CILENTO--Where to base on a week-long trip....(?)
Jan 10th, 2012, 02:02 AM
#61
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Ciao, Franco!
(Hanging head in shame): No, I did not. It was an excellent trip overall and I will see if I can write up something short when I get some time...I loved that part of Italy and would like to return to explore in more depth. Perhaps with a new set of travel companions.
Just to answer my own original question, we ended up staying in not one, not two, but three (!) hotels in the Cilento! Spent the first night (after driving north from Maratea) in the agriturismo A Machina in the gorgeous village of Pisciotta. http://www.amachina.it/brown/index.html This is a lovely place to stay apart from the rather disappointing breakfast. The rooms are lovely and the wood floors, by the way, are about the most beautiful I've seen in a hotel. My friends were not happy with their room, with the breakfast, and with the lack of laundry service, not to mention the lack of English speakers within 10 miles, however and I, being the obliging travel companion that I am, agreed to check out early, thus losing one night's payment. (Two good restaurants in Pisciotta--Per Bacco and Angiolina)
And so we moved on, a few miles south, to the rather Brutalist San Pietro Hotel which I believe incurred a comment or two from you in the past. The saving grace there was the pool which was great for swimming, if quite cold in mid September. (Note photo of reception desk on website:
http://www.grandhotelsanpietro.it/it/HomePage.html
Palinuro is beautifully situated but entirely dedicated to summertime frolicking; there is no town center, just a long strip of fairly ugly hotels and shops selling limoncello and its ilk in every conceivable flavor and bottle shape, and gaily colored plastic inflatables. But the beaches around there are lovely. Not so, however, the beach at the San Pietro.
And for the third base camp, we drove to Castallabate, to the Villa Sirio. Quite a pleasant hotel just off the beach. Friends were not happy with the lack of English fluency among the staff and lack of weekend laundry service, but other than that, gave it high marks. I liked it and it makes a good base from which to visit Paestum and the Vannulo buffalo farm, to mention two jaunts that we took. Not a great eating town, as you might imagine. http://www.villasirio.it/
You may detect from my comment this morning that all did not go completely smoothly among the featured players on this jaunt. And that may account for my lack of usual diligence in filing my report!
(Hanging head in shame): No, I did not. It was an excellent trip overall and I will see if I can write up something short when I get some time...I loved that part of Italy and would like to return to explore in more depth. Perhaps with a new set of travel companions.
Just to answer my own original question, we ended up staying in not one, not two, but three (!) hotels in the Cilento! Spent the first night (after driving north from Maratea) in the agriturismo A Machina in the gorgeous village of Pisciotta. http://www.amachina.it/brown/index.html This is a lovely place to stay apart from the rather disappointing breakfast. The rooms are lovely and the wood floors, by the way, are about the most beautiful I've seen in a hotel. My friends were not happy with their room, with the breakfast, and with the lack of laundry service, not to mention the lack of English speakers within 10 miles, however and I, being the obliging travel companion that I am, agreed to check out early, thus losing one night's payment. (Two good restaurants in Pisciotta--Per Bacco and Angiolina)
And so we moved on, a few miles south, to the rather Brutalist San Pietro Hotel which I believe incurred a comment or two from you in the past. The saving grace there was the pool which was great for swimming, if quite cold in mid September. (Note photo of reception desk on website:
http://www.grandhotelsanpietro.it/it/HomePage.html
Palinuro is beautifully situated but entirely dedicated to summertime frolicking; there is no town center, just a long strip of fairly ugly hotels and shops selling limoncello and its ilk in every conceivable flavor and bottle shape, and gaily colored plastic inflatables. But the beaches around there are lovely. Not so, however, the beach at the San Pietro.
And for the third base camp, we drove to Castallabate, to the Villa Sirio. Quite a pleasant hotel just off the beach. Friends were not happy with the lack of English fluency among the staff and lack of weekend laundry service, but other than that, gave it high marks. I liked it and it makes a good base from which to visit Paestum and the Vannulo buffalo farm, to mention two jaunts that we took. Not a great eating town, as you might imagine. http://www.villasirio.it/
You may detect from my comment this morning that all did not go completely smoothly among the featured players on this jaunt. And that may account for my lack of usual diligence in filing my report!
Jan 10th, 2012, 06:20 AM
#62
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In shame, why?? Nobody is obliged to write trip reports, my goodness - I just knew it's your habit, and was curious how this trip worked out since we had talked several times about it while you were in the planning process. Sorry to hear that not everything went as it should... but the landscape at Maratea is spectacular, isn't it?
Jan 10th, 2012, 08:43 AM
#63
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F: First of all, I want to wish you a happy new year which I neglected to do earlier.
My answer is an emphatic "si!' That coastline ranks with the most beautiful I've every had the pleasure to behold! We spent 3 nights in Maratea town at the Donna Monache and very fortunately, the hotel has an agreement with La Secca beach which you had recommended.
Franco, I have swam in many seas and I can tell you right now that that morning at La Secca was magical. I don't think I've had most pleasurable sea swimming anyplace in Europe. The rock formations rising from the sea, the warm, near-transparent water, the relaxed scene, etc etc.
I only had a morning there because a front moved in and brought wind and rain and they were closed the two following days...but I am so thankful as that was a highlight of the trip.
I am going to do a short food report soon...I do feel guilty as I always ask so many questions in the planning but I could just not muster the energy to report on every day of a 15 day trip that was mostly focused on scenery and food.
My answer is an emphatic "si!' That coastline ranks with the most beautiful I've every had the pleasure to behold! We spent 3 nights in Maratea town at the Donna Monache and very fortunately, the hotel has an agreement with La Secca beach which you had recommended.
Franco, I have swam in many seas and I can tell you right now that that morning at La Secca was magical. I don't think I've had most pleasurable sea swimming anyplace in Europe. The rock formations rising from the sea, the warm, near-transparent water, the relaxed scene, etc etc.
I only had a morning there because a front moved in and brought wind and rain and they were closed the two following days...but I am so thankful as that was a highlight of the trip.
I am going to do a short food report soon...I do feel guilty as I always ask so many questions in the planning but I could just not muster the energy to report on every day of a 15 day trip that was mostly focused on scenery and food.
Jan 10th, 2012, 08:56 AM
#64
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Oh yes, I neglected that, as well, so a happy 2012 to you, too! Well, I told you there's unfortunately a very high probability of bad weather in Maratea, that's the big con; but I'm glad you could enjoy La Secca at least for half a day. (It was precisely the same situation for me: only a morning at La Secca, bad weather the two days before!)
Jan 10th, 2012, 09:29 AM
#65
My friends were not happy with their room, with the breakfast, and with the lack of laundry service, not to mention the lack of English speakers within 10 miles>>
oh dear - [shades of a recently resurrected 2005 thread] your choice of travelling companions might not have been the optimum. Fancy an italian hotel not speaking english - the very idea!
I'd certainly love to read anything you'd care to post about the food, and the rest!
oh dear - [shades of a recently resurrected 2005 thread] your choice of travelling companions might not have been the optimum. Fancy an italian hotel not speaking english - the very idea!
I'd certainly love to read anything you'd care to post about the food, and the rest!
Jan 10th, 2012, 10:41 AM
#66
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I'll pull something together Ann.
But perhaps you will not want to read it once I confess my further travel "sins!" For example, I did not lose my temper when I had to ask for the dinner check several times. And (shudder) I often engaged in lengthy conversations with the wait staff before placing my dinner order and thus dragged out the meal. But aside from all that, I long to return!!
But perhaps you will not want to read it once I confess my further travel "sins!" For example, I did not lose my temper when I had to ask for the dinner check several times. And (shudder) I often engaged in lengthy conversations with the wait staff before placing my dinner order and thus dragged out the meal. But aside from all that, I long to return!!
Jan 10th, 2012, 11:59 AM
#67
For example, I did not lose my temper when I had to ask for the dinner check several times. And (shudder) I often engaged in lengthy conversations with the wait staff before placing my dinner order and thus dragged out the meal.>>
lol eck - you appear to have gone native!
wherever we went my friend and teacher on my stay at the language school in Tuscany spent what seemed to me as a Brit an inordinate time discussing with the waiting staff the merits of each of the dishes on the menu [and some that weren't]. whats more, they seemed to expect it. how fresh was the fish, where do they get their meat from, whether it's the best season for a particular vegetable?..and then when we got to ordering the main course, they started all over again!
I learnt a lot from her about ordering meals in Italy which I'm looking forward to putting into practice.
lol eck - you appear to have gone native!
wherever we went my friend and teacher on my stay at the language school in Tuscany spent what seemed to me as a Brit an inordinate time discussing with the waiting staff the merits of each of the dishes on the menu [and some that weren't]. whats more, they seemed to expect it. how fresh was the fish, where do they get their meat from, whether it's the best season for a particular vegetable?..and then when we got to ordering the main course, they started all over again!
I learnt a lot from her about ordering meals in Italy which I'm looking forward to putting into practice.
Jan 11th, 2012, 02:59 AM
#68
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Ann: And no doubt you will be ordering your meals in fluent Italian!
I was always told that the menu in Italy is only a suggestion and that the actual ordering should be done in consultation with the waiter. I suppose I was vilified for taking that advice to heart! And with the language barrier, no doubt it took up valuable minutes that then stretched out the length of the time at table.
We (usual travel partner, not these two) always chuckle at the length of time and the animated back-and-forth between the wait person and the seated diners before an actual order is written.
I was always told that the menu in Italy is only a suggestion and that the actual ordering should be done in consultation with the waiter. I suppose I was vilified for taking that advice to heart! And with the language barrier, no doubt it took up valuable minutes that then stretched out the length of the time at table.
We (usual travel partner, not these two) always chuckle at the length of time and the animated back-and-forth between the wait person and the seated diners before an actual order is written.
Jan 11th, 2012, 02:12 PM
#69
And with the language barrier, no doubt it took up valuable minutes that then stretched out the length of the time at table. >>
time like that is never wasted, ek! vilified? Never.
do i gather that you won't be going travelling with "these two" again?
time like that is never wasted, ek! vilified? Never.
do i gather that you won't be going travelling with "these two" again?
Jan 13th, 2012, 11:12 AM
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By the way, I have to add that I just love the sentence you wrote, Ann:
<Fancy an italian hotel not speaking english - the very idea!>
That's such a great wording; we should quote your post on every third thread on the Italy forum.
<Fancy an italian hotel not speaking english - the very idea!>
That's such a great wording; we should quote your post on every third thread on the Italy forum.
