Tag: roadtrip

  • Slaters Bridge

    A bus brought me from Liverpool to Manchester Airport where I picked up my travel companion for the next weeks. Together we started our road trip to the Lake District. After some hours of driving, we arrived at High Park Farm, my home for the next days. Situated in the lovely valley of Little Langdale a little evening stroll just had to be done!

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    My lovely hosts Tony and Wendy had pointed out some places of interests but to be honest, it was just gorgeous in any direction! A lot of the area and the cottages are owned by the National Trust, often having been gifted by Beatrix Potter. Little Langdale used to be an intersection of packhorse routes around the Lake District. In 2012 the picturesque valley was used for filming “Snow White and the Huntsman”.

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    It´s almost hard to believe that the area has been heavily mined and quarried over the last centuries, in particular for copper and slate.

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    First view of Slater´s Bridge – an ancient, handmade footbridge (and maybe small packhorses) crossing river Brathay. Probably used by the mine workers to get to the mines and quarries.

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    On my way back I came across this tree with coins in it, something I already saw in the last view days. But even my hosts didn´t know why people do it and how this tradition started. Is it for luck? If you know, let me know!

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  • Positano

    positano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holiday

    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.

    positano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holidaypositano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holiday

    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.

    positano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holidaypositano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holiday

    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.

    positano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holiday

    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, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holidaypositano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holiday

    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)

    positano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holiday

    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)

    positano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holidaypositano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holidaypositano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holidaypositano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holiday

    Hidden beaches almost everywhere on the Amalfi Coast.

    positano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holiday

    Positano – the vertical city – Ciao!

    positano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holidaypositano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holidaypositano, italia, roadtrip, campania, amalfi coast, dream holiday

    Traffic along the Amalfi Coast…

  • Cetara

    Benvenuti in Costiera Amalfitana!

    cetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

    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).

    cetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

    Time for caffé and lunch on the beach!

    cetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitzcetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

    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.

    cetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitzcetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitzcetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

    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)

    cetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitzcetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitzcetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

    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, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

    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

    cetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitzcetera, amalfi coast, italy, campania, roadtrip, ursula schmitz

    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.