Photos and the City

Category: Italia

Minori & la Grotta dello Smeraldo

Good morning Amalfi Coast! Early morning the traffic wasn´t that bad so I decided to stop in Minori for some caffé and cornetto. The Amalfi Coast was already loved by the old Romans, there is a more than 2000 years old Roman villa at Minori, the Villa Marittima Romana. But I only went for a little breakfast at the tiny harbour.

My second stop kind of happened by accident. I actually just wanted to take a picture and saw a free parking space. Pulled in I was greeted by a lovely man who informed that this was the parking for the Grotta dello Smeraldo and if I want to visit it. An elevator brought me down to sea level and I entered a big cave. It was a short boat trip around the cave and a nice break.

On one side the cave is flooded with brilliant blue (green) water and was discovered by a fisherman in 1932

Unlike the Blue Grotto located a few kilometres to the west on Capri, the Grotta dello Smeraldo has no natural outlet above the waterline. The only opening to the outside world is just below the water level. Refracted sunlight entering the cavern through the opening gives the water its characteristic emerald glow during daylight hours. (Wikipedia)

And again, traffic on the Amalfi Coast…. I had planned to make another stop in Sorrento to visit the Vallone dei Mulini (Valley of Mills) but just when I arrived it started raining and I just drove on in the direction of Pompeii, my next stop.

19/07/2018
Positano

Ciao Positano!

I think it was about here, that the already narrow coastal road got even more narrow with all the parked cars. At least the slow driving and often standing made it possible to enjoy the view and take a few pictures.

And from the other side – looking for a parking space I passed the city by driving by and decided on this point to turn around and just drive into Positano. Which was a good idea as there were a lot of garages – I just took the first one and walked the rest down.

Picture perfect Positano – main “actor” of many movies and the “front cover” of the Amalfi Coast. Stunningly beautiful (esp when seen a little bit from afar) it´s the centre of attraction for many, many people.

The fashionista history runs deep – moda Positano was born here in the ’60s and the town was the first in Italy to import bikinis from France. (Lonely Planet)

Positano was a sleepy and poor fishing village until the mid-century and started to attract larger numbers of tourists in the early 1950ies, especially after the publication of John Steinbeck’s essay in Harpers Bazaar 1953:

“Positano bites deep”, Steinbeck wrote. “It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” (Wikipedia)

Movies and celebrities on vacation made Positano to a dream destination for many!

Positano has been featured in several films, including Only You (1994), and Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), as well as more recently in Kath & Kimderella (2012) and being mentioned in the 2009 musical film Nine in the song “Cinema Italiano”. …

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards from The Rolling Stones wrote the song “Midnight Rambler” in the cafes of Positano while on vacation. (Wikipedia)

Hidden beaches almost everywhere on the Amalfi Coast.

Positano – the vertical city – Ciao!

Traffic along the Amalfi Coast…

17/07/2018
Cetara

Benvenuti in Costiera Amalfitana!

After quite the traffic jam in Salerno, I realized I was back in a busier area – so many people and cars. To enjoy the views and my arriving at the Amalfi Coast I stopped at Cetera, a little town right by the sea (and upon the mountains).

Time for caffé and lunch on the beach!

Named as one of the 19 most beautiful Italian villages by The Telegraph, they describe it as the place to experience how the Amalfi Coast might have been before mass tourism set in. Home to an active fishing fleet and known for salted anchovies.

It was in the distant 879 that Saracen pirates first landed in the area and chose Cetara as their base from where to attack the other towns along the Amalfi Coast. Today, the only sign of Cetara’s turbulent past is the town’s ancient watch tower. (Positano.com)

Cetara is a fiercely traditional fishing village with a reputation as a gastronomic hotspot. It has been an important fishing centre since medieval times and today its deep-sea-tuna fleet is considered one of the Mediterranean’s most important. (Lonely Planet)

Cetera was a beautiful, beautiful start for my time at the Amalfi Coast – but a few kilometres further along the coast I kind of decided to shorten my time there. There were just too many cars and too much traffic etc. After all those relaxed weeks in Puglia & Basilicata, I just wasn´t up for this. I think the best way to experience the coastline is from the sea by boat. The most stunning beaches are down there anyway and there are so many little harbours. #bucketlist

But there are still some pictures to come. I made a stop in Positano and tried to enjoy some other places on the next day early morning.

12/07/2018