Like many people, this is a busy travel year as a result of COVID related deferred vacations. I had booked a 7-night Rome to Venice cruise several years ago, but COVID related issues caused its cancellation and Oceania offered us a 10-day Rome to Trieste itinerary instead. Despite having just been to Rome in April, I jumped at the chance for another Roman Holiday and spent my pre-cruise days in Rome leisurely checking out artisanal gelateria, revisiting familiar favs and exploring new hot spots!
Roaming the Eternal City, it seemed every major Piazza in Centro Storico was taken over by tourists, so it was a relief to see silence and tranquility returning to the squares by nightfall. Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Fontana del Tritone at Piazza Barberini and Fontana delle Naiadi in Piazza della Repubblica were virtually deserted as we took our passeggiata after dinner.
A wildcat railroad strike scuttled hopes of a truffle hunt in the countryside. Luckily I was able to snag a private lunch at the last minute with a professional chef at his flat around Campo de’ Fiori. Chef Gianmarco was engaging and passionate about his craft, constantly looking to update time honored dishes with his contemporary sensibilities. We enjoyed a perfect 5-course food and wine pairing, waddling away 3.5 hours later more informed about Roman culinary traditions than before.
Sorrento, the land of lemons and limoncello, was the first port of call. The picturesque town is built on a plateau where the limestone coast plunges dramatically into the Gulf of Naples. Grand hotels perch on the cliffs’ edge tout elevators cut into the mountainside to access their private beach clubs. Also faintly visible are stairs on the rock face down to the beaches for the athletically inclined.
Looking for an active excursion, I went on a hike that went past British writer Norman Douglas’ former retreat into the Protected Marine Area of Punta Campanella. The day was over 90 degrees, and the hot humid air covered Positano like a wet blanket on the Amalfi Coast.
From the Reserve caretaker’s homestead, we got a good view of 3 rocky outcrops called the Faraglioni. As Greek mythology had it, Odysseus and his crew were able to elude the Sirens’ attempts to lure their ship to the shore. Angered, the Sirens hurled rocks as it sailed by, which was supposedly how these sea stacks came to be.
We were finally rewarded by the turquoise waters of Capitello Beach, where we stopped for lunch. Located in the Bay of Ieranto, this secluded beach can only be accessed by hardy souls willing to brave the long trek and, in our case, a scorching sun. Capri, the glitzy playground of the rich and famous, can be seen adjacent to the Faraglioni islands of Stella, di Mezzo and di Fuori on the distant horizon.
Next day was a busy one at Catania. Founded in 8th century BC, centuries of wars, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes ended up with new civilizations built on top of the old or vanquished. I booked an underground tour to visit some of the city’s buried, storied past. Dating from 3 AD, the Terme Achilliane is a sprawling Roman thermal bath complex that lies under the Duomo, Piazza Duomo, Seminary and Palazzo Senatorio. Stucco walls decorated with human figures, animals, grapes and vines, possibly in honor of Bacchus, were still vaguely discernible.
The Amenano is an underground river that flows beneath most of old town. Although it breaks surface at Fontana dell’Amenano (Fountain of Amenano), it’s more fun to catch it in action at the whimsical restaurant A Putia Dell’Ostello.
A steep flight of stairs took us down to the water level where diners can hang out along its edge.
My antennae went up when I heard horse meat is traditionally eaten in Catania. The taste, per our guide, is ‘like beef, but sweeter’. And as luck would have it, it’s commonly served in restaurants around Monastero dei Benedettini di San Nicolò L’Arena. The second largest Benedictine Monastery in Europe was also where we were headed right after lunch.
This unpretentious roadside eatery belongs to a butcher shop that also simple grilled meats. Where it lacked in ambience, it scored high in adventure dining. On closer examination, I noticed a donkey fillet on the menu. Having about 30 minutes to order and eat, we decided to share a horse meatball and donkey fillet for a quick bite. The horse meatball was unremarkable, given ground meat is not highly distinctive, except for wild game. However, the donkey fillet turned out to be exceedingly succulent and tender – in fact the best fillet I ever had!
We ate and dashed over to the monastery just in time for the English tour. Our guide was exceedingly knowledgeable, had a great sense of humor, and seemed genuinely proud to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site being repurposed seamlessly as part of Catania University.
Contrary to their vows, the Benedictine monks of San Nicolò L’Arena flaunted their power and wealth, living lavishly as exemplified in this grand communal dining room. The circular cutout in the floor was added by architect Giancarlo De Carlo during the monastery’s 1977 restoration to bring light to the abbey’s kitchen below.
I was struck by Giancarlo De Carlo‘s vision, who asserted that ‘It is necessary to wander between tradition and innovation so that stimulus, comparisons, suggestions, interpretations can develop continuously, avoiding that the interest in tradition leads to imitation, and that the interest in innovation leads to superficiality.’ To that end, he visually highlighted the new steel reinforcement of the kitchen skylight with a strikingly contemporary design, while giving a nod to the building’s ecclesiastical origins in the process.
Renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano undertook the reconstruction of Valletta’s City Gate, Parliament House and Royal Opera House from 2009-2015. The Parliament House consists of two bridge-connected limestone buildings set on slender legs to provide an airy counterpoint to the massive structures. The façade is comprised of solid Goza blocks precisely machined to resemble eroded stone, with openings oriented to provide light and views, while reducing heat gain. It is intended to resemble stylized honeycombs, as Malta in ancient Greece was called Melite, which meant honey. However, detractors called the design a cheese grater instead…
Rebuilding the Royal Opera House across from the Parliament buildings also proved highly controversial. Completed in 1866, the neo-classical building was destroyed by German bombardment in WWII. Renamed Pjazza Teatru Rjal, the architect integrated the site’s few surviving Corinthian columns and stone periphery into a new open air theater. That the minimalist design did not provide any roof, shelter, or acoustic isolation, caused much consternation.
Intrigued by the variety of local foods, I found a food tour that offers a more civilized experience: headsets for benefit of the occasional straggler, and seating during tastings. Our guide started out by giving us some historical and cultural background as we munched on pastizzi, a super flaky phyllo turnover that was filled with mashed green peas. Then we snacked on ftira, a hearty, round sourdough bun stuffed with tuna, tomato, and onion, accompanied by a local herbal soda called Kinnie. Next up, a creamy gelato of candied peel and almonds brought some relief to the heat. The tour ended with a belly-busting multi-course lunch that included a spicy bean dip, fresh cheese board and fenkata, the national dish of rabbit stew marinated in wine, then cooked with aromatic herbs and vegetables. They were all washed down with a Maltese lager. Dessert was mqaret, a traditional Maltese date pastry, paired with Kafé Msajjar, Maltese spiced coffee.
After the food fest, it was time to get back. Emerging from the Victoria Gate towards the cruise dock, I was greeted by a tipsy row of warehouses with colorful doors lining the roadside.
For our next port, Taranto, I booked an excursion to Alberobello, a UNESCO Heritage Site famed for its trulli buildings, about a 50-minute drive away. Built without mortar, these photogenic limestone structures are topped with a conical roof.
Turning up the whitewashed alley, I got my first glimpse of the trulli village. It was love at first sight – a forest of conical roofs peeking at me as if playing hide-and-seek…
No one is certain how the trulli came to be. But according to one version, when the king of Naples decided to tax all permanent buildings, the locals decided to build houses of stacked stones so they arguably can be considered temporary shelters to dodge the tax.
Design of the sandstone pinnacolo (pinnacle) at top of each Trulli is unique and associated with a particular master craftsman.
The conical roof is constructed of 2 layers of limestone. The inner one is for structural support while the exterior ‘skin’ slopes outward to keep rain out. Luckily the Puglia region has relatively low rainfall, so trulli construction works well enough to keep the homes dry.
Some of the trulli houses also sport white painted symbols on their roofs and are roughly categorized as Christian, pagan or mystical in nature. Some popular signs are the cross, heart or malocchio (evil eye), and are intended to bring good luck to the trulli owners.
With busloads of tourists milling around, especially in Rione Monti, where most of the shops and lodging are located, Alberobello may seem a bit overwhelming. But by wandering further afar, one can still find quiet lanes and peaceful vistas to fully appreciate the trullis for what they are.