Italy so far.
Rome.
Rome wasn’t what I expected. I expected romance and charm everywhere, but the reality was a little more dirty and noisy.
I still love it.
Within 3 minutes of arriving at the Trevi Fountain we witnessed a proposal, causing the whole Piazza to cheer.
The street we stayed in was made from cobblestone and the front door bigger than any I’ve seen before.
In the mornings it was quiet, if you exclude the occasional yell from one balcony to another.
At my regular waking time if it isn’t selling coffee and pastries, it isn’t open.
By 7pm the roller doors have opened. Chairs and tables dressed in checkered table cloths now line the cobblestone street. Standing proudly outside each restaurant are well dressed men ready to hand you a menu the second you lock eyes. I had a lot of fun smiling at them.
Naples.
It’s as if I exited the train station and somehow ended up in Bangkok. All I can hear are horns, whistles and men yelling at each other. The taxis are bonnet to bumper but somehow still moving.
The people here have dark tans and I’m not recognising as many Australian accents as I move through the crowds.
The food has caught my attention.
Lots of baked goods, lots of deep fried.
I have some fried pizza, crumbed and fried pasta, potato croquette, sfogiatelle and calzone- in that order. My mind drifts to incorporating baked ricotta and semolina infused with citrus to the menu.
Saturday morning markets line the streets selling a fake version of every luxury item you can imagine, but walk a little further and the stalls are now selling street food.
I try a calzone with ricotta. The dough tastes like an unseasoned donut. It’s delightful.
Agerola.
The most charming village I have ever seen.
In the hills above Naples, through winding roads is where Agerola is nestled.
The streets are lined with Jasmine and it seems every house has a healthy crop of tomato and zucchini growing.
Saturday afternoon in Agerola smells like the clean washing hanging from the balcony’s.
My body is tired after a hike up the highest peaks on the Amalfi Coast. We climbed the side of a mountain and into a cloud which cleared just in time for us have a view of the valley while we ate the ham and cheese panini from the packed lunch our host gave us before setting of.
I met a beautiful puppy on the way back down. He was white but dirty. I cried thinking about the possibility of him being un loved.
Dinner was at a family owned restaurant. Everyone was communicating with raised voices and hand movements- passionate but not angry.
Making pizza was one man and two women. I enjoyed seeing this dynamic.
Amalfi.
Amalfi is busy but romantic. Exciting, bustling and vibrant.
In the mornings it smells like yeasty bread and in the evenings it smells like tourists lathered in aloe after a day too much sun.
The first thing I noticed when I jumped in the water here was how much saltier is tasted than the beaches back home. I wondered how it would taste to make bread with this sea water.
We took a cruise to see the whole coast from Amalfi to Positano. Jay-Jay picked us up in his boat- a tall skinny man with a musical voice, tanned skin and round blue eyes. He pointed out some of his favourite spots and shared his favourited facts about the area.