Farewell Positano and off to Puglia

Our 5 days in Positano had come to an end and it was time to repack, load up the expanding cases and make the gut busting climb up the steps for the last time.  As we struggled with all the bits and bobs of our various shopping exploits,  the young muscly porters carried our cases on their shoulders up the steps with extraordinary ease while we were all left to puff up each tortuous section.  Our calf muscles will be like steel by the end of the tour!
It was an early start and had to be up that hill ready to meet our driver Peppie  by 7.30 am. The drive across Italy to the very different region of Puglia would be a long one so a couple of stops broke the journey.  At 10.30 we had a tour of the La Strega distillery in Benevento the digestivo famous worldwide for its bright yellow colour and  unique flavour.  Strega was developed in 1860 by father-son team of Carmine Vincenzo Alberti and Giuseppe Alberti.  Over the years the company became well known for its colourful and artistic advertising including fabulous posters designed in 1906 in the art nouveau style.  Once again it was time to shop and some very special treats were loaded up into our already packed vehicle.  While in Benevento Rosa had a special though very brief reunion with her cousin Olga and her children including lots of kisses for their much loved Australian cousin. After a very yummy lunch it was back to the freeway for the final stretch through the many kilometres of olive groves and vineyards.
The history of Puglia is one of serial  conquest, subjugation and settlement.  Its climate and more importantly, its geographical position have always made it a favourable place to settle,  or at least control. Our home for the next 6 days would be in the trulli of Alberobello.  The trulli (plural of one trullo) , the characteristic cone shaped roof houses of Alberobello make up one of the 53  UNESCO World Heritage sites in Italy. Originally constructed using dry stone building techniques without mortar, many of these unique settlements have been restored for either permanent habitation or tourist accommodation.  No 100 steps up and down the side of a cliff to get to the front door here! !!
However on arrival after some drenching rains and storms we arrived late to blacked out dwellings due to power failures! !! They must have heard we were from South Australia! ! However with the aid of a candle and the light from my mobile phone,  the amazing Rosa Matto was still able to concoct a meal to feed the hungry group. Wine and Strega eased the introduction to Alberobello and in the end we turned it into a bit of a picnic in the dark!  Sleep came quickly!

White knuckle ride along the Amalfi coast

On our last day in this glorious region of Italy,  it was off to Amalfi and Ravello using local buses for the journey.  This journey took us to the tourist Mecca of Amalfi along the coast road, an experience not for the faint-hearted!  The road is narrow and steep and to watch the bus drivers throw their vehicles around each hair pin bend is an experience I won't forget in a hurry.  However the views  are just incredible and once you calm your nerves as you peer down over the last remaining inch of road down to the sea, and believe that you WILL  be ok and death isn't necessarily going to be the outcome. ..then it's one hell of a ride. Coming to Amalfi in October has some real benefits as the tourist season is slowing down with many hotels, restaurants and shops closing down for the winter at the end of the month.  So visiting here in the final weeks of the season makes for comfortable touring. After a leisurely stroll through the main centre of the town plus a visit to the impressive cathedral , tummies were rumbling.  Rosa took us for a climb up the hill through a tunnel which connected Amalfi with the smaller town of Atrani and after a bit of a search found the little restaurant recommended to her.  We were the only guests so the lovely waiters were rather attentive.  The food was just divine. ..Mary said her pillows of ravioli was the best meal she'd has so far...Rosa and Dana opted for a pasta and potato dish..superb  and my home made pasta with creamy prawns was simply to die for!   I couldn't even fit in the chocolate tiramisu...however I did have a divine double scoop ice cream for morning tea! !
Our final place for the day was Ravello and the magnificent gardens of the villas Ruffalo. OMG! The wow word dominated with elegant sculptures with the coastal views as the back drop were just amazing.  As our feet and legs screamed out 'NO MORE STAIRS PLEASE " it was time to venture back to Positano.  The bus rides were again a challenge and it was a very late end to a day which had everything.  Despite being dead on her feet Rosa managed to produce another fabulous dinner largely from the leftovers in the fridge.  It could have been from a first class eatery!  Boy can that woman cook!!! Our packing awaited as the start time tomorrow was just after 7.00 for the long drive across the peninsula to Alberobello in Puglia.  Positano is a gem...5 nights this time. ..maybe double that next time. 

Heaven does exist: it's called Positano

As our time in this magical place draws to a close, it's time to reflect on our stay here in this beautiful part of the Italian coast.  Firstly this place does provide some challenges and the twisting hair pin bends on the roads and steep landscape can be physically challenging for those with mobility issues.  However what you get in return are breathtaking views over the sea which constantly change and create many 'wow' moments.  Cafes and restaurants cling to the edge and there's nothing better than spending time with a spritz or two just taking it all in. The traffic is like going on an adventure ride each day as coaches,  cars and motor scooters play dodge cars with only millimetres to spare.  In saying this however the drivers here are so much better than ours at home.  They don't hesitate and confidently make moves. ..you have to. ..it's just the way it is here but for those of us from sleepy South Australia it is a real education in panic control! !! And of course the food!! So much has been written about Italian food but words fail to express the sheer joy this cuisine provides.  Street food is everywhere  but not the chain rubbish like the global players such as the golden arches types....here simplicity and freshness are the order of the day. Divine.  I will select a couple of highlights to focus on for separate blogs but today it's off to Amalfi and Ravello for another white knuckle ride along the coast in a local bus.  Ciao for now!

Expressions of interest for the 2018 'Bella Italia Tour' (The Sacred & the Sublime) are now open...

2018 BELLA ITALIA TOUR WITH ROSA MATTO

‘The Sacred and The Sublime’

Expressions of Interest for the 2018 Bella Italia tour with Rosa Matto (The Sublime and the Sacred) can be forwarded to Julie Reece Tours during the ‘Early-bird’ promotional period. As with this year’s tour, we will be touring in October, a wonderful time of the year for travel in Italy. The summer crowds will be gone and the autumn weather will be mild and very comfortable for touring. Departure from Adelaide will be on the first Monday of the school holidays thus appealing to teachers. However, as the tour will be 3 weeks, some extra time for those in schools will need to be arranged with employers and line managers. The 2018 tour will head north flying into Venice for 4 incredible nights. Emirates fly directly from Dubai thus making this link very convenient. We will stay in a boutique hotel looking over one of the smaller canals, very close to the centre of Venice within easy walking distance to Saint Mark’s Square. Highlights of our Venetian experience include a cookery school in a private villa, accompanied tours of the lesser known islands, and optional extras such as a night at the Opera (either La Fenice, depending on the season OR Música Palazzo) and specialised interest tours such as Venice’s secret gardens OR ‘In the footsteps of Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti’ OR Venice’s Jewish history OR a trip to Lido. The optional extras allow each group member to follow their individual passions and interests with the benefit of local guides. If you don’t want to take up any of the optional extras, there are many wonderful walks in and around the centre and smaller canals where you can soak up the atmosphere of this unique Italian gem.

From Venice a fast train journey (first class) across magnificent landscapes will take you to Florence for 3 glorious nights. The famous art treasures of the western world will be yours to admire and prepaid tickets to L’Accademia and Galleria delgi Uffizi will make your visit one to remember. We will wander around Oltrano and the Boboli Gardens and enjoy a scrumptious picnic prepared by Rosa. For the shoppers in the group, the markets are a must. With so many magnificent options, you will be spoilt for choice in your days in Florence. Hotel accommodation is being negotiated and we will be selecting a centrally based, boutique style hotel so that the ‘flaneurs’ of the group can wander at leisure within close distance of our hotel.

Leaving Florence, the group will meet our professional coach driver who will take care of us for the next 11 days.  In the comfort of our coach we travel to the iconic regions of Tuscany and Umbria where a luxurious villa awaits us. The village of Cetona south east of Siena, will be our centre and our villa is just a few kilometres from this village. With exclusive use of the magnificent Villa Palazzo Bello, our whole group will enjoy the comforts of home in and amongst the Tuscan rural countryside. Self -contained apartments with en-suite facilities for most of the bedrooms plus lounge rooms and well supplied kitchens will maximise comfort in this fine example of Tuscan ‘agri-turismo’. From our villa day trips will take us to the hilltop towns of Chianti for private tastings, Pisa, Lucca, Siena and dinner in San Gimignano.  For Umbrian specialties, a trip to Lake Trasimeno near Perugia will be on offer. Rosa will cater for many of our meals and ‘happy hours’ will be a chance for relaxed sharing of the day’s adventures.

To complete our ‘Sacred and Sublime’ Bella Italia tour, we will spend a couple of days (3 nights) in Rome prior to the journey home or to the next leg of your individual travel.

2018 BELLA ITALIA TOUR: ‘The Sacred & The Sublime’

EARLYBIRD SPECIAL (2017 rates valid to January 31^st, 2018)

$8,950 twin share (single supplement TBC)

1.       Meet & greet Venice hotel – Tuesday 2/10/18-tour ends Rome Tuesday 23/10/18 (21 nights)

2.       Contact Julie via email initially to register for the 2018 Bella Italia Tour EARLYBIRD DEAL. A $500 deposit is required to secure your place in the tour.(NB. If guaranteed departure of 6 pax is NOT achieved the deposit is fully refunded). 

3.       Group size will not exceed 12 pax.

4.   At the point of guaranteed departure, you will be notified and a NON-REFUNDABLE commitment payment of $1,000 is required to guarantee the 2017 price.  Following receipt of the commitment payment you will receive a detailed daily itinerary including confirmation of specific hotels and other accommodation plus the optional extra activities on offer.

5.       Tour deposits received AFTER 31/1/18 will be set at 2018 rates.

6.       N.B. The twin share price excludes flights. Designated flights are available through Anna Byrne at ‘Adelaide Travel’ or you may choose to book using your preferred agent.

7.       The final balance for the tour minus all deposit and commitment payments, is due August 1^st, 2018

CONTACT DETAILS: email – julie@juliereecetours.com.au

MOBILE: 0407 711 549 (I will be on tour from 14/10 – 1/11/17 & 22/11/17- 21/12/17 so the preferred contact in this period is via email)

SOCIAL MEDIA: follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JulieReeceTours