A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
Wednesday, October 4, 2023 . In the early morning, after a quick and delicious breakfast at our Aquatio Hotel, we returned to the Parcheggio Sant'Isodoro (Parking Garage) and set out on our drive to Alberobello. . . On the way from Matera, the roads were primarily single-lane and only sometimes well-paved. When we reached wider freeways, the roads were much better (and speed limits much…
Read More: Trulli beautiful Alberobello
Tuesday, October 3, 2023. After touring the Norman Steps at Castelmezzano, we returned to our Opel Corsa rental (Hertz), parked in the blue spaces on Strada Provinciale 13, and set off for Matera. . . . . I connected my iPhone 14 to the Opel's USB port, and Apple CarPlay started working! It was a great help in navigating the complex roads to Matera. The…
Read More: Exploring Matera
Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Castelmezano is a member of the I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy") association, and the grand views around the village certainly warrant that lofty claim. . . . In the morning, we woke at 7:30, showered, and dressed. We had to pack our clothes to prepare for the drive to Matera. . . . Before leaving…
Read More: Hiking the Path of the Seven Stones
Once our Alilauro ferry docked in Sorrento, we rushed to the taxi area, hoping to catch a taxi. We needed to get to the Hertz Rental Agency ASAP (before it closed for lunch at 13:00). . Unfortunately, there were no taxis. This was a big surprise since taxis know the ferry schedule and should be happy for additional business. . . . . . After…
Read More: Driving to Castemezzano with a stop in Salerno
To relax during our two-week trip to southern Italy, Inna made reservations for 3 days at the San Montana Resort & Spa on the island of Ischia (off the coast of Naples). Ischia is one hour away from Sorrento by ferry (making it convenient to visit). . . . . Friday, September 29, 2023. While in Sorrento, we woke at 7:00, dressed, and packed our…
Read More: Relaxing on Ischia
Inna reserved a private, chartered boat tour of the Amalfi Coast for my birthday. However, unfavorable marine conditions forced a change of plans one day before my birthday. Inna rescheduled the time for Thursday, September 28th, hoping the Tyrrhenian Sea would get calmer. . . . . Luckily, the weather improved, and we were first picked up by a driver from Corso Italia (flags). He…
Read More: Boating on Amalfi Coast
Wednesday, September 27, 2023 . . . . . . Inna made reservations for a small boat tour of Capri from Sorrento. After reviewing multiple tours and companies, she settled on the following boat tour hosted by YouKnow: . . Capri & Blue Grotto Boat Trip-Prime Experience with max. 8 guests from Sorrento . We were picked up by a small tour bus at 7:30…
Read More: Beautiful Capri
Inna booked Luciano, a private tour guide, for an 8-hour Amalfi Coast tour with stops in Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, and Ravello. . . . . We woke at 7:00, showered, and got dressed for the tour. At 7:45, we left our Bed and Breakfast on Corso Italia 185 and walked 3 minutes to Gentile Cafe, our favorite nearby cafe. . . We sat down and…
Read More: Driving on Amalfi Coast
Inna originally booked a boat tour for my birthday, but an unfavorable marine forecast necessitated rescheduling. Instead, we decided to hike the world-famous Path of the Gods (Sentiero Degli Dei). . We woke up at 7:00 a.m., showered, and walked to our favorite Gentile Cafe for a quick Italian breakfast of pastries and cappuccinos. I also stopped by the nearby Deutsche Bank to withdraw 200.00…
Read More: Hiking Path of the Gods
After visiting Pompeii, we boarded the local train from Pompeii's Scavi Villa Dei Misteri station to Naples' Garibaldi station. . . Inna had an idea to taste the best pizza in the world, which is supposed to be served at L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. However, when we walked from Piazza Garibaldi to the pizzeria, the line was very long, and the last person was holding…
Read More: Visiting Naples