After a very long day and night of travel, we made it to Rome Monday morning. Even better, so did our luggage! Our journey began with a four-hour drive to the gorgeous Amalfi coast. Upon check-in at the Hotel Santa Caterina in Amalfi, we enjoyed cocktails and snacks on the terrace overlooking the breathtaking sea.
Our day included a short trip into town, some walking and window shopping and, of course, gelato!
The weariness of travel won out on our first day, and we were in bed before 9 pm!
Day two began with a ferry ride to picturesque Positano, where we took in all the sights and sounds of this bustling waterside town. Lunch at Ristorante Max did not disappoint – lemon-glazed prawns for me. Katy won lunch, however, with her seafood risotto!
By the way, Katy is one of Becca’s close friends and sorority sisters. She and Becca were scheduled to study abroad in Tuscany when the world shut down in March 2020. This is their “consolation prize” trip to Italy!
We found our favorite shop, from our last visit in 2017, with the best lemon candies in the world, not to mention the best limoncello! I won’t tell you how many kilos of these candies are being shipped to the States!
We spent the afternoon and evening in this charming hamlet high up in the hills near Sorrento, called Schiazzano.
In the 1600s, four families began importing lemons into the area. Four hundred years later, the same families are still involved in growing lemons and have expanded to cheese and olive oil production.
The Il Turuziello working farm offers tours throughout the tiny, winding streets of this town. And when I say tiny, winding streets, I truly mean it. Normal cars would not fit - only these motorized farm carts! Who knew we would have a theme-park-style rollercoaster ride on this tour?
The farm features their prized lemons, which are much sweeter than the ones grown in Positano and other regions due to their volcanic soil from nearby Vesuvius.
After a proper tasting of lemonade and limoncello, Lucio - the son of one of the families, introduced their olive oil varieties to us. My favorite was the truffle olive oil. Delicioso!
Il Turuziello also specializes in provolone and mozzarella cheeses. After Lucio gave us a crash course in making mozzarella cheese, we were treated to several tastings. We tasted caciottine – the soft, creamy cheese formed early before it has time to fully ferment. We also tasted a ricotta that was as smooth and creamy as we’ve ever had. Last was their prized mozzarella – so incredibly good.
Our last activity involved making our own Neapolitan pizza in the town’s restaurant, L’ Antico Scantinato. Marzia and her father run the restaurant, equipped with the 80-year-old brick oven her grandfather built. Margherita pizzas were made and enjoyed by all!
Tomorrow, we are off to Capri. Caio!
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