Rome - Naples - Paestum - Salerno - Ravello Trip Report
Jul 3rd, 2014, 08:08 AM
#21
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Thank you very much!! In all my visits to Naples (at least twenty five), I have never had the volition to go to Salerno, so I never even thought of going there. Now with your post on the city, I realize I was wrong. On my next visit to Naples, I am certainly gonna go there! Thanks again for showing me the errror of my ways.
Jul 3rd, 2014, 08:38 AM
#22
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Waldo: Try to see the crypt of St. Matthew, below the Duomo. From the photos I have seen on the web, it is spectacular. Check the opening times, they are different somewhat from the Duomo itself. BTW, if you take the train from Naples to Paestum (=easy), the Paestum stop is just after Cappacio, just before Agropoli.
Jul 3rd, 2014, 08:54 AM
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If you ever come to Italy in late summer, try to include Aosta as part of your trip. It is not far by train from Milan. If you are really in heaven with ancient history, a trip that bookended Aosta with Ravenna would be an amazing sweep, and you could easily have Bologna in the middle.
Jul 6th, 2014, 03:40 AM
#25
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Amalfi and back to Rome
We arrived by bus in Amalfi in the morning with time to spare before catching the ferry, so we visited the 10th century Duomo and the attached cloister and museum. When I first went to the Duomo, the front door was open (usually you go to the left, buy a ticket, and start the tour of the complex by entering the cloister courtyard). Lo and behold it was the end of a high Mass, there was no ticket control and the attendant was letting ordinary folk such as myself in. The total impression was stunning: distribution of the Host, singing, incense, lots of candles, thunderous organ music, all this against the backdrop of this magnificent church interior.
The cathedral cloister, the Cloister of Paradise, was almost oriental in its visual impact, with exaggeratedly narrow pointed arches and palm trees in the courtyard. The visitors’ route led around the cloisters to the first cathedral, the Cathedral of the Crucifixion, completed in 833 AD, now a museum. Fine fragments of the original frescoes remain. The museum is full of treasures, perhaps the greatest is the Angevin Mitre, a bishop’s mitre covered with 19,000 tiny pearls (who counted these? The number is provided by the industrious Amalfi tourist office).
Unfortunately, time to go catch the ferry. Walking through a little of the town around the Duomo I resolved to return and spend some time exploring Amalfi at a much more leisurely pace. Before leaving I grabbed some take-out lunch for us from a tavola calda on the edge of the Duomo piazza: two suppli and slices of macaroni torta, pizza con salsiccia and pizza ripiena con friarelli. Great sidewalk food. I carried some of the leftover pizza on board the ferry and the crew was envious.
We retraced our ferry route back to Salerno, caught the Frecciarossa for the speedy 90-minute trip to Rome, and settled into the Hotel Italia for our last night of the trip. We had reserved dinner at our favorite restaurant in Rome, the hard-to-find Osteria del Pegno, two blocks west of the Piazza Navona, on the Vicolo del Montevecchio.
Even though we have been there several times, and in spite of writing down detailed instructions, I still had to ask as we approached the final choice of which “vicolo” to take. Massimo welcomed us and we simply followed his suggestions for the evening meal. He showed us a bowl of big brown fresh funghi and that’s what we had for the primo plus a small casserole of eggplant parmigiana. For the antipasto, he said they had fresh figs and prosciutto so that’s what we chose. We asked him to select a good red for the meal and he brought a Sartori 2011 Valdimezzo Valpolicella Ripasso, superb. And to finish, a “tris” or trio of chocolate semifreddo—very dark, medium dark, and white chocolate layers of creamy deliciousness. Digestivi: limoncello and amaro. A perfect final dinner in Rome.
We had a little time to spare Friday morning so I got up early, primed myself with a couple of the hotel’s excellent cappuccinos and then set out to do a “six-minute” Rome tour (actually 90 minutes) of some places near the hotel which I had been wanting to visit. Partner slept in. Off to see: Bernini’s Triton Fountain, Bernini’s Saint Teresa in Ecstasy in Santa Maria della Vittoria. I’ve seen this work before, surely the Baroque sculpture ensemble which most pushes the envelope, almost creepy in its mix of sacred-erotic power with the various cardinals and nobles of the Cornaro family looking on, their mouths agape, in two opera boxes on either side of the main event. This entire sculptural ensemble is set inside the Cornaro Chapel, designed by Bernini. An extraordinary piece of work.
Then toward the Palazzo Barberini, but first a quick stop to try to get inside the small church of San Bernardo alle Terme. I had been wanting to visit this church for years. It is built on the reconstructed western round tower of the exedra of Diocletian’s Baths (another large chunk was reconstructed by Michelangelo and today is the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli). The exedra’s outside walls can be imagined if one stands around the central fountain of the Piazza della Repubblica and looks at the two curving buildings on either side of Via Nazionale. Inside, San Bernardo has a beautiful circular design with geometric marble flooring and a light-filled coffered ceiling with an oculus, a small version of the Pantheon’s dome.
Onward to the Palazzo Barberini. This is listed as a secondary sight in Rome, a testimony to the extraordinary artistic wealth of this city. In most other cities this would almost be a pilgrimage site. Home of the powerful Barberini clan, it has not one but two staircases designed by Baroque geniuses. To the right of the entryway is Borromini’s splendid spiraling staircase. To the left, Bernini’s, which is surprisingly staid in light of Borromini’s fluid design. The palace has ancient sculpture and an abundance of medieval and Renaissance paintings. In the brief time I had left, feeling the clock ticking away and the deadline for catching the Leonard Express back to the airport, I truly did a “three minute Louvre,” walking quickly to take a look at: Holbein’s portrait of Big Fat Powerful Henry VIII, Metsys’ portrait of Erasmus, two evanescent El Grecos, and some beautiful early medieval works.
Then hoofed back to the hotel, collected partner and bags, Leonardo’ed out to the airport and then home. Friends back home asked, “How was your trip?” Answer: “It was Italy….how could it not be outstanding?”
We arrived by bus in Amalfi in the morning with time to spare before catching the ferry, so we visited the 10th century Duomo and the attached cloister and museum. When I first went to the Duomo, the front door was open (usually you go to the left, buy a ticket, and start the tour of the complex by entering the cloister courtyard). Lo and behold it was the end of a high Mass, there was no ticket control and the attendant was letting ordinary folk such as myself in. The total impression was stunning: distribution of the Host, singing, incense, lots of candles, thunderous organ music, all this against the backdrop of this magnificent church interior.
The cathedral cloister, the Cloister of Paradise, was almost oriental in its visual impact, with exaggeratedly narrow pointed arches and palm trees in the courtyard. The visitors’ route led around the cloisters to the first cathedral, the Cathedral of the Crucifixion, completed in 833 AD, now a museum. Fine fragments of the original frescoes remain. The museum is full of treasures, perhaps the greatest is the Angevin Mitre, a bishop’s mitre covered with 19,000 tiny pearls (who counted these? The number is provided by the industrious Amalfi tourist office).
Unfortunately, time to go catch the ferry. Walking through a little of the town around the Duomo I resolved to return and spend some time exploring Amalfi at a much more leisurely pace. Before leaving I grabbed some take-out lunch for us from a tavola calda on the edge of the Duomo piazza: two suppli and slices of macaroni torta, pizza con salsiccia and pizza ripiena con friarelli. Great sidewalk food. I carried some of the leftover pizza on board the ferry and the crew was envious.
We retraced our ferry route back to Salerno, caught the Frecciarossa for the speedy 90-minute trip to Rome, and settled into the Hotel Italia for our last night of the trip. We had reserved dinner at our favorite restaurant in Rome, the hard-to-find Osteria del Pegno, two blocks west of the Piazza Navona, on the Vicolo del Montevecchio.
Even though we have been there several times, and in spite of writing down detailed instructions, I still had to ask as we approached the final choice of which “vicolo” to take. Massimo welcomed us and we simply followed his suggestions for the evening meal. He showed us a bowl of big brown fresh funghi and that’s what we had for the primo plus a small casserole of eggplant parmigiana. For the antipasto, he said they had fresh figs and prosciutto so that’s what we chose. We asked him to select a good red for the meal and he brought a Sartori 2011 Valdimezzo Valpolicella Ripasso, superb. And to finish, a “tris” or trio of chocolate semifreddo—very dark, medium dark, and white chocolate layers of creamy deliciousness. Digestivi: limoncello and amaro. A perfect final dinner in Rome.
We had a little time to spare Friday morning so I got up early, primed myself with a couple of the hotel’s excellent cappuccinos and then set out to do a “six-minute” Rome tour (actually 90 minutes) of some places near the hotel which I had been wanting to visit. Partner slept in. Off to see: Bernini’s Triton Fountain, Bernini’s Saint Teresa in Ecstasy in Santa Maria della Vittoria. I’ve seen this work before, surely the Baroque sculpture ensemble which most pushes the envelope, almost creepy in its mix of sacred-erotic power with the various cardinals and nobles of the Cornaro family looking on, their mouths agape, in two opera boxes on either side of the main event. This entire sculptural ensemble is set inside the Cornaro Chapel, designed by Bernini. An extraordinary piece of work.
Then toward the Palazzo Barberini, but first a quick stop to try to get inside the small church of San Bernardo alle Terme. I had been wanting to visit this church for years. It is built on the reconstructed western round tower of the exedra of Diocletian’s Baths (another large chunk was reconstructed by Michelangelo and today is the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli). The exedra’s outside walls can be imagined if one stands around the central fountain of the Piazza della Repubblica and looks at the two curving buildings on either side of Via Nazionale. Inside, San Bernardo has a beautiful circular design with geometric marble flooring and a light-filled coffered ceiling with an oculus, a small version of the Pantheon’s dome.
Onward to the Palazzo Barberini. This is listed as a secondary sight in Rome, a testimony to the extraordinary artistic wealth of this city. In most other cities this would almost be a pilgrimage site. Home of the powerful Barberini clan, it has not one but two staircases designed by Baroque geniuses. To the right of the entryway is Borromini’s splendid spiraling staircase. To the left, Bernini’s, which is surprisingly staid in light of Borromini’s fluid design. The palace has ancient sculpture and an abundance of medieval and Renaissance paintings. In the brief time I had left, feeling the clock ticking away and the deadline for catching the Leonard Express back to the airport, I truly did a “three minute Louvre,” walking quickly to take a look at: Holbein’s portrait of Big Fat Powerful Henry VIII, Metsys’ portrait of Erasmus, two evanescent El Grecos, and some beautiful early medieval works.
Then hoofed back to the hotel, collected partner and bags, Leonardo’ed out to the airport and then home. Friends back home asked, “How was your trip?” Answer: “It was Italy….how could it not be outstanding?”
Jul 6th, 2014, 06:32 AM
#26
when we were in Amalfi in February, the cloisters were shut, so we just toured the Cathedral; an excuse to go back?
incidentally, if you walk up the main street, there is a little niche set into a grotto on the right where there is a lovely presepe [nativity scene] of Amalfi itself. it's just after an electrical shop where i bought a very nice Mokka machine at a surprisingly good price. And the cafe del Duomo does very nice coffee and cakes, also at reasonable prices.
incidentally, if you walk up the main street, there is a little niche set into a grotto on the right where there is a lovely presepe [nativity scene] of Amalfi itself. it's just after an electrical shop where i bought a very nice Mokka machine at a surprisingly good price. And the cafe del Duomo does very nice coffee and cakes, also at reasonable prices.
Jan 17th, 2016, 07:09 AM
#34
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EYWandBTV,
Great trip report! Looking forward to having dinner at the Trastevere restaurants you recommended.
I'm still figuring out the details of our trip, and I read that you took a direct train from Salerno to Rome?
I'd like to stay in Positano - but like the idea of a direct train back to Rome...is it feasible to trek from Positano to Salerno on our last day on the AC in order to travel directly to Rome?
Or is that not an efficient use of our time on the last day in the AC?
I'm not sure what the best way is to get back to Rome other than taking a bus to Naples, or hiring a private driver to take us from Positano to Naples and then I'd still need to get on a train back to Rome. That doesn't sound very time-efficient to me, so trying to figure out other options.
Any insight is appreciated.
Thanks!
Great trip report! Looking forward to having dinner at the Trastevere restaurants you recommended.
I'm still figuring out the details of our trip, and I read that you took a direct train from Salerno to Rome?
I'd like to stay in Positano - but like the idea of a direct train back to Rome...is it feasible to trek from Positano to Salerno on our last day on the AC in order to travel directly to Rome?
Or is that not an efficient use of our time on the last day in the AC?
I'm not sure what the best way is to get back to Rome other than taking a bus to Naples, or hiring a private driver to take us from Positano to Naples and then I'd still need to get on a train back to Rome. That doesn't sound very time-efficient to me, so trying to figure out other options.
Any insight is appreciated.
Thanks!
Jan 22nd, 2016, 03:07 AM
#35
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Hi Judy,
I see from your other post, about your itinerary, that you have decided to stay in Positano. Here is a site for the SITA buses on the Salerno-Amalfi-Positano-Sorrento route:
http://www.theamalficoast.net/orari_...imetables.html
Some people love to take these buses (they also love scary roller coasters, I'm guessing), other people find that they get seasick because of the curving, narrow coastal road.
Regarding the desirability/feasibility of going from Positano to Salerno and then catching the train to Rome...this of course depends on what you like. We took the ferry from Amalfi back to Salerno and then trained to Rome. The ferry ride gives you a beautiful view of the mountainous coast. (However, in early April the ferry schedules might be iffy.) The seafront boulevard of Salerno is also beautiful. This route avoids the crummy, creaky Circumvesuviana from Sorrento back to Naples. This route also requires a fairly good chunk of your day.
You may want to travel more simply and just spring for a limo from Positano to the Naples train station and then a fast Frecciarossa train back to Rome in 2 hours.
Happy travels!
I see from your other post, about your itinerary, that you have decided to stay in Positano. Here is a site for the SITA buses on the Salerno-Amalfi-Positano-Sorrento route:
http://www.theamalficoast.net/orari_...imetables.html
Some people love to take these buses (they also love scary roller coasters, I'm guessing), other people find that they get seasick because of the curving, narrow coastal road.
Regarding the desirability/feasibility of going from Positano to Salerno and then catching the train to Rome...this of course depends on what you like. We took the ferry from Amalfi back to Salerno and then trained to Rome. The ferry ride gives you a beautiful view of the mountainous coast. (However, in early April the ferry schedules might be iffy.) The seafront boulevard of Salerno is also beautiful. This route avoids the crummy, creaky Circumvesuviana from Sorrento back to Naples. This route also requires a fairly good chunk of your day.
You may want to travel more simply and just spring for a limo from Positano to the Naples train station and then a fast Frecciarossa train back to Rome in 2 hours.
Happy travels!
Jan 22nd, 2016, 08:01 AM
#36
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Thank you so much for providing all this information.
I did consider the Rome/Salerno train route, then the ferry to Positano. I contacted the ferry service and the ferries start running more often starting April 1, which would work for us. The last ferry leaves Salerno at 3pm.
However, if seas are rough then the ferry will not run, so I would need to take 2 buses to get to Positano.
Given I will only be in the AC 2 full days, I want to be as time-efficient as possible (even if not cost-efficient), so I'm opting for the train to Naples, then private car to the doorstep of my hotel in Positano.
I did consider the Rome/Salerno train route, then the ferry to Positano. I contacted the ferry service and the ferries start running more often starting April 1, which would work for us. The last ferry leaves Salerno at 3pm.
However, if seas are rough then the ferry will not run, so I would need to take 2 buses to get to Positano.
Given I will only be in the AC 2 full days, I want to be as time-efficient as possible (even if not cost-efficient), so I'm opting for the train to Naples, then private car to the doorstep of my hotel in Positano.
Nov 12th, 2016, 03:33 AM
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Planning a trip to Naples area in January. The great thing is that you two are sort of like us two, although we are a tick older. Your descriptions are vivid and complete. Thanks for the marvelous suggestions!
