JUNE 2012

PAINTING EN PLEIN AIR

06012012 I will always remember the Amalfi Coast as a place unlike no other I have ever seen. It’s a region of village steps and tiny walkways (350 steps down to the Sea in Praiano), of one long coastal road that winds in dangerous turns precariously above the Sea, and of daily seafood, stunning sunsets, and rich ancient legends. But the photos say so much more than I could in words… Italy’s Amalfi Coast: A Photojournal | Jennifer Lyn King
06022012 In the heart of Amalfi is a strange and wonderful world to explore, ready to enchant you with the spectacle of a prodigious nature. The Natural Reserve "Valle delle Ferriere", an example of exceptional beauty, the variety will astound you with its colors, its light effects, its vegetation, alternating zones typical of tropical countries with the most familiar of our Mediterranean. Ferriere Valley | cultural-hub.com
06032012 I Bagni della Regina Giovanna (it is so named after Queen Joan of Anjou who frequented here to take baths) consists of a beautiful rocky beach close to where you can still admire the ruins of an ancient Roman villa, utilised by Pollio Felice for his summer vacations during the 1st century AD. To reach this piece of jagged coastline that overlooks the sea, you need to walk a short and quite easy trial which departs from Capo di Sorrento. The beach is not suitable for children but compensates by offering a crystal clear sea which is impossible to resist. Location of the Villa | Villa Serena
06042012 This is an itinerary coast-to-coast, for trekking and hiking lovers, it’s possible to cover the distance by one day, anyway it’s also possible to take a bus for same ways. Crapolla is easy to reach from 'O Sole Mio Hotel, by a footpath; hidden in its own small bay, we find a little fishermen’s village, with same traditional fishing boats on the beach. The path to the beach is full of interesting nature, made by olive graves and oak chestnut, here the ruins of St. Peter’s Abbey remind us of the Apostle who landed here on his journey to Rome. The name Crapolla seems to derive from an anciet temple of Apollo, here we can also find the ruins of a little monastery. Crapolla | Hotel Ristorante 'O Sole Mio
06052012 Sorrento is only an hour's drive from Naples but feels a million miles away from its bustling streets. Overlooking the Bay of Naples this small town is famed for its lemons and its production of Limoncello, a lemon liqueur, traditionally served chilled as an after-dinner digestive. A stop at Sorrento's only surviving Limoncello producer Giardini di Cataldo turns out to be a delightful afternoon, tasting a whole range of lemon products. My favourite? The ultra-refreshing lemon ice cream. When life gives you lemons... | thisisbristol
06062012 We put ashore, history heads firmly on, to explore the Parco Archeologico at Baia. Our guide, quoting Seneca and Vitruvius, set about performing the impressive trick of breathing life into the 2,000-year-old ruins, palatial villas whose crumbled footings and scraps of mosaic extended across the fig-tangled terraces above the domes of the great bath houses. In satisfyingly fetid wafts, the past rose from this Roman-era playground and spa on the Bay of Naples – a place of legendary licentiousness where the likes of Pompey and Caligula had staged scandalous entertainments and Nero had his mother murdered. This was top-drawer history tourism, with no shortage of contemporary parallels: crowding Baia's bay were lavish mega-yachts, all laundered fortunes, thong-style swimwear and bling-laden security details, suggesting that little had changed among Italy's ruling class, even if today's lot appeared to prefer their palaces offshore. Cruises: Italy's bay of beauty | Telegraph
06072012 Armed with cane, water bottle and jaunty baseball cap, Silvio led us on a fascinating tour of this massive piece of Italian history. As we stepped carefully along deep chariot wheel tracks etched into the stone streets, we learned how the inhabitants of Pompeii ate, cooked, loved, and suffered. We saw their gorgeous murals, grinned at the clever “fast food joints” and chuckled when Silvio explained that men were only allowed to enter the red light district if their foot exceeded the length of a prominent “manly part” carved into stone at the entrance. The Tour Guide in Pompeii who Changed My Mind about Tour Guides | The Travel Belles
06082012 My favorite restaurant to indulge in a delicious local meal is . . . La Fontelina makes divine ravioli caprese. You need to try it everywhere on Capri, but theirs is the best. To stay in shape, my on-the-go fitness regime is . . . walking up and down the hills in Capri, whether to dinner at Le Grottelle or to the beach at La Fontelina. It’s better and more beautiful than a StairMaster. Where I Go: Michael Kors | Vanity Fair
06092012 Why spend a weekend or more in Capri? Because of its undeniable beauty. It’s a quiet place where lemon trees grow in streets; where cars are as useless as umbrellas, and just as rare; where perspectives and views change every few yards and the sea is the deepest blue; where a still white mist redesigns the horizon every few moments and the air is filled with the scent of jasmine, citrus and pine. Guide to Capri | ItalyTravelista
06102012 Amalfi Coast Road, Italy. We’d forgive you for smashing up your vintage convertible MG when distracted by the pastel villages, historic churches and pristine lapping coastline here. This is one of the prettiest routes we’ve ever encountered, and the coastal roads are crammed with enough hairpin bends to get your pacemaker screaming. “It’s absolutely beautiful, the scenery makes this road trip,” says David Light, motoring editor at Khaleej Times. “The best way to experience it is in the summer, in a drop-top sports car.” World's 10 ultimate drives | CNNGo
06112012 For the last decade or so, Salerno – thanks partly to a decisive, far-sighted local administration – has carved out a successful role for itself with tourism and culture. The most touristy part of the city starts at the recent Grand Hotel Salerno. With its strategic position (surrounded by large public car parks with reasonable tariffs), it provides an ideal starting point for the city’s seafront. The promenade extends westwards as far as the Santa Teresa beach, where work is underway to build the Crescent (a semi-circular residential complex), the new Piazza della Libertà and – most importantly – the Polo Marittimo (a Maritime Terminal with a design that recalls the undulations on an oyster) created by Zaha Hadid. Salerno and Some of the Cilento | Vogue
06122012 Located in one of the most beautiful areas of Italy, the artisan producer "Il Forno Antico" in San Mauro la Bruca offers excellent food and rooms where it is possible to spend the night . Not far away it is possible to relax on white idyllic beaches. We're not in the Caribbean, we're in Italy. Topic: Food at the beach | Veracious
06132012 Mount Gelbison is one of the most famous and popular shrines in southern Italy. It dates back to 1300, and people come from all over to pay respects to The Shrine of Novi Velia Holy Mary. At the top sits a historic sanctuary open only from the last Sunday in May to the second Sunday in October. Mount Gelbison sits 5,593 feet above mountains covered with many kinds of trees, including chestnut, wild elm, maple and pear. This place is higher than Zermatt, Switzerland, and on a clear day visitors can easily see the Gulf of Salerno. An Italian Itinerary from Venice to Naples and Beyond | Johnny Jet
06142012 You and your children can enjoy a relaxing walk in the Botanical Garden, a quiet  spot of verdant nature right in the chaotic centre of Naples. There you can admire the felceto and the palm grove;  typical plants of the Mediterranean area, like the citruses; officinal plants and plants that require special acclimatization, that is the immense representation of Ninfee in appropriate bathtubs and in a better exposed area, the so-called desert, the wide collection of fat plants. Inside the Garden there is the Museum of Paleobotanica, introducing a collection of fossils and objects made of vegetable material. The Botanical Garden | children itineraries
06152012 I didn’t want to go there. I wanted to climb up a volcano. That is, until I walked up to the second floor of the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, and saw what had been unearthed from the ruins of Pompeii. First there were mosaics, fashioned from the tiniest bits of colored tile into large, bright masterpieces from the first century. Most interesting were the sculptures: graceful bronze fauns, classic busts, winged beasts and a tiny bird, the same size—but much more beautiful—as one I’d sculpted in an amateur artistic fit a few days before. Suddenly, I had a connection—something in common with an artist from an ancient land, some 2,000 years ago. My self-pity was long gone, replaced by awe and genuine appreciation. Vesuvio: Annihilation/Preservation | ITALY Magazine
06162012 When we reach the driveway of Villa Ida, we are greeted by Roberta Cuomo, the first member of the Cuomo clan we meet. We follow her along a short path lined with grape vines and fragrant oranges and lemons. She invites us to drink Neapolitan coffee and plum cake around one of the large, round, painted ceramic tables in a manicured backyard that feels like a family room. The Cuomos, once a family of nobles, live in a private villa that houses 20 family members in an ocher-colored stucco enclave subdivided into eight apartments. We roll up our sleeves and take our places at individual cooking stations set up on both sides of a long table next to the outdoor kitchen. The menu includes a traditional four-course Neapolitan-style lunch using recipes that Angela and her mother, Ida, inherited. First, we make tomato sauce for a pasta dish that layers ziti from nearby Gragnano with baby eggplants and mozzarella cheese. The approach is hands-on, watching and doing. A Cooking Class At Villa Ida In Sorrento | The Huffington Post
06172012 Benevento is a dichotomy between displays of ancient history and an impressive collection of modern art. The Museo Arcos, the town’s Museum of Contemporary Art, is home to numerous modern works from artists worldwide. Considered a ‘live museum,’ it has a space for the display of more progressive works. Many of the works created in the Museo Arcos, such as the sculpture pictured above, are displayed in the streets of Benevento. Bene Benevento in the Heart of Campania | Luxury Italian Tours
06182012 Jennifer Deacon describes the Cilento Coast as similar to the Tuscan Coast or Amalfi Coast – 20 years ago. The area offers everything on your list: biking trails and beaches where you don't have to fight for a spot to plant your umbrella. “Medieval Pisciotta is perched high above the sea with a maze of pedestrian-only streets to navigate. The modern port below is a charming little strip of cafés and small businesses; there are beaches and a small marina. From here you can enjoy the nearly deserted but pristine beaches. … There is a great national park system with walking and biking trails, and guided excursions would be recommended for these days.” Deacon describes Il Cannito as “an absolute gem of a small, family-run property.” This is the place to relax, bike, hike or take a guided visit of the famed Greek temples near Paestum. The hotel's matriarch, “Mama,” also offers cooking classes in the kitchen. “From there, they can also arrange a private boat trip down the coast to the otherwise inaccessible beaches of Cilento, and swim in amazing private coves.” Can you recommend a mother-daughter trip to Europe? | The Globe and Mail
06192012 The sparkling sea and golden sand are the main richness of the beaches of this region, which every summer attracts many Italians and foreigners. There is also much to visit from the cultural and architectural point. In Nocera Inferiore you can also visit the Archaeological Museum of the Agro Nocerino and the Museo Provinciale. It is open from 9am to 1pm and from 5pm to 8pm, every day. Also to see is the memorial stone in Sapri. Located in Piazza Plebiscito it is a little monument to Roman times that it has become a real cult object. Summer Holidays in Campania Italy | Steps Across
06202012 Pierpaolo Maisto’s firm in Pontecagnano Faiano (Salerno, Italy), as many other firms situated in Piana del Sele, is specialized in different types of fresh-cut salads, first of all in wild rocket (they have been cultivating since 2006), but also in red and green Baby leaves, Baby spinach, oriental salads such as tatsoi, Mizuna, Red Chards, Bulls Blood, green and red Pak choi. Italy: Organic rocket and baby leaf from Piana del Sele Europewide | FreshPlaza
06212012 La Calanca is the principal beach of Marina di Camerota and it can be reached by a large rocky stair consenting a comfortable walk fot the tourists. This beach is made up of fine, white sand and low waters, so that it satisfies the needs of adults and children, expert swimmers and not swimmers, whom can enjoy the freshness of the water just by walking on the shore. It is therefore a favourite family beach. Marina di Camerota: the 'Pearl of Cilento' | VisitItaly
06222012 My favourite stop on the Napoli kayak tour was when we stopped at the Roman ruins which were visible above, and below, the sea surface. Snorkelling gear was again donned to explore these ancient structures. I only wish we had more time here as this was definitely the highlight. It was such a fun few hours and a totally different way to explore Napoli. We definitely recommend you to check out Kayak Napoli as they run adventure trips every day and it’s a great way to escape the Italian heat. Sea Kayak in Napoli | Four Jandals
06232012 Grassano was the original pizzaiola at Spacca Napoli, a third-generation pizzamaker from Naples, who, in the late winter of 2006, showed Chicagoans that pizza was not just a knife-and-fork-required affair. She showed us that great pizza is a study in contrasts, of blistered, bubbling, high-rising crispy edges and a chewy, slightly droopy center. She showed us that a real pie does not take 45 minutes. And yet, despite the adulation, as Grassano pulls a pizza peel across a wood-fired oven made of imported Italian ash and Vesuvio stone, she looks as though she’s slumping under some major, but invisible heft. Pizzeria da Nella Cucina Napoletana | Chicago Sun-Times
06242012 Within ten minutes we had two piping hot pizzas in front of us. To wash it down we shared a bottle of Nastro Azzurro beer. The pizzas were spectacular: hot, moist, beautiful. To make a perfect pizza is a difficult job, a pizzaiuolo needs great skills, good quality natural dough, high oven temperature (490C / 915 F), the right wood, a lot a lot of practise but also love, passion and pride. They have them all at the Trianon. One of the secrets of a Neapolitan pizza is the wood fired oven insulated by volcanic sand from Vesuvius. A Short Trip To Naples | Lemons and Olives
06252012 Capri is a lovely island in the Mediterranean located on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in Italy. After having been there, I now understand why Lomography decided to name their La Sardina Beach Editions after this amazing island. Basking at the Beach: Capri Diem | Lomography Italia
06262012 Those seeking the charms of Capri without the crowds will be delighted to discover Ischia. Just 20 miles west of Naples, this intimate island is one of Italy's best-kept secrets. Among its many treasures is Albergo San Montano, whose charming maritime theme suits its seafront surroundings. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, this stunning hotel seems to hang suspended between sea and sky, and will dazzle you with its breathtaking views of Naples, Mount Vesuvius and the Sorrento Peninsula. Albergo San Montano | Luxury Link
06272012 Everything in life is about location, location, location and nowhere does that apply more than at the seafront in Positano, Italy. Chez Black (Via del Brigantino, on the beach, Positano) is one of those beach favorites…..those who want to be seen and those who want to see…the sea….flock here to stare at the blue waters of the Amalfi Coast. Mangia Monday at Chez Black in Positano | Wanderlust Women Travel
06282012 In the locality of Starza della Regina in Somma Vesuviana in the province of Naples, thanks to a multidisciplinary research projects between the University of Tokyo and the Special Superintendency of Cultural Heritage of Naples and Pompeii, the excavation of the so-called Augustus Villa, a big Roman building, built during the imperial period and used until the V century A.C., was started. Today it is possible to visit a monumental area with columns and decorated walls with niches. It is a broad residential complex, probably used for the agricultural production. The building was buried by the Vesuvian eruption of 472 A.C. Many statues have been found, among which that of a woman with peplos, the fragmented statue of Dyonisus/Bacchus holding a baby leopard with an ivy crown. Villa di Augusto | InCampania
06292012 After closing in the nineties for renovations, Naples' Filangieri Museum, founded in 1888 to hold the personal collection of Gaetano Filangieri, has finally reopened to visitors. Prince Filangieri of Arianiello was a lawyer, scholar and philosopher with a great interest in ancient antiquities. His personal art collection includes not only fine art, but a vast array of weapons, china, miniatures and precious materials such as ivory, ancient glass, and coral. The Museo Filangieri Reopens in Napoli After Decades of Renovations | Italy Magazine
06302012 Some people claim that pizza was invented in Greece; others say it hails from southern France. A friend of mine who went to Yale swears it comes from New Haven. Sheesh! Have any of these people been to Naples? Anyway, who gets the credit for inventing pizza is a moot point when the answer to who makes the best pizza is obvious: Naples, Naples and more Naples. Fie on your Chicago deep-dish, your Roman pizza bianca and especially your mass-produced Domino’s and Pizza Hut. There is simply nothing like Neapolitan pizza made of hand-kneaded dough too fragile to toss, topped with fresh, authentic ingredients and baked fast on the surface of a bell-shaped, wood-burning oven. There’s No Place Like Naples for Pizza | The Constant Traveler