ITALY by Jenny Smith

This is a trip we did in April2009.  We had 4 weeks in Italy and this part is the first 2 weeks. If you only have 2 weeks this will give you a great diversity, coastal, historical and amazing places….

After landing in Rome we picked up a hire car and drove south to the Amalfi Coast a couple of hours away. We stayed at Priano, which is half way (7klms) between Positano and Amalfi. A great hotel, built on a cliff with fantastic views (www.hotelondeverde.com)

Once there you do not need the car as the bus stops right at the door. The local bus takes you into Positano or the other way to Amalfi the roads are very winding! The hotel has daily trips and we took the one to Pompeii and Vesuvius, and also the one to the Isle of Capri. If you go there do visit the Gardens of Villa Cimbrone, the view from here is amazing. We then walked down (45mins of steps) into Minori on the Coast.

Another day we did the trek which is called ‘Sentiero degli dei’-“ The Path of the Gods”-It is a 3 to 4 hour walk, up to Priano Alto, then along the ridge and down into Positano. Great coastal views, lots of stairs up and down though.

When we left there we drove south to Salerno and then inland for about 3 and half hours to Matera. It is a Unesco World Heritage listed town in Basilicata. The old town was built of rock and it is a wall of caves on a hill. The movie “The Passion of the Christ “with Mel Gibson was filmed here. We explored the city and had lunch in one of the caverns. Check out www.turismomatera.it.

Next stop was another Heritage listed town, Alberabello in Puglia, only about 1 hour away. The town and surrounding area is known for ‘trulli” houses. They are white limestone dome shaped buildings with a stone cone shaped roof, amazing sight. Then we drove north along the coast for a few hours then went inland into the province of L’Aquilla and into the national park of Abruzzo, a very picturesque region. At the edge of the mountain range is a quaint little village, Scanno. It is listed in the most beautiful villages of Italy and we stayed there. It is like a step back in time.

Travelling North West, a stop for lunch, and then onto Orvieto. (If you have time, stop at Terni on the way.)  Orvieto is about 1 and half hrs north of Rome. We allowed 2 nights here www.grandhotelitalia.it. There is so much to do in Orvieto. The Duomo, the tower the gardens, the theatre, the alleys of shops and restaurants and the most important the fascinating underground cave system, chambers filled with archaeological discoveries.

A short drive out of Orvieto is Citiva di Bagnoregio (pictured). A town built out on a hill top with only a walking access path up to it. It looks like it is suspended in the clouds. www.citivadibagnoregio.it

Travelscene Samford would like to thank Jenny for this lovely travel article (it was so, so difficult to condense down), stay tuned for the final instalment in the next issue.  Don’t forget that only Travelscene American Express lets you travel anywhere, any time and pay with your membership rewards points so contact us on 3289 3700 and let us help you turn your American Express membership rewards points into your next trip.