VACATIONING ITALIAN STYLE BY BEVERLY STEPHEN
Amalfi Coast Photo: Giuseppe Milo
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f life gives you lemons, make Limoncello. Or lemon granita, or lemon pasta, or ceramic lemons, or lemon Christmas decorations. Italy’s Amalfi coast, stretching some 30 miles between Sorrento and Salerno, is one of the most stunningly beautiful places on earth which, of course, is the main reason you go there. But you can’t help but admire the remarkable Amalfi lemons, some almost as large as grapefruit, and the ingenuity of the local population for finding so many uses for their abundant crop. Its moderate Mediterranean climate encourages the growth not only of lemons but also limes and oranges. A wealth of other produce and the freshest seafood make it a gastronomic paradise as well as a scenic wonder protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. You will be astonished by the jaw dropping cliffs plunging down to the sea and wonder how in the world the locals managed to build all those pastel and terra cotta-colored villas appearing to dangle off the mountainsides. Sorrento and Positano are the main jumping
off points for ferries to the magical island of Capri. Visitors tend to have a favorite town for a home base although travel is relatively quick between on the SITA buses which rival the thrill of Disney’s Magic Kingdom rides as they wend their way along the narrow coastal road. Gore Vidal so loved Ravello he stayed for 30 years. I preferred the tiny village of Praiano between Positano and Amalfi because it has no mass throngs of tourists. Its San Gennaro church, with its majolica tiled dome, is one of the loveliest I’ve seen in Italy and yet it rarely has visitors. It has the most remarkable floors with inlaid tiles featuring peacocks and golden sunbursts. “Oh yes, my father did the tiles,“ says Domingo, a manager at the Tramonto d’Oro hotel, my home base for a few days, which actually felt like home because of the friendly staff. Domingo added, “My father is the brother of Carmela” (the hotel owner). Some evenings Carmela might have her elderly mother Teresa in tow or Domingo’s wife will show up with their infant underlining the homey atmosphere of their 72-year-old familial
enterprise. Head waiter Giuseppe has been on staff for 45 years. And Gennaro the bartender makes glorious cocktails such as an Aperol Spritz garnished not only with an orange slice but also an imposing orange leaf and he likes to get creative sometimes flavoring a gin and tonic with basil instead of lime. (note to Gennaro: stick with the limes.) The hotel has 38 rooms, each different. Those with the best and fullest sea views naturally command the highest price. A staircase of 400 steps (yes, 400!) leads down to the beach. The restaurant is world class and its breakfast buffet replete with pastries, cakes, and fresh fruits is fit for a king. It offers cooking classes as do many of the hotels in the region. There are a handful of other restaurants and hotels in the tiny village of 2,000. One makes day trips to Amalfi to tour its Limoncello factory or visit the magnificent cathedral, to Positano for its charming labyrinthine streets filled with lemon themed ceramic shops, smart restaurants, and fashionable boutiques. Or to Ravello
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