Expats head to the Amalfi Coast: summer 2020
Our second summer in Italy came after we had just been in lockdown for about 3 months. Covid hit our area particularly hard. If you hadn’t heard about Bergamo before, you do now thanks to Covid. It’s where we relocated from the US in 2019 and 9 months later Bergamo became the epicenter of this virus second to China. We were in strict lockdown for about 3 months. We were all looking forward to summer as spring came and went and we had no hope that things would get better sooner than later.
Finally summer was approaching and Europe was open for tourism, but only for Europeans. When we started thinking about where we would go for our summer vacation we thought we would head for the south. The Amalfi coast and the region of Puglia sounded perfect! We would be driving so we planned our trip first stopping in Siena to break up the drive.
First Stop: Chianti region
Driving through the Tuscan region was amazing. The endless rows of the Sangiovese grapes made us want to stop a bit and explore the area. We’ve been to Florence and have been wine tasting in this region before, but we felt like stopping here for lunch would really be special. One instagram account I follow is Dario Cecchini, a famous butcher in Panzano. He has been on Netflix’s Chef’s Table show and has a butcher shop and restaurant in the same space. You are able to choose which restaurant you would like to eat at depending on your budget and menu. If you’re close to Panzano while driving through Chianti, this is a must stop.
Our next stop was Siena where we had booked a hotel for a night. This small Tuscan town is so charming. It’s home to the Palio, a horse race held twice a year in the Piazza del Campo, which is regarded as one of the most beautifuo squares in Europe. Have an aperitivo (Italian snack and drink) in this piazza and enjoy.
About a 4 hour drive headed south, our next stop was Pompeii. This was one of the highlights of our trip to the south. So much history and a lot of it preserved thanks to the 79 AD volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. You can see the volcano from afar and it is just amazing to spend a few hours taking it all in. Booking with a local tour guide while you are at the entrance is a good idea to really understand everything you are looking at. We did and our tour guide was really full of information.
We continued heading south and stopped in Sorrento at the beginning of the Amalfi Coast. We took a ferry to Capri and spent the day there. The blue grotto was closed due to the currents, but we still took a tour around the island. This island is truly a gem in Italy and much loved by Americans who flock here in the summer months. Take the bus from the port and head up to Anacapri. Walk through the narrow alleys, do some limoncello tasting, have sandals made in front of you by a shoe maker, and then head to the piazza for pictures and of course an aperitivo to people watch. The shops could be pricey but so worth finding something special to take back as a souvenir.
The next day we headed to the last town in the Amalfi Coast, Vietri sul Mare. This is where the Italian ceramics are famous from. We took the quicker route and not along the coast line as we’ve been told, it can get very narrow following winding roads maneuvering the streets along with huge tour buses trying to do the same thing. We checked in to our amazing villa with ocean views and settled in. We set our Amalfi adventure here as we thought it would be a good vase to see the towns and still be away from the touristy spots. Looking back now, I think a better idea would have been to stay more central, maybe in the town of Amalfi for example and that way you aren’t so far. The distances between the towns are not so far, but the route is what takes the most as driving through the coast is challenging and takes time. We took another boat tour, this time of the coast line, stopping in Positano and Amalfi. Our boat skipper knew of a nice restaurant only reachable by boat. We had anchovies in oil, gnocchi alla sorentina, white wine with peaches, all the girls would go for a swim and jump off the rocks. The day could not have been more perfect!
We spent our time in Amalfi exploring the different towns, buying ceramics in Vietri, and eating the best and freshest seafood on this beautiful coastline. It made me realize, there is a reason it is one of the most popular destinations in Italy.
Heading East
On our way to our next destination, we stopped in the town of Matera. Wonder Woman, The Passion of the Christ, No Time to Die, and so many other movies have been filmed here. It is a breath taking town full of cave dwellings dating back to the Paleolithic era. Don’t go in the summer, we were so hot it was unbearable! The afternoon we spent there still was unbelievable and you should definitely add this stop to your itinerary.
Our final stop
Our last destination of our 2 week trip was to the region of Puglia. Located in the heel of Italy’s boot, it is known for having the most beautiful beaches way down south. We stayed in Monopoli, thinking that was more of a central location, but it ended up being still too far to drive to the southern most area of Salento. We still fit in a few stops like Alberobello, Polignano a Mare, and Ostuni. During the drives around Puglia, we visited a grotto called Castellana Grotte, a mozzarella farm, and took a boat ride from Polignano a Mare.
The airbnb we stayed in Monopoli looked so nice from the pictures. Ocean view right in the center of town, what more could you ask for? Well, it turned out that when we arrived, it was not ready, even though the owner knew exactly what time we would be arriving. Then he told us that the previous guest broke the lock from the door that leads to the back, which leads to a public walking street that is frequented by many tourists walking by at all hours of the day. He said it was fine and showed us how it could be closed from the inside. One push, and that door would be open in seconds! How could we sleep at night, or leave for the day worrying if our stuff would still be there when we got back? Anyways, we complained and the owner set us up in his other apartment for the night while he got someone to fix it. Our stay in Puglia was definitely memorable. The location was unbelievable, and the area just seemed straight out of a movie.
Making our way back north
For our trip back north, we decided to stop to see where Padre Pio is held, a small town called San Giovanni Rotundo. He was a Franciscan Capuchin, friar, priest, stigmatist, and mystic, now venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. It is amazing to see because his body is on display and it remains in such good condition. He is credited by his fellow friars with more than 1,000 miraculous cures and interventions. So many people make the pilgrimage to visit him and I am so glad we did too!
Our drive continued north, stopping in Cesenatico. We booked an all inclusive for 3 nights. Our hotel included our meals and had plenty of entertainment for the kids. By the pool, a camp like group of young adults danced, sang and made games for the kids to participate in. The girls mad friends fast and loved being the center of attention as they were the only Americans staying in the hotel.
This was our final stop. With so much driving and non stop activities, we were glad to just relax by the pool or beach each day during our stay and do nothing. What a great way to end our 2 week vacation. Our videos of our adventures are here: https://youtu.be/f0dPug3E3y4 and part 2: https://youtu.be/-LB_mGdgcu8
