Tag Archives: Campania

SICILY & AMALFI COAST #23: A BEAUTIFUL BOAT RIDE TO ADORABLE AMALFI

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After two weeks of stellar weather in Sicily, our luck was bound to run out sooner or later.  This was the day, unfortunately, because a boat ride along the Amalfi Coast was on the agenda and blue skies would have been beautiful! Instead, it was cloudy, and it rained a little bit here and there.

The village of Amalfi, namesake of the Amalfi Coast and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was our morning destination.  Located on the southwest coast of Italy, Amalfi, in the Campania region, faces the Gulf of Salerno.  Having a population of under 5,000 people, it’s a small, intimate village in the off season, and we were told the favorite winter “sport” is gossip.  Evidently, there isn’t much work available in the winter, because it is a seasonal destination, so the locals have a lot of time on their hands… 

High season is a different story.  Tourists flock to what is reputed to be the most beautiful coastline in Italy, and the place is hoppin’!  We got a taste of that, having visited in mid-May, just ahead of the high season.  The streets were crowded with tourists!  Still, it was love at first sight.  What a charming and colorful place!

Amalfi is very mountainous, giving the village a lot of character.  Steep staircases led us to winding streets we enjoyed exploring and poking around to see what discoveries would make us smile and break out the camera.  I took so many photos; it was hard to edit them down. So, strap in; this is a long post of pictures!

First, the boat ride, for views of the coastline:

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

The village of Amalfi
Would you like to stay at this hotel? It will set you back 2,000 Euros per night!

Back on land:

Amalfi Cathedral
I strolled into this gentleman’s studio, smiled, and bid him, “Buongiorno!” He immediately offered the cherries he had been snacking on from the plastic box. I politely declined, but he insisted. I am so glad he did, because they were the most delicious cherries I had ever tasted, and we shared a magical moment I won’t soon forget.
He painted this beautiful plate with the paints in the photo below.
The mirror reflects the stairs in front of it.
This fountain was nothing short of bizarre but fun! It’s hard to see the detail in this photo, but the picture below is just one small part of this entire scene of little figures of people and animals. Read all about it here.
Our group visited Antichi Sapori d’Amalfi to learn how Limoncello liqueur is made. We tasted it, of course!
After returning to Maiori, we regrouped following our afternoon of free time to enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. This was the appetizer: Anchovies prepared four ways.

Next up: SICILY & AMALFI COAST #24: SCENIC SCALA & ROMANTIC RAVELLO