Praia a Mare & Maratea (12/08/2016)

We decided to go on a day trip to the beach town of Praia a Mare, located on the northern part of Calabria, about 2 hours drive south from Salerno. We decided to leave around 9am, and following the highway southwards, we reached the beach at around 11am. I had been here in July before, so I had looked around for nice beach locatatios; I then believed Buddha Beach would suit perfectly my mom and dad's resquests. Though quite expensive (about 20euros for an umbrella and 2 beach loungers) it was much better than the surrounding ones which were much closer to each other and filled with kids. It greatly reminded us of the beaches in Spain and so my dad was really happy, plus the view was amazing, with the Dino island jutting out from the water right in front of the beach. After dropping out stuff at the umbrella, my brother and I decided to swim towards the island and explore its waters and coastline. The water was crystal clear and there were many fish species and interesting plants all around; we also found out an amazing sea cave that went deep under the island and managed to swim in it for a while before other people started arriving and we decided to swim on. After the swim we headed back to our beach lounges and decided to rest and sun tan for a while. Included in the price were some drinks, so my dad and I decided to have mojitos while enjoying the late afternoon sea breeze. After much relaxing we decided to get back in the car and head towards Salerno stopping in the town of Maratea along the way. Only 30 minutes away from Praia a Mare but already in another region, Basilicata, the town of Maratea sits on top of cliffs overlooking the sea. At its highest point on Monte San Biagio at 623m stands a 31m statue of Christ the Reedemer built in 1965 by Bruno Innocenti with Carrara marble. The ticket cost 3 euros (which I though was quite stupid because you were basically paying to walk on a mountain) but the view was amazing, with sea cliffs looking north and southwards and it was particularly great at this certain time as the sun was just setting behind the horizon. After a great sunset we got back in the car and headed back towards Salerno feeling very hungry but definitely happy for this relaxing day at the beach.

Buddha Beach in Praia a Mare

Sunset from Maratea

The coast south from Maratea

The statue of Christ the Redeemer

View of the statue

Amalfi Coast Boat Trip (05/08/2016)

We decided to take a boat trip from Salerno, along the Amalfi coast, as the weather looked very nice and we were hoping to go without having to take our car along the narrow and winding roads of that area. We left the house quite early and headed along the Lungomare Trieste where we decided to rent the boat. We took a slow but cheap Gozzo, which used to be the typical fishing boat of the area, and now serves as a typical cheap but manageable rental boat. We all then boarded the vehicle and left the coast of Salerno heading west towards our destination. We passed by the towns of Vietri Sul Mare with its impressive houses right above the cliffs, Raito and Cetara (all of which I had previously visited on foot). Then continuing on we went past the village of Erchie with its tower and stone mine and went around the cape an uninhabited and probably the best part of the whole Amalfi coast. Here the cliff are really impressive, reaching almost a few hundred meters, and there are no towns apart from some sporadic medieval Saracen towers that once guarded the way from pirate attacks. We spotted a sea cave and decided to stop our boat and explore it; after swimming for a while and reaching the cave we found out it went all the way inside the rock and the end wasn't really visible, so we decided to head further in through the partial darkness and find out how long it actually was. My brother wasn't really sure and told me to stop three quarters of the way; he was kind of right as the place was getting really dark and the current quite strong so we decided not to risk hurting ourselves. While heading out we spotted a small boat trying to get in the cave and we waved it off saying it wasn't legal to enter with a vehicle (apparently most people don't care and continue to do so resulting in a foul gas smell and not crystal clear water inside the cave). Once out we swam along the cliff side looking at the many fish and plants dotting this side of the sea and we were quite amazed yet scared too by the depth the cliff actually went down underwater. After getting back on the boat we pulled the anchor up and moved on, reaching and passing the towns of Maiori, Minori, Atrani, Amalfi and Ravello on top of a high plateau. We then reached another cape, where the small village of Conca dei Marini is located; we found a perfect small bay where we anchored out boat and decided to take another swim. We took our snorkeling masks and decided to explore the waters around it; the water was amazing and crystal clear and we spotted so many different types of fish and several starfish too, one of which we took up to take a picture of and then swam to put it back. After a refreshing swim we got back on boat and started to head back home as the whole 27km journey would take around two hours. In fact about two hours later we were in Salerno, where we left our boat at the boat rental and headed home to take a shower and relax after this awesome day.

View of Vietri sul Mare

View of Cetara

Beautiful part of the coast

A medieval tower

 

Another view of the coast

View of Amalfi

A starfish

Abruzzo & Molise (30/07-01/08/2016)

We decided to spend this year's summer vacation in Salerno at my aunt's house, so we had the great idea to stop in Scanno on our way there. Before reaching our destination we decided to stop in the town of Sulmona, famous for being the birthplace of Ovid, the roman poet. Sulmona is also famous for its confetti, or sugar coated almonds, and its historical city center. After entering the town and parking the car next to the main square, we were pleased to see they were setting up stands for the upcoming medieval jousting tournament which we decided to see the next day. In the meantime we started walking around appreciating the nice and elegant architecture of this central Italian city. We passed under the medieval aqueduct built in the 13th century and quickly entered the Church of San Francesco della Scarpa before it closed. We then decided to have lunch as we were rather hungry and opted on the Locanda al Quadrivio under suggestion of dad's friend, as the place served typical food in a medieval-like setting (I had some excellent tagliatelle al cinghiale, pasta with wild boar ragú). Following lunch we got back on the streets and gazed at the splendid setting of Piazza XX Settembre with the statue of Ovid at its center and the bell tower of the Church of the Annunziata peeking behind the houses. We then proceeded to visit such church, with an incredible baroque facade and the Gothic convent next to it. The interior was a surprise as it differed completely from the typical central/southern Italian architecture and would have probably been more apt in the Alps. Completely baroque with wood furnishings and three splendid organs it definitely reminded me of a town in Alto Adige. We then traversed the town along the main street, Corso Ovidio, and reached the Cathedral of San Panfilo which was unfortunately closed. We went back into town and walked around a bit eventually entering the Church of Santa Maria della Tomba with a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles. The celebrations for the first day of the tournament were starting but we had decided to visit on the next day as it would be when the main event would take place, so after reaching the car we were back on the road to our next stop; Pacentro. Located just a few kilometers east of Sulmona, this little town nestled on top of a hill and surrounded by the beautiful Majella National Park is not surprisingly part of the club the most beautiful villages in Italy. After missing a turn we finally reached the town and after parking the car we immediately headed towards the castle. Built during the 14th century it features 3 impressive towers towering above the town; the ticket cost 2 euros and was run by a bunch of kids which was funny to witness. Descending then into town we walked through it pretty narrow streets and visited the only church, Santa Maria Maggiore with a pretty interior. We then joined our parents who had stayed at a bar to have something to drink, and found our dad speaking with an old man who apparently had emigrated to the US many years ago and comes back to Pacentro every summer on holiday to see his town and friends. It was then time to go so we got back in the car and finally headed towards Scanno. After reaching our destination we parked the car and checked in the hotel my dad's friend had previously arranged, unfortunately they did not accept dogs so my mom and dad decided to get another room in another place in order to stay with honey our dog. There was still some time before dinner so my brother and I decided to walk Scanno's streets and alleys; we entered the main church Santa Maria della Valle, with a Romanesque exterior and partly Baroque interior, and then headed on enjoying the lively streets and warm atmosphere. We then had a lovely dinner with my dad's friends at the restaurant: Ristorante alla Fonte, on a small square with a beautiful medieval fountain, the Fontana Sarracco. The dinner was great with typical dishes from Abruzzo and the friends were really nice and friendly. The next day we woke up late in the morning and the sun was shining bright, we decided to take another stroll around town and headed downhill to the church of Saint Anthony which had an incredible view up towards the old town. After a long but satysfying lunch we got in the car and decided to start heading back towards Sulmona to watch the jousting tournament; however we discovered on our way there that because of a triathlon happening in Scanno there was an incredible amount of traffic all the way to the lake. Luckily after nearly 1 hour stuck in traffic we managed to slip away from the lake and eventually reach Sulmona. In the meantime we were also able to stop for a quick picture in the town center of Anversa degli Abbruzzi which we had seen while driving: another impressive hilltop town also part of the most beautiful villages in Italy. In Sulmona, we parked the car and headed immediately to buy our tickets, we were just in time to see the opening of the celebration and quickly took place on the assigned stands. The tournament was really entertaining, with the neighborhoods of the town divided into teams represented by a chevalier who had to challenge another one into taking as many rings as possible with the spear. After several turns only two were left for the final, and Porta Manaresca won this year's tournament. Following the celebrations after the event, we headed to another restaurant also recommended by my father's friend, called Clemente where we had a really good and typical dinner. Back in Scanno, the next day we woke up late and decided to walk to the lake; we took a trail called the Heart's trail heading from the town of Scanno up to a hermitage and then around a hill where the lake from up top looked just like a heart. Descending then down to the lake side we waited for our mom to pick us up with the car and bring us back to town in time for lunch. It was our last moment here in Abruzzo as we had planned to leave right after, so after a hearty meal and thanking and saying goodbye to our friends, we got all our luggage and drove on towards Salerno. Before reaching our destination I wanted to stop in the town of Isernia, as a joke in Italy says that in truth the region called Molise actually doesn't exist so I wanted to refute such belief. The town is very small, about 20 thousand inhabitants, and was heavily bombed during WWII, however it never fully recovered and looked quite dull and sad. After parking the car we immediately headed to the town's main attraction: the Fontana Fraterna, a part roman part medieval fountain, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Italy. Right next to it was the small museum dedicated to the bombing of Isernia in 1943, with models, objects and several pictures. Inside we found a nice lady who was actually from the U.S. but whose parents were from Isernia, so after many years she had decided to come back. Walking on we passed along the main street, then reaching the Cathedral, built in the 19th century in a Neoclassical style over a previous 13th century Cathedral that had been destroyed by an earthquake, and standing on top of a 3rd century B.C. temple. The only medieval feature remaining is the 13th century bell tower, under which passes the main street and sided by 4 roman statues. Heading on we reached the far end of the town with the church of Santa Maria, which was unfortunately closed so we just decided to head back towards the car. After getting in we finally left heading towards Salerno where we would spend the next 3 weeks at my aunt's house.

Piazza XX Settembre in Sulmona

Interior of the Church of the Annunziata

The celebrations of the Jousting tournament

The town of Pacentro

View of Scanno from the Church of Santo Antonio

Another view of Scanno

 

The crowd dusring the tournament

The chevaliers trying to catch the rings

Scanno's lake in the form of a heart
 

The Fontana Fraterna in Isernia
 

The medieval bell tower in Isernia

Capua (08/072016)

Today's choice was to visit the ancient town of Capua, located north of Naples. I took an early train from Salerno and reached Caserta train station, from there I then took a bus which dropped me off in the town of Santa Maria Capua Vetere about 7km west. I started my visit with the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, with a baroque interior but some old features still remaining such as roman columns and mosaics. After that I went to the Roman Amphitheater, the second largest in the world after the Colosseum, and one of the oldest in the roman world, it is also famous for being the starting point for Spartacus' rebellion. Unfortunately only a part of the outer ring is fully standing, the one facing south, but nonetheless it was fascinating to walk inside, alone without any other tourists, but with just the company of the guardian's two dogs following me everywhere I went. I also really enjoyed walking below ground level, where the gladiators and the beasts were kept, and also seeing some Samnite tombs from the 4th century B.C. From there I went to see the Archaeological museum, which housed several interesting roman and samnite remains from the area, such as vases, statues, tombs and other objects. Also part of the museum ticket was a visit to a nearby roman mithraeum, an underground temple dedicated to the god Mithra, one of the best preserved in the world, with many frescoes still intact, particularly that of the god killing a bull. I then decided to head north west on foot and visit the medieval town of Capua. I exited Santa Maria Capua Vetere, by walking under Hadrian's arch, a roman arch now serving as the western's city gate. About 12km later I entered Capua through its southern Naples' gate, passed by the Church of the Santissima Annunziata, which was unfortunately closed, but I managed to get in the Church of Sant'Eligio, with a completely white baroque interior, Reaching the far western end of the town, I gave a look at the the roman bridge, with two medieval towers at its end, which was both bombed during WWII but then reconstructed. Not far I went past the Church of Montevergine, which was closed, but a little further on found the Duomo was open so decided to enter. Though heavily bombed during WWII and reconstructed after that, it still holds a few traces of its medieval origin such as the 9th cetury bell tower, the 11th century atrium with roman columns, a medieval crypt with byzantine decorations and a roman sarcophagus. After that I tried to visit the archaeological museum, but found out it was only open in the morning for just a few days of the week, bummer! I was getting a bit hungry so I decided to look for a place to eat, I found this little inn, called Locanda del Pozzo, where the friendly owner talked to me about his town and other stuff as I was the only one there, I had some bruschettas at the beginning and a really good pasta scarpariello, with tomato sauce (total was 10 euros with water included). Right across from the inn is the Castello delle Pietre, a norman castle built in an interesting architectural style. It was then time to go so I got back on the road and travelled in the direction of Caserta, walking back through Capua and passing by an ancient roman tomb on the side of the road as it once was the famous Appian road, eventually reaching Caserta's train station where I got my ride back home. 

The roman amphitheater from the outside 

The amphitheater from the inside

Under the amphitheater

One of the objects inside the museum

The temple of Mithra

Naples gate in Capua

The roman/medieval bridge

The atrium of the Cathedral

One of the streets in Capua

Castellabate (07/07/2016)

My aunt and my cousin Alexandra decided to take me to the town of Castellabate to meet Alexandra's religion teacher and see the old town. We left Salerno after lunch and about 1 hour and 30 minutes later reached our destination. We picked up the teacher and his parents that were holidaying in the fraction of Castellabate called Santa Maria which sits directly on the waterfront with many historic houses, palaces, a medieval tower and two pretty churches. We then drove uphill until we reached the center of Castellabate, perched on the hilltop overlooking the surrounding landscape and the sea below. The town's name translates to Abbot's Castle as its castle was built by the abbot Costabile Gentilcore during the 12th century. So after reaching the top we parked the car and continued on foot exploring its streets and buildings, as this town is  part of the club, the most beautiful villages in Italy.
Walking up steep steps and narrow alleys we reached the small but pretty main square where we sat down at the local bar and had something to drink. Walking further up we reached the highest spot of the town where the castle is located; next to it a beautiful panoramic point with an amazing view over the sea. After taking several photos we went back into town and saw the main church: the Basilica di Santa Maria de Giulia with a baroque style but still some medieval remains such as the baptismal font, some parts of majolica floor and the bell tower. We then went in the church for mass since Alexandra's teacher was requested to be the priest that day. After mass we were getting hungry so after asking the locals for a place to eat we were told to go to the restaurant just below the castle where we enjoyed a great dinner and an awesome sunset over the sea.

One of the streets in Castellabate

View from the main square

View of the main square

View from the panoramic point

View towards the town of Santa Maria

View from the panoramic point

The Basilica and the bell tower

Caserta (04/07/2016)

This time I decided to head to the city of Caserta and visit the immense Palace of Caserta, a Unesco world heritage site. So I took an early train from Salerno and reached Caserta at around 8:50. I then crossed the street from the station and found myself in front of the Palace (In terms of volume, it is the largest royal residence in the world with a volume of 2 million cubic meters.). I payed the ticket (6euros reduced price) and decided to visit the building first and the park after. The whole palace has 5 floors and 1200 rooms, including two dozen state apartments, a large library, a chapel and a theatre. Construction started in 1752 for the then king of Naples and Spain Charles III in the Baroque style by famous architect Luigi Vanvitelli, but wasn't fully completed until 1845. I walked up the amazing monumental staircase and reached the main floor where the monumental rooms started (Caserta has more than 40 monumental rooms completely decorated with frescoes when, in comparison, Versailles counts only 22 monumental rooms). All rooms were lavishly decorated with ceiling paintings, statues and baroque decorations and some were really impressive such as the Throne room, while other were peculiar such as the one with the two Prince's cribs and another with the first bidet in Italy. Next to the rooms was the Palatine Chapel which had unfortunately been bombed during WWII but faithfully restored and splendid looking. After visiting the palace I decided to head out and walk through the park; it is so big that they rent bikes and horse carriage ride just outside the door. I decided to walk instead and head up the main road that cut through like an immense boulevard. Along the way were many impressive fountains such as the Fountain of the Dolphins, the Fountain of Aeolus, the Fountain of Ceres and the Fountain of Diana and Actaeon which ended the park uphill with a beautiful waterfall. Next up was the English garden part of the park, with a completely different display to that of the orderly baroque rest of the park. Here were fake archaeological ruins, botanical plants coming from all around the world and many pavilions overrun by weeds. After thoroughly walking around I decided to head on, and after trying to exit the park from the top I found out I had to walk all the way back to the entrance to exit (another 4km). I was able to find a secondary exit right before the Palace where a local guard let me go out even though I wasn't supposed to. From there I walked further north and reached the small village of San Leucio, were another royal residence is located, also part of the Caserta one. This one was used as a hunting grounds, and then later transformed into a silk factory, thus a village was created around it to bring in workers from the nearby towns. Still today many silks are ordered by Buckingham Palace, the White House, Quirinale and Chigi palaces. The museum was unfortunately closed as it was lunchtime and would remain so till late afternoon, so I decided to eat and head on. In the village I found a small grocery store that sold meats and cheese that made a really tasty sandwich for me. Walking for a while, I passed under Caserta's park and then eventually after a long uphill hike reached the town of Casertavecchia, which used to be the old town of Caserta before being moved close to the Palace in construction. Once I reached the town center, by walking through its really pretty medieval alleyways, I decided to see the Cathedral which I found closed. However a couple from nearby Venice was also waiting to get in so we decided to wait for the custodian to open it. The locals told us he would come soon but first he had to take his daily drink at the bar; 20 minutes later he arrived and finally opened the Cathedral for us. The Cathedral built during the 12th century in the Romanesque style has a beautiful bell-tower under which runs a small alleyway and an interesting interior. Most of the columns are roman in origin, and several decorations are early christian and byzantine in style, such as the pulpit(very similar to that in Salerno's, Ravello and Amalfi's Cathedrals). The couple that entered with me though was quite strange and both were looking around for something, at first I though they might be thinking of stealing, especially when the woman went to the main altar and picked up the cloth covering it, however as soon as they saw me looking they explained they were looking for the spiritual center of the church as they were esoteric students and did so everywhere they went. That creeped me out a little bit so I just waved them goodbye and left. It was time to go so I got back on my feet and walked downhill until I reached, nearly out of energies but satisfied, Caserta's train station and eventually home in Salerno.

The entrance of the Palace

The monumental staircase

Detail of a frescoe

One of the many monumental rooms

The huge throne room

Two interesting cribs

The Palatine Chapel

View of the park

The park and its fountains

Detail of one of the fountains

The fountain of Actaeon

View from the top

The english garden

San Leucio royal residence

The bell tower of Casertavecchia

Interior of the Cathedral

The dome of the cathedral

Medieval alleyway in Casertavecchia