DECEMBER 2015

FINE HOT-SPOT

12012015 At Ravello it is a delightful ten minute walk to Villa Cimbrone. This magnificent eccentric garden was created by Ralf Ernest William Beckett. Gardens to visit when you stay in Sorrento | Roger Brook – the no dig gardener

12022015 Our first guided hike was to the Valley of the Paper Mills. We soon discovered that just getting from Sant’Agnello to Amalfi was an adventure in itself. Our bus journey was made even more interesting because of our guide’s running commentary. The road, formerly a mule path, was built after the Second World War and extends for 80 kilometres. Beauty abounds on Italy’s Sorrento Peninsula: Hike the trodden trails of the Amalfi Coast | National Post

12032015 We wander through the labyrinth of caverns, occasionally passing from one large cistern to another through passageways so narrow we need to walk the length of them turned sideways. In some places it is so dark that we rely on handheld candles to illuminate our steps. Napoli’s underground also served as a shelter from the bombings that nearly destroyed the city during WWII. I try to imagine what it must have been like for those people. Underneath It All | Little Girl, Big World

12042015 Always I hear the sirens call. Ruins, art, the pastoral by the sea, sweeping views, intense, looming cities and everything in between. There were some days I had to dedicate to love and experience (so I took spontaneous shots with my iPhone) because if I don’t check myself I live, sleep, eat & breathe my cameras and film. (And men like attention sometimes) Naples, Italy; seducing and fascinating me | a love letter to rome (& italy)

12052015 This street and its shops can be visited at any time of the year - tourists can enjoy a magical Christmas atmosphere when they please. The large part of the artisan workshops are always open with handicraft products on display. San Gregorio Armeno represents an important tradition: for families in Naples, Christmas activities also include a visit to this charming street, an obligatory stop before they build their own Nativity at home. San Gregorio Armeno: The Christmas Nativity Tradition | Italia.it

12062015 He made the roccocò creamy even if it is a Christmas crisp dessert, and served it with a roll and limoncello cream. It was very good. The fondant chocolate drop filled with white chocolate and a heart of raspberries and served with candied fennel sauce had a very fresh taste. Naples, Palazzo Petrucci. Lino Scarallo's winter menu | Luciano Pignataro Wineblog

12072015 The ancient Romans, like many of us in modern times, loved to keep dogs as companions and for protection. Dogs are found throughout ancient Roman art and literature, with many references to their value guarding people and livestock as well as depictions of them with little children and loyal to masters and mistresses. The Great Pompeii Project: Visit the Newly-Restored Areas of Pompeii | Avventure Bellissime Tours Italy

12082015 A glass shield now protects the House of the Tragic Poet, where tourists can see the dog with the inscription "Cave Canem" - Latin for "Beware of the dog". Pompeii guard dog mosaic back on show | BBC News

12092015 There is also one special artifacts associated with Pompeii animals: plaster cast of guard dog. He was left chained to a post to guard the House of Orpheus when the occupants fled. The bronze studs around its neck are all that remains of a collar. As the pumice fall-out deepened, the dog climbed higher — until eventually it ran out of chain and was suffocated. He died there immediately like almost thousand pompeians. Dogs of Pompeii | Museum of Artifacts

12102105 The MAV Museum is a “multisensory experience” that is supposed to take you back to Herculaneum before Vesuvius erupted in 79AD and show you what life was like for ancient Herculaneans and Pompeiians. There was one thing at the MAV Museum I found interesting enough to take a picture of, though. This is a view of Herculanum’s “coastline” as it probably would’ve looked before the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD. #HH: Wrap Up & MAV Museum | One Day In Italy 

12112015 The late Brazilian architect’s much contested (read: ultramodern) concert hall, near the Palazzo Avino and Hotel Caruso at ‪Ravello, is a 400-plus-seat auditorium that hosts concert series. The sleek structure, which has sweeping views across the sea, also draws architecture buffs. Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium | Indagare

12122015 Leaving Villa Rufolo it’s a 15-minute stroll along ancient winding back streets to the enchanting Villa Cimbrone. Follow the wisteria-shaded Avenue of Immensity and you’ll come to the spectacular Terrace of Infinity, a paved outcrop with marble busts overlooking the Gulf of Salerno. It must be one of the most photographed sights along the Amalfi coast, but was blissfully deserted when we were there. Keep the Jacqui O in Ravello | Friday Magazine

12132015 This island in the Gulf of ‪Naples, is famed for its rugged landscape, upscale beach resorts and high-end shops selling handmade leather sandals and signature limoncello liqueur. Its skyline is a veritable rainbow of hyper saturated greens, whites and reds. However, it’s clear that blue is the predominate hue! Escape to ‪Capri | The Walkup  

12142015 One of my favorite activities is walking. It helps me clear my head, gets the blood flowing and makes me feel well. I also need, from time-to-time, to be near the sea breathing in the salty air, swimming and, of course, eating the freshest seafood. So, the first time I went to the island of Capri I fell in love: no cars, beautiful vistas and the smell of the sea. Forget all the cliches about movie stars and rich industrialists–although they are still present–but once away from the chic gathering spots there are parts of the island where actual Caprese eat, shop and live. This is my Capri. Weekend Escape to Capri Off Season | Casa Mia Italy Food & Wine

12152015 From Il Salviatino in Florence to Hotel Punta Tragara in Capri, Swide has rounded up some of the most romantic hotels to go in Italy for an unforgettable weekend. 20 romantic hotels in Italy to live La Dolce Vita | Swide

12162015 This four star hotel is one of the island's best-kept secrets, with unforgettable views from its rooms' private terraces, the outdoor pool and sundeck, and the surrounding terraced garden. The hotel's restaurant, Terrazza Brunella, is considered one of the best on Capri both for its gourmet cuisine and its romantic venue overlooking the sea, and Villa Brunella's location is perfect for both exploring the island and for retreating from the crowds. Villa Brunella | Your Personal Travel Expert

12172015 Food should never be an afterthought whilst hiking your way around Capri. As an expensive island which people already spend a fair amount just getting to, I would recommend only stopping in small bars for an antipasto or snack. For some lovely cheap eats, check out El Merendero Snack bar and Capri Pasta. Menus just range from 3€ to 15€, making them affordable but no less delicious. A budget-friendly guide to Capri | Sideroutes

12182015 Tomatoes first arrived in the Po Valley in the 16th century, along with other tubers and spices, after a voyage in the holds of the galleons of Hernán Cortés. While Europe was in the throes of the French Revolution, the red fruits were already ripening among the greenery of the vegetable gardens in the Parma hills. According to "Il pomodoro: una sapienza antica", however, the "pomme d'amour" did not become the San Marzano tomato until 1902. They were nurtured and pampered there by peasant families, who grew them in characteristic rows on lines suspended between posts, with the plants supported by steel wires or canes. The red fruits, sheltered from the sun's rays by the rich foliage, were a delight to gourmets and the fragrance of Sundays for both rich and poor. The warm soils of Vesuvius were a determining factor for the extraordinary biodiversity of the San Marzano tomato. Italian flavors: San Marzano Tomato | We The Italians

12192015 You will enjoy a special pizza, made with local flour, dough, mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, topped with our tomato Fiascone, also known as "King Umberto," which is a core product of our organization. Tramonti pizza | Acarbio Costiera Amalfitana

12202015 Well, we’ve been here just over a week and after 5 pizzas and a calzone, they were absolutely right. Naples is the home of pizza, and there’s no better pizza than the Neapolitan hand-made pizza. The best pizza is in Naples, Italy | twoyear trip

12212015 The homemade pasta cooked like our grandmothers at the center of the event for three days celebration held in Cusano Mutri, and all cooked with the traditional recipes of Campania. Big!! The Feast of homemade pasta !! | Charme tutto il bello di Napoli e della Campania

12222015 The drive from Praia towards Positano is a beautiful one. The views from the roadside is amazing and there’s lot of places to stop quite safely. Tip: When you start driving downhill in Positano, parking gets more and more expensive. So it’s up to you really. You can park right at the top, and walk all the way down, but remember… you need to go back up eventually to get your car and there’s no lifts for that. Driving through the Amalfi Coast | liloneoftheashes

12232015 The Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) is spectacular. It isn't easy for older folk like me but my teenage son reckoned it wasn't too bad at all. The worst bit is the climb up the steps to the path from Praiano. The views along the walk are breathtaking and although it took me nearly six hours to get to Positano, where my wife Maria was waiting with the car, it is an experience I'll never forget. Praiano - Simply Special | Exquisite Coasts

12242015 And so our week in Positano comes to an end. Back on our balcony, we have just settled down with a bottle of prosecco and some pickled octopus. Away to the west, the sun slowly dips beneath a vast granite cleft jutting into the sea. The snore of Lambrettas is becoming less frequent in the street below. Another mega yacht ambles silently by like some colossal mechanised whale. Positano’s irresistible charms | The West Australian

12252015 The warm hospitality of the people of the South is the first welcome to the medieval village of Castelvetere. It consists of 17 rooms, all different, scattered among small squares and alleyways. From the ancient stone belvedere you can admire the view: rivers, waterfalls, the peaks of Pizzo San Michele, as well as churches and abbeys where the cult of the Madonna is still very much alive, with many feasts and processions. Here folklore and tradition combine. These Old Italian Villages Were Transformed Into Dozens Of Hotels | Huffington Post

12262015 The hands-on workshop in Maddaloni will include a short theoretical introduction about the tools and materials that we will use, and then we will have a full immersion that will allow you to design and create your own tambourine to take home. The Tammorra, the main instrument of the Neapolitan tradition, is a large frame tambourine with a membrane of dried skin (mostly goat or sheep) stretched over circular wooden frame to which are attached metal disks called " cicere "or cymbals. Your handmade tambourine | Italian Stories

12272015 A 2,000-year-old laundry where ancient Romans brought their brilliant white tunics to be dyed and washed was among six newly restored buildings in Pompeii opened to the public on Thursday. The laundry, painted in a deep red and decorated with frescoes of birds and ornamental vases, was the most highly anticipated of the restorations. In its day, the Fullonica di Stephanus, as it is officially known, was equipped with large baths for rinsing dirty tunics and stone basis for dyeing fabrics. A 2,000-year-old ancient Roman laundromat open to public for first time | The Telegraph

12282015 We shouldered down Naples’ medieval alleys, broiling with life in the summer dusk, where the café terraces merged with the street drinkers. There, we found a place among the swelling crowds, and Marco opened the bottle. He told me the story of Christ crying over Naples, and how the taste of Lacryma Christi is believed by wine experts to be the modern wine most similar to those drunk in ancient Rome. What a combination! Grown on the slopes of a volcano, fertilized by holy tears, and filled with the flavor of a fallen world. I must have been so overcome by the swirl of these tropes, or the swirl of the Neapolitan piazza, that I have since forgot the wine’s actual taste. A Quest for the Sacred Tears of Summer in a Colder Time | Roads and Kingdoms

12292015 Let’s have a look at the last great work signed by Diego Miedo, Zolta and Arp on the facade of the ex OPG, an old abandoned structure which once hosted the former psychiatric prison hospital in Naples. Squatted by a group of people engaged in the realization of concerts, film screenings, exhibitions and tours, all through a strong involvement of the people who live in the neighborhood, the structure change completely face through a long piece that goes to develop on part of the whole external wall. Diego Miedo x Arp x Zolta – New Mural in Naples | Gorgo

12302015 We’re heading back to Italy, and this time to the amazing city of Naples to showcase some of the equally amazing local talent. Leading the charge is Joseph Capriati, who 2 years on since his landmark album ‘Self Portrait’ on Drumcode, has shown no sign of slowing his meteoric rise to become one of Italy’s biggest and most recognised talents. Napoli: Joseph Capriati, Markantonio, Gaetano Parisio, Luigi Madonna, Flavio Folco | Boiler Room

12312015 The event was absolutely awaited, and it was simply great. First of all, the choice of location was excellent: Duel beat club, that for this special event was transformed in a boiler (a bit bigger than a) room. The music? Well even if usually we don’t like to write review, in this case we like to tell that Naples remains one of the world’s capitals of techno. Boiler room Naples, where winners are love & music! | Ibiza by Night