Italy: The Amalfi Coast

It's been a while since we've been on a really good holiday. Such is life when you have two little kids in tow. So what do I do? I reminisce.

Today, I'm going to be blogging about one of my favourite countries to visit, Italy. I truly love this country for its rich history, art, colourful sites and people, and of course, the amazing food. It is the "land of the ideal cuisine" for me, as DD calls it, and he's right because I can really eat Italian food all day and not get tired of it! It is also on a trip to Italy when we were undergraduates that the husband and I fell in love, so, as you can imagine, it has a special place in my heart.

I'm not going to be talking about the cities of Rome, Florence, Venice or Milan, which are more popular with Singaporeans this time though. Instead, I'll be showing you some of the sights around the Amalfi Coast, including the island of Capri, in the south of Italy.

The Amalfi Coast 

The Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana) is a stretch of about 50km of coastline along the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula. Most famous for the town of Sorrento, which is also the biggest town in the area, the Amalfi Coast is touted as one of Europe’s most breathtaking stretches of coastline. It has also been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for cultural landscape since 1997. Having visited, I would agree that it is truly one of a kind.

We didn't fancy Sorrento so much. It is big and bustling with tour buses and organised groups and generally everything we try to avoid while being on holiday. But its location really can't be beat. Straddling cliffs that look directly over the Bay of Naples to Mt Vesuvius, it’s ideally situated for exploring the surrounding area: to the west is the rest of the Amalfi Coast, to the north is Pompeii and the archaeological sites and off-shore, the beautiful island of Capri.

A view of Mt Vesuvius across the Bay of Naples, from up in the town of Sorrento.

Walking the streets of Sorrento

Local produce. Check out the giant lemons, which are a speciality of the region. You see lemon trees everywhere in the Amalfi Coast.

When in Italy, gelato is a must! We have one practically everyday.

The town of Sorrento from across the water. Taken while on the boat to Capri.

Capri
We started our holiday spending a few nights on the island of Capri. Capri is an enchanting and picturesque island made of limestone rock which sits amidst some amazingly blue water. Everywhere you turn, you are greeted with amazing views! A favourite for generations, first with Roman emperors and now with the rich and famous, artists, and writers, it's still one of the Mediterranean's must-see places. It is a short 20-30 min ferry ride away from Sorrento, but you can also catch a longer ride by ferry from Naples.

Things to do in Capri:

1. Visit the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra)

Definitely the top tourist site on Capri, and it's not hard to see why. The Blue Grotto is a sea cave off the coast of Capri that derives its name from an astonishingly blue light that illuminates the cave. This is caused by sunlight coming in from a tiny entrance point and a larger underwater cavity. The blue light is really bright and quite magical. You can only enter the cave on small row boats, and the opening is so small, you have to lie flat on your backs to enter! When inside, chances are you'll be serenaded by the dude rowing the boat. I'm sure it'll be quite a treat if you were the only boat there. Unfortunately, since there are always a ton of boats jostling to enter the grotto, a whole bunch of voices singing their own tunes can get a little noisy. Haha.

Noise aside, the grotto really is beautiful and should not be missed.

A line of boats waiting to enter the grotto. The entrance is an opening in the rock in the distance.

The magical blue light of the grotto. It really does seem to glow!

2. Visit Giardini di Augusto (Gardens of Augustus)

This is a public garden built in the 1930s on the ruins of a roman villa. Beautifully maintained, the gardens are filled with colourful flowers and there are plenty of benches as well as shade for you to sit and relax.

The colourful flowers in the garden are a real crowd pleaser.

Besides the beauty of the garden themselves, the greatest attraction of this place is the dizzying view from the terraces that jut out from the cliff and hang over the cobalt green sea and the Faraglioni. (The Faraglioni is the collective name for the three stacks located of the island of Capri in the Bay of Naples.)

Simply amazing views. The water really is that blue in real life. And that's the Faraglioni in the background of the photo on the right.

3. Visit Villa Jovis

This set of ruins is interesting for its historical significance, as it used to be a Roman Palace built by the Emperor Tiberius and was completed in AD27. It is quite a hike to get there, as it is at the top of the second highest peak in Capri. I remember being quite bushed by the time we got there! 

The ruins of Villa Jovis. The photo of the right was taken at the top of Mount Solaro in Anacapri

Of course, being so high up, the view was spectacular.

You can see all the way to the mainland.

And say hello to the occasional goat too!

4. Ride the chairlift to the top of Anacapri

There are two towns on the island of Capri - the eponymous Capri, and Anacapri. Just a short bus ride away, Anacapri is the quieter, less touristy foil to the bustling Capri. The bus ride is an experience in itself, as you climb steadily uphill, going through hairpin turns at the edge of the cliff! Anacapri is a nice change of pace.

One of the reasons folks visit is to go right up to the top of Mount Solaro to take in the spectacular views. The ride is by chairlift and might be a bit scary if you have a fear of heights! You can also choose to walk up instead.

That's me in the distance, making my way precariously up to the top!

The view at the top is well worth it though. It's simply amazing.

Had to put myself in there with the spectacular view!

The town of Capri spread out before us, with the Faraglioni off the coast to the right.

Close-up of the Faraglioni.

5. Visit Villa San Michele

While on Anacapri, you should also visit the town's biggest tourist attraction -- Villa San Michele. It is a picturesque building perched on the side of a mountain, and was built by Axel Munthe, a Swedish doctor and writer. He wrote a popular book, The Story of San Michele, about the villa and Capri, which, together with stories of his life, provide a colourful introduction to Capri. The grounds of his home are beautifully laid out, provide scenic views, and also house a collection of interesting sculptures, some of which make for good photo props.

It was a bit hard to resist being silly!

More views!

6. Try Limoncello

This lemon liqueur is a speciality of the Amalfi region -- remember those huge lemons above? -- so you can find it for sale everywhere here. Looks harmless but it's pretty strong! You have been warned.

Limoncello products

7. Eat insanely fresh and good seafood dishes

Ah, food. We are by the coast after all, and so, the seafood was great and the natural choice! I love Italian food and love seafood, so I was a super happy camper!

We had quite a few such meals but this was quite memorable. They had an antipasti buffet spread which we happily helped ourselves to. Seafood risotto is DD's standard dish and he went round trying the different versions at different restaurants. Just look at all that seafood on the plate!

Aside from Capri, the rest of the Amalfi Coast is also beautiful and well worth visiting. Especially if you fancy quaint little towns, old churches and small shops selling all sorts of stuff. Ferries make it easy to hop from town to town, or you could also walk, like we did at times. I think it's going to take me too long to describe it all, so here are some pictures instead.

Amalfi

Amalfi is the main town of the Amalfi coast. The beautiful Saint Andrew Cathedral (Cattdrale di Sant'Andrea, also known as Duomo di Amalfi) overlooks the town square or piazza, and stands at the heart of the town.

The distinctive Duomo di Amalfi. 57 steps (not pictured) lead up to the entrance, and they are a popular sitting spot for visitors and tourists! This cathedral dates back to the 9th century.

St Andrew facing the church named after him.

The arched architecture, with its distinctive stripes.

Inside the richly decorated church, you'll find plenty of frescos and statues.

Part of the Cloister of Paradise (Chiostro de Paradiso), which was used as a burial ground by the noble families of Amalfi.

The town of Amalfi was also the capital of a maritime republic from the 9th to the 12th century. You can visit the old Arsenal at the left side of the port, and there you'll find information on Amalfi's maritime history, as well as models of boats.

The old Arsenal 

As with all towns along the coast, Amalfi is also picturesque, especially when viewed over the water.

Don't you just love the look of whitewashed buildings clinging to cliffs against blue water? In case you're wondering, that little short building on the right is now a restaurant. We ate there and it's pretty good!

The town of Amalfi from over the water.

Positano

I can't leave the Amalfi Coast without showing you one of the prettiest and most picturesque towns -- Positano. The town is sited in an enclave on the face of a hill that winds down towards the waters of the Amalfi Coast. Postiano is a popular destination that attracts thousands of visitors a year, drawn to its natural beauty, and also its unique mix of seascapes, colours, art and cultural life. There's always an artist or two by the water, painting the landscape. If you think Positano seems familiar, it's probably because its been featured in quite a number of Hollywood movies, including Only You and Under the Tuscan Sun.

View of Positano from along the road from Amalfi

Positano, from over the water.

And that's my whirlwind tour of the Amalfi Coast!

This post is part of a Blog Train hosted by Madeline at MadPsychMum. Continue your journey around the world through the eyes of Singapore Mom Bloggers!

Coming up tomorrow is Adora.

Adora is mum to Poppy, 4, and Calla, 5 months. She tackles meal-time mayhem, kitchen disasters and playground politics on a daily basis. In between breaths, she writes for parenting magazines on a freelance basis and runs a crafts-for-kids business. She enjoys cheap chocolate, smelling her baby’s neck, and would really like a good night’s sleep. Adora blogs at http://www.gingerbreadmum.com/ and will share on the tranquil city of Hanoi, Vietnam

A Sneak Peek

Sorrento. Capri. Mt Vesuvius. Naples. Amalfi.
Pompeii. Atrani. Positano. Rome.

Trust me, we did WAY TOO MUCH walking! But we just couldn't pass up on seeing these...

















And not forgetting the food...



and GELATO!



I tried to pick just one pic from each of the places we visited thinking that it would allow me to post at least some pics first but that was WAY HARD cos the places were all so beautiful, especially Capri, and the chuches of Naples, and Positano... Argh. So here's just a handful before we get round to narrowing the selection, and then they'll be uploaded - promise! :)

In the meantime, enjoy these!

Shopaholic?

As surprising as it may sound, shopping ranks lowly in my list of priorities on holiday. Sure I buy stuff, but I tend to go more for souvenirs than well, the clothes/shoes/bags that I would usually buy when shopping in Singapore - think postcards, museum guides, posters, and lots and lots of knick knacks and odd-ball items.

(Of course, I have conveniently omitted the my shopping holidays where the entire purpose of the holiday was to shop, like Bangkok, Hong Kong, etc.)

Aside from the above, the only holiday destination where we will really make the the effort to set aside time for shopping in between all the sight-seeing is... the US, and that's because we just loooove Factory Outlets! Even DD happily and willingly joins in the action.

So since we're all set to head off to historic and culturally rich Italy, I ain't thinking too much about shopping... until a friend mentions something that gets my heart beating a little faster - Prada and Gucci Factory Outlets!

But but buuuuut.. just off Florence! :/

So now I'm torn, since we have no plans to go anywhere further north than Rome. And our schedule is already so packed - yes, we're having a packed relaxed holiday, go figure - I don't see how we can fit in travelling to yet another city and shopping time. Sigh. The additional week would really have come in handy here!

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Prada
1 Pellettieri d'Italia, Levanella-Montevarchi, Strada Statale 69, 52025 Montevarchi (AR)

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 7pm; Sunday 2pm to 7pm.

How to get there: Montevarchi is 22 miles south-east of Florence, reached via the Autostrada A1 to Arezzo/Rome. Leave at exit 25 marked Valdarno. Follow the road signs into Montevarchi and then continue out of town on the SS69 towards Arezzo.

The Prada outlet is two miles from the centre of the town - about 100 yards on the left after the second IP petrol station.

Head down the Via Levanella towards the back of a low-rise factory
building. Drive as far as you can go and you will come to a car park. The factory shop is behind the glass windows in front of you.

By train: The Prada shop is the only factory outlet that you can easily
reach by train. Trains run regularly from Florence's Santa Maria Novella station to Montevarchi station where you can take a taxi for the two-mile journey to the Prada shop.


The Mall
Via Europe 8, 50060 Leccio-Regello

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm; Sunday 3pm to 7pm.

Imagine a mini-shopping mall that features cut-price Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani and, in a neighbouring building, a good cafe with a Bottega Veneta store.

It sounds too good to be true but this glossy new mall opened last year - a sign that the designer labels are taking this factory outlet business much more seriously than they pretend.

How to get there: From Florence take the Autostrada A1 towards Rome/Arezzo; after about ten miles leave the motorway at exit 24 for Incisa - on leaving the motorway turn right on the SS69 and head for Leccio. The Gucci shop is on the left just after the Casa Cucina shop. The mall lies just behind, next to a large car park.

Spring Break

I've been feeling rather restless and low in recent days. Too many things have been swirling around me, and brooding has been the order of the day.

Guess there's nothing like a holiday to cheer me up.

We've decided to go ahead with our travel plans despite the break being a little shorter than we would have liked. By squeezing out a couple of days at the beginning and at the end, we can get in a decent 10 days and so we are going to...



More accurately just the southwest coast - Naples, Pompeii, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast. And hopefully squeeze in a couple of days in Rome to visit the some of the same spots we visited as poor students back in 2000.

Hmmm, I think it's working - I'm definitely feeling a teeny bit better now just thinking about it :)