Valle delle Ferriere: A hike on the Amalfi Coast

We were determined to try this hike again after not being able to complete it in December (see Ravello hike post). We knew there were spectacular views to be seen, but we had missed seeing all of the other beauty that this hike boasts. This time it was going to happen!

After spending the night in Ravello on Friday night, we awoke to a wonderful weather day filled with sunshine, clear skies, and low humidity. Jon and I, along with our friends Charlie and Ayessa, packed our bags full of granola bars, apples, and a bunch of water, and headed to the start of the Valle delle Ferriere (Valley of the Mills) trail in Pontone. The trail gets its name from an ancient ironworks factory that lies in the middle. The area is now a natural reserve that sadly, few tourists make it to. The trail started and continued with us going up, up, up, and then up some more. Just when we would think that we just possibly couldn't go up anymore, there was a whole new set of rock steps waiting for us.

At the very beginning, making our way to the trail.

UP!

 Soon into the hike we saw what we had come for. The mountains were spectacularly framed by the clear blue sky and the city of Amalfi in the far distance was calling out to us. The trail wrapped around high mountains and cliffs and while gazing out onto the magnificence of it all we felt just a little small in front of such grandeur.

Amalfi is down below.

Camera timers are great!

Way out there!

Ayessa and Charlie

Another grand view.

The path eventually took us into a cool and dense forest and we heard the sound of water in the short distance. Beautiful waterfalls were pouring down the mountainsides into small rivers and pools of water. We stopped for a rest, took off our shoes, and let the COLD water flow through our feet. While enjoying the serenity of it all, we snacked and replenished ourselves, poured water on our heads to cool off, and did some exploring of the area to see which direction to take.

Dipping our feet.

Exploring the area.

Our snack spot.

Onward!

We ended up (accidentally) taking the road less traveled and found ourselves hiking a route where the trail was barely visible and barely marked. We had to climb over and under trees that had fallen over the path and thorn plants waiting to stick us with their points. I was a little bit miserable thinking about what kind of critters were waiting for us in the greenery, but alas, we made it out without any bites or stings. We ended up passing the "easier" trail as it met up with ours, but where would the fun be if we actually knew where we were going?

Passing some goats.

After 4 hours from our start in Pontone we were able to make out some cars in Amalfi and knew that we were close. We just didn't know that the hike ended with more than 1000 steps to the town! Down, down, down, we went, wondering at every turn when the steps would end. Some people also start this hike going from Amalfi to Pontone and we couldn't imagine starting this long hike with more than 1000 steps.

The end... almost!

We saw a lot of these.

We finally made it to the bottom and felt ourselves gravitating towards food! We sat down at a restaurant and proceeded to order caprese, bruschetta, gnocchi, ravioli, spaghetti, tagliatelle, and a pizza. Yes, we were hungry and we finished it all! A stop for gelato afterwards put us into a food coma.

Charlie's shoes took a beating!

There are parts of this hike that we did not see (another big waterfall and the iron mill and paper mill), perhaps because we took the path that we had to bushwhack our way through? Either way, we enjoyed this fantastic hike in the company of good friends, on the beautiful Amalfi Coast.

Sabato abbiamo fatto hiking sulla costa di Amalfi. Il hike e' chiamato "Valle delle Ferriere" e inizia da Pontone e finisce a Amalfi. Abbiamo fatto hking su molto rocce e costoni. Dopo un'ora e mezzo siamo arrivati alle cascate. Erano belle! Abbiamo riposato qui cosi' abbiamo mangiato uno snack e abbiamo messo i nostri piedi e mani nell'acqua. L'acqua era rinfrescante perche' era fuori caldo! Tre ore dopo, alla fine, siamo andati giu' per piu' di 1000 scale a Amalfi! Eravamo molto stanchi!

La settimana scorsa, siamo andati alla costiera amalfitana a fare un hike. Il hike che si trova in un parco naturale si chiama Valle dei Ferriere e incomincia da Pontone, vicino a Ravello, e finisce alla citta' di Amalfi. Abbiamo dormito a Ravello e la mattina seguente ci siamo svegliati presto per incominciare un hike di cinque ore. Le prime due ore, il hike e’ stato di salire la montagna con molte scale. Dopo due ore, abbiamo visto alcune cascate e camminato nell’acqua fredda. E’ stato molto buono sentirla sopra I nostri piedi stanchi. Quando siamo tornati, abbiamo dovuto camminare in basso per piu’ di un mille scale a Amalfi! Quando siamo entrati in citta’, eravamo molto sporchi, stanchi e affamati. Ci siamo seduti al ristorante e mangiato un grande pranzo. In seguito, abbiamo
mangiato il gelato come premio. E’ stato un grande giorno!

Isle of Ischia: Take Two

Our first trip to Ischia in August was somewhat of a disaster (see previous Ischia post) with us taking the ferry into the wrong port, walking around aimlessly without a plan, and bearing temperatures in the high 90s with very high humidity. This time around we were determined to research a little bit more about this spectacular island and all it has to offer.

Pulling into the port.

Castello Aragonese from the ferry.

This weekend Jon surprised me with a night on Ischia for my birthday. We took an early ferry, and arrived at our amazing hotel which sits on the harbor, has it's own thermal spas and massage/beauty treatment options, and rooms with large balconies overlooking the port. After we checked in we set off on a walk down Corso Vittoria Colonna, a street which has many ceramic and limoncello shops. We ended up spending a lot of time at one ceramic shop throughout the weekend, making friends with the owner who invited us back for espresso the next morning (which we accepted) and gave us a discount on a set of plates.

Just a few of our purchases.

We ate lunch and continued to walk towards Castello Aragonese. This castle sits on a volcanic rocky inlet connected by a stone bridge about 700 feet long. The first fortress was built in 474 BC and after a long time of abandonment, the castle was rebuilt in 1441 and was connected to the main island with the stone bridge. It reached it's peak in the 16th century when it housed 1892 families with 13 churches. The castle walls enclose courtyards, gardens, churches, antique archways, and terraces with outstanding views of the sea, the harbor, and the peninsula.

View from the Terrace of the Immacolata.

Hello out there!

The Cathedral of the Assunta.

A crypt underneath the cathedral.

A garden area.

Church of the Madonna della Libera.

Within the castle walls.

After our trip to the castle we walked back to the hotel and checked out the thermal bath they have. Ischia is known for its thermal pools and health spas. The water is from the natural hot springs, is heated by volcanic action, and is said to be good for a variety of health treatments. We also took advantage of their massage services.

Taking in some sun... kind of.

Smoking a cigar

Celebrating a great birthday!

The port at night from our balcony.

We had a wonderful and relaxing time in Ischia. Next time we go we will visit more of the island and visit the towns of Forio, Sant'Angelo, Lacco Ameno, and others.

Per il mio compleanno Jon mi ha fatto una sorpresa con una notte a Ischia. Siamo arrivati a Ischia presto la mattina di sabato. Dopo siamo andati all’albergo, abbiamo camminato una strada trafficata con molti negozi. Abbiamo mangiato il pranzo e poi abbiamo continuato in direzione del Castello Aragonese. Il castello e grande e include giardini, terrazze, chiese, e archi belli. Le viste sono bellissime!

La vista dalla terrazza.

Dopo la visita al castello abbiamo camminato al nostro albergo mentre ci fermavamo ai negozi. All’albergo siamo andati alle terme. E stato molto rinfrescante. Quella notte, abbiamo cenato nel ristorante bello vicino al mare. Abbiamo mangiato calamari, tagliatelle con cozze, coniglio, e caprese per dolce. Il cibo e stato molto buono. Quando siamo tornati all’albergo ci siamo seduti fuori sulla terrazza. Era una notte bella.

Al ristorante.

Il prossimo giorno abbiamo avuto massaggi. Dopo, che abbiamo comprato piatti ceramica, una ciotola grande, e tazzone di caffe. Abbiamo parlato con il proprietario per tanto tempo. Ci ha fato un sconto e espresso perche siamo stati amichevoli e abbiamo parlato un poco italiano. Insomma, abbiamo avuto un tempo fantastico!!!

Capodimonte Park in Naples

After two weeks of everyday rain, Saturday proved to be a spectacular weather day with bright sun and highs in the 60's. We decided to take advantage of the day and headed to Capodimonte. Capodimonte literally means "head of the mountain" and is a big area that includes a park, a royal palace, a national museum, an astronomical observatory, and a porcelain factory. Since it was so nice outside, we decided to take Maya and spend a few hours in the park instead of inside the museum and palace.

The Royal Palace.

Capodimonte Park sprawls across a high plateau overlooking Naples and the bay. Other lookout points from the park include Mt. Vesuvius ominously looking over the city, and the coast of Sorrento far across the Bay of Naples.

Mt. Vesuvius

Naples and the bay.

Stepping into the park provided us with a sense of relief from the busy streets outside. Things seem a little bit calmer once you step inside with kids playing soccer, couples picnicking on blankets, joggers and bikers exercising without fear of getting hit by cars, and dogs playing fetch. We always wondered where all of the greenery in Naples is and it seems that it's all in this park! The magnitude of the park isn't truly realized until you pass through the "Porta di Mezzo" (Middle Doorway), which is a high gate leading to the main park grounds. Here, there are different paths one can take; some leading to statues gazing down at the people and some leading to various trails and deeper forests. We walked around for a couple of hours, getting lost in different directions and losing ourselves to the calmness of the park.

We see ourselves coming to Capodimonte Park often either to run, bike, or simply stroll. It is definitely one of the many gems of Naples.

Sabato siamo andati al Parco di Capodimonte. Non pioveva e c'era il sole fuori. C'era molta gente che stava correndo, camminando, giocando, e stava bene con il bel tempo. Abbiamo portato Maya con noi e lei era felice perche' e stat una bella passeggiata e le sono piaciuti gli odori. Le piste erano belle e abbiamo visto il Vesuvio, Napoli centro, e la costa di Sorrento. Le erbe verdi e gli alti erano molto belli da vedere. La prossimo volta vogliamo vedere il museo e il palazzo.