APRIL 2013

PIZZA JOINTS

04012013 I met the Italian on the train to Pompeii and while he’s not really my type, he’s very sweet and buys me a coffee and asks me out to dinner at Da Michele – the most famous Napoli pizza joint, and yes, the one in ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ where Julia Roberts stuffs her face. But as I’m killing time at the hostel I meet an incredibly beautiful English guy, who’s at the end of his cross-continental bike trip. The romantic city of Naples | Today I ate a baguette
04022013 If you’re a pizza maniac planning your first trip to Italy, there are a few things you should know before hitting its winding streets and alleys in search of the perfect pie. Pizza begins in Naples, so don’t assume that Rome or Florence are going to deliver ancient slices. These cities are packed with deliciousness, but if remnants of pizza’s past are what you’re after, you’ll need to check out these must-see (and must-eat) pizza landmarks. Historic Pizza Sites in Naples | Scott's Pizza Tours
04032013 Although it was the last pizzeria we visited in Naples, Pellone was without a doubt one of the best. Every pizza was well-baked and well-dressed, especially the ginormous calzone. One of my favorite topping combos is the sausage and broccoli rabe, pictured below. It’s a terrific crossover of sweet and bitter. The beauty of this spot is that it’s located a few short blocks North of the train station, so it’s perfect for the commuter! Must-Eat Pizza In Naples | Scott's Pizza Tours
04042013 Do you wish it was summer already? Me too! So let’s dream of Capri… The Charm And Beauty Of Italy: Capri In The Summer Sun | Barbara Conelli
04052013 During the day we go to our favourite beach, Spiagga di Laurito. It’s tiny and pebbly and you have to get there by boat but it’s full of characters and has a little restaurant, Da Adolfo, which serves the most delicious food – I dream about the spaghetti vongole and mozzarella grilled on lemon leaves when I’m not there. Summer Litchfield’s Positano | tallulahandhope
04062013 After our journey to Gragnano and its pasta factories we headed back towards the coast and a fairytale landscape dotted with over 30 tiny hamlets clinging to their charming heritage in the area of Massa Lubrense. Zig zagging our way up past towering rocky bluffs and plunging gorges, the beautiful combination of the mountains mesmerized us where the land meets the crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Naples. Enchanting fishing villages seduced us from their protected harbours. Driving on the roads of Massa Lubrense, we spotted terraces of lemon and orange groves climbing high up the steep cliffs. Lemon Grove | More Than Burnt Toast
04072013 All the evidence is that the eruption in AD79 caught the local population utterly unprepared. Hundreds of refugees from Herculaneum had taken shelter in the vaulted arcades at the beach, perhaps hoping to be rescued, clutching their jewellery and money. Among them was a young girl found with a charm bracelet, constructed of more than 40 charms from all over the Roman empire. She may have hoped it would bring her good luck. The bracelet would have had "no financial value," says Paul Roberts, "but is a very poignant object, which must have had sentimental value for its owner." Pompeii: What objects did people take as they fled? | BBC History
04082013 BBC1’s Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time, Margaret Mountford (The Apprentice) offers insight into the mystery surrounding the treasures (dating back to 79AD) found in Italy. The site fascinates millions of tourists and archaeologists each year, who come to see how rich men, slaves, and everyone in between once lived. Up Pompeii! | RadioTimes
04092013 John Gillan of JG Broadcast Jibs here on location in Pompeii, Italy for a BBC documentary that re-examines the impact of this ancient tradgedy. The delicate relics of bodies were encased in glass caskets and impossible to take out to film close up in any detail. So a request for a shortened polecam pan / tilt head was given to the boys at Polecam who came up with a modified head that was short enough to reach inside and underneath the top glass to get detailed drifting shots over the bodies from a variety of angles. Pompeii - The mystery of people frozen in time | Polecam
04102013 The opening track, For “La Donnaccia“, from Japanese sound designer Yasuhiro Morinaga is a tribute to a little gem of neo-realism, the eponymous film directed by Silvio Siano, which tells of the hard life, the superstitions and rituals of the small community of Cairano, a village perched on a rock as suspended in the air, in the abstract and distant lands of Irpinia. Sceneries from the Castellated Wall | Galaverna
04112013 Tecce’s small estate is located in the town of Paternopoli, in the southeastern section of the Taurasi zone. He sources grapes from vineyards at his estate here as well as in Castelfranci, situated a bit farther south. These are the traditional pergola vines – known here as pergola avellinese – and have quite a bit of age; some of the vines at his Paternopoli holdings date back to 1930. Luigi Tecce ferments his Taurasi in large chestnut casks, followed by maturation in mid-size casks (tonneaux) before being transferred to large oak casks (botti) for twelve months. Finally, the wines are bottled and released about a year later. Needless to say, the wood notes are in the background here, as the lovely dark cherry and chocolate notes of the Aglianico variety shine through. Taurasi- Three Marvelous Verticals | Learn Italian Wines
04122013  Last night I opened a bottle of rosato. I poured myself a glass of Campania rosé to officially begin my rosato season... one that begins in April and ends in March. The wine that I chose for this silent ceremony was Pedirosa IGT 2011 from La Sibilla. A perfect example of Campania rose' wines. 100 % Piedirosso. A glass of wine with a dark pinkish color that is brilliant and vibrant. I poured myself a glass of aromas. Fresh and floral aromas. Aromas that may lead one to believe that this is more a wine cooler than a wine. But this is not your mother's rosato... Pedirosa 2011 - La Sibilla, Bacoli (Na) | andiamotrips
04132013 'I thought all Spaghetti was the same until I tried this, the packaging is attractive and the product delivers. It swells nicely to form lovely wholesome strands so you don't need to use as much for a serving a real winner for me.' Garofalo Traditional Dry Spaghetti 1kg | Ocado
04142013 While Naples may be famous for its pizza and pasta, there are also the famous Neapolitan pastries to be tried. At Pintauro, established in the mid 1700s, the traveler gets the opportunity to try out some of the best patries Naples has to offer. The most famous pastry offered at Pintauro is the sfogliatelle, a puff pastry with layers of thin dough. The pastry is cooked to a golden brown, filled with ricotta cheese, vanilla, and orange slices. Perfect for an after-dinner snack or something to dip into your caffe as you sit and enjoy the historic Pintauro. Snack On Tradition | Utrip
04152013 On the 'official opening day' of the ACWS, April 13, 2013 Rossie Ivanov gets ice cream while she holds her Pincher named Rocky who is 2 years old. Rossie drove to Naples with her husband, Chris, all the way from Bulgaria to be here during the America’s Cup World Series. America's Cup WS: Images from Naples - Taking to the Streets | Sail-world.com
04162013 Paddling along the coastline of Amalfi offers you an opportunity to experience a blend of nature and architecture like no other. The view from the waterline highlights the dramatic cliffs and amazing terraced landscape, the amazing mix of natural wonders and ingenuity and craftsmanship of generations. Your vision will blur as you focus on the wonderment of history displayed along this amazing stretch of coastline. Highlights include the stops in the amazing ‘Fjord’ of Furore (‘Furor’), in the charming fishing village of Cetara, and on the isolated beaches around beautiful Positano. Amalfi Coast Inn to Inn Kayaking | Genius Loci Travel
04172013 A world-renowned firm of 30 years’ standing, its origins date back to the Bourbon kingdom and the coral fishing fleet which set sail from the town to return with their holds full of “red gold”. For 200 years, the Torre del Greco traditions in coral craftsmanship has gone from strength to strength, thanks partly to the products of Mondial Coral which now include Rovian its own exclusive jewellery. Where precious stones take shape | Charme
04182013 Quiet breakfast on the roof-top of the Miramare overlooking the bay of Napoli is heaven and I’d like to steel all their lovely filigree old wrought-iron furniture! Napoli has always been a favourite city | Amanda Tabberer
04192013 An unremarkable facade and doorway in Salerno's historic center hides an archeological wonderland. Stretching out below the streets of the city are the remains of ancient buildings dating back to the first century BC. The underground passages and rooms preserve the historic testimony of an extensive Roman bath complex, along with a Paleo-Christian church and cemetery, and a 3rd century oratory building. The Roman baths are thought to have been constructed by Emperor Trajan. Later turned into a burial grounds, the Longobard Prince Arecchi II built a chapel dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul over top. San Pietro a Corte | Summer In Italy
04202013 There are examples of painted trellis dating as far back as Pompeii. Treillage | Surface Fragments
04212013 The first century AD was a great time to be a suburban nursery gardener. Down on the Bay of Naples, at little Pompeii, we have a glimpse of what the gardeners’ range may have been. The more we learn about Pompeii, the more we realise that the town was full of green spaces, including so many gardens of all sizes behind the town houses. In Herculaneum, as excavated so far, the houses are jammed together and gardens are much rarer. Pompeii’s wallflowers | Financial Times
04222013 The food writer and stepson of Prince Charles on his passion for Neapolitan chaos, perfect pizza and X-rated archaeology. Tom Parker Bowles’s Naples: My Kind Of Town | The Telegraph
04232013 “Don’t make the mistake and settle for a day trip. You’ll only get an impression of the island that fills with hundreds of day-trippers wishing they would have booked a night or two. Stay, stray and let the mystic island woo you with its grapefruit size lemons and flora straight out of the Garden of Eden.” The Island of Capri, Italy – Famous Resort | Beautiful Shopping
04242013 From April to October Ischians typically wake to long, bright sunny days, and wind-down to dreamy, sunsetted evenings. Hot, dry summers, mild winters, and rich volcanic soil combine to encourage tropical and sub-tropical Mediterranean plant-life all over the island. The Southern side, with continuous exposure to direct sunlight, favours palms, cacti and agave plants; the North, in shade cast by Mount Epomeo, bares chestnut trees, holm oak, cypress, cork, cultivated almond, and olive trees. Today's Ischian mud originates from yesterday's hydro-volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. It's found in deep, narrow gorges that slope down toward the sea from Epomeo and surrounding hillsides. Ischia | Literary Tourist
04252013 The other major thing to do on Capri is to take a chairlift up to the top of Mount Solaro. This old-style chairlift transports a single person at a time and the ride takes about 12 minutes (cost is 10 euros per person, round trip ticket). From 589 meters up there is quite an impressive view! 3 day Amalfi Coast itinerary | ArtTrav.com
04242013 For those with time to spare, scudding down to the Amalfi coast is the irresistible grand finale of this road trip of all road trips. Abercrombie & Kent Villas have a sensational line-up of luxury villas in this glamorous part of the world. The stylish Residenza Vistamare is a peaceful and private retreat. It overlooks a quaint fishing harbour, has stunning views of Capri and Mount Vesuvius and is lavishly decorated with antiques. From £592 per person per week. The Italian Job; Florence to Amalfi is the ultimate road trip | Easier
04252013 Farm and farm holiday in Massa Lubrense, locality Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi. The green of a real farm hanging at 500 meters from a blue sky and two seas. The Sorrento and Positano sea. A working organic farm, Le Tore is a wonderful place to stay. Decidelly off the beaten track, it offers eight barnlike rooms and a five-person apartment, all in a lovely rustic farmhouse hidden among fruit trees. Terracotta tiles and heavy wooden furniture add to the rural appeal. Farmhouse | Bed and Breakfast Sorrento “Le Tore”
04262013 The ‘Streets of Mozzarella’ festival started in May 2005 in the hometown of Buffalo mozzarella, Paestum, a small town on the South-East coast of Italy. The festival offers guests the opportunity to taste a range of mozzarella cheese and to learn about the variety of uses for the versatile and delicious product. Sartoria’s ‘Mozzarella Month’ will offer guests the opportunity to transport themselves to the sunny coast of Italy, every day in May. Mozzarella Month at Sartoria | Foodepedia
04272013 “Pallagrello nero is a grape extraordinarily noble.” So says Giovanni Ascione, owner of the Nanni Copè estate and one of the variety’s most passionate partisans. This Pallagrello nero [Sabbie di Sopra il Bosco] is the only wine he makes, from slightly more than three hand-tended (mostly by him) hectares. He has every single vine entered on an Excel spreadsheet, and he follows each one as if it were his only child. His production is tiny – 620 cases – and exquisite. Campania Stories 1: Rare Grapes and Surprising Wines | Tom's Wine Line
04282013 A quick stop at the Grand Hotel Serino for some refreshment after this extraordinary tasting left me ready for that evening’s event at Antico Castello. There the 2008 Molettieri Salvatore Taurasi Renonno, a reddish wine, smelled of balsam and graphite while tasting of black cherry and cola. Weinberg’s Wine Notes #250 – Wine On The Road in Campania, Italy, Part II | Unfiltered, Unfined
04292013 It seems that here terroir isn’t some marketing wheeze. The main vineyard area of Campania extends roughly from the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast on the Tyrrhenian Sea south of Naples north and east into the lower slopes of the Apennine mountain range. Two extinct volcanoes and one active (Vesuvius) are located either within or right at the region’s edge, and the soils here reflect their stormy histories. The sheer variety of vines either native to or long-resident in Campania is striking. In the 1930s ampelographers (experts in the natural history of the vine) counted 400 distinct varietals; more than 40 are still cultivated here. The combination of volcanic soils and quirky vines of ancient provenance would be enough to ensure that Campania’s claim to terroir is no vain boast. Add to this, vineyards that are set at strikingly high elevations (some above 2,000 feet), and what you have is terroir in spades. Charismatic, enigmatic wines of Campania | A Table In Time
04302013 Take a boat from the quay at Positano and visit the Grotta delle Matera (which you can explore) and the pretty, disconcertingly named cove Marina di Crapolla, with Roman-villa ruins on the beach. Also stop at the three small islands known as Li Galli (literally meaning the cockerels), believed by the Ancients to be home to the Sirens, whose song so enthralled passing mariners that they went weak at the knees and allowed their ships to drift onto the rocks. Guide to Amalfi Coast | Conde Nast Traveller