruins site. You can just barely make out one of the temples from the hotel window, but it is conveniently located next to the site, and it's a short walk from the entrance. It's clearly off-season in the hotel, and there were very few people actually staying there. It was a bit odd, at first, but we did grow to like the place. There are nice grounds and a spacious interior with several sitting areas, and at a busier time, this probably has a very pleasant ambience. It's ideally located for touring.
From the hotel window
If you look really closely, at the very top of the photo, just in front of the hills, you CAN see the temple!
From the hotel room
Mar 8th, 2020, 08:56 AM
#105
<<if you look really closely, at the very top of the photo, just in front of the hills, you CAN see the temple! >>
You're right, you can! looks like a very nice spot. And thanks for the pictures of Amalfi and the Duomo - very different from when I visited with our language group from Cornwall in February a few years ago. Then there were very few people around and despite the sunshine it was quite cold though it didn't stop us having a cioccolata calda in the square afterwards.
You're right, you can! looks like a very nice spot. And thanks for the pictures of Amalfi and the Duomo - very different from when I visited with our language group from Cornwall in February a few years ago. Then there were very few people around and despite the sunshine it was quite cold though it didn't stop us having a cioccolata calda in the square afterwards.
Mar 8th, 2020, 01:29 PM
#106
Original Poster
Hi, annhig! Thank you for still following after all this time! I can't quite believe I'm still working on this trip! I'm glad you enjoyed the photos of Amalfi and the Duomo. It was quite a change for us, too, after the intimacy of Atrani. I'm glad we visited, and glad we stayed where we did.
Your cioccolata calla sounds very nice!
Your cioccolata calla sounds very nice!
Mar 10th, 2020, 10:59 AM
#111
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Progol, I’m so enjoying my return to the area of the Amalfi Coast with you. When I hopped off the bus from Ravello to Atrani, a helpful townswoman gave me directions back to Amalfi via an underground way that brought me out near the Amalfi Cathedral. Did you ever go that way?
Mar 10th, 2020, 11:16 AM
#112
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Progol, I’m so enjoying my return to the area of the Amalfi Coast with you. When I hopped off the bus from Ravello to Atrani, a helpful townswoman gave me directions back to Amalfi via an underground way that brought me out near the Amalfi Cathedral. Did you ever go that way?
Mar 16th, 2020, 09:13 AM
#115
Original Poster
Ahh, such a short time ago, but a lifetime ago in travel-time, now that covid-19 has pretty much changed the world as we know it, we arrived in Paestum. We spent 2 nights at Il Granaio dei Casabella, which gave us plenty of time to visit the site, see the archeological museum (a must!) and have 2 of the best meals of our trip! After arriving in the mid-afternoon, we ate at one of the restaurants near the entry to the site - to be honest, I don't recall which one, but I suspect they are all good. We had the BEST ravioli of the entire trip. We also visited the Caseificio Barlotti, a farm which produces some of the most wonderful buffalo products and has a fabulous restaurant. We had ravioli again - but the prize of the day was the ricotta cheese. I've never had such delicious ricotta cheese in my life -- and I lived on a block in NYC which had a small cheese store that made it's own. This was so good, I still think about it! And the mozzarella (plain and smoked) wasn't so bad, either! The ice cream we had afterwards -- wow!
Paestum is a remarkable site. It was a major ancient Greek city and contains 3 temples, dating from 600BC to 450BC, that are in remarkably good shape and so beautiful to see. The city was taken over by the Romans in the 3rd century BC, but these ruins are not in great shape. The ancient temples, though, are spectacular!
Paestum is a remarkable site. It was a major ancient Greek city and contains 3 temples, dating from 600BC to 450BC, that are in remarkably good shape and so beautiful to see. The city was taken over by the Romans in the 3rd century BC, but these ruins are not in great shape. The ancient temples, though, are spectacular!
Mar 16th, 2020, 09:40 AM
#117
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The Paestum Archeological Museum has some of the best artifacts and are displayed beautifully. It's well worth a visit. The museum's treasure is the Tomb of the Diver, a rare example of ancient Greek tomb with its painted frescos. Amazing!
The symbolism of this image is thought to represent the passage from life to death, diving from mortality into immortality
The symposium, relaxing after the banquet
The symbolism of this image is thought to represent the passage from life to death, diving from mortality into immortality
The symposium, relaxing after the banquet
