Amalfi Coast

Arriving in the Amalfi Coast was about as different as being in Rome as you can imagine. A set of small towns built in the rocks hundreds of years ago. There are charming homes, lemon groves and churches on one side and the beautiful sea on the other. The people here are warm, friendly and very hospitable. It has been hot and humid during the day but by 6pm, a breeze rolls in, most of the bus loads of tourists leave Amalfi and it is even more charming. This area is known for its seafood, lemon groves, limoncello, grappa, ceramics and beautiful linens.

There are 9 people in cooking class from all over Europe and it has been a fun adventure. Most of the class assumed I was from Southern England or Canada and never would have guessed I was from California , which I found interesting. The cooking class has alternated each day between starting in the morning or afternoon with each class making a full meal of either lunch or dinner. We have toured a limoncello distillery (who knew), saw how grappa was made, paired cheeses while sampling different wines, made flavored granita and gelatos, tasted a variety of chocolates, prepared breads for our next meal and learned all about and made different shapes and types of pasta. My favorite dishes have been lemon pasta, and the various fresh fish which we have either grilled our sautéed. While I seem to be a gelato convert, the lemon cheesecake we made was a cross between a torte and a cheesecake, was light and divine.

Several of us are staying in Amalfi and “commuting” to Positano by ferry each day. The sea is beautiful and the commute is one I could live with. This morning, since rain was forecasted and seas were choppy, all ferries were cancelled and we took the local bus from Amalfi to Positano. The road between the two cities is very winding, not quite two lanes in most places and if the bus or truck does not make the turn wide enough, it needs to back up and try again. This makes the windiest part and hairpin turns on Highway 1 look like a straightaway! Large tour buses compete with the local bus and with barely more than a one lane highway, one of the buses must back up if they both cannot fit through. As the road dropped off and the sea loomed below, I kept telling myself that they wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t safe and did not dwell on the fact I would be doing it all over again after class.

The class ends tomorrow evening with dinner and then I’ll spend Saturday roaming around the area a little more before heading to Naples to discover the trails of Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius, Capri and the Path of the Gods in Agerola.

Ciao Ciao

Arrivederci Rome

It is my last day in Rome, I have seen a lot -- the Colisseum, Pantheon, Vatican (St. Peter Basilica and the Museums (including the Sistine Chapel), Piazza Novana, Castel Sant Angelo, Piazza del Popolo, Trevi Fountain (where I through a penny over my shoulder to ensure a return trip), Roman Forums, Spanish Steps, Villa Medici, St. Maria in Trastevere, Piazza Cavour, Via Veneto, and more sights than I could list.

Off to the Amalfi Coast and cooking class and hiking for the next two weeks. Looking forward to both and being near the sea.

The Catholic guilt has gotten to me -- could be all the churches and the Vatican looming in the distance but I thought to assuage some of the gelato guilt, I decided I would offset by using my pedometer to count steps, so here goes. (10,000 steps = approx. 5 miles)

Saturday (5/24): 2 gelatos and 22,345 steps
Sunday (5/25): 2 gelatos and 19,457 steps
Monday (5/26): 1 gelato and 14640 steps

Rome was not built in a day

Arrived in Rome yesterday after a long flight from Philadelphia. The pensione I am staying in is located in a nice residential area and about 15 minute walk from the Vatican. The location is great so my lapsed catholicism can kick in. Walked around the outside of the Vatican and St. Peter Basilica yesterday afternoon. The official tour is tomorrow and I cannot wait.

Toured the Coliseum this morning, viewed the Pantheon and found the best gelato off of the Piazza Navona. It is a good thing I am not staying closer to the gelato place or I would be there frequently. The other tasty treat is this flat bread pizza with all types of yummy toppings tho my favorite is the sliced zucchini and cheery tomatoes. This will have to be replicated back home.

Itinerary

Updated - 6/28

5/22 – 5/26
Rome

5/27 – 5/31
Hotel Amalfi
Cooking School Positano

6/1-6/7
Hooked on Walking – Agerola
(Naples/Vesuvius/Ravello/Amalfi/Capri/Sorrento)

6/8-6/10
Siena

6/10-6/13
Lucca

6/14-6/15
Florence

6/15-6/17
Milan

6/17-23
Bellagio (Lake District)


Spain Itinerary

6/30-7/3
Valenica

7/4-6
Alicante

7/7-8
Cuenca or Madrid

7/8-10
Toledo

7/11-14
Granada

7/15-19
Seville

7/20-8/5
Portugal

First Stop - Delaware

May 19, 2008

Well, made my first leg to the lovely town of Harrington on my way to Europe. Have spent a few whirlwind days with the kids (Tyler, Christopher, Ryan and Sarah) and feel caught up now with baseball, scrapbooking and the family. Attended the Harrington Fire Department picnic at Killens Pond on Sunday and it was a tasty feast (fried chicken, potato salads and yummy desserts). On my way to Italy on Wednesday and can't wait.