Costa d'Amalfi ...weddings, walks in the heavens and wading in the sea

It has been a crazy few days here in the Amalfi. We have sought refuge here in Atrani whilst the neighboring Amalfi gears itself up for the Festa di San Andrea and Paul and Tracy's wedding. The scenery is spectacular with cliffs soaring more than 800 meters above sea level and the rocky Amalfi Coastline curving it's way around the cliffs. The weather has not been kind to us with 38 degree days and hardly a breath of air. The clouds are in hibernation but the sun is in full swing. People search for shady respite as there is little relief in full sun. I do recall my time here on the Amalfi Coast when I was 21 year old. It was sweltering back then also and I vowed that I would never return to Italy and experience the scorching summers. Well here I am again! ;-) Paul and Tracy's wedding which brought us here was lovely. The ceremony was in the Princepessa (Municipal) gardens in Ravello. The views of Maiori and Minori, seaside towns below were stunning. Old buildings clawing their way on to rock faces. Winding roads with barely enough rough for one way traffic. Deep pink bougainvillea growing over pagolas, walls or wherever it can stretch itself out. It is such a vivid co our, amazing me of the works of mother nature. If bougainvillea could smell, it would be sheer perfection. The small, intimate wedding guests made their way on a charter bus to Torre Normana, a Norman tower perched on a rocky outcrop. Pino, our lovely host here at La Scogliera Rooms, Atrani, told me that it used to be an open air disco when he was young. As he reminisced, the smile spread across his face. The views from Torre Normanna were fab but the heat was unrelenting. There was no letting up. Less than a km down the road, the locals were watching Italia play Germany in the Euro Cup semi finals. The sirens were blaring, the odd cracker released. Mid way through Paul's speech, it was evident that Italy had won. Explosive crackers were fired and roars could be heard. How wondful it would have been to join in the revelry. We are so excited To be watching the finals in Sicily. Fingers and toes crossed that Italy wins as the energy will be electric. As crazy as it sounds, we work up at 7am with only 4 and a bit hours of sleep under our belt. We wanted to set off early to experience the Walk of the Gods, a walk from Bomerano to Positano. I have heard about the walk on a travel show and was captivated. We wound our way up the hillside to the Commune of Agerola. We climbed and and up growing more fearful of the frightful drop below. God only knows how these bus drivers negotiate the narrow, winding roads. We missed the stop at Bomerano and got the sense that we were moving over the mountain pass. When we asked the bus driver, he opened the doors, figuring out that we were there to do the walk. We backtracked to the small but quaint town of Bomerano,stocked up on supplies of water and fruit and then set off. I now know why they call it the Setieri Deglie Dei (Walk of the Gods) ...we were walking in line with the clouds, looming above the crystal,azure water of the sea below.we could have been in heaven with not a sound to be heard apart from the work horses in the distance were being led up the path by their masters. I felt so high up and the towns below looked far. In parts, the narrow, dusty dirt path with loose stones was so precarious. As charming as it is in these parts to feel one with the earth and to be experiencing the track in it's simplest form, I couldn't help but think about the chance of a fall. Just one trip on a stone and you would plunge below. I thought of Deb's cousin who died a few weeks ago, falling 60 meters to her death in the Australian. In just a flash, we can leave this world behind. Frightening! The remainder of the walk was stunning as we wound our way through forest, shaded by the sun above by rock faces, vegetable patches, olive trees hanging onto the sides of the cliff. We 8 people. With so many tourists visiting the coastline and only a few taking the magical opportunity to do this walk. I felt very blessed to be experiencing this slice of heaven for myself. We arrived in Positano at midday stopping at an alimentari ( small grocery shop) to buy a custom made panini. The lady serving us was lovely and suggested that we try a cheese which is a combination of buffalo mozzarella and buffalo ricotta. We found a spot away from the busy tourist retail lane way and sat on a step in the shade. We plonked ourselves down and devoured our panini. Such a simple, tasty pleasure :)

Mediterranean, Medieval Hilltop Towns, Ancient Greek Ruins and Buffalo Ricotta!

Yay, I have finally found a bar here in Castellabate that has WI-FI. I can't tell you how happy I am. I have developed a strong attachment to iPad and the ability to communicate instantly with the other side of the world. We are sitting here by the castle at the top of the medieval Castellabate. The sun is setting and we have moved from gelato to sundowner and coffee. I reflect on what e have seen and experienced in the last couple of days. We rented a car yesterday. It was our practice run for Sicily. Terence is typically a good driver but still felt at odds with the road when sitting on the left hand side of the car. I was shitting myself and kept holding onto the dash as he wound his way down the switchbacks from Castellabate to the beach below at Santa Maria di Castellabate. With no maps, we trusted the advice of Cirro - just follow the signs to Paestum. So this is what we did. Unlike in Australia, the roads are well marked and you can always find your way to a destination. En route to Paestum is a must see Buffalo Mozarella farm. It was well set up and we skipped breakfast to feast on the selection of sweets filled with creamy buffalo ricotta. We devoured the buffalo yoghurt with fruit compote and a buffalo ricotta cannoli. I love my cannoli and would myself an expert when it comes to good and not so good this one was average and makes me yearn even more for the canoli that await us in Sicily. Paestum, or Poseidonia as the city was originally called (in honour of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea), was founded in the 6th century BC by Greek settlers. The three Doric temples of Paestum are said to be the best preserved Greek temples in the world and the walls around Paestum are the most complete of that period. I have walked the ruins of Pompeii but they didn't leave a marked impression on me like Paestum. The temple of Neptune (or Hera) was so incredibly intact. I felt like we were transported in time. As I enjoyed the respite of an olive tree, I could not help but wonder why the architecture of today does not impress in the same way that the temples from over 1000 years ago impress. I imagined the offerings laid down in these temples, of the goddesses adorned in jewellery, of the rituals. We returned the car unscathed and spent the afternoon at our usual spot on a coupled of flat rocks perched above a rock platform. We are away from the masses and plonk in the sea every time the sun gets the better of us. It reminds me of when I was a kid and spent countless summer days sitting on the rocks at Port beach. I am immediately relaxed. We returned the car this morning and made our way from Santa Maria di Castellabate to Punta Licosa (a point with a lighthouse). As we walked along the shore we found a friend. He was a stray dog although he a quasi collar. Perhaps at some point he had an owner but his thin frame told us that he was fending for himself. We rock jumped along the rock platform curving around the headland. Our canine friend followed even when he had to plunge in the water to get from one rock to another. He walked the 3-4 km with us to Punta Licosa, following the dirt road that hugged the coast and gave us a sneak peak into some of the finer properties. 'Ferret', our canine friend would walk a few meters ahead and then stop and look behind to make sure that we were in sight. He followed us all the way to the lighthouse. We shared concern about how we were going to let him go. When we stopped For a swim, he curled himself to sleep by Terence's bag. When we snuck away, he ran to find us and joined us back to the port of San Marco di Castellabate. The local yellow community bus turned up and we ran to catch it and give our legs a break. 'Ferret' followed us to the bus. We hopped on and looked behind as the bus started moving. The sad face of our canine friend stared at us as we wheeled away from him. His look was so sad and questioning ...'how could you leave me?', 'I trusted you'. It was such a sad departing and reminded me of the Australian fin, 'Red Dog'. As we lay on our rock afterwards, Terence could not stop thinking about Ferret. He felt so bad, like we'd abandoned a new friend who instilled his faith and trust in us. As I type, tears well up in Terence's eyes. He has been wondering whether he's ok, whether we should have found a pound for him, whether he will be looked after. I send a prayer his way ....

Mountains to the Mediterranean

We left Spoleto for our early train departure to Rome and then onwards to Agropoli.We were ready to move on to the coast for some sea air and swimming. The train journey was interesting. We were lucky to have purchased seats as others stood crammed in the aisles, some fighting over their right to a seat. The man opposite Terence looked over and said 'e normale' (this is normal). I listened to the conversation that unfolded in our carriage, something about Venezuela and the way of life over there. These strangers in our carriage gradually strike up a conversation and converses until it is our time to get off at Agropoli. I love how Italians strike up a conversation with a stranger and then appear to be long time friends. 

We are informed that there are taxis to Castellabate but the quote of 35 Euro for a short trip doesn't match what we were informed by the owner of Reidenza Tamar in Castellabate. So we opt for a bus to Santa Maria di Castellabate (the beachside town below). We then get picked up in one of those tiny 3 wheeled ute vehicles and get zipped up the mountain to Castellabate.

The sweeping views of the Mediterranean are breathtaking. Aaahhh, it feels so good to be on the coast and smell the salt in the air. Castellabate is fabulous, perched at the top of the hill overlooking the sea below. We are staying in the UNESCO World Heritage historic town which is a maze of laneways and arched doorways, where everything echoes and the sun tries to shed brightnes where it can. We have stepped onto the movie set of my favourite Italian film called 'Benvenute al Sud'. We recognise the piazza where a lot of the film took place. It is fabulous! The local mean play cards, the odd voice can be heard echoising through the laneways.

We spent the afternoon at the beach, walking 4 km down the hill. We manage to find the public beach wedged between two private beaches. The water is warm but not too warm. We then stroll along the shore to the seaside town of Santa Maria di Castellabate. The vibe is relaxed as people wonder the street with swimmers , sandals and seasalt on their skin. 

This is home foe another 4 nights. The sun is shining and the sea is calling me ....

Spoleto to Spoleto loop

It was a couple of days ago when we completed our last day of cycling. However, it seems like an eternity. The heatwave in Umbria was beyond our capacity, so we decided to skip the hotel breakfast and make an early start for our mountain ride. Our 'road book' indicated that the ride was 'very difficult', the only ride graded us such during our days of cycling in Tuscany and Umbria.

It was mostly an uphill climb. However, there was welcome shade from the pines and oaks along the roadside. It even felt slightly crisp at one point. The scenery and smell of pine forest was spectacular. We had to complete a couple of mountain passes before we were at our highest point of 1123 metres above sea level. Everything was still and hardly a car, bike or person to be seen. Thank goodness for a random open alimentari (general store) as this was where we bought our fuel for the rest of the ride - a brioche filled with crema pasticcera and a cappuccino.

Although we were challenged, the silence and remoteness of the ride was worth it. After the highest point, it was down, down, down. We passed many small signs nailed to trees which warned people not to pick truffles.As we descended, the heat increased - dry, suffocating and windless. 

We were back in Spoleto by 12.30pm and the day was ours to explore. We met two local people who opened their hearts and shared their stories. One was a woman who was of Albanian/Bosnian/Herzegova descent. She came to Italy about 16 years ago and married an Italian man 3 years ago today. We stopped in her small alumentari to buy freshly made panini and this is where she let us in to her life. Terence placed his order of a pork and cheese panini. In her eyes, his order was scarilige. No, you can't order pork with cheese - 'mai' (never!). She convinced him to replace the cheese with tomato and to top it off, she drizzled some truffle oil. When our panini were made, she directed us to a quiet park overlooking the town to sit in solace and savour our lunch. She also advised us to return that evening to buy a dolce (sweet) that is delivered on Thursday nights from Naples. We returned that evening and she shared her passion of this dolce with us - tortini con ricotta e pera (small tart of biscut base (top and bottom) filled with buffalo ricotta and fresh pear or strawberry. it was heaven. She insisted that she cut each round tortina into quarters so that we would savour it slowly, in small mouthfuls. The tortini pulled us to devour the entire tortini in one hit but we resisted the urge, taking on our Albanian friend's advice. Mum - I have kept her details so that you can have the same experience when you visit Italy in September.

Our new special person was the owner of the restuarant we chose to eat at. As we entered the empty, cool room, I though 'on no, what are we doing?'. There's nobody here. But we stayed put as this sweet 'nonna' (grandma) lit the gas stove and started preparing our simple dinner of pasta with tartufi. We weren't expecting much but it was a very pleasant surprise. The lady told us that she has had the restaurant for 55 years but sadly 'negozie' (shops) are closing all around her. Once upon a time, the streets were lined with stores but now they are dwindling off. People are struggling because of the Euro and the cost of living is too high. She tells us about the tax on housing/property which explains why people are selling left, right and centre. SHe expresses how times were better, less expensive during the times of the Italian Lira. There is sadness in her voice, in her expression, in her ody language. I can only imagine what the towns used to look like once upon a time when life was prosperous. There is despair in her voice when I ask if she thinks that Italy will ever revert to the old ways. Her answer is 'no, mi dispiacce' (No, I'm sorry).  We leave feeling saddened but grateful for our experience of meeting these two open people ....

Bevagna to Spoleto

We said our goodbyes to Fabio and Stefania, the owners of Albergo Il Chiostro di Bevagna. They were so lovely and made us feel at home. Fabio requested that I send him a postcard from home. I have no doubt that he'll tell future travelers of his friends who live in Freshwater, Sydney. Our ride yesterday was a tough one, mostly because of the distance (98km) and the soaring heat (37 degrees Celsius). If we were at home, we would never cycle in such heat but we've come here to explore the region by bike, so cycle we must. The long ride was to the town of Todi. It was ok but not fantastic. They main points worth highlighting was the stench as we rode by a genetic oil farm. My guess is that the bigs undergo genetic modification. I do know that the smell was awful even when we were upwind. Todi was ok but I got a sense that a large part of the old fortified town has been abandoned. Manly shop fronts have a 'for sale' sign in the window or are completely empty. It felt good to be back in Bevagna. We decided that we would experience the local festa food again but this time we ate at the Gaita of Santo Pietro. The food was good but not as good as the food from Gaita di Santa Maria. However, I do have to share Terence's brave culinary experience. He ordered 'lumache' (snails). He sucked those slippery suckers down his throat. I had the tiniest of tastes and it wasn't too bad. The were coated in so much oil, herbs and garlic which took away from the snail eating sensation. I watched in amazement as Terence devoured more than 20 snails. We left Bevagna this morning and had the mindset that it would be a cruisy ride. We even set off later than usual. However, the climb to our optional extra town of Todi was a bit tou on the body. Terence felt giddy when we got to the top but an espresso and brioche filled with creme patiss sorted him out ;-) We are now in the chic Umbrian hillside town of Spoleto. This is where we will call home for the last 2 nights of our cycling trip. Spoleto is quite chic with a decent selection of stores - antique, clothing, salumeria, cafes, restaurants and local food products. The clothing in Italy has been very disappointing. All the female clothing has tacky bling stitched on the front and almost everything is polyester or made in some foreign country like Bulgaria. What's with that?! I thought that I was in the fashion centre of the world. Not so from what I have experienced :( Right at the very top of the hill overlooking and protecting the town is an old fort or 'Rocca Albornoziana' built in 1359–1370. It was strategically built to protect the town from invasion. Ponte delle Torri situated behind the Rocca , is a striking 13th-century Roman aqueduct. We walked across the aqueduct and around the perimeter of the aqueduct before stopping for dinner. Our dinner choice was the best yet at a restaurant that offered great service and food. It was a fancy affair where we received amuse bouche (bite sized hors d'oeuvre) to start and the presentation was 5-star! My main was mouth watering - hand made torteloni filled with goats cheese and a puree of something (tasted a bit like chick peas) with shavings of truffle .... delicious!

Assisi to Bevagna

Unlike most, we were fortunate enough to experience the very back routes from Assisi to Bevagna. The beauty of being on a bike is that you can avoid the busy road and jump ojn a arm trail instead. As we left Assisi, our road book directed us past local streets and then onto a little road called Vialle d'olivie (road of olives). We were cycling through a canopy of olives. All you could see ahead and behind you were olive trees. It was quiet and peaceful with only the odd walker or jogger passing by. At the end of the olive road, we arrive in Spello. We only pass through this medieval town and then wind our way to the bottom where the new, modern part of the town is. Terence notices that his crank is loose and is concerned that he won't make it to Bevagna. Luckily, we are informed that there is a bike store 100 meters ahead. Phew!! The bike is fixed and we continue on at a gentle pace on mostly flat terrain. We stopped for a short black (or 'normale') as they call it in the village of Cannara. From there we followed farmhouse trails alongside the Timia River. One of the highlights was seeing a peacock eith it's feather spread open on full colorful display. I'm not sure what Italians do with peacocks but he was hanging out with the chooks and ducks. We arrived in Bevagna before midday, a first as it was only a 31 km ride. We have arrived in the town at the time of a Festa. The Festa is called Il Mercato delle Gaite. During this festival healed for 10 days in June, the whole town harks back to it's medieval past, reviving ancient trades and a half forgotten atmosphere. The festa draws its inspiration from rivalries reflected in the division of Bevagna in medieval times into four districts known as 'Gaite'. Each 'Gaite' took it's name from a church. After lunch, we decided to do an extension ride to Montefalco. Montefalco was lovely but the ride getting there was tough, not because of the terrain but because of the heat. Temperatures have been soaring to 36/37 degrees. We could not drink enough eater and thank goodness for the watering fountains in every town, as we are able to refuel. We have noticed that our arrival into many towns is met by an avenue of beautiful trees. They are the same trees in every town and have bunches of tiny yellow flowers hiding amongst their green leaves. They have the most beautiful, sweet smell. If anyone knows the name of these trees, please let me know. Bevagna is a gorgeous little town in a flood plain. It's specialty is cashmere jumpers. We have been tempted as they feel so soft. Fabio and Stefania are the owners of our Albergo - Di Chiostro di Bevagna. They are lovely. Fabiola loves a chat and insisted that we eat dinner Gaita di Santa Maria. During this festival, locals and visitors are able to eat from tables set up in hidden courtyards. Each 'Gaite' organises it's own food stall. We suspect that Fabio convinces us to go to the dinner organized by his 'Gaite'. We follow his instructions, line up outside a ticket tent, order our meal and then we are ushered inside the courtyard by a young boy who is dressed in medieval garb. He is so cute. Het sets the table, places the cutlery which is sealed in paper bags and then comes back with our food. The pasta is simply delicious and I think it it made by the locals. I order a pasta with zucchini flower and Terence orders ravioli filled with Caccio cheese. I think this cheese is a soft sheep cheese and adds a creaminess to the pasta ...delicious! It was still 28 degrees at 10.30pm. Crazy, huh!

Leaving medieval Montone for spiritual Assisi

We literally rolled out of Montone on our bikes to the valley below. The one stretch of road at the base of the valley was spectacular with fields of wild, red poppies and crops of ginormous onions that have gone to seed (or so it looks). It was an easy ride through farmland in this fertile valley of Umbria. We got confused as we arrived in the town of Umbertide, but managed to get on track. The notes seem to leave out a few landmarks when we arrive in bigger places. Some of the towns so small that we enter and exit within  a 300m distance. At the 28km mark, we had the option of an extension. We decided to take it as it was still early in the day and we didn't want to arrive in Assisi super early. However,the catch was that the ride was graded as 'very difficult'. It commenced from the town of Casa del Diavalo (House of the Devil) ...strange name for a town. It was a steady uphill climb through farmland and oak and pine forested patches. The trees provided the welcome shade protecting us from the heat in parts. It was up and up and up for about 12 km. At the halfway point, I did think of turning around, rolling down the hill and joining the 'shady' core route. But neither of us said anything, so we soldiered on with sweat dripping off us. We stopped at la Dolce Vita Ristorante for a coffee and to refill water. The man who served us was lovely and refused to let us leave with tap water in our water bottles. He filled our water bottles with his bottles of refrigerated cold spring water. Italians don't do the tap water thing. After leaving the ristorante the climbing relented and we now enjoyed some undulating. We could enjoy the views of the valley and fertile farmland below. We passed a man who was selling handmade wicker baskets o n the side of the road. He was comfortable seated beside his car whilst we copped the full sun. After a series of undulating hills, we were turned a corner to a vista of Gubbio in the distance and then it wad downhill from there. Phew!!! Our picnic lunch was in a random spot at the entrance of a private  property in the direction of Fraticciola Santa Bischina. We sat under the cypress pines with a billy goat watching over us from a wire fence running between the property and the goats' paddock. We then carried on to a hilltop town called Fraticciola Selvatica at 635 m above sea level. It had a quaint feel. Nobody was around. They were probably sleeping after pranzo. We exited the town perched on the top of the hill with a steep ride down to the valley with the dry heat whipping past our faces. I could feel the mercury on the thermometer rising as we descended at speed. Woah ...now it felt like the forecast of 34 degrees!! We were now nearing Assisi, only 16 km away.  The heat was more than worth it. I was so excited as the sunflowers were showing their yellow faces. What a truly incredible sight - a sea of yellow faces following the sun. Everywhere else, the sunflower plants had not flowered. But here it was sooo hot and dry, that we were lucky enough to get a glimpse of what the area looks like when it is in full yellow swing. The scenic ride to Assisi was gorgeous. We passed quaint little towns - Petrignano and Palazzo. We stopped in Palazzo for a gelato. The road book recommended Gelateria Oxy, so we had to stop. The gelato was creamy but the pistachio flavour still lacks the punch of the Sicilian Gelateria in Rome. One last climb up to Assisi and then we are home for the night. The views looking up to The Basilica St Francesco was fabulous. The basilica loomed over us and seemed to protect this town of 'peace'. It was 4 pm but the sun felt hotter than ever. Once again, the directions to the town were not very clear so we were getting frustrated - hot, tired, grubby. After a much awaited shower, we roamed the town. Although it is a busier tourist town, it had a lovely feel. We roamed the stores,bought some fresh black truffles (as you do!) and lost ourselves in the narrow streets. The sun doesn't set until after 9pm, so we savor the views and the charm for as long as we can.