California Go Girl
10+ Posts
Thanks for the peek at the Museo delle Navi Romane. I have never made the time to see it, although I often spend a night in Fiumicino on my way home. Looks interesting.
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Zurers in Italy 2026
- Thread starter Jim Zurer
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Zurers in Italy 2026
Thursday: 7 May: Day 10: Terracina
We eat our delicious breakfast alone today; in fact, only one other guest is in the whole hotel. Our destination today is the Archaeological Park of the Villa of Tiberius in nearby Sperlonga. Emperor Tiberius--the adopted son of Augustus--built one of his many villas here on the coast and added a spectacular dining area in a large grotto on the property. He decorated the grotto with massive sculptures based on events described in The Odyssey; these sculptures are now displayed in the museum just up the hill.
I scrupulously research the museum's parking options. After I drop Diana at the entrance, I continue down to the alleged parking lot and find it locked up tight. A worker in a nearby field suggests I park on the busy highway. I do, but the person at the ticket booth says I must move the car and directs me to a spot on the dirt road leading to the sea. While I am parking, a woman who is accompanying the large group of school children is leaving and tells me to take her spot next to the entrance. So I end up with a premium free parking space. I must be living right.
The museum houses the sculptures from the grotto and other displays relating to the history of the area and the lives of the people from the first century AD. The major pieces in the bright, open museum show the blinding of the cyclops (Polyphemus)
and the attack on Odysseus's ship by the sea monster Scylla.
Another major piece on display is Ganymede being carried away by an eagle which is Zeus in disguise. This sculpture was originally placed over the entrance to the grotto.
This large map illustrates the twenty-year voyage of Odysseus (Ulisses in Roman) from Troy to his home in Itaca with stops all over the Mediterranean, as described by Homer. For me, having just re-read the Odyssey last year, all this is very vivid. But it also clears up one of my questions (perhaps I should have already known the answer)--why are Odyssey references so prevalent in this area of Lazio? I hadn't realized that Tiberius had integrated the Odyssey tale into the decorations of his grotto "dinner theater". Now the rationale is obvious.
We are also struck by the ages of the school children on this museum visit; they are 3 and 4 years old. Diana thinks it's wonderful that Italians consider it suitable to bring pre-schoolers to such an exhibit.
The path down to the remains of the villa and the grotto is longer than we expected. You get a good sense of the size of the villa from the excavations which were discovered in the 1950s when a road was being built in the area.
Diana has had enough and stops to rest as I continue on to the grotto entrance.
In front are fish ponds where rich Romans liked to raise their own fish; this was a sign of their wealth.
At this point, I am disturbed to learn that going inside the grotto isn't allowed because of a recent roof collapse. (I think they might have mentioned this at the museum.) In any case, the only sculpture visible from outside is the copy of the Ganymede placed above the entrance.
On the way back to Terracina, we drive along the beach area of Sperlonga, an attractive town with many restaurants and hotels. We can't drive into the historic center but this is what it looks like from the Villa Tiberio.
In Terracina, Diana visits a fabric store but they don't have what she is looking for. We eat lunch at a fish restaurant run by the local fishermen's cooperative. The Centro Ittico da Ernesto is set up cafeteria-style with many cold and hot dish options. Diana has a tasty shrimp salad and I have a large portion of spigola. We eat outside on the large terrace. The place is now bustling and we are lucky to have beaten the rush which began right after we sit down.
We take this opportunity this afternoonto do a laundry and take the obligatory picture of Diana piecing while waiting for the laundry to finish.
For our last meal in Terracina, we go to a friendly restaurant in the middle of town--the Bistrot Pegaso. We are very early and the staff is just finishing their dinner. The host is very chatty and the food is very good. We both order pasta dishes that are the house specialties and very distinctive: mine has sausage and radicchio and Diana's has guanciale, asparagus, tomatoes, and provola cheese. We share a very freshly prepared steak tartare (we saw them take the piece of meat from the cooler). I have a very good panna cotta to finish.
Back at the hotel, we pack up and watch some television. By the way, The Jewel in the Crown is from 1984 - not the date given in an earlier report.
Tomorrow we leave for Salerno.
Jim and Diana
Zurers in Italy 2026
Friday: 8 May: Day 11: Terracina-Salerno
Time to leave Terracina and the comforts of the Hotel Casa Yvorio. Fortified by the wonderful breakfast, we get in the car and head out of town. We need to get gas and, at our first stop, the self-serve pump rejects our credit card, asking for a digital PIN, which I don't think our Costco Visa has. The attendant at the station can't help us so we drive on. Luckily, we find a station where the attendant pumps the gas at no extra charge and the credit card is accepted without an issue. Gasoline (benzina) costs about Euro 1.90 a liter (about $8.50 US a gallon). Last year, I remember gas cost about Euro 1.75 a liter.Filled up--the gas gauge shows a range of 800 km--we set off for our stop about two hours away - our lunch reservation in Caserta - at one of the most famous "new" pizzerias--I Masinelli di Francesco Martucci. Here is a brief description from the internet.
I Masanielli by Francesco Martucci, located in Caserta, is widely regarded as one of the best pizzerias in the world, consistently holding the #1 spot on the 50 Top Pizza global rankings.
The Chef: Francesco Martucci
- The Visionary: Known for his scientific approach to dough and obsession with ingredient quality.
- The "Triple Cooked" Method: Famous for his signature pizzas that use three cooking techniques—steamed, fried, and baked—to achieve unique textures.
- Philosophy: He treats pizza as a high-end gastronomic experience, moving beyond traditional Neapolitan styles.
Photo credit to the Passione Gourmet
The service is a bit slapdash; many staff members not paying much attention to us. Our order is finally taken; an arancini and a potato croquette to start, one of the "triple cooked" pizzas with cheese and mortadella and Parmigiano added after it comes out of the oven, and a traditional Neapolitan pizza with tomato sauce and sausage. The starters are very good but I am less enthusiastic about the pizzas. The "triple cooked" is light and crisp on the bottom, very tasty, but still pretty puffy. The sausage pizza dough is too soft for our taste; we prefer New York-style pizza which is somehow crisp and thin on the bottom with a bready outer crust. We eat about 3/4 of the "triple cooked" and only a quarter of the sausage pizza and have a lot to take away in a box. Diana likes the pizza more than I do; I could have skipped the whole experience. But the place is pretty full and people seem to be enjoying their pizzas.
It's another two hours to Salerno where we meet Dario, in whose apartment we are staying. The apartment is on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the main, wide, and attractive pedestrian-only street. We need to meet him on the cross street, unload the luggage, carry it a short distance to the building entrance, and then take the elevator to the second-floor apartment. Dario is very accommodating and the apartment is spacious and bright. After we get settled, Dario guides me to the public parking lot, which is about a five-minute drive or a twelve-minute walk away. The walk back passes the train station and follows the pedestrian-only main street. The street, lined with shops, restaurants, and bars, is crowded with people at 3 pm on a Friday afternoon.
Dario shows us around the apartment, explains how things work and gives us a list of recommended restaurants and attractions.
There is also a large terrace.
While Diana rests, I take my usual exploratory walk through part of the centro storico and the attractive pedestrian street, as well as along the extensive waterfront promenade with views of the Amalfi Coast.
It looks like I will have a lot to explore during our stay in Salerno.
We eat dinner in one of Dario's recommended restaurants which is located directly behind the apartment. We enjoy the food at Trattoria di Sasa' though by the end of the meal the place is full and the noise level is hard to take. Diana has a caprese (tomato and mozzarella) and I have the house mixed antipasto (six different tastes of fish, octopus, shrimp, etc.) which is delicious. Diana has a dish of fish-stuffed ravioli; she really likes the sauce. I enjoyed my grilled whole fish which is selected for me from the display case filled with fish. (Maureen calls this procedure "being introduced to your dinner".) We like our dinner but the noise level is so high we aren't sure we will return.
It is a short walk back to the apartment where we watch another episode of The Jewel in the Crown.
Jim and Diana
Amy-Hikes
New Member
I'm really enjoying the photos of gardens and museums!
Zurers in Italy 2026
Saturday: 9 May: Day 12: Salerno
We have a lazy morning in the apartment. I walk over to a pasticceria near the station, recommended by Dario, to get cornetti for breakfast. I write a report, which Diana proofreads and edits, as usual, and she works on her quilt.
Later in the morning, we go out for a walk and end up on the Lungomare. A massive cruise ship is docked at the port.
There is a saxophone player (the second one of the day)
and a few people on the beach and even in the water.
After sitting on one of the many benches overlooking the water, I get the car and we drive out of town into the hills above Salerno. There is a lot of traffic--motorcycles whiz by on both sides of the car--and many people are heading out to the countryside for Saturday lunch.
We stop in the town of Cava de' Tirreni; I had researched it years ago as a possible base for clients in the area. It takes a few loops to find the entrance to the large parking lot on the edge of town. We walk into the centro; it's a few short blocks to the main piazza where we sit for a while and watch the Saturday lunch time crowds.
It's a very attractive town, much bigger than I thought when I was researching it years ago.
Now it's time for lunch, so I search Google Maps for possibilities. The most intriguing option is Ristorante Farcito Bistrot, located on a quiet side street. When we arrive, there is only one other customer, and we sit down at a small table on the street. The sandwich menu is quite extensive and appealing. Diana orders a chicken cutlet with cheese and I opt for a sausage and broccoli sandwich. We then have to wait a very long time; I wonder whether something went wrong in the kitchen. But the sandwiches finally arrive and they are excellent--excellent bread and delicious fillings. (I wonder if the owners have some connection to Pittsburgh; Diana's sandwich includes french fries in the filling.) They are very accommodating when Diana asks if she can take her uneaten half back to the apartment. The picture is from the internet but gives you an idea of what the sandwiches look like.
We are happy campers...
The restaurant has several slogans posted on its wall; this was my favorite.
It translates as: "I discovered that to eat a sandwich you use 39 muscles. Screw the gym".
We take the long way back to Salerno- a windy, hilly route through the countryside.
Back in Salerno in the late afternoon, we hang out in the apartment and I go out for another walk.
No dinner tonight but I take the opportunity to try a local specialty called cuzzietello...basically a hollowed out loaf of bread stuffed with meatballs (or sausage) in ragu. I can barely eat 1/3 of it but it is delicious.
Tomorrow, we plan to visit an Etruscan museum south of Salerno.
Jim and Diana
Pauline
Forums Admin
Great photos of you and Diana!
Next week we are driving to Germany and then to Switzerland. Have you encountered any gas (petrol) shortages? From my research they have not happened yet but are expected in the summer. We have another driving trip in September and I’m a bit worried about that one.
Next week we are driving to Germany and then to Switzerland. Have you encountered any gas (petrol) shortages? From my research they have not happened yet but are expected in the summer. We have another driving trip in September and I’m a bit worried about that one.
Zurers in Italy 2026
Sunday: 10 May: Day 13: Salerno
Today it is cloudy; it rained overnight and there is no sign of the sun. After breakfast in the apartment, I retrieve the car, pick up Diana at the apartment (the parking lot is a ten-minute walk and it takes five minutes to drive back), and we go south along the coast heading for Portocagnano. Our destination is a new museum dedicated to the history of the Etruscans in this area. Most Etruscan sites are north of Rome but this museum illustrates the culture's development in the South.
We first have a light lunch at a mozzarella di bufala dairy--the Caseficio Taverna Penta--which is actually nothing to write home about. We may be so accustomed to mozzarella made from cow's milk that the more acidic taste of buffalo mozzarella is less appealing. The desserts--apple cake and yogurt gelato--are more successful.
Arriving at the museum, we park and walk through an open gate. The building looks dark and there is no sign of life anywhere. The doors are locked and we are about to give up. I call the museum number and the call is answered. The voice at the other end assures me that the museum is open. I told him the doors were locked. He re-assures me that the museum is open. Finally, a staff member locates us on the security camera. It turns out we were at the office entrance. He escorts us around the entire building--a long way--to the main entrance. (It turns out that we walked in through the wrong gate. There was signage at the other gate, but no indication that the first gate was the wrong gate.)
Four people are waiting for us at the ticket office. We are the only visitors at this time. After we are checked in through the very up-to-date automated ticketing system, we take the elevator up to the first floor to the exhibit area which is in a very large open room.
First we watch a very sophisticated and beautifully done video about the area. The videos are shown on three screens and on the floor, completely enveloping us.
Some of the explanations are translated into English but the narration lacks subtitles, so we mostly absorb the content through the pictures.
The museum is arranged chronologically, starting with the area's prehistory and ending with the Roman absorption of the Etruscans in the 3rd century BC. The information panels have very good English translations of the text and the illustrations are very well done.
However, having visited many Etruscan museums in Italy, we find that we are familiar with most of the exhibits in the display cases.
Here are a few more photos that I took.
In any case, we enjoy our visit--it is odd being the only people in the place, though we are trailed by two staff as we make our way through--and are impressed by the museum's scale and attractiveness.
Back in Salerno, while Diana continues to work on her quilt,
I take a walk, making a deeper exploration of the "centro storico". It is a wonderful walk. I start with a destination high up on the far side of the center: the Giardino di Minerva, a botanical garden developed by the doctors in the 12th century medical school (the first in Western Europe). I take the opportunity to zig and zag along the route, passing by the Duomo, climbing steep hills, and going down long flights of stairs. Here are some of the things I saw on my explorations.
But the most surprising and impressive things that I encountered were the wall paintings and author quotations seemingly splashed haphazardly on the walls and building facades throughout the Fornelle neighborhood. This project---called Muri dei Autori (Author's Walls)-- "originated in Salerno in 2014 as a cultural and urban art initiative aimed at celebrating the city’s poetic heritage and revitalizing forgotten parts of the historic centre. The project began with murals inspired by poems and literary texts, transforming the walls of the ancient Rione Fornelle neighbourhood into an open-air museum of poetry and art."
I came upon the painted walls by accident and was blown away. Everytime I turned a corner or looked at a different building, the art work and the quotations jumped out at me. It was truly exciting.
Here are some of my favorites.
And there is a lot more that I didn't see....
Here's a link with more of the content: https://lyfeabroad.com/the-incredible-street-art-of-the-muri-dautore/
I finish my walk by taking a public elevator to the botanical garden entrance, take a couple of pictures of the views
and return to the apartment through the main drag of the "centro storico"--Via Mercanti--which connects directly to our pedestrian street--the Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
We have dinner at the Trattoria a Sud, just down the street. The food was mostly fine but the waiter's excessive fawning (in English) put us off. Dinner includes some okay fried zucchini flowers followed by a local dish of pappardelle with lard and tomatoes. I have a bowl of mussels and an excellent seafood stew. The waiter gives us a bargain on a bottle of wine--a local white called Kraton--which is very, very good. So, while the food and wine are good, the experience left something to be desired.
Tomorrow we plan to drive to Paestum, the Greek city to the south.
Jim and Diana
Ian Sutton
1000+ Posts
Did you catch any of the Giro d'Italia today? It started in Paestum, passing through Salerno and Vietri Sul Mare on the way north. Some heavy rain.
Zurers in Italy 2026
Monday: 11 May: Day 14: Salerno
It looks like a bright, warm day, so after breakfast we decided to take advantage of the sunny weather by using the apartment's washing machine and drying the clothes on the terrace. Of course, Italian washing machines take hours to complete a load (they are more energy efficient and heat the water internally), and since we have two loads, it takes the whole morning.
When the laundry is finished, we have lunch in the apartment finishing off the leftover sandwiches from earlier days. Then we drive south to explore the impressive site of Greek temples at Paestum.
The internet says this about the temple complex.
Paestum is an ancient archaeological site in southern Italy, near the Tyrrhenian coast of Campania, best known for its remarkably well-preserved Greek temples dating to the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. Founded by Greek settlers and later absorbed into the Roman world, Paestum offers a rare, powerful glimpse into Magna Graecia, with massive Doric temples, ancient walls, and a museum displaying vivid frescoes and artifacts. Set amid flat farmland and open skies, it combines monumental history with a strikingly serene landscape.
This is our third visit to Paestum (our last was in 2006) and we are struck by the large crowds in the streets outside the entrance. We don't remember seeing so many visitors on our last visit. But once inside, the grounds are large enough to allow visitors to enjoy the site in relative peace--unless you are overtaken by one of the large student groups touring the temples.
Instead of writing something new about this visit, I am inserting part of my 2006 report, which I think covers the ground quite well.
The Paestum site is located close to the beach but supposedly it was completely lost--some accounts are skeptical of this--from the Dark Ages to the mid-18th century when some road builders stumbled onto it. The city of Poseidonia had been created by the Greeks as a stop on the trade route across the peninsula from the far south to the area on the Bay of Naples. Its importance declined as better ports were developed near Rome and Naples. As it became more deserted, malaria became prevalent and the temples completely disappeared into the forest.
The site itself is spread out on a long level area surrounded by three miles of nearly intact walls. One smaller temple sits on its northern edge and two much larger structures are on the south end of the city. In between there are excavations of houses and stores, an amphitheater, a large forum, several smaller temples and other buildings common to a Greek and then Roman city.
We find Paestum to be extremely compelling...the buildings are elegant and moving, even more so because of the wonderful state of preservation. In ancient times the limestone columns would have been covered in stucco and painted to look like marble, but the buildings that one sees today, albeit of brown, pitted stone, are still very compelling. The site is very peaceful and free of crowds, so there is no commotion or crowding to divert your attention. It is a wonderful place to sit and admire the architecture and watch the clouds, the butterflies and the birds.
We walk from one end of the site to the other....Diana strolls leisurely and I make a more concerted effort to investigate the remnants of the houses--some with traces of mosaics on the floors--and the palestra, with its very large swimming pool. But for most visitors, the rest of the site is just background for the temple structures.
But here are my new pictures...
It's particularly nice to be able to scramble inside two of the temples.
The temples still amaze...and we are very glad to have come back for another visit.
For anyone interested, here is the link to my 2006 report, which includes the "primitive" photos taken with my 2006 phone.
https://www.zurer.com/Italia2006/2006/10/day-14-pompei.html
Driving back to Salerno, the sky grows dark and ominous and we fear that it will start to rain before we reach the apartment since the laundry is drying on the terrace. Thankfully, the rain holds off.
I make another short exploration to the "centro storico" looking for the old Jewish quarter. Jews were once prominent in Salerno, especially important in the medical school. But the population dwindled after the expulsions of the 16th century and now there is no Jewish community in the city. There is one street in the historic center--the Vicolo Guidaica--which is a remnant of the Jewish presence in Salerno. It is a very narrow street marked with a street sign.
We have dinner at an attractive restaurant just down the street called Muri e Brera. Unfortunately, the evening doesn't go well. We have a misundertanding with the waitress about our order--her initial greeting in English made us think she understood English better than she actually did. The dishes that we do have--a veal dish for Diana and a bacala in tomato sauce for me--were mediocre. Diana did like the torta caprese (chocolate cake) but it didn't save the evening. It's a good thing that food means nothing to us.
Tomorrow we will visit the Duomo and then take a ferry to Amalfi.
Jim and Diana
Ian Sutton
1000+ Posts
The ferry trip is a pleasing one.
I'm sure you know of Pasticceria Andrea Pansa in Amalfi. Hopefully still as good as they ever were.
I'm sure you know of Pasticceria Andrea Pansa in Amalfi. Hopefully still as good as they ever were.
Zurers in Italy 2026
Tuesday: 12 May: Day 15: Salerno
After breakfast today, we make an expedition to the "centro storico" by taxi so Diana can see the Duomo and walk the narrow streets. The hills and uneven pavement are challenging, but the taxi takes us right to the front of the Duomo. It dates from the 11th century and the Normans built it. We find the accessible entrance around the corner, enabling us to avoid the two flights of stairs.
The Salerno Duomo is unique for having a large enclosed courtyard in front of the church, which is lined with columns said to have been taken from Paestum.
The massive bronze door was brought from Constantinople.
Inside, Diana is quite taken with the Cosmatesque pavements and wall designs, which in addition to being exquisite, she says are perfect for quilting designs.
I am also particularly taken with the two heavily decorated 12th-century pulpits that face each other across the aisle.
The bishop's throne is massive and elaborate.
Downstairs in the crypt, the body of San Matteo is buried. The decorations of the crypt are over the top.
Our next stop is the Diocesan Museum which has some very interesting exhibits. For my Jewish lens on Italy, they display part of a tombstone with Hebrew letters, showing that a Jewish community existed in Salerno as early as the third century AD.
It is also known that many Jewish doctors were on the faculty of the Salerno Medical School in the 12th and 13th centuries.
The other exhibit we find fascinating is a series of small incised ivory plaques illustrating Old and New Testament scenes. There are over one hundred Salerno Ivories; this museum displays only 70. The scenes are a mixture of Byzantine, Islamic, and Western art styles and are exquisitely detailed.
We set out on a walk in the neighborhood but the uneven pavement is too much of a challenge so we decide to take a ferry to Amalfi and have lunch there. The tourist port is quite crowded; many ferries depart for different Amalfi Coast towns. There is a real rush to board our ferry and by the time we board, all the seats with the best views are taken. While we are moving towards seats, a young woman stops me, points to my Nationals hat, and shows that she's wearing a Nationals shirt. Her name is Stacy and she grew up in Alexandria but now lives in Denver.
Small world indeed. Go Nats!!!
The ride to Amalfi takes about 45 minutes. It is quite windy and very quickly some passengers riding on the top deck descend, freeing up seats with better photo op possibilities. I sit up there for a while and take a few photos
but I quickly go back down the stairs out of the wind and spray.
The forty-five minute trip is just about my limit for a tolerable sea voyage so I am happy to disembark. (Diana quite enjoyed the boat trip.) In Amalfi we are not alone; the place is jammed. The town center is wedged between the sea and the mountains. In the Piazza Duomo, hordes of people are eating lunch, enjoying Amalfi lemon sorbet stuffed into hollowed out lemons, shopping, or climbing the steps to the large Duomo.
I am feeling a bit claustrophobic and we escape to a restaurant tucked away in quiet corner. We have a lovely lunch at L'Abside; the food is great (risotto with shrimp for Diana, a local pasta with mixed seafood for me), the staff are very aimiable, and we enjoy the respite from the crowds.
After lunch, Diana sits on a wall, people-watching, while I climb up to the Duomo and walk around town.
We get in line early for the return trip to get "premium seats" on the way home. It's hard to take pictures with the wind and the choppy seas but I take one shot that I think is pretty good.
We have not been to the Amalfi Coast in many years and this visit confirms that decision. The setting is indisputably gorgeous but crowds easily overwhelm the limited space, making visits very challenging.
No dinner tonight--we snack on leftovers and watch some more of The Jewel in the Crown.
Tomorrow, we leave for Foggia.
Jim and Diana
Ian Sutton
1000+ Posts
A few quiet places will still exist on the Amalfi coast. Ones that I recall from past visits:
- almost every walk in the Tippett guide, excepting the short (20 mins) but energetic walk from underneath the Duomo in Amalfi to Atrani. In particular the valley of the mills walk and another not listed going inland from Ravello had stretches of over an hour without seeing or hearing any other people.
- Atrani. It's an odd place, and a cool haven in hot weather, but that keeps the crowds away.
- Scala, Ravello's sister village, seemed pleasingly quiet and untouristy.
- Pogerola. We stayed there once, having previously stayed in the hotel a little further down the hill. Not much do do up here - a couple of simple trattorie, a (weekly/daily?) veg truck, a modest supermarket down the hill, but that had (wet) smoked mozzarella which is a joy, a modest nature walk, but it's up in the hills at a similar height to Ravello, and has similar views (if not quite as stunning). It feels much more 'local' and I appreciated that.
- We've not explored further inland (e.g. Tramonti), but I'm positive that will escape the crowds
- the old wine bar in a converted monastery up some steps halfway up amalfi's main shopping street used to be an elegant and quiet escape. It morphed into a restaurant, and maybe that's still there. I'm sure it would retain that secret escape vibe.
- almost every walk in the Tippett guide, excepting the short (20 mins) but energetic walk from underneath the Duomo in Amalfi to Atrani. In particular the valley of the mills walk and another not listed going inland from Ravello had stretches of over an hour without seeing or hearing any other people.
- Atrani. It's an odd place, and a cool haven in hot weather, but that keeps the crowds away.
- Scala, Ravello's sister village, seemed pleasingly quiet and untouristy.
- Pogerola. We stayed there once, having previously stayed in the hotel a little further down the hill. Not much do do up here - a couple of simple trattorie, a (weekly/daily?) veg truck, a modest supermarket down the hill, but that had (wet) smoked mozzarella which is a joy, a modest nature walk, but it's up in the hills at a similar height to Ravello, and has similar views (if not quite as stunning). It feels much more 'local' and I appreciated that.
- We've not explored further inland (e.g. Tramonti), but I'm positive that will escape the crowds
- the old wine bar in a converted monastery up some steps halfway up amalfi's main shopping street used to be an elegant and quiet escape. It morphed into a restaurant, and maybe that's still there. I'm sure it would retain that secret escape vibe.
Last edited:
Pauline
Forums Admin
I love the Amalfi Coast. As Ian says you can get away from the crowds. We’ve done the hikes you mentioned and they were great. Once we stayed in Praiano and twice hiked straight up to the Path of the Gods - spectacular.
But the coast road and the popular towns are way too crowded. @Valerie thought if we go there again we might like to stay on the Sorrento Peninsula.
Once we tried going at the end of October, the end of the season, but the area seemed to close down the last day of October and then torrential rain washed away our favorite cafe!
Still, such a beautiful area! Salerno seems like a good location.
Zurers in Italy 2026
Wednesday: 13 May: Day 16: Salerno-Foggia
Today is a travel day; time to leave Salerno. We have enjoyed our stay. There were a few challenges but the city has many attributes: a picturesque historic center, a lively and attractive modern town, and a long promenade along the water with killer views of the Amalfi Coast. Our apartment worked out very well; it was spacious and comfortable, generally well-equipped, and the host, Dario, was very attentive.After breakfast, we pack and wrangle the luggage to the street. Other than it starting to rain, the process goes smoothly and we are soon on the road. We take a detour from the direct route and head for Eboli (a nearby town) as an homage to one of our favorite books, "Christ Stopped in Eboli" by Carlo Levi. The Zurers also stopped in Eboli, where we got coffee and bought an umbrella at a large shopping mall. It is raining pretty steadily on the drive to Foggia through the back country of Campania, crossing part of Molise, and finally reaching northern Puglia. But the scenery in this quiet corner of Italy is every bit as stunning as the more famous Tuscany, with rolling hills in all shades of green sprinkled with olive trees and grape vinyards.
For lunch, we had our first Autogrill sandwich of the trip and it was one of the best ever. Crusty bread, delicious prosciutto and soft cheese, warmed up: it was terrific.
We arrive in Foggia around three, find the hotel--a very modern "boutique" hotel with the improbable name Outside Boutique Hotel. When I asked about street parking, the desk clerk warns me that Foggia has a significant car theft problem and advises parking in their garage. I take her advice and drive the car to the nearby underground garage. I am getting pretty good at navigating tight spaces but I find this garage a bit more challenging than I like. Even though I manage to park without any mishap, I am considering the risky alternative of street parking.
The weather is cold and blustery so I skip my usual exploratory walk to get oriented in the new place. We stayed in the room and watched another episode of The Jewel in the Crown. (This is probably the fourth time we have watched the series, and in our opinion, it is superb--in fact, the best television series ever made.)
We have a casual dinner at the Ristorante dei Mercati, which is connected to the big supermarket just around the corner from the hotel. The meal is very pleasant...we share an antipasto called pane e pomodoro. We expect something like bruschetta but it is actually more like a sformato (a kind of flan) of tomato, bread, and cheese--but very tasty. Diana has a dish of spaghetti with garlic and oil (aglio olio) which is fine though light on the garlic and I have a hearty plate of whole wheat orecchiette with sausage and broccoli. We were looking for a pleasant meal in the neighborhood and found it.
Tomorrow we will explore Foggia.
Jim and Diana
We didn't catch the Giro in Salerno but, when we reached Chieti, we learned that the main road in town was closed for the start of Stage 8. We actually stumbled on the route when we were driving in Chieti Scalo so I parked and we waited for the cyclists with lots of other spectators. The cyclists were preceded by many police cars, motorcycles, sponsor cars, support vehicles, and ambulances. Finally, the pelaton whooshed by in seconds. So we did catch the Giro...but entirely by accident. Poor planning rescued by serendipity.....
Ian Sutton
1000+ Posts
Chance encounters are the best.
Zurers in Italy 2026
Thursday: 14 May: Day 17: Foggia
It's Diana's birthday; she has celebrated the day in Italy almost every year since 1993.Breakfast at the hotel is disappointing, especially after our experience at Casa Yvorio in Terracina. For a four-star "boutique" hotel, the selection is pretty underwhelming. Luckily, in any case, we won't starve to death...
Our goal this morning is to explore Foggia and find the Duomo by car. Things don't work out as well as we might hope. Since I hadn't explored the city on foot the day before, I have no sense of the geography of the city. To make matters worse, the narrow, one-way streets in the historic center may have confused our GPS, causing us to spend a good amount of time going around in circles. We do get to see much of downtown Foggia but we never get a glimpse of the Duomo or get oriented at all. From what we can see, Foggia looks like a very prosperous, handsome city. We learn that extensive Allied bombing targeted the city during World War II because it was an important transportation hub. So, much of the city dates from after the war.
After our frustrating morning, we head out of town to Lucera, a nearby city with strong Roman roots. We attempted to visit Lucera twenty years ago, but according to my report, we couldn't find parking near the center and gave up. Today, we are frustrated because the well-known Roman amphitheater is closed. We actually drove up to the entrance and were about to pass through the open gate when a workman approached, told us the place was closed, and shut the gate.
So this is as close as we get.
It's now time for lunch and I locate a well-reviewed sandwich shop not far from the amphitheater. I drop Diana off in front and head off to find parking. Happily, this time, it is not difficult. The sandwich place is called Mordi e Fugge (slang for eat and run) and it now mostly serves prepared food. When we ask for sandwiches, we are advised to try some of the delicious hot dishes in the display case because sandwiches will take time. We persist and he turns on the television set and brings up the sandwich menu. The sandwiches are great: mortadella and cheese with pistachio spread for Diana and sausage, cheese and french fries for me (shades of Pittsburgh).
We take a short stroll to the attractive Piazza Duomo
and head back to Foggia.
Diana's traditional birthday flowers have arrived at the hotel and we take the requisite photo to share with the family.
I then head out for my delayed exploratory walk and the geography of Foggia falls into place. I find the Duomo hidden away among the warren of narrow streets in the center.
The old part of town seems to have survived the WW II bombing; there are some handsome old buildings
and some quirky fountains.
But my biggest discovery is the extensive network of pedestrian only shopping streets that stretch for many blocks and are very appealing. This park, named for the opera composer Umberto Giordano who lived in Foggia, is part of that network.
We have a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called Nenna Ne, the local dialect for "little girl". The restaurant is staffed completely by women. The food is terrific as is the decor--creative and elegant but not fussy.
Diana starts with a version of bruschetta made with cheese, caramelized onions, and crispy onions which she says is terrific. I have something called a bombette--a sausage and cheese concoction--which is unusual and very tasty. Diana has a delicious pasta dish with vegetables and my second is a dish of sausage and potatoes. Diana's "birthday cake", a slice of a chocolate and ricotta combination, comes out with a candle. The lights are dimmed and the staff sings "Happy Birthday." The other diners applaud. Diana is very tickled. A memorable birthday celebration...
Tomorrow we plan to drive to Colletorto in Molise, a small village where we took part in an olive picking weekend twenty years ago.
Jim and Diana