Amalfi | Calabria | Pompei

Amalfi Coast | Come si dice, “How many more steps?”

Amalfi is a place that is still underrated despite all the great things we’ve heard about it. Words and pictures simply don’t do it justice—you need to see this place for yourself!

The coastline has clear blue water with mountains jutting straight out of it. The panoramic includes villages dating back to the 11th century that have a timeless appeal to them and every inch of open dirt has lemon trees bursting with color. In addition to taking in the beauty, you can also expect to do a lot of climbing. For some reason, no one ever talks about the steps/stairs. I find this weird because everywhere you go, there is a 100% chance it will either be up or down hill. Fortunately, the view gets more magical with each step up.

The only challenge with a visit to the coast, and one that you will face regardless of where you choose to stay, is the drive in, which I can only describe as a white-knuckle experience. Imagine roads just wide enough for two cars, with Vespas and motorcycles speeding past you while Italian drivers are on your bumper pushing you to go faster as you wind around blind hairpin turns. Next time, we are taking the bus.

The main port cities that make up the Amalfi Coast include Positano, Amalfi, Minori, Sorrento, and the Island of Capri. Anna and I stayed in Minori, which is often overlooked by tourists even though it’s just one ferry stop from Amalfi. Minori only had a handful of shops and restaurants and seems to be where most of the locals live that service the larger, more popular cities in the area.

Our Airbnb offered an amazing view of the coast from our bedroom terrace. Though beautiful, 200 stairs up and down every day was the price we had to pay. We, again, stayed in someone’s home. We had our own bedroom and bathroom but shared the common areas like the kitchen and living room. Fortunately, they turned out to be a great couple that we spent quite a bit of time with during our stay.

We decided that our first day should be a trip to Capri, so we caught the 9AM ferry from Minori. Though the ferry is essentially a taxi, it provides incredible coastal views before hitting the open ocean to the Island of Capri. And once you arrive in Capri? You guessed it, you have a 25-minute climb to the main area. Yes, there are cabs, buses, and even a gondola to take you to the top if you are looking for a more leisurely commute, but Anna and I were determined to hit every step…

Capri is littered with restaurants and high-end shops. We did our fair share of window shopping before setting off to tour the island. Hopping in a boat to cruise around is another option that sounded amazing but the cheapest way around is by foot—so off we went on one of the many hikes. Though the path is paved, the many, many stairs make the trek a bit challenging. We passed a number of people that were out of breath hoping the next bend would be the last (in almost every case, it was not :( . When we reached the Faraglioni (three towering rock formations which jut out 100 meters from the sea), there was no question that the climb was well worth it. If you are visiting the Amalfi Coast, a day trip to Capri should be on your bucket list.

The boat taxi back to Minori turned out to be a little more exciting than we had anticipated. We clearly have an issue with disembarking when it comes to public transportation. First the train in Rome, and now the ferry in Minori. Once it was announced that we were entering Minori, Anna and I gathered our things and made our way to the exit. By the time we reached the back of the boat, the workers had already picked up the lines and signaled the captain to depart. It took a moment for us to process what was happening as the dock slipped further away. In my head I thought, there’s now no choice for us but to head to the next stop (Sorrento), so I am already thinking of how we will get back to Minori from there. Annaliese was a little more anxious to get off the boat and called out to the workers who then signaled back to the captain. Fortunately, they were willing to make a second stop in Minori for us (though they weren’t happy about it).

Once back, we decided to continue our active day with a hike to Ravello, a mountain town above Minori and Amalfi. We figured its location on top of the mountain would provide breathtaking views of the sun setting. Anna and I started the 1,200-stair climb around 6:30PM. With every step, the sun was getting lower and lower and by the end we were literally running up the stairs, sweating profusely, to make sure we didn’t miss the sunset. When we finally reached the top and ran over to what we thought would be the terrace that would reward us with a beautiful sunset view, we quickly and disappointedly saw yet another mountain in our way. So, sweaty and discouraged, we scrapped our plans for a romantic dinner overlooking a beautiful Amalfi Coast sunset and just turned around and headed back down to Minori.

Positano and Amalfi are both beautiful cities. They each have their respective beaches and mountains littered with lemons. In addition to exclusive shops, they also have boutique stores with handmade products like hats, clothes, and custom-made sandals where you pick your design and color scheme. It was pretty amazing to watch the guy take a flat piece of leather, and in just a few minutes, turn it into a beautiful sandal—and now Anna has a new pair of sandals!

Our trip ended with an Italian-Brazilian cooking class taught by our Airbnb hosts. Priscilla is from Brazil and provided a taste of her culture through the drinks and the dessert. Ivano, a chef at a high-end hotel in Amalfi and also a native from Minori, provided us with an abundance of knowledge about the area and history of Italian food during our class. He also provided an answer to a question that Anna has been curious about ever since we started dating: Where is all the chocolate?

The answer he provided is that most Italian kitchens were poor and because sugar and cocoa were imported its presence in sweets had historically been limited. That’s why most Italian desserts are flour-based. And if that answer is not good enough for us proud Italians that live modest lives, Ivano went on to describe Italian palates as being extremely sophisticated. Because we, the Italians, appreciate the different flavors that each element brings to our food, it is usually very simple yet still flavorful. We, the Italians, don’t like anything overly sweet as the sugar can dilute the flavor. It now makes so much sense why our cookies are flavored with anise, nuts, lemon, and honey, and cakes are made with fruits or fruit flavors—all products which can be locally sourced. Sorry Anna, get used to it, I have a sophisticated palate.

The menu for the main course (x2) was homemade Neapolitan pizza and lemon pasta, which is a popular dish in Minori that Ivano claims originated in his father’s kitchen. ;) We learned that pizza dough needs to sit… for days. After dough is made, it should sit in the fridge for at least three days. The reason being, dough will rise to its appropriate height in just a few hours but the yeast won’t have time to eat the sugars, which is very important. Ivano described the process using the tortoise and the hare analogy. The dough rising is the hare, the yeast eating the sugars is the tortoise. It takes time but it is an extremely important process that will make the pizza much lighter to eat. We have all eaten pizza and felt like we have a rock sitting in our stomach, right? He described that being a result of immature dough, so now we all know! Tested and proven, we made dough during the class which he put in the fridge and pulled out one from three days earlier that he made in advance.

The pasta dish was simple (simple, sophisticated Italians). It was pasta with lemon and olive oil. Prior to eating, Ivano announced that we will not like our first or second bite as our palate needs to adjust to the bitter taste. But, by our third bite, we would love it. He is a pro, he was right. And after pizza AND pasta, we still had room for dessert (there’s always room): brigadeiro, a traditional Brazilian sweet.

Anna and I decided the Amalfi Coast will need to be revisited (if we are lucky!). We didn’t jump into the beautiful blue water or hop on a boat to tour around. Both of which must be done to say you fully experienced the area. We also will need to stock up on more Limoncello since we are now all about the aperitivos.

Pit of Amalfi Coast: Racing up 1,200 steps to NOT see the sunset.

Peak of Amalfi Coast: Capri’s incredible landscape.

Calabria | Come si dice, “Too full”

So, as you may know, I am 100% Italian-American. I can trace both sides back to the motherland. Unfortunately, I never learned the language and up until our next stop it really hadn’t been a problem.

My mother’s side of the family is from Gioiosa, a small coastal village on the southeastern tip of Italy. We still have family living there, so Anna and I planned a week in town to soak up the culture and spend time with relatives. The only problem, there’s always one, is that my family speaks very little English. This led us to bite the bullet and get a sim card so we could use our phone to translate if needed… and ohhhh was it needed.

I wasn’t sure what to expect for our stay in Gioiosa. I had not seen my great uncle in over a decade and, because of the language barrier, we didn’t communicate too much leading up to our visit. (I actually had our host from the Airbnb in Amalfi call my uncle to make plans for our arrival!) Anna and I made the 5.5-hour drive south and met my aunt and uncle outside the apartment we had booked for the week…

We were greeted with hugs and kisses, two kisses each to be exact (right cheek, left cheek). To our surprise, we were also greeted with two cakes, an extra-large fruit basket, olives, bread, and homemade olive oil. It was clear from the beginning: they had no intention of us going hungry during our stay. We went to their home for a “light” dinner and made plans to eat lunch together the following day, a tradition that lasted the week.

I won’t go into the menu for every meal at their house—mainly because it would triple the length of this blog post—but day one resembled each day that followed (an at-minimum two-hour meal consisting of antipasto, first course, second course, fruit, and dessert). Keep in mind, this is a beautiful village on the coast of southern Italy. Anna and I are staying in an apartment that is a stone’s throw from beautiful blue water that we can’t wait to jump into. So when we made plans to meet for lunch at 1 on the first day, we thought for sure we would be back by the beach at 3 for some sun. We were very, very wrong.

Lunch started with a full mozzarella ball per person—a whole mozzarella ball!—a plate of home-grown (and home-cured) green and black olives, and a plate of fried zucchini flowers. First course was spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and then, for actual lunch (we were full after the mozzarella and olives), we had baccala, which is a delicious fish dish in a red sauce with potatoes and olives. And on the table at all times, there was bread, homemade wine, and homemade olive oil. We started at 1 and finished eating around 3:30. As I mentioned, Anna and I couldn’t speak Italian, but even after looking up how to say “too much” and “I am too full,” they seemed to “not understand” and kept piling food on our plates.

It ended with fruit, then cake, and of course limoncello or grappe (our choice), and then an espresso. By the end, we couldn’t keep our eyes open we were so full and tired from eating. Every day this happened!

The southern Italians live life at their own pace. Every day, the stores and markets close from 1-4. Literally everything is closed. Even the little corner stores are closed! Life is simple and that’s how they like it.

Outside of eating and catching some sun, we spent the days touring around the area. From Gioiosa, you can drive across the country to reach the other side in just an hour. From there you can clearly see Sicily, as well as one of Italy’s three active volcanoes. No, it’s not erupting lava, but you can still see the steam and gas rising out of the top. We visited about ten different cities during our time in Calabria and each had their own respective castle and story.

I want to describe the area as accurately as possible. The natural beauty of southern Italy is hard to beat. Its mountains were like Amalfi dotted with olive trees as far as the eye could see, the water was crystal clear because the beaches have pebbles not sand, and the sun was hot while the air was dry. With that said, there was an abundance of hotels and construction projects, both small and large, that seem to have been shut down or left unfinished. This theme was relevant all over southern Italy. The Italians didn’t seem to notice, but for us it was strange and made even the most beautiful places seem ominous. For that reason, it takes a little longer to really appreciate the beauty that surrounds you.

We loved southern Italy and could have spent another month in Gioiosa. I hope those reading this take the opportunity to visit one day as there is a lot to see and the change of pace is eye opening.

Pit of Calabria: Not speaking Italian.

Peak of Calabria: The love and generosity we experienced from our family.

Pompei | Come si dice, “Are the dogs on this trail?”

Our next stop was chosen out of necessity paired with a good dose of luck. Per our motto “do everything last minute and plan nothing” we wound up in Pompei. We had a flight out of Rome and wanted to break up the drive from Gioiosa. There are worse places to wind up, but being unfamiliar with the area, things tend to get a little weird. Example one: After a 4.5-hour drive, we arrived at our “destination” and for some reason google maps has taken us to a busy overpass with a home jutting up against it. We thought, can this be it? After circling the block and retyping the address on two separate phones, we unfortunately realized, YES this IS it.

This Airbnb was actually a bed and breakfast, our first one. With great reviews and no mention of a highway outside the bedroom window, we were a little surprised at the location but everything on the inside seemed to be in order. We were handed a total of SEVEN keys for this stay, which was easily the record and may never be beaten. Two gates, back and front door, key to the apartment, key to our room, and a power key that actually controlled whether or not the lights in the room would work.

So, we found out that Pompeii is the city, Mount Vesuvius is the volcano, and our apartment was under a highway… now that we had our bearings, we were determined to see as much as we could in the limited time we had. We set out early the next morning to hike Mount Vesuvius. The volcano most recently erupted in the 1950s and now today shows scars from recent wildfires. The hike to the top did not take long from the designated parking area. Once we made the half-hour climb, we were able to peek into the crater that was once spewing lava.

I had originally poled for a longer climb to the top that was off the beaten path, but Anna had read reviews about encounters with wild dogs (including German shepherds). However, after realizing that we were not allowed to walk to the other side of the crater with this particular trek, we decided it may be worthwhile to take the risk and climb an unmarked trail to get a better vantage point. To Anna’s credit (and that review), it wasn’t more than 200 meters into our journey that we saw two stray dogs running down the trail in our direction. When I looked back at Anna, she was already holding a rock ready to take on any animal that got in her way.

Fortunately, these dogs were friendly and caused no harm to us. But we decided to take this as a sign and call it a day from a Mount Vesuvius standpoint. It actually turned out for the best as it allotted more time to see the Pompeii ruins!

It turns out, Pompeii is exactly how it’s described: A lost CITY (this place is huge!). Fortunately, in order to help us navigate around the sites, we had our good friend Rick Steves (as did everyone else it seemed). The metropolis was extremely well preserved as it rested below 82 feet of ash for more than 1,000 years. The volcano erupted in 79 AD, killing everything in a six-mile radius instantly with just it’s heat alone. The lava and ash spread the devastation further as it covered the surrounding areas in over a six-hour period. As a result, those who survived the heat and lava later died from suffocation. Prior to this tragedy, Pompeii was a thriving port city filled with both working and upper class citizens living in unison. You could spend a full day walking through the organized streets, peaking into the many homes, shops, and even brothels that were once filled with life. There are remnants of frescoes and murals that are still beautiful today.

The lava and ash that covered the city did leave behind signs of life. During early excavations of the site, occasional voids in the ash layer were discovered to contain human and animal remains. By carefully pouring plaster into these voids the exoskeleton could be recreated depicting the victims final resting position. You could see adults, babies, and even dogs on display.

Pompei was a great stop to wrap up our tour of Italy. The new city that surrounds the area could use a bit of a makeover but the people were nice, the views were great, and we walked away with a lot more knowledge than when we arrived. Unfortunately, this experience of booking things last minute has not bit us too badly so we have yet to learn our lesson. So keep following us to see what other crazy last-minute adventures we will be going on!

Pit of Pompei: Not being able to get to the other side of the crater because of those stray dogs.

Peak of Pompei: Staring into a volcano! And then standing in the Pompeii ruins and staring up at the volcano that created this site.