Italian – The Travelling Ginger

Viewpoints and mozzarella 🇮🇹🍷🧀

October 9, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

This morning we had a bit of a lie in as we weren’t being picked up until 08:30 – what a treat! It was a bit of a strange and disjointed day.. we but still got to see some beautiful places. Our first stop was a tiny hamlet called Marina del Cantone; a quiet and hidden area towards the end of the Sorrentine peninsula. As it is on the smaller side and not very well known, it’s mainly just locals buzzing around (although in the summer it does become heaving with tourists) and it was lovely to watch them go about their day from the local coffee shop. It also boasts not one, but two Michelin star restaurants! Unfortunately we didn’t have the time (or the dollar) to experience these.

Our next stop (after nearly having a head on collision with another bus) was Termini, another lesser explored place. Although incredibly small, it has everything needed for everyday life, including a butcher and a grocery store. Here you get fantastic views across to Capri and Li Galli islands from the piazza. It also has a church with some very interesting pieces inside, including a creepy doll holding a smaller version of the same creepy doll. As I was walking around, a questionable gentleman came up to me and asked if I wanted to buy some of his mother’s lemon cake from his house down the road. It was of course homemade and the best in the area. As much as I love lemon cake and was incredibly tempted, I declined his offer, just in case they were more the Amsterdam style, or I’d be kidnapped.

We were then taken back into Sorrento for a walking tour. As we have already walked around Sorrento 100s of times over the last few days we were convinced we had seen it all.. wrong! Going around with someone who lives here means you get to explore some of the more hidden streets and ‘attractions’, such as The Chiostro di San Francesco (cloisters) and a 12th Century arched doorway with a feature modern day air-conditioning unit. I had an ice cream which claims to be the world’s best, and I have to say it was one of the best I’ve ever tasted!

This afternoon we were looking forward to a ride out into the countryside to learn how Mozzarella is made. The farm however was only 5 minutes from Sorrento, and it turns out this is an incredibly popular spot for others wanting to see how it’s done! Maria and Rosa are experts in their field, and they bashed out the Mozzarella no problem. We were all then squashed around a table and given some lunch, which I have to say was absolutely delicious. Who can beat Mozzarella, tomato, Italian meats and olive oil. We were also given homemade cake which this time I was happy to have, and it was absolutely soaked in limoncello, along with a glass of homemade red wine.

This evening we ventured back into Sorrento to see what a Saturday night has to offer. The streets remain bustling, and we found a bar in the main square to sit and watch the lads lads lads, the crazy cyclists and the world go by. We were given a dish of olives to have with our beverages 🫒 but as hard as I try, I just cannot stand the taste, texture, or anything about olives!

Dinner tonight… beginning to feel 2D!

Amalfi Drive 🇮🇹

October 7, 2022 gingertravellerblog1 Comment

This morning was another super early get up ready for a day of driving and exploring. We had a taster of the Amalfi Drive when we took the bus to Positano, but today we travelled much further along, nearly completing the 50km of twists and turns. Luckily we were sat down for this one and not being flung around the bus, however Momma decided to sit on the side with the sheer drop, making the whole journey extra twitchy as one wrong move would send us plunging into the sapphire Tyrrhenian Sea far below. Thank god for Giuseppe the expert bus driver 👍🏻

Our first stop today was the town of Amalfi. I’ve seen loads of people walking around with giant lemons eating sorbet out of them, so I set out to find one. Luckily there are shops everywhere in Amalfi that sell them! Unfortunately I got far too excited and ordered 3 without asking how much they actually were. I was buzzing with my bargain when I was convinced he had said €13, however it became very apparent when I gave him €20 and he just stared at me like I’d just shat on his sorbet, that he had actually said €30. That’s €30 for a bit of sorbet wedged in a giant lemon 🍋 whilst it was actually very refreshing, the heat made it melt super quick so I ended up with incredibly sticky fingers (and toes as half of it dripped into my flip flop)

Back to Amalfi itself.. and it’s a gorgeous part of the coastline full of bars, cafés, shops and a big cathedral. You can catch a boat here if you don’t fancy taking on the Amalfi Drive (also FYI… its highly advised that tourists DO NOT hire a car and do it themselves!) There is a lot of hustle and bustle, but it continues with the tradition of pretty colourful buildings wedged into a tiny amount of space, with a maze of streets and passageways.

The next leg was by boat as we headed to Maiori, and it was apparent how many others don’t appreciate the British love of a queue. There is always a constant battle to be on the correct side of the boat, and Momma who was armed with her Nikon made sure nobody else pushed in, meaning we got a seat on the left hand side of the boat – the side with the views.

Maiori is much less touristy – it has a lovely beach and a gorgeous church with a colourful domed roof. It’s also very flat making it a much more accessible place. We decided to get some lunch and stopped in one of the cafes – Santa asked for a beer and the waiter came out with a cake instead! This was our sign to move on and we stumbled across a ‘pub’. This was evidently a local pub for local people, but they sold Peroni so this is where we stayed. The food was actually very nice and very reasonably priced (lunch inc beer was cheaper than all the lemons 🍋) but Santa decided all the local pigeons looked peckish, and lobbed some of his sarnie to their waiting beaks.

Once back in Sorrento, we made the long trek to the supermarket to stock up on Coke Zero, Tennants and Milka cookies for when we fancied a snack. We went for our obligatory sunset drinks and headed back to the hotel for dinner. Momma decided on the vegetarian option which was described as lettuce and tomato salad – she should have learnt from the cucumber salad in Croatia! Pudding was grapes 🍇 Santa was sad they weren’t squashed and in a bottle!

Positano & Sorrento 🇮🇹

October 5, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

This morning we decided to try out public transport and take the bus to Positano – a beautiful cliffside village. The bus arrived and it was absolutely packed. This however worked to our advantage as we got shoved on so quickly we didn’t get chance to pay! The journey was an incredibly sweaty one and can only be described as like being on a rollercoaster. We flew around the many twists and turns of the Amalfi drive (whilst the driver was on the phone!) and I spent most of the ride smacking the lady sat down by me in the face with my bag. Although the views were incredible, we were holding on for dear life and were very happy when we arrived for some fresh air.

Positano is an absolute must for anyone in this area. It’s full of charming zigzag streets selling everything from limoncello to colourful ceramics, pastel buildings stacked on top of each other and a pebble beach with turquoise water. It is however an incredibly touristy place, so much so that it is said we as tourists outnumber the locals three-to-one! As it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, we sat down at a lovely boozer overlooking the sea and enjoyed a beer and a cocktail at a very eye-watering price. I even managed to force Momma to have a Sex on the Beach 🍹

We managed to find a smaller and much less crowded pebble beach called Fornillo where me and Santa decided to go for a paddle. Unfortunately we made the error of not wearing water shoes and went barefoot instead, one of the most painful experiences of my life!

For the trip back to Sorrento we decided to go in style, and for €15pp you can go by boat. This is much less crowded and gives another perspective to the incredible coastline, as well as plenty of photos ops should you be sat in the right place!

This afternoon we were back to familiar territory and explored more of Sorrento’s bustling streets and busy squares. I purchased a gorgeous bread basket with a lemon pattern (it’s actually pretty terrible and Mark is only just finding out about this 🤣 but it was cheap) which I cannot wait to use when I eventually get round to hosting a sophisticated evening 😀 Santa was keen to get back to the supermarket we visited yesterday as he had spotted a 12% can which he throughly enjoyed this evening after his lounge by the pool.

We’re really lucky with the location of our hotel as we are right next to one of the best places for a sunset in Sorrento. Unfortunately we were just a bit too late this evening, but the sky was still a glorious colour, and we’ve certainly sniffed out the bar we will be going to tomorrow night.

As is going to be custom with this blog… here is the food for tonight! Inc finger for scale.. 🤣

Sorrento 🇮🇹

October 4, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

Another blog can only mean one thing… another coach trip! For months we had been planning a classic Spanish adventure, but a month ago we were told this trip could no longer go ahead. We frantically searched the Newmarket Holidays adventure database and decided to give the Amalfi Coast a try instead! As it was a super early start from Manchester, we chose to stay in Sale Travelodge. Close enough that you get a lie in, but far enough away that you get it much cheaper than onsite hotels.

The whole process at MAN was super quick. We purchased car parking with free speedy security, which I will now be getting every time I go to an airport! Less than half hr from arriving to being in departures.. what an absolute treat! So much time for breakfast, a leisurely shop and a whisky sesh for Santa before boarding my 1000th Easyjet flight of the year.

Our super speedy pilot landed us early, and that together with the super speedy passport control and having our bags off first meant we were in good spirits and ready to go. Unfortunately being with a coach tour means you have to wait for everyone, including definite Karen and her friend who were stood at the wrong baggage carrousel, meaning we were all waiting around for over an hour. I was pleased to see that as always, I am the youngest here by at least 100 years.

Unlike most of these types of holidays, today was a free day, meaning we could explore Sorrento on our own. A gorgeous 26 degrees meant it was time to whack on the shorts and suncream and head out to explore. Everywhere you go you get views of Mount Vesuvius, and I am certain I will see it from every angle possible during the next week. We had a lovely walk into town from our hotel – unfortunately I stood in a massive wet dog turd in my new white trainers 💩 (and on the walk back, it was evident that many more people had done the same thing) which made me sad, so I had to stop at a lovely cafe for something tasty to cheer me up.

As I am getting with the times, research for this trip now included TikTok videos (in all seriousness, there’s so much inspo on there!) so we headed for Bagni Regina Giovanna – Scenic ruins of a Roman villa with coastal views & a secluded beach. It turns out this wasn’t a special find as there was loads of people here, but it was still so beautiful to see and the views were stunning.

It was a fair trek back to our hotel, which was incredibly twitchy arse at times as it involved walking along main roads with no pavements and crazy bus drivers.. but we made it! Santa popped into the local supermarket where he found a Tennants Extra which he enjoyed on the balcony this evening. Dinner at the hotel was a questionable affair.. thank god for the Milka cookies we had earlier!

At least I will return thin.. every cloud!