Photos and the City

Tag: my big fat italian roadtrip

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
Paestum

Paestum was a major Greek city on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, named Poseidonia (c. 625 BC) – later conquered by the Romans who gave Paestum its current name.

Much the most celebrated features of the site today are the three large temples in the Archaic version of the Greek Doric order, dating from about 550 to 450 BC. All are typical of the period, with massive colonnades having a very pronounced entasis (widening as they go down), and very wide capitals resembling upturned mushrooms. Above the columns, only the second Temple of Hera retains most of its entablature, the other two having only the architrave in place. (Wikipedia)

They were dedicated to Hera, Athena and Poseidon or in Roman times: Juno, Minerva and Neptune. They were built between 550 BC to 400 BC.

The whole ancient city of Paestum covers an area of approximately 120 hectares. It is only the 25 hectares that contain the three main temples and the other main buildings that have been excavated. The other 95 hectares remain on private land and have not been excavated. The city is surrounded by defensive walls that still stand. (Wikipedia)

While walking around the Forum and Amphitheater it suddenly started to rain cats and dogs – it was quite the storm. Seeking shelter next to a wall a nice British couple took me under their umbrella. The heavy rains and windstorm lasted for almost half an hour and was quite the spectacle. After being soaked within seconds I only tried to keep my camera dry and safe.

Even dripping wet I continued my walk through the area when the rain had stopped. At least it was empty then.

Find out more about the temples on the website of Parco Paestum. I had planned to go to one of the amazing beaches afterwards but decided to go back to Agropoli and get some dry clothes. But I came back to one of the beaches a few days later…. Lido delle Sirene.

05/07/2018