This is part 2 of our trip to Vietri Sul Mare, if you missed part 1 or forgot where we left off check out part 1 here!
I’m a night owl and one of the best places for folks like me is a tiny hillside Italian town during one of the longest days of the year. Why? Because it gives us night owls another excuse to stay up. Plus in summer it’s warm so we can sit outside and spy on the neighbors as they come home even later than us.
With a glass of crisp nondescript white wine picked up at a grocery store down in the Marina (AKA Marina di Vietri), we sat out on the back deck of the ‘treehouse’ apartment in Albori overlooking the dark valley and glittering lights adorning the edges of the Amalfi Coast and Tyrrhenian Sea.
You’d think the town would be dark and quiet, but if there’s one thing about southern Italians they love to sit on the front stoop during summer and chit-chat with their neighbors. Voices and laughter flowed up from the piazza to our secret terrace as the light from the clock on the adjacent church lit up the sky. The night was moonless no more.
As our friends drifted off to bed, Giuseppe and I sat and talked. Knowing I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, he often indulges my long-winded and imaginative questions. Which usually begin with something like this…
…If it were the 15th century and…
…If the Greeks hadn’t invaded yet…
…During the dark ages do you think that…
…Do you think Homer…
And it goes on and on. Here’s the thing, until spending time in Spain and Italy, I’d never lived anywhere that truly felt old. The Bay Area, where I’m from, is the beating heart of the tech industry or in other words, the representation of everything new. So it never ceases to amaze me when I visit places that feel old in the context of human history and architecture.
Giuseppe on the other hand pretty much grew up in a living piece of Greek-Italian mythology. His hometown, Le Castella, is mentioned in the Greek poet Homer’s The Odyssey and much of the coast in southern Italy was named Magna Grecia, meaning ‘Greater Greece’, by the Romans. Still to this day, the people from these regions embrace this piece of their heritage.
Southern Italy, especially the area of Naples and the Amalfi Coast, feels like places where things have happened. And well, they are… Here are a few cliff notes.
In the 8th century BC Homer details how the Gods of Olympus created the Amalfi Coast in The Odyssey.
In 79 AD the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted destroying the wealthy cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Covered in ash which eventually solidified, the cities were incredibly well preserved.
In the 15th century, craftspeople in Vietri Sul Mare began making jaw-dropping polychrome ceramics.
During the late 1700s, the Kingdom of Two Sicilies is formed and is one of the wealthiest and most technically advanced states in Europe.
There’s the invention of the ‘modern pizza’ in Naples in the 1700s, with the dish being perfected in the 1800s.
The first railway in Italy was Naples–Portici which opened in 1839.
Speaking of volcanos and pizza, archeologists recently found a very familiar-looking flat, round bread, covered in toppings in a freshly unearthed fresco in Pompeii!!
We were abruptly awakened by a head-jarring clang. Actually, it was two deafening pieces of metal banging together. We slept with the door ajar and our room opened directly onto the beautiful adjacent church which ironically acted as the moon the night before. Thank goodness for double shutters and updated doors and windows.
Our only complaint about staying right next to a church is the early morning bells. Which isn’t really a problem as long as you too are a morning person. But we have confirmed that I am not. Giuseppe on the other hand, can quickly fall back into his farmer pattern and rise with the sun.
If we can offer any travel advice about visiting the Amalfi Coast this summer it’s to bring earplugs, bug spray (the mosquitos!!!), patience for large crowds, and make sure you have your transportation dialed down before you arrive.
Are you planning a trip soon?
Giuseppe and I now offer travel consulting and itineraries for southern Italy! This service is great for travelers who need guidance and structure for their trip but want the flexibility to make or adjust their own plans. If you have questions or are interested just respond to this email!
We’ve gotten our first reviews in and are so happy to hear how much our clients are enjoying their stays in this beautiful country.
"Giuseppe and Skyler give so generously of themselves, with deeply-felt enthusiasm and insight. By following their suggestions, we efficiently explored from the seaside to the mountains, ate and drank marvelously, and relished the sensations of living like locals."
Best restaurants in Vietri Sul Mare
I don’t think we’ve ever had a bad meal in Campania and thank goodness. Here are some of our favorite meals from our trip…
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