NAVIGATING WITH BOB IN SOUTERN ITALY
Apr 15th, 2000, 11:52 AM
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NAVIGATING WITH BOB IN SOUTERN ITALY
NAVIGATING WITH BOB & ED IN SOUTHERN ITALY <BR>by BOB the NAVIGATOR <BR>============================================ = <BR> It was my seventh sojourn into Italy and my sixteenth into various venues of southern <BR>Europe, but this trip was conceived with a different set of objectives. The first was to fill in <BR>some of the glaring voids in my trip planning resume---I had never been south of the Amalfi <BR>coast and there was a clear need to expand my personal experience. And then there was the <BR>guy thing. The biggest planning challenge was convincing our charming brides that they <BR>really did not want to spend their time exploring small fishing villages in Sicily or Puglia. <BR>Plus, two guys can share the expenses, travel off-season, and not have to be too discerning <BR>about the plumbing. It seemed to make good sense to the two Susans ,and so we were off. <BR> <BR> Picking the perfect travel partner is a critical part of good trip planning. Ed is a good <BR>friend of twenty years and shares my love of Italia. They had lived in Milan for two years <BR>and he speaks the language well, loves to drive fast, and lives to find interesting villages on <BR>isolated country roads. What more could you ask? And, he had just retired from a stressful <BR>career and needed some time to try and forget those #@&*+#@ former colleagues. It was <BR>a perfect match, so we left my Susan to further validate her role as the reigning Queen of <BR>Amelia Island and Ed’s Susan to help the builder make crucial decisions on the building of <BR>their wonderful new home on Hilton Head. It just all seemed right. <BR> <BR>THE ITINERARY <BR> <BR>We were only able to sell a two week itinerary and set our budget at less than $5000. The <BR>lira exchange rate at more then 2000/1 was a major asset and we were able to find an <BR>excellent airfare on USAIR from Philly to Rome---we arrived on 22 March and headed south. <BR> <BR>POSITANO---3 NITES----CASA ALBERTINA <BR>MARATEA/ACQUAFREDDA---1 NITE---VILLA CHETA ELITE <BR>TAORMINA, SICILY----3 NITES---VILLA BELVEDERE <BR>PORTO CERSAREO---1 NITE---HOTEL LO SCOGLIO [ long drive to the heel of Puglia] <BR>LECCE---HOTEL RISORGIMENTO---2 NITES <BR>ALBEROBELLO---HOTEL LANZILLOTTA---1 NITE <BR>GAETA---GAJETA HOTEL ---2 NITES [ four hour drive from Puglia to coast north of Naples] <BR> <BR>All of the hotels were three star accommodations with the exception of the Villa Cheta Elite. <BR>We only had reservations at three destinations [Positano, Taormina, Lecce], but were able to <BR>find adequate digs in the more remote locations easily and at truly off-season rates. <BR>Overall, we averaged less than $90/nite for a double room in spite of the “ boutique” hotels <BR>we booked in the more popular resort locations. But, it was off-season and we did negotiate. <BR>We managed to stay on schedule and under budget for the entire trip, and only got lost one <BR>time. Naturally, I blamed that on Ed since I was driving at the time and have a reputation <BR>to maintain. The car was a Mercedes A-class city car from Auto Europe at a 30% discount. <BR> <BR> Please do not ask me where we ate. After all, this is Italy and you have to try real <BR>hard not to find a good meal. Our eating strategy was really quite simple. You merely ask <BR>the locals where is the best trattoria serving local specialties and leave it to them. I never <BR>really understood planning an itinerary from one Michelin rated ristorante to the next. <BR>We were able to eat well for about $25/day/person and managed to drink fifteen diverse <BR>brands of beer from Italy, Germany, Belgium, and Austria and our share of the local vino. <BR>Of course, we had our favorite gelato at least once per day as it is a national treasure and <BR>should be required daily. Gelato, cappuccino, vino, pasta, Moretti----ahhh, life was good. <BR> <BR>TRIP HIGHLIGHTS <BR> <BR>POSITANO: What can I say about the Amalfi coast--perhaps the most stunning scenery in <BR>all of Italy. We had stayed at Ravello and Sorrento years ago but wanted to experience the <BR>unique ambiance of Positano and were not disappointed. The Casa Albertina was an excellent <BR>choice. Lorenzo Cinque and his brother are superb hosts and both speak near perfect English. <BR>Our view was magnificent but I would not recommend any hotel up the hill in Positano if you <BR>do not want to test your legs. We drove the entire coast without incident and spent Sunday <BR>in beautiful Ravello. Our nites were spent hanging with the other tourists at the mandatory <BR>Chez Black ristorante on the beach. It seems the whole town filters down here at nite and <BR>“ Mr. Black” makes it a point to greet all of the patrons---the man has a virtual gold mine. <BR>It was amazing to me how much time you can save if you do not stop at every ceramica shop <BR>on the Amalfi coast. However, in deference to my Susan we did spend an hour shopping in <BR>the rain at Vietra sul Mare for six place settings of that perfect pattern---we failed miserably. <BR> <BR>MARATEA: We took the coast road south from Salerno past Paestrum but did not stop <BR>since it was raining and most of the Greek temples were under scaffolding. We did make it a <BR>point to stop at the fishing villages of Agropoli and Palinuro since that seemed to be consistent <BR>with our trip objectives. The entire coast line from Sapri south for the next 100 miles is simply <BR>stunning. The water is emerald green and the coast is dotted with tiny coves and broad sand <BR>beaches. It reminded me of the Big Sur coast of California, only more isolated. We spent the <BR>nite in Acquafredda at the charming Villa Cheta Elite. It was our most expensive hotel but <BR>well worth it. This part of the Italian coast is not well known to tourists but the Italians see <BR>it as a major summer beach resort destination. We were just passing through, but loved it. <BR> <BR>TAORMINA: We stayed on the coast for about 2 hours the next morning finally connecting <BR>with the A-3 Autostrada near the airport in Calabria. Another hour put us at the ferry to take <BR>us across the straits of Messina to Sicily. Once we landed and fought our way through the <BR>Messina traffic, we found ourselves awe struck by Taormina perched high on the cliff above <BR>the sea. What a setting, made even more magnificent as Mt. Etna came into full view behind <BR>the city. We expected Taormina to be special, but did not expect it to be in the same class <BR>as Positano, Santorini, or Capri as Mediterranean havens. We were wrong. We spent three <BR>nites here and found it to be captivating. It may have been our favorite destination of the trip. <BR> <BR>The view from our balcony at the Villa Belevedere was partially obscured by the magenta <BR>bougainvillea, but we could still clearly see the breaking waves some 2000 feet below and <BR>a small plume of smoke rising from the 10,000 foot volcano some thirty miles behind the city. <BR>Taormina has it all. The Greeks were here many centuries ago and left a magnificent open <BR>theater on the highest point in town. It is the most popular tourist attraction in town, but the <BR>only tour busses today were school children from other parts of Sicily on a spring field trip. <BR>They were fascinated by the “ Americani” tourists and felt compelled to practice their English <BR>on us. The teacher took a photo of us with some of the kids and promised to send it to us. <BR>If you ever make it to Taormina be sure to bring your camera and lots of film. <BR> <BR>That nite we had a nice dinner and sat in the town square with two teachers from Boston and <BR>watched an orange-red lava flow cascade down the north side of Mt. Etna. That is when we <BR>decided to drive completely around Etna the next day and to drive as near the top as we could. <BR>It took most of the day to negotiate a square route on back roads, stopping in several small <BR>villages and enjoying a terrific lunch of carbonara in Adrano The final leg was an ascent up <BR>to about 8000 feet . The wind was so intense that we decided not to take the cable car to the <BR>actual summit, but the moon scape appearance left no doubt where we were. <BR> <BR>THE HEEL OF THE BOOT---THE SALENTINE PENINSULA: <BR>It was a seven hour drive from Taromina across the straits and on to the heel of Italy--Puglia. <BR>The actual heel part is known as Salento and appears more like the Mani area of southern <BR>Greece than the rest of Italy. It is a barren land dotted with an apparent shower of rocks. <BR>We knew we were in a different part of the world and headed directly to the coast and the <BR>quaint fishing village of Porto Cersareo. We arrived late on a Friday afternoon and quickly <BR>found the best hotel in town, the Lo Scoglio. It was perched on a small island just off the <BR>main harbor connected by a short causeway. We were pleasantly surprised by the warm <BR>reception and the quoted rate of $50 for the best double in the hotel. We may have been the <BR>only guests that nite. Everyone in Puglia assumed we were Germans since they seldom see <BR>Americans and we both have our share of Teutonic ancestors. We strolled the harbor and <BR>watched the local fishermen repairing their nets before sitting down to a lovely dinner of <BR>“ fritto misto di pesce” and “ linguine vongole” [fried fish and pasta with clams]. What else <BR>in this village? We washed it down with a Peroni and a carafe of the local rose vino. <BR> <BR>The next day was the Saturday market in the charming village of Gallipoli about twenty miles <BR>south. You talk about watching some local culture. It was one of those times you wanted to <BR>be invisible and just observe. The open air fish stands ran for about a block on the wharf and <BR>most of the village was there to stock up for the week. It was an a most unique experience <BR>well recorded by both my trusty Olympia [prints] and my Pentax [slides]. Ed and I looked at <BR>each other with an acknowledgment that we had apparently arrived---mission accomplished ! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>ALBEROBELLO AND THE LAND OF THE TRULLI: <BR>Central Puglia has a congregation of small white-washed villages that are most alluring. <BR>We started in Ostuni that morning and made it to Martina Franca by noon. It was Sunday <BR>and most of the villagers were out in their go-to-church finery promenading through the local <BR>piazzas and stopping to greet their friends. The stunning Baroque buildings along the main <BR>streets made it more memorable. We spent two hours here before heading to Locorotondo, <BR>a short drive north. The town takes its name from the layout of its alleyways constructed in <BR>circles around the hill on which it is set. It was on this drive through the fertile Valle d’ <BR>Itria that we first spotted these odd bee-hive shaped houses called Trulli . Over the next 24 <BR>hours we would see literally hundreds of them. These strange ,white, dry-stoned structures <BR>have conical roofs covered with grey stone slabs. Each dome corresponds to a room , with a <BR>tall chimney at the side of the building. Many of them are still occupied but others have <BR>been relegated to storage for farm equipment. We found ourselves stopping every mile or so <BR>for another photo opportunity. They were a captivating sight surrounded by fields of spring <BR>flowers. We were “ trulli” hooked and our cameras were working overtime. <BR> <BR>Alberobello is the capital of “ Trulli-land”. And yes, the tour busses do find their way here. <BR>We found an adequate three star hotel just off the town square in this unique village where <BR>most of the houses are variations on the trulli theme. There is a designated tourist area at the <BR>edge of town called “ zona trulli” with dozens of well maintained structures, many of which <BR>house small shops catering to the tourist trade. A bus load of Austrians who were sharing <BR>our hotel kept the shops open until well past dark. Ed and I found the best local trattoria <BR>and had a well earned dinner. I think we started with Heineken and antipasto that nite, and <BR>finished with a caffe gelato in the in the main piazza with the locals. It was “trulli’ enjoyable. <BR> <BR>GAETA AND SPERLONGA: <BR>It was about a four hour drive in the rain across south-central Italy to our destination on the <BR>coast about an hour north of Naples. Gaeta is a sparkling medieval jewel placed high above <BR>a large natural harbor that is home to the Italian Coast Guard Academy and part of the US <BR>Navy sixth fleet. We checked in and immediately drove to the highest hill in town adorned <BR>by a magnificent pastel Duomo. It was the ideal vantage point for yet another photo op. <BR>We walked up to and through most of the old city that evening , eager to get our daily <BR>exercise and trying hard to rationalize another great seafood dinner. It worked. <BR> <BR>The next day we drove the coast road up to Sperlonga ,another fishing village built on a <BR>rocky cliff above a fine harbor and beach. We were amazed at the fine broad sand beaches <BR>in this area. We agreed it would be an ideal location for a brief respite at the beginning or end <BR>of a southern Italy itinerary. It is only a two hour drive to the Rome airport and is enchanting. <BR>The next day we were on the road by 0700 and took that drive . We were at the airport in <BR>plenty of time to have a cappuccino and reflect on our sojourn. It is not an itinerary for <BR>every would-be traveler to Italy, but it certainly met and exceeded our expectations. <BR> <BR>BOB THE NAVIGATOR <BR>[email protected] 904-277-4036 <BR> <BR> <BR>
Apr 15th, 2000, 12:22 PM
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BOB-- your trip report is a classic! I am printing this baby for those times at the office when the going gets tough... <BR> <BR>A good friend of mine had talked to me about Taormina; prety much what you said. Funny about Locorotondo; any special reasons for the "trulli" shapes? How was the weather in March? <BR> <BR>Once again, awesome trip report!
Apr 17th, 2000, 04:38 AM
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This was a great posting, Bob. Have you and others who love Italy seen a film by architect/painter/photographer Jeffrey Becom called "For the Colors, a Journey Through Italy"? He starts in Burano, which many of us know, and ends up in Puglia, which many of us do not know. It was broadcast on our Public Broadcasting station a couple of years ago. You probably wouldn't learn anything new, but it would recall the wonderful experiences you had. Boots
Apr 28th, 2000, 06:52 PM
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I have been remiss---I wish I could. You <BR>would love the shots of the Trulli in <BR>the countryside with wild flowers. <BR>I have blown up two of them to 8x10 for <BR>my viewing pleasure. Also, some of the <BR>fishing boats are great---wish I could share with all. My local fan club has <BR>just seen the slide show--rave reviews.
