Via Positanesi d’America, a romantic small road in Positano
- At February 08, 2017
- By Zia Lucy
- In lifestyle in Positano
- 0
Considered the most romantic road in Positano, via Positanesi d’America was dedicated to all the locals who moved to the USA in search of a new life.
This tiny small road, that we can call a short paved path, goes from the main beach of Positano, the famous Spiaggia Grande, to one of my favourite places, Spiaggia di Fornillo.
Along the walk, suspendend on a cliff, it is possible to admire prickley pears and pine trees but the most spectacular thing is the view on Fornillo’s tower, a medieval watching tower converted into a villa by the swiss Gilbert Clavel at the beginning of the 20th century.
I love taking a walk here during the winter, especially to admire the rough sea clashing on the cliff.
I need to be really careful as the sea is so rough that sometimes I am bathed by the high vawes.
During Spring and Summer, at night time this path becomes really romantic: couples come here to have a pizza under a pine tree or a kiss under the moonlight shadows.
Well… if you think you don’t want to stop, you can just have a walk to reach the beach of Fornillo where you can find restaurants and beach clubs.
Travel Tips: here is a list of my favorite places where you can eat:
Covo dei Saraceni, via regina Giovanna, 5: it’s a famous hotel in Positano with a nice restaurant and a great bar on the street. My favourite food here is pizza, I love eating focaccia with parma ham, cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Ask for Pizza Integrale (whole wheat).
Lo Guarracino, via positanesi d’America, 12: me and my cousin love eating here. It’s a simple place with a beautiful view and delicious food. I love eating everything here, my “favorite” are mussel soup, stuffed squid and fish grilled on lemon leaf.
Fratelli Grassi, Beach Club, via Fornillo, 70: the Grassi’s is one of the first beach clubs you see when you arrive in Fornillo beach. It’s a great spot if you like to lay under the sun and there is a small restaurant where you can eat for lunch (closed for dinner). I always ask for Piatto del giorno (dish of the day) as I love their real positanese home way of cooking. In case you prefer a light lunch, they have good salads.
Da Ferdinando, Beach Club, via Fornillo, 24: a family-run beach club with nice food, good music, fun atmosphere… and great drinks.
For any further info, feel free to send me a mail. As a born-resident guide in Positano, I am happy to give suggestions so you can have the best time of your life and you will bring Positano into your heart forever.
What you should know about ceramics along the Amalfi coast
- At February 01, 2017
- By Zia Lucy
- In Positano Art
- 0
Since ancient times, Italy has been in love with ceramics and in the last hundred years, the Amalfi Coast has emerged as a major center for Italian ceramics. The red clay of Italy, mixed richly with limestone, creates the perfect medium for pottery making.
Ceramics are characterized by the vibrancy of colors, often reflecting the blue of the see and the golden sunshine. Visitors from all over the world take home pieces of this pottery to decorate their own homes across the globe. Here’s what you should know about this unique and captivating art form.
History
Long ago, when Italy was part of the Roman Empire, ceramic pottery was a widely-used everyday household object. It didn’t matter if you were a slave or the emperor, you would use pottery every day. Although this tradition has decreased somewhat over the years, ceramics are still a popular art form in many parts of Italy. The most famous place for ceramics is certainly the Amalfi Coast. The long tradition of modern Amalfi Coast ceramics can be traced back to the 15th Century and by the 18th Century, the town of Vietri sul Mare had emerged as a leader in the ceramic arts field. This industry began to draw hundreds of artists to the region, catalyzing the production of ceramics for both practical and aesthetic purposes up and down the coast.
Method and Uses
The base of Amalfi Coast ceramics is red European clay. This clay, which usually contains limestone, is shaped by a potter and fired. After the pot is cooled, it is dipped into a while coating so that the colors of the design can stand out, free of red undertones. Next, the pottery goes to the hands of the artists. Some artists work for themselves, while others are part of a ceramics factory. Designs are traced lightly onto the piece, and then the painters carefully outline their designs. Finally, the artists fill in the colors with paints usually made of natural materials and mixed to the proper tone by hand. Finally, it is fired again to create a shiny exterior.
There are many uses for Amalfi Coast ceramics. Many buildings in the region are either partially or completely decorated with painted ceramic tiles on their outer walls. Some people tile their kitchens or use ceramics for practical purposes, such as tableware, vases, and bowls. Of course, some are purely decorative, like statues and other artistic pieces.
Read more»Enchanted Towers of Positano, where dreams come true!
When you arrive to the Amalfi Coast you soon notice some towers.
Besides their historical function (lookout against invasions), some of the towers hide incredible and charming stories to be discovered.
They are also large and complex projects made on men’s dreams and hopes.
In 1909 Gilbert Clavel bought the Torre di Fornillo, inspired by the unique shape of that fortress, and had the idea (considered crazy by local people) to convert it into his private residence, into a place where he could relax and create. Clavel was a little great man, an artist, a writer, a genius who suffered from tuberculosis and had several phisical problems. He chose the Torre di Fornillo to avoid places which for him were considered crowded, for example Capri.
“Everything began with a dream: a man from Switzerland fell in love with a watching tower and decided to create his great escape there!”
After many years and difficulties, his dream was almost complete: a beautiful, mazy building where he met his guests and inspired their poems, art, music. Clavel was the connection between artists such as Prampolini, Depero, Marinetti and Norman Douglas. He was also a good friend of Leonide Massine and Pablo Picasso. He died leaving an unfinished but almost perfect work: La Torre di Fornillo.
Read more»Positano for Foodies
There are many great ways to experience the Amalfi Coast and to enjoy its food.
From boat tours to Cooking classes and Hiking to kayaking, you can really choose to experience the Amalfi coast in any way that you want. While these are all wonderful ways to spend your time on the coast, there is now another option.
Italy is known for many things and if you ask around, the most common thing people imagine when they think of Italy… is the food. Italian food is a favorite for millions of people across the world and now there is a tour specifically tailored for the foodies. The Coast Ranges about 25 miles from one end to the other, and in between are any number of the finest authentic Italian Restaurants you have ever experienced.
When life gives you lemons, make liqueur… or granita!
- At January 15, 2017
- By Zia Lucy
- In lifestyle in Positano
- 0
In southern Italy, there lies the Coast of Amalfi. The Amalfi Coast is known throughout the world for its cultivation of lemons that seem to have a specific potency that is difficult to replicate, and its limoncello.
The lemon is the cultural staple of Amalfi and the coast is a very popular place for tourists to visit in Italy. It is not the lemons themselves that draw the tourists in, however. Life gave Amalfi Lemons ad they did more than just make lemonade, they made liqueur and granita (lemon slush).
The limoncello is a very popular liqueur produced in many the small towns located along the coast, which runs along the coastline from the town of Vietri sul mare in the east to Positano in the west. There are thirteen municipalities along the Amalfi Coast and many of them are centered on tourism, which is not surprising considering the beautidul scenery that all of Italy has to offer. Limoncello is typically made from the zest of Sfusato Amalfitano, a kind of lemon produced in the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento. The production proces is rather simple zest, is the peel without the pith which is steeped in highly concentrated alcohol until the oils are extracted. The result is an extremely tart, yellow liquid that is then mixed with a syrup to control certain variables like sweetness, thickness and overall flavor. This liqueur is generally about 40% alcohol and it is served cold as an after-dinner “digestivo”, which is an italian term for an alcoholic dessert drink that is meant to aid in the digestion of a meal.
Limoncello is mainly popular in Italy, however, it is becoming more prevalent within the United States, Canada, New Zeland and the UK. Locals on the Amalfi Coast love drinking finocchietto too (a liqueur made of the wild fennel seeds). Besides the fact that it is easy to make limoncello, every family has it’s own secret recipe and my mother’s cousin created his own brand which is very famous in the area… and not only here!
His name is Valentino and his brand is called Il Gusto della Costa: http://www.ilgustodellacosta.it
Valentino produces liqueurs, marmelades and chocolate. It’s nice to have a tasting there while you stay in the Amalfi Coast.
There is another company that offer guided tours through the lemon groves where you can see how it is all done and experience the culture of Amalfi: http://amalfilemonexperience.it
If you visit Positano, you should not miss a taste of Granita, our lemon slush. To have the best granita experience you must taste the one made by a local family. They have a small stand in Mulini Square, just in the heart of Positano, and once tasted their granita you will have an addiction to it!
Of Course, people do not visit the coast simply for the liqueur either. The Amalfi coast offers breathtaking scenery and the towns offer a very comfortable atmosphere and make for a great vacationing spot. There are a number of other exciting things while visiting the coast beyond the lemons of course, such as guided excursions and driven tours, cooking classes of different varieties and even kayaking. Everyone’s taste is different and has their own way of vacationing and whether you are looking for a nice relaxing vacation, with great restaurants, an inviting atmosphere and a tour through the grove or if you are looking for something a little more fast-paced and exciting like kayaking and hiking, it is guaranteed you will enjoy the Coast of Amalfi.
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