Naples
Landing in Rome, we rented cars to drive to Naples. What an experience that was! We arrived in Naples and stayed at the Hotel Excelsior l. Most of the guys came in early for a shopping experience with Alberto's favorite tailor.
Dinner our first night was an incredible evening of great food, wine and song as Alberto took us down the small streets of Naples to a local restaurant. Our waitress imagined herself a great opera star and frequently broke into song.
Dinner our first night was an incredible evening of great food, wine and song as Alberto took us down the small streets of Naples to a local restaurant. Our waitress imagined herself a great opera star and frequently broke into song.
Pompeii
We drove from Naples into Pompeii where we had a private tour of the ruins. The ruins are impressive, but not many places we have visited has left such a daunting imprint as Pompeii.
After our tour we stopped in town for lunch. Doug had his first experience with A l'Encre (Black Risotto with Octopus ink). Great to eat but hard on the smile.
Hotel Luna Convento, Amalfi
"We stayed in an ex-monastery, with a Moresque cloister, enclosing a pleasant small garden decorated with gorgeous flowers. Our rooms, once monks' cells, were equipped with modern comforts and all had the view on the blue glittering sea..." Friederich Preller 1860
Amalfi was founded by the Romans in the IV century A.D.
Driving from Naples to the Almafi Coast was a harrowing experience, both getting out of the city and then the incredible twisting mountain roads.
From an exceptional sea edge position, the Hotel Luna Convento offers sweeping views of the entire bay of Amalfi. The hotel was created from what was once a Convent. Many of the original features have remained unaltered including the central cloister which was founded by St Francis of Assisi in 1222. A watch tower was added as part of the town's defense system against pirate attacks and dates back to the 16th century. (www.lunahotel.it)
Amalfi was founded by the Romans in the IV century A.D.
Driving from Naples to the Almafi Coast was a harrowing experience, both getting out of the city and then the incredible twisting mountain roads.
From an exceptional sea edge position, the Hotel Luna Convento offers sweeping views of the entire bay of Amalfi. The hotel was created from what was once a Convent. Many of the original features have remained unaltered including the central cloister which was founded by St Francis of Assisi in 1222. A watch tower was added as part of the town's defense system against pirate attacks and dates back to the 16th century. (www.lunahotel.it)
Ravello
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Three miles of twisting mountain roads above Amalfi is the gorgeous resort of Ravello that has been attracting celebrities for centuries. This list includes Richard Wagner, Greta Garbo (who spent one of her secluded honeymoons here), Gore Vidal, D.H. Lawrence (who wrote Lady Chatterley’s Lover in Ravello) and an annual summer Music Festival as a salute to Wagner.
The IDC had to visit. |
 Not only did we walk the beautiful town, visiting the Villa Cimbrone's terrace, (named the Terrace of Infinity) but we attended a piano recital that evening and had a wonderful Italian dinner at the Hotel Villa Amore, with its terrace providing a panoramic view of the mountains and the ocean. (www.villaamore.it) |
Gala Dinner - Don Alfonso 1890, Sorrento
We took the ferry over to Sorrento and then taxied up hill to the restaurant of Don Alfonso 1890. This restaurant is not only a foodies delight with exceptional cuisine, but also has a wide selection of excellent wines. 25000 bottles and 1300 brands to be exact. These wines are stored in one of the most striking Italian cellars, originally an ancient Roman tunnel. Going even deeper, the wine cellar contains a cheese aging room 25 meters underground, and yes we were there. (www.donalfonso.com)
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