AUGUST 2013

ISOLA DI PROCIDA

08012013 The most charming places? The village of Marina Grande, Terra Murata, the fishing village of Corricella (beautiful!) and the port of Marina Chiaiolella. After admiring the architecture, you can go for a swim in the crystal clear waters of the island. I recommend the beach "Pozzo Vecchio", where they were shot some scenes of "Il Postino", the Chiaolella beach, the Chiaia beach overlooking the Corricella and Terra Murata. Procida: la bella Italia! | The Travel Passion

08022013 Style – ‘Quirky Nautical’ Setting – ‘Neapolitan Cliffhanger So says the luxury boutique hotel bible ‘Mr & Mrs Smith’. We are talking about Maison la Minervetta, a little haven requiring the sacrifice of one’s  first born to afford but luxury well deserved, after all, how often do we just ‘pop over’ to Sorrento, Italy for the weekend huh? Amalfi Coast…Maison la Minervetta | Indulge Divulge

08032013 As a New Yorker, I have been under the misapprehension that I walk a lot, but it’s nothing compared to the walking the hardy Caprese do. Young, old, disabled (!), it appears they walk miles on a daily basis without a thought—uphill, up cliffs! Of course, they have cars, too, and they surely have the best driving skills in the world to maneuver the extremely narrow roads and the hairpin turns. One of the tricks, I think, must be not to look out at the view because the vertigo would surely send you over the edge. Another trick must be patience. These Caprese were made for walking… | Oink and Away!

08042013 The magic of Capri is undeniable, and I can’t imagine a more perfect place to soak up the dreamy atmosphere of this deluxe island resort than the intimate Hotel Luna. From your private terrace, the brooding beauty of the Faraglioni Rocks are front and centre inviting your eyes to linger and your mind to cease the endless worrying about the trappings of everyday life. The Hotel Luna | New Jetsetters

08052013 On a hot summer day, who doesn't crave a cocktail that is cold, fresh, and lemony? Well, it is damned hot here in Capri, and this island is covered with hearty citrus dripping with huge lemons so Limoncello it is! Limoncello On Capri | yummy supper

08062013 The little time we had in Napoli we spent eating Pizza, Baba Rum and drinking Cafe Freddo and enjoyed our stay at the NH Ambassador Hotel, which is set in the historic centre of Naples, near the Royal Palace and San Carlo Theatre. It might not have the very italian touch from its outer appearance, but we were positivly surprised from the inside of this place, because it looks much nicer than the pictures we saw and it’s super clean! Hotel Review – NH Ambassador Naples | StyleCartel

08072013 Italy Destinations offers an unbelievably exciting adventure right in the heart of Naples. How does spending an extravagant evening in the San Carlo Theater, the oldest working theatre in Europe, sound? While enjoying the ambience, you sip cocktails while listening to classical operatic masterpieces of incredible beauty. Naples, from Egg Castle to Underground Pizza | Timeless Italy

08092013 Paolo Esposito is known in Sorrento for his dedication in the gastronomic field and his keen interest in the great tenor Enrico Caruso. Owner of the restaurant since 1987, he named it “ Caruso”, with the intention of combining the name of the tenor to that of the excellence of Neapolitan and international cuisine. Thanks to the donation of numerous heirlooms on display on the premises, it is now called Ristorante  Museo Caruso. Grand Tour of Italy | Italian Talks

08102013 Pizza della Masardona has been a Naples institution in its own right, since opening in 1945. The pizzeria offers some of the best fried pizza varieties in town, stuffed with a creative mixture of peppers, suet, raisins, romano cheese and pork fat, and baked in small wheels. In addition to its signature fried pizzas, Pizza della Masardona also offers potato croquettes, pancakes and handmade rice croquettes every Saturday night. Always busy and crowded, Pizza della Masardona offers one of the most authentic (and affordable) dining experiences in Naples. Fried pizza, anyone? | Stay.com

08112013 Maida Farm is located in Campania near the Cilento National Park and the archaeological ruins at Paestum. Francesco Vastola, its owner, grows vegetables of the highest quality. With a mixture of innovation and tradition, he takes his just-picked vegetables and turns them into sott’olio using the excellent extra virgin olive oil from Cilento. Maida’s sun dried tomatoes are made from perfectly ripe sun drenched tomatoes. They are sprinkled with salt and spread out in the fields to dry. Wine vinegar, oregano, capers, and chili peppers add the extra punch of flavor. Sun Dried Tomatoes in EV Olive Oil Maida Farm – Campania | Gustiamo

08122013 Capri: the perfect summer jaunt. #Capri #summer #photography #guide #W Magazine #August 2013 | W Magazine

08132013 Vico Equense is part of the greater Bay of Naples metropolitan area and is a popular destination for tourists. Located on a high cliff, it is relatively close to the ferry to the island of Capri, Vesuvius, the Monte Faito and the ancient town of Pompeii. the amalfi coast, again | Splenderosa

08142013 Hotel Santa Lucia in Minori: if you are traveling with the kids and looking for somewhere more budget-friendly; also located close to the beach. Planning your trip to the Bel Paese: First-timers’ guide to Italy | Panoram Italia Magazine

08152013 After a long day of basking in the sun we rewarded ourselves with the best panino ever. I always say that about the food here. It’s all soooo good. I think Positano was my favorite because of all the different activities that we did. I love these beach towns and I love how clear and blue the water is. The Amalfi Coast | Saylre's Silly Stories

08162013 I credit Positano and its 1000′s of steps, turquoise waters and gorgeous, chilled vibe for reigniting that flame o’ inspiration in me. Travelling in Positano: Tales From Our Trip Part 2 | In Spaces Between

08172013 Sadly I did not see inside the ancient churches that are Atrani’s pride. My two days there were mostly spent looking around Positano and Amalfi, yet it is Atrani that stays on my mind and will one day lure me back to that region. I have a few more photos to share of the walk into Atrani and also some of the cobbled laneways found there, but the Church pictured here [The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene] is my favourite and best viewed alone .. in Sepia. Amalfi Coast: On the Road to Atrani | Being Ruby

08182013 Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes it's hard to keep that romantic flame burning. But a trip to the Amalfi Coast is sure to help. Like most of Italy, the wine, the food and the atmosphere leave one yearning for a more permanent Italian residence - and Positano has that and more. Weave in and out of the picturesque hillside village, sipping limoncello and taking in the old fishing-village culture. The beaches are a must-see. Be sure to check out the Santa Maria Assunta church, which houses artifacts from the 13th century. For the couple seeking a romantic escape...Positano, Italy | Chicago Tribune

08192013 Now in its fourth generation of Gambardella family management, this 1904 looker still reigns in Belle Époque splendor. Rooms are spread across the main building, two villas, and a triplet of honeymoon cottages and decorated with local antiques. An elevator descends to a private beach, saltwater pool, fitness center, and thatched-roof pizzeria and fish grill. As you stroll through the secluded terraced gardens and citrus orchards, it’s obvious why Liz Taylor and Richard Burton chose to hide out here. World's Best Beach Hotels - No. 4 Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi, Italy | Travel + Leisure

08202013 Sigmund Freud once compared the human mind to the city of Rome but he could also just as easily have used Herculaneum. He was talking about its intriguing series of layers and just as the human psyche has a build-up of memories, Herculaneum has a history that goes down and down, deeper and deeper: every modern building is on top of a renaissance one, and under that there are medieval buildings, and then a footprint of ancient Rome itself. A Life in Ruins – Herculaneum, Italy | Andrew Petcher

08212013 “Mav” is an archaeological and virtual museum maid to discover the historical reality of Pompei and Ercolano before Vesuvio’s eruption in 79 C.E. The tour starts when visitors enter in the garden of Villa dei Papiri where were found the Epicuro’s text. The passage trough a burning cloud forwards the discover of buildings and monuments of the ancient Vesuvian town. Over seventy multimedia installations life and splendor returned to the main archaeological sites of Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Bay, Stabiae and Capri. Through reconstructions, visual interfaces and holograms, the visitor is conducted in the virtual world, where experience in a fun and interactive new media opportunities that technology offers to the fruition of the archaeological heritage. Mav: archaeological and virtual museum in Ercolano | Comenius

08222013 The ancient Romans made frequent stops on Ischia in search of the island’s famous healing waters. If that’s not reason enough to visit Terme Manzi, you can also count on amazing service, incredible views and a first-rate spa that knows just how to harness the regenerative power of those mineral springs. There is a 17,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art spa, a lush green courtyard garden, an indoor pool filled with water from the spring and an ornately tiled rooftop pool. Hand-decorated majolica tiles dot the rooms, mirroring the colors in the bedspreads and curtains. Terme Manzi Hotel & Spa | Jetsetter

08232013 More formal - and expensive - is dinner at the Terme Manzi Hotel and Spa's two-star Michelin restaurant, Il Mosaico. The courses have more special effects than a Hollywood blockbuster - even the petit fours come in miniature glass cabinets. After a good night's sleep in a room above the elegant courtyard, try the hotel's spa. It is right above the island's Gurgitiello hot springs, where Garibaldi took the waters. Dolce vita days on an incredible Italian island: An escape from it all on idyllic Ischia | Daily Mail

08242013 Vaco 'e Pressa is easily the best Pizzeria in Salerno, and it is always insanely full. Fosca on the Amalfi Coast | People Who Always Eat

08252013 White sand, surrounded by wide vegetation, set in the Cilento coast, just south of Naples: Cala Bianca di Camerota is the 2013 queen of Italian beaches. Nominated by Internet users questioned by survey ‘Più bella sei tu’ launched by Italian environmental association Legambiente. It is a small and uncontaminated beach surrounded by suggestive caves that can be reached by sea only. Place of strong contrasts: the pure white beach, the green vegetation and the intense blue colour of waters. Queen Cala Bianca | Lifestyle43White sand, surrounded by wide vegetation, set in the Cilento coast, just south of Naples: Cala Bianca di Camerota is the 2013 queen of Italian beaches. Nominated by Internet users questioned by survey ‘Più bella sei tu’ launched by Italian environmental association Legambiente. It is a small and uncontaminated beach surrounded by suggestive caves that can be reached by sea only. Place of strong contrasts: the pure white beach, the green vegetation and the intense blue colour of waters. Queen Cala Bianca | Lifestyle43

08262013 The town, Castellabate, is high above the Tyrrhenian Sea. It has stunning views up and down the coast, as did the tiny, square apartment we stayed in. From the veranda which was equal in size to the apartment, we could see for miles. The city walls of the old village were right across the street. Narrow brick staircases led up to the small town square where one went to buy espresso and gelato. All of this glorious beauty complemented by the buzzy comings and goings of the local youth. They went up the street, right under our open windows, then back down the street, right under our open windows, and then back up again. Beautiful Italian teenagers, boys and girls, riding their inexpensive modes of transportation. At the top, our street merged into the tiny, cobbled streets of the ancient village; where the road ended, and the cobbled streets began the moped-riding youth stopped to gossip, smoke, and flirt. When boredom set in, back down the hill, loudly buzzing once again right under our windows. By week’s end, I’d grown used to the sound. It had become a part of the local color, and, ultimately, a good memory of our very Italian stay. Cultural Noise — Soundscape on the Cilento Coast of Italy | 2Paragraphs

08272013 Ancient Silarus. Between legend and truth, the river that petrifies wood and leaves. It cures, heals. Spectator of the battle of Spartacus, the slave who rebelled against Rome. Keeper of three amphitheaters discovered in 1762, it becomes a leg of the Grand Tour took by the aristocrat, writers, artists during the 18th century after the rediscovery of ancient Paestum originated just after finding the three amphitheaters. Generous it runs of water through the fertile Plain that has its name. Slow down it follows the meanders of the Oasis of Persano, the large expanse along its blanks where the artificial lake, created when the dam was built on its waters, is the heart. Surrounded by flora brightened by daffodils, water-lilies and populated with rich and rare fauna, including the lamprey in its green waters. the Sele | Selepack

08282013 Oenosthesia is a ground breaking multi-sensory sound and taste installation created by sound artist and wine writer, Jo Burzynska (aka Stanier Black-Five). This soundscape using her recordings of the vineyards and wineries of Irpinia in Italy, explores the significant way that sound influences the perception of taste through the combination of the changing timbres and frequencies in the piece with a selection of different wines from the region. The work was created last year during Burzynska’s residency in Southern Italy, and is possibly the first piece of gustatory/sound art created both from and including wine. It was premiered at the Interferenze New Art Festival’s Factory of Art Rurality and Media 2012 (FARM2012) in Tufo, Italy and this programme is the first time the installation has been presented in New Zealand. Oenosthesia Sound And Wine Presentation | UnderTheRadar.co.nz

08292013 I have vivid memories of the brief trip we made to this small town perched high above the distant sea below. We had spent the morning getting to Amalfi by boat so by the time we arrived at 12:45pm the shops had closed for lunch. It was 2:30 before we boarded a small bus that took us up the rather perilous road to Ravello. I quickly found this iconic view of the tree in the beautiful gardens of Villa Rufolo which is often a venue for wedding photographs. Indeed, we actually saw a newly wed couple being photographed in the grounds. Ravello | Alan Reed's Painting Blog

08302013 Villa Verde - outside, lively, and fun. Make sure to get a sgroppino, a lethal frothy lemon sorbet–vodka after-dinner drink. Italian Holiday - Beth Buccini's Capri | Harper's Bazaar