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Amalfi Coast, Italy – Part Two

Amalfi Coast

Our second day to the Amalfi Coast, we learned that it is a jagged and very difficult area to navigate. Even with a car it is very windy and has only a few, very narrow roads. Cut out of rock, with the only barrier between you and a thousand foot drop, is an eighteen inch thick concrete wall. Most of the time you can take photographs over it from sitting in your vehicle, so aside from the danger, the road offers amazing views of the sea and the coast.

Getting There

There are not many options, aside from bus service and driving. Bus service seems to be a thriving business, but how they negotiate the roads is beyond me. We found it treacherous enough in our private tour van. If you are prone to motion sickness, take your medication before you leave and attempt the drive.

Mind The Nap

We used Mind The Nap private tours for a two day tour of several towns and a lemon experience. They picked up us up at our hotel in Chiaia and it took us over an hour to go through Naples and over the mountains to the coast.

The views on the first part of the drive were all of Naples and the surrounding area. However, once we ascended the steep mountains and crossed over the top, we entered Sorrento and the jagged coast of Amalfi.

Our tour driver Pasquale used SS163, so we approached Positano from the west.  This allowed us to stop along the route several times to enjoy the coastline views.

Positano

Positano is a small, but beautiful little seaside town at the end of the Amalfi Coast. It is probably the most charming out of all the towns you will find on the coastline. The Strand, or Beach, is small by italian standard, but is most likely filled during the summer, even though it is mostly rocky and you probably have to use footwear.

The town is full of stairways and tiny, narrow walkways. In the off-season it is fairly quiet and some of the establishments may not be open until June. Of course, like other places along this coast, you will find a lot of pottery and glassware.

Santa Maria Assunta Church

One of the more prominent features in town is the church Santa Maria Assunta. It is one of the churches that has a Black Madonna from the thirteenth century Byzantine period.

Ferry Service

There is Ferry Service from Positano to other parts of the coast. This can be a very effecient way to visit the other towns along the coast, especially if you do not want to negotiate the treacherous roads.

We took the ferry from Positano to Amalfi, while our tour driver drove the route to the other location. It is highly recommended, since you get a perfect view of the coastline, the towns along and the mountains as a backdrop, at least on a clear day.

Restaurants

We didn’t really eat here, but we did stop for a drink. The view from many of the bars on the boardwalk is very relaxing and enjoyable.

Blu Bar

At the Blu Bar we just stopped for drinks, which euphemistically means that we had to use the bathroom. The drinks were fairly high-priced, but the facilities were very clean and well maintained. Not sure I would eat here though, the reviews were not very good.

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Chieri, Italy – A Hundred Tower Town

Day Trip To Chieri

Surrounded on the three sides, by what are generally called the Hills of Piedmont (for which Superga Hill is one), sits the town of Chieri. A town that goes back to ancient times, due to the richness of the area and the Po river valley.

From Turin it is easy to get to Chieri. One can either take a bus or take the Sfm1 train from Porta Susa, which runs about every thirty minutes, it is about a thirty minute ride to Chieri and the last stop for this train.

Chieri – Patti at the Tandem Bar on Vittorio Emanuele II

The main pedestrian way, via Vittorio Emanuele II, is a short walk from the train station and has numerous cafes and bars, here you can purchase a coffee or other drink, before you explore this quaint little town.

Town Of A Hundred Towers

During the early middle ages, the town once had numerous towers, especially built into the town wall,  which were erected (like in many other towns in  Italy) as defensive structures. Most of these were destroyed by Frederick Barbarossa’s army when they laid waste to the town in 1154. However, a few still remain, one of which can be seen below.

Church of Sant Giorgio

This is the highest point and from here you can get a commanding view of the town, as seen in the two photographs above and the beginning photograph.

Other than that, there’s not much else to do in Chieri,  except perhaps amble through its quiet streets and perhaps do some shopping. Here is a short slide show of some of the other things you can see while here.

Restaurants

With limited time we were only able to visit one restaurant while here,  though several that came up on our search were not open until the evening. However, you will find the choice below to be exceptionally good, if and when you have the chance to visit this charming little town in Piedmont.

Trattoria della Erbe

Chieri – Trattoria delle Erbe

This trattoria sits on the corner of the Piazza Umberto I and via San Domenico, is fairly non-descript, but the food is authentic Sardinian and quite good.

Chieri – Trattoria delle Erbe – Caponata Siciliana

The menu changes daily and is posted on both a board outside and on the window next to the entrance. The menu is restrictive, as for most small establishments like this one, but everything we ordered was quite tasty and delicious. We started with some antipasti, a Caponata Siciliana, served with eggplant, onion, peppers, green olives and other goodies, not hot, but just warmed a bit. A slight tinge of vinegar mixed with the tomato based sauce was just right to get the taste buds to pucker for more. Our mains, or primis, came out a short time after and included the Levantine di Mare for Patti and for me, the Ravioli Sardi. Both were delicious and portioned correctly, just enough to leave a little room for dessert!

The dessert was actually unexpectedly delicious and savory. A Sardinian Seada or Seadas, that can only be explained as a kind of dough pocket filled with assorted cheese,  heated and served with honey. The sweetness of the honey and the saltiness of the cheese make for an unexpectedly tasty treat.

Chieri – Trattoria delle Erbe – Seada or Seadas

Top that off later with a caffè and Sambuca (to make caffè corretto of course) and you have the culmination of the great lunch.

All in all,  Chieri makes a great day trip, if only just to walk around and soak up its quiet stillness, after being in Turin for a few weeks. If only to experience some great Sardinian food at this trattoria!