In the continuing story of two of our favorite friends, Marc & Debby Waldman, went to another of our favorite places…The Amalfi Coast…again without us. We enjoyed living vicariously through Marc’s and want to share it.
As I settle into seat 34L for the god awful flight back across the Atlantic, here are a few ruminations regarding the end of the trip in southern Italy. My blood pressure has returned to normal after having to negotiate our way through the winding narrow streets of Sorrento at rush hour this morning (but more to come on driving later).
If there was any minuscule complaint regarding our amazing stay at Tenuta Aiola in Tuscany, it was that the beautiful pool was too cold to enjoy (apparently, weeks of cold and rain before we arrived). The solution, drive 411 kilometers (our trusty Audi again providing great service) south to the hillside village of Massa Lubrense (just at the start of the Amalfi Coast ). While Deb and I stowed our gear at a little apartment on the edge of town, the rest of our traveling party settled into the four floor gorgeous Villa Lika, nestled high on the cliffs facing due west over the Bay of Naples. The only trouble, trying to find it and then getting a car to it. The drive/entry is a winding one lane road (and I use that term generously) lined with villas, cars, scooters and planters and is a long curvy way down from the one road that runs through Massa Lubrense. As the Audi was the only vehicle left in our group (the rest of the group smartly turned their cars in at Naples and were driven down) it was decided that we would drive the car over in the morning and leave it until we went back at the end of the evening. The side mirrors had to be tucked in and weren’t opened back up until we left this morning.
Days at the villa consisted of casual breakfast, good lunch, afternoon pool, happy hour (of course), great dinners (more wine), end of evening limoncello all with magnificent views. The second night entailed our third chef prepared meal of the trip. It started off with a bang as we discovered Vittorio had spent a year in in his 20’s working in restaurants in Boston’s North End. He was thrilled to be able to reminisce and all had a great time. As for the food, again OMG. Prosciutto with mozzarella (although this one is very different than in Tuscany) and fabulous tomatoes. This time the melon was served after as a pallet cleanser. His pasta was done with clams and mussels and you would swear it had cheese and some cream, neither of which was true. It was cooked in clam broth and Vittorio said the special ingredient was his frying pan. He even sat at the table with us and enjoyed his pasta as much as we did. The fish course was a simple sautéed local fish with fresh parsley and drizzled with his own lemon infused olive oil. Quite possibly one of the two or three best pieces of fish I have ever eaten. See the menu and pictures below
Monday we all decided to hire our own boat and captain to take us around and to the Island of Capri. The boat came out of the quaint seaside village of Marina Della Lobra ( the name just rolls off of the tongue in Italian – go ahead and say it using your best accent). Orlando, a 20 something perfect example of what you would envision an Italian boat captain should look like, was great. We had drinks and sandwiches and he took us on a complete tour around the island, including the stop at the obligatory Blue Grotto. We spent a couple of hours on the island before the 40 minute return ride. At the end, Orlando provided some of his homemade limoncello. It was a wonderful day.
As Monday night was the last of the trip for Deb and I, it was decided that the whole group of nine would go out for dinner to a delightful waterside restaurant back at Marina Della Lobra. The Finiculi Finicula restaurant got good reviews and would provide transportation back at the end; perfect, because the last thing you want to do after a 2 1/2 hour meal is to drive these streets (actually, you never want to drive these streets). Of course, the restaurant provided complimentary limoncello (are you sensing a pattern in southern Italy). Little did any of us know that what was to come next would go down in the annals of travel lore.
The bill was paid and we asked about the shuttle service back to Villa Lika. After some head shaking and Italian banter, the owner announced that his “pizza man” would drive us back in the owner’s van. Out of the kitchen stepped a fairly large man, known only to the world as the “pizza man” and he along with all nine of us, crammed into one van. I, as the only one in the group to have driven these roads was placed in the middle front seat (yes, they do still exist in Italian vans) in case the “pizza man” needed directions. We then discovered that in addition to making pizzas, our driver liked to go fast. The trip to the restaurant in two cabs with two very capable young drivers took about 20 minutes (10 just get up the drive to the main road). On the way back, once any of us were willing to open our eyes, it was estimated that the “pizza man” covered the same trip in about 8 minutes. He received a standing ovation, albeit on wobbling legs, and a good tip. The post trip limoncello never tasted so good.
It was a perfect ending to an absolutely perfect trip.
Vittorio’s meal
- Prosciutto and Caprese salad
- Spaghetti with mussels and clams
- Pezzogna fish sautéed with fresh parsley and rizzled with lemon infused olive oil
- Semifreddo dessert
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