NOVEMBER 2013

SUNKEN CITY

11012013 In its heyday, the Classical Roman city of Baia was the hedonist Las Vegas of the time, but now its remains are partying beneath the waves. A prominent resort city for centuries, Baia catered to the recreational whims of the rich and powerful among the Roman elite. Today the ancient remains of Baia can be visited in one of the world's few underwater archeological parks. The Sunken City of Baia | Atlas Obscura
11022013 Everything, down to the plants growing at the widely visited excavation and preservation site are authentic to Pompeii as it was 2000 years ago because of the ash that encased the city. Casts created from some of the victims are on display and offer a striking view of death. The preserved and stone-like deceased offer a vivid and tangible look at the circumstances engulfing them. Each seems frozen in time, retaining their expressions and poses. Pompeii’s Preserved Perfection | 303 Magazine
11032013 “The Treasure of Naples”, displayed outside the southern Italian city for the first time, boasts among other things a diamond, ruby and emerald-encrusted bishop’s Mitre and a large necklace made up of jewel-studded crosses dating back to 1679. The collection “is of incalculable worth, both historically and artistically, greater than that of the British crown jewels or the Russian imperial crown. Italy unveils treasure ‘worth more than British crown jewels’ | Gulf News
11042013 Imagine a magnificent historic Italian city, in the shadow of a spectacular mountain, stretched along a blissful shoreline, with fantastic food – yet unpopulated by tourists. Impossible, right? Wrong. Thanks to its edgy reputation (no longer justifiable), Naples gets oddly few visitors. Yet, it’s not only lovely, it’s one of the safest cities in Europe. Go now, before everyone else wises up. Instant Escapes: Naples for novices | Sunday Times
11052013 Ancient buildings, the voices of the fishermen, the streets that intersect, revealing secrets and surprises. An imposing landscape, the majestic scenery of the mountain, on the side more rocky and the Mediterranean flora falling headlong out of coves that are chests of pure water, while the sun's rays are reflected in a crystal stone on the island of Ischia, offering an unforgettable sight. A Magical Island | Express Yourself
11062013 The name falanghina comes from the same Latin origin as phalanx, or phalanges - referring to the poles used to train the vines - then and now. Using this Nicola Venditti regional grape that thrives in the volcanic hills surrounding Napoli, Antica Masseria Venditti produces complex and refreshing unoaked wine. This falanghina is a fresh, clean and vibrant wine with beautiful fruits of fresh pineapple, green apple and creamy lemon leading to a long finish. Venditti Falanghina | The Natural Wine Company
11072013 Terminio Mount is a impressive, chalky top located nearby Montella and Volturata Irpinia municipalities. Differently from other Campania tops, the Terminio Mount one is the only having a spontaneous vegetation over 1700m Once reached the top, about an altitude of 1786m, Mount Terminio shows a spectacular and panoramic view at 360° between Tirreno Sea and campanian Appenines. Terminio Mount | Avellino Travel
11082013 How are you adapting to life in Naples? It is an incredible place to work and because of the job we have had to do, it has taken time to get to see some of the ‘other’ Napoli, beyond the crazy football city. I visited Pompeii last week when my family came over to visit which was amazing, as any visitor to the ancient City in the shadow of Vesuvius will tell you. Since I last wrote, I have also paid a visit to Reggia di Caserta and the Teatro di San Carlos, next to the central Piazza del Plebiscito here. Another incredible experience at an auditorium where there has been such an incredible history of Italian opera. To any of you unfamiliar with Napoli, I recommend you get organised for a visit. The Rafael Benitez column | The Independent
11092013 The island at night lights has a magic square, I sipped an aperitif in the Bar Tiberio in the middle of the famous Piazzetta doing my favorite activity, watch the world stroll! How many characters, from the most bizarre to hyper-accessorized woman Capri is a luxurious and shiny place! A glamorous week-end in Capri | Fashion Noodles
11102013 My home is at the top of Anacapri. It was built in 1378 by monks of the Certosa di San Giacomo and has my favourite view on the whole island, which is the one from my terrace. In the mornings, I leave early to walk one of the many paths. Capri is full of walks – once you know the place well, you can go day after day and not repeat the same route. The one I like best is La Migliera – it’s fairly well known and winds up and around the mountain at Anacapri. And then there’s a path that goes from the Piazzetta to the Arco Naturale and then on to the Villa Jovis. Peninsular pleasures | How To Spend It, Financial Times
11112013 The historical vesuvian villa, which was the home of Joachim Murat’s grandson, is one of the most important buildings of the eighteenth century in the Vesuvian Area. The park restoration completes the renovation of the historical path which goes from the center of the city to Villa Bruno. The executive project of restoration included: restoration and reconstruction of the central fountain, green system with arrangement of paths and fences; park lighting system, irrigation system, outdoor theater. Restoration of Villa Vannucchi - San Giorgio a Cremano | saabarchitettura.com
11122013 Italy is on the boundary between two of these tectonic plates - the African and the Eurasian.  As you can see, the floor of the Adriatic Sea is African plate and it's subducting beneath Italy. This subduction generates magma which feeds volcanoes in an arc from Sicily up to Vesuvius (in detail, this is far more complex - a slab has actually detached from the subducting plate creating a window which makes the geochemistry of the magma erupting from Vesuvius a bit different from other Italian volcanoes). While the Vesuvius region has been volcanic for at least half a million year, the mountain of Vesuvius began forming around 25,000 years ago. Vesuvius - Part III | Hudson Valley Geologist
11132013 This was the view out the International Space Station’s cupola on Jan. 1, 2013, around 09:37 UTC, looking nearly straight down the gullet of Italy’s Mt. Vesuvius. I have to admit, the ISS photo makes it clear how incredibly beautiful that area is and how wonderful it must be to live there. And, not to coin a cliché, I’ll admit: I’d love to visit, but I’d certainly not want to live there. A Sleeping Giant | Slate.com
11142013 There was a local Aminaean grape varietal grown on Mt. Vesuvius whose wine was sometimes called Pompeiana, coming from the rich volcanic slopes of Vesuvius. This wine grown even on the fateful mountain just above Pompeii was a great source of local income until AD 79 when all the liquid assets went up in smoke like everything else in the vicinity. Prior to the cataclysmic volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, vintners of Pompeiana, like their modern counterparts, could obtain bank loans on the future strength of an upcoming vintage if Roman banking practices are any indication. Wine in Antiquity: In Praise of Old Roman Wine | Philolog
11152013 The 2009 Terredora DiPaolo is bottled under the Irpinia DOC, which is located in central Campania near the town of Avellino, home of our old friend Fiano di Avellino. In the glass, the wine was a medium lemon-gold color with a moderately open nose of pineapple, pear and a little peach. On the palate, the wine was medium bodied with medium acidity. There were flavors of creamy pear and ripe apple with a very ripe pineapple/tropical fruit character to them. The texture in the mouth was pretty creamy and the acidity was definitely muted. Falanghina - Irpinia, Campania, Italy | Fringe Wine
11162013 Most of the wines came from Campania, which has a range of aglianico appellations. Taurasi is the most famous and prestigious, perhaps rightfully so — three of our top four wines were Taurasis. Our No. 1 wine was the 2008 Macchia dei Goti Taurasi from Antonio Caggiano, beautifully balanced and lovely to drink right now but with the potential to age. Aglianico Emerges From the Bottom of Italy’s Boot | The New York Times
11172013 The dish begins with homemade ravioli that the family prepares using durum wheat flour, eggs and water. A little lemon and lime peel from the gardens of Massa Lubrense are added to give flavor, aroma, and color to the dough. The filling is made with a leggera, light, sheep milk ricotta from Agerola, Parmiggiano Reggiano, buffalo mozzarella, and a touch of lemon. After the ravioli is cooked, it is tossed with a simple summer sauce of clams and lightly fried zucchini. De Gregorio serves it with a touch of lemon peel grated on top. Lo Stuzzichino, Sant'Agata Sui Due Golfi (Na) | andiamotrips
11182013 A line forms for rubdowns as jazz piano tinkles out of the speakers. Some of the best buffalo mozzarella in the world starts with in-stable VIP treatment. Ducky, Sweety and Lady lumber toward the sound system, attracted to the smooth Keith Jarrett licks at the exclusive Tenuta Vannulo dairy in southern Italy. Top Italian cheese-maker gives VIP treatment to its animals | The Japan Times
11192013 The clip, a little under two minutes, begins with an ominous voiceover and a shot of ash slowly drifting down through the air. It then pans out to show a field of ash-covered bodies. But for "Game of Thrones" fans, the most exciting part of the trailer is in the final 40 seconds, when Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow on the HBO series, appears in gladiator gear. 'Pompeii' trailer revealed: Kit Harington's race against Vesuvius | NYDailyNews.com
11202013 In October 1971, the band set up their gear in the middle of the Ampitheatre of Pompeii and blasted three songs out into the antiquity surrounding them: “Echoes,” “A Saucerful of Secrets,” and “One of These Days.” They played not to a live audience, but to an array of studio-quality recording equipment designed to faithfully capture every layer of their sound for theatrical reproduction. You can see and hear all the then-highest-of-the-high-tech musical equipment used to produce then-thoroughly modern rock music in this nearly alien-looking geometric setting of time-worn stone and encroaching grass in Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, now free to watch on YouTube. Watch Pink Floyd Play Live in the Ruins of Pompeii (1972) | Open Culture
11212013 A meeting point for artisans, artists, architects, operators and cultural institutions already operating in the urban reality of Naples, who is always able to steer the project to the maturation of the human potential in its limitless expressions. Made in Cloister chooses to emphasize the protection and especially the artisan culture of innovation. Crowdfunding on Kickstarter | Made in Cloister
11222013 Foja is a young Napolitan band that plays like folk-country rock or Neapolitan folk music. They just created their recent album that I produced for them. The leader, Dario Sansone, was one of the assistant directors of L’Arte della Felicità, so this film is really a production of very creative people from Napoli. When I look at my city, Napoli , from afar, I surrender just for a moment to its beauty. The battles and anger, discomfort or injustice have nothing to do with the beauty of a city. Antonio Fresa’s Ode to Napoli | Wall Street International Magazine
11232013 In the beginning scene of Questi fantasmi Sofia Loren shows the secrets of Neapolitan coffee-making. Neapolitan coffee-making | ItalyHeritage
11242013 To accompany the fine fish, Procida has one of the most unique dishes I have ever tasted. Lemon salad. Yes, you hear me right, but not just any lemon. The Procida lemons are called “limoni pane” or bread lemons because of their abundant pith. They are also sweeter than a regular lemon. Procida: Picture Perfect | Napoli Unplugged
11252013 As I gazed over the cliff from the driver seat of my Citroen car I could feel the breeze pulling my hair and smell the salty sea air through the open window. Amalfi Coast may have been a challenge, but it certainly was a challenge I was glad I accepted. Save Big Dollars With Car Leasing In Europe | Travel with Bender
11262013 Honestly, I think Positano has always felt like home. I've always felt comfortable here and I think having been around since I was little, having childhood memories here helps. Although I have never stopped thinking of England as home either, I love going back to visit and actually dream about living there again one day! I dream about returning to England one day | The Local Italy
11272013 These "pretty" islands in the Gulf of Naples scored highest for their scenery and atmosphere. Our readers call them "hidden gems" that are "still very old-style Italian." "Not the glitz and glamor of Capri," says one, "but many more activities are available." "The hot springs are great," and our readers found "much better beaches than Capri." Top 10 Islands in Europe - Ischia and the Phlegraean Islands | Conde Nast Traveler
11282013 Island Secrets: Welcome to possibly the most relaxing spot on Ischia, Albergo San Montano. Albergo San Montano, Ischia | The Travel Channel
11282013 In Sorrento I savoured the Neapolitan rhythm. By now, I had seen more beauty than I could have imagined and I had fallen in love every day. "Torna a Surriento" is a Neapolitan song said to have been composed in 1902 by Ernesto De Curtis to words by his brother, Giambattista. The song has since become wildly popular, and has been sung by performers as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, and Luciano Pavarotti. Eat. Love. Eat. | Panoram Italia Magazine
11292013 The world's most beautiful city, the most inspiring cultural treasures, and magnificent scenery. Nowhere else in the world will you find a bigger concentration of beauty. Then there's the perfect naturalist painting that is the Amalfi Coast. Most Beatiful Countries In The World | UCityGuides.com
11302013 Filmed over the course of a week on the Amalfi Coast (all of which Hopper documented in pictures), the cast originally included three women to play Hepburn - their mouth, eyes and body to be fused by the wonders of CGI to bring a 1953 version of her to life - but the final cut only includes two: Jenny Ishammar and Lou-Helene Barbry. Audrey Hepburn’s Dream Man | Vogue