We recently went to Italy to spend a relaxing time at our condo in southern Campania. Normally we take an extra week and travel to some other area of Italy but this time we just wanted to relax at the beach and enjoy Italy. This is a story about our local area, the people and the food. It is also a story about how Hurricane Irma caused us to have the longest trip home ever.
Watch the video VLOG below and follow us through this interesting trip to the mezzogiorno:
– George
For everyone that has been to Italy and wants to return, is planning a first trip to Italy or is just dreaming about a trip, These videos are for you. There are ten (10) videos below of 9 cities and a very interesting cave restaurant. Some cities are large others are small beach towns or mountain towns. Each Monday a new town is added. I explain things you need to know about Italy as well as taking you on a walk through each city. I hope you enjoy these vlogs. If you do, please share with your friends and like and subscribe to my YouTube Channel. We will not have a new VLOG on January 2, 2017 but will continue each Monday starting January 9, 2017.
Introduction to my Channel
Cities in Italy
1. Cisterninio (Puglia)
2.Ostuni (Puglia)
3. Alberobello (Puglia)
4. Grotta Palazzese ( in Polignano a Mare – Puglia)
5. Rome (Rome)
6. Positano (Campania)
7. Castellabate (Campania)
8. Florence (Tuscany)
9. Perugia (Umbria)
10. Marina di Casal Velino (Campania)
11. Assisi
12. Marina di Camerota
13. Cortona
You can see the entire playlist on my YouTube Channel.
Happy travels & may you one day be in Italy…
– George
It doesn’t matter where you are in Italy. There are views and eye-catching sights everywhere. You can be in a big city looking at a famous monument, on a small street, looking at a small city high up on a mountain, at the beach, climbing stairs or sitting at a small trattoria. Italy is all about its architecture. It has a personality all to itself. Here you stand on ancient roads, some dating pre-Roman. You feel and see its history. At the same time there is a modern culture all around you. iPhones, iPad and computers are everywhere. Most bars have free wi-fi service.
We come to Italy for the food, the people and these views. I love the feeling of being in an ancient place. Thinking about those ancient people and what they did, what they felt. Was their life that different from ours? These views can talk to you! Just listen and hear what they are saying. This is not a country to be rushed. Stop, relax and take in these views. Listen to them. Imaging yourself back in those times. Soon your modern problems give way to an appreciation of this great history.
My wish to all my readers is to be able to travel. experience another culture. Enjoy life more. There is so much to experience and learn. Pick a place you are passionate about and visit it. Put it on your bucket list. life is short but memories are forever.
My passion is Italy, what is yours?
George
Nationalpark Cilento (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Our small condo is in the Cilento National Park, Campania Italy. The park is huge and well-preserved. The Italian government stopped most new construction. This stops big resort type hotels from building on the sea. It preserves the beauty of this area for a long time. Here is a BLOG on this park as well as near by Diano National Park. If you like hiking, camping, horseback riding or just a day at a perfect beach, this is the area for you.
The beach towns here have all won the coveted Blue Flag award for clean beaches. These beaches are soft sand, gentle surf and family oriented. They have free areas were you can bring your own chairs and umbrella or you can pay to enter a private club area. These will give you chairs, table and umbrella. They also sell food, wine, beer and liquor. Most have free WiFi and music. This is how to do beach on steroids!
Explore the nearby mountain towns, tan yourself on the beaches and enjoy the National Park. It is all nearby your hotel.
George & Jo Anne
At the end of each of our trips to Italy, we drive to Rome Fiumicino Airport the day before our flight. This allows us to get rid of the car and have a good night sleep in a hotel at the airport. The drive from Velina to Rome is about 4 hours.
As we leave Velina, we drive north past the train station to the entrance of the SP 430 highway. This takes us north-west to Agropoli and then onto the A 3 Autostrada at Battipaglia. There is a spot on the SP 430 that is damaged and we have to detour onto a mountain road. It is just past one of the tunnels.
This rout passes Paestum and follows the Mediterranean coast. Once on the A 3 we head north-west to Salerno. At this point we leave the sea behind and head inland to the mountains. Soon we are passing Vesuvius. This is a very daunting volcano. You feel small and helpless near this huge volcano. Soon we are at the A 1 Autostrada (Italy’s main Highway). We are just north of Naples heading North-West to Rome. Along this stretch we usually stop at one of the many Auto Grills. They have bathrooms, gas, food and tourist items. As in most bars in Italy, you pay first and then with your ticket in hand get your food.
At Rome we head West around the loop on the A 90 that circles Rome and onto the A 91 to the airport. Fiumicino is near the sea again. We typically stay at the Hilton Garden Inn near the airport. You can drop your luggage at the hotel, check-in and gas up the car. Then drop it off at the airport and catch a shuttle bus to long-term parking and the Hilton Garden Inn. Now we relax with a drink and wait for dinner at 7:30 pm.
Soon it’s dinner time and the food is pretty good here. The free WiFi allows you to catch up with your Facebook and emails. The next morning we have breakfast and take the shuttle back to the airport. Soon we are onboard and leaving our beloved Italy behind.
Nine and a half hours later we are landing in Philadelphia. The trip was awesome, the people friendly and warm and the food & wine the best. Until our next trip!
George & Jo Anne
Ascea is a beach town south of where we live in Campania. It has a long road along the beach with plenty of sandy beaches. It is a Blue Flag beach.
These beaches have a gentle rolling surf and wonderful views of the surrounding mountains. You have two choices at these beaches:
The clubs usually have free WiFi and music. You can also have a lunch at them. Lunch is not just sandwiches and pizza but swordfish, pasta and salads. You can also get beer, wine and prosecco with lunch or at your table on the beach. The food is wonderful and you have great views.
On Thursdays the close a section of the beach road and set up vendor stalls for a market. This market is mostly clothes and kitchen ware.
There is a train that stops here from Salerno, Naples and Rome. It continues south to Sicily. When going to Ascea, don’t miss Velia and ancient Greek ruin. This was a huge seaside city in ancient times.
This is the way to enjoy the beach Italian style. Enjoy!
Tomorrow we travel south along the coast to the seaport of Scario.
George & Jo Anne
Being connected is important tool of us. We are on vacation but we want to be connected to:
We typically have caffè at a local bar with free WiFi. We can spend a little time over breakfast catching up and telling everyone what we are doing. Jo Anne is in sales and sometimes needs to keep in touch with customers. In this case we either buy a data plan from our provider or rent a WiFi box in Italy. One such company is Witourist. The box comes in 3G and 4G versions. It allows up to 5 devices to connect to its WiFi signal.
If you have economical ways to stay connected in Europe let us know.
George & Jo Anne
Many of the small bars in Italy offer free WiFi. You can sip a Cafè or Cappuccino while face booking friends about your trip. There are other hotspots in the major cities. Some hotels offer it free others charge for WiFi. We recently found a company, Wi Tourist, that offers a device that produces a WiFi hotspot for up to 5 – 10 devices (depending on device). You can pick it up at the major airports or they will deliver it to your hotel and pick it up at the end of your stay. The price ranges from 3 to 7 Euros per day. The speed ranges from 7.2 to 100 Mbps. After 12 days the price drops to 1 Euro per day for all plans.
This allows WiFi coverage at hotels that charge 10 Euros per day for a very reasonable price. You are on vacation and WiFi and the internet should nor be your main concern. Many travelers must stay in touch with their office or are on business not vacation. This device can be an economical solution.
George & Jo Anne
Buy The Book – Food For Thought – An Epigenetic Guide to Wellness, online at: Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
Book this BLOG is based on
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