Wordless Wednesday - Insalata caprese

Wordless Wednesday

Italian Flowers and Gardens

In the last of my themed posts of our trip to Italy last month a collection of photographs from the Villa Cimbrone and the Villa Rufolo in Ravello, a collage of flowers seen in Positano and the gardens next to the ruins of Pompeii.

The Villa Cimbrone is surrounded by beautiful gardens.
Turn a corner and you'll discover wonderful vistas and beautiful statues.

Left:Flora - Goddess of Flowers
Centre: David with the head of Goliath at his feet
Right: Leda with swan

The Tea Room,  

Sun dial

Lost to a world in which I crave no part
I sit alone and commune with my heart
Pleased with my little corner of the earth
Glad that I came not sorry to depart.

Palm trees grow close to the Pozzo, (well) Villa Rufolo

The 19thc Giardino, Villa Rufolo.

Gardens at Pompeii

Everywhere you look in Positano you find beautiful flowers,
 growing in tubs, baskets and flower boxes.

Arriverderci from the beautiful Amalfi coast of Italy.

Italian odds and ends!

More photo's from our recent trip to Italy's Amalfi coast, 

this post is devoted to some of the quirkier things that we saw as we explored the region.

These two ceramic figures hang on the wall of the terrace restaurant La Tagliata.
Although they look like Laurel & Hardy they are in fact meant to be
the owner and his brother.

By the side of the road just outside the small seaside town of Praiano
we saw this miniature village.
During the Christmas period the scene is decorated and the houses are lit up from the inside.

Cars are parked along both sides of the twisty road that hugs the mountainside.
This is not a one way street!
La Tagliata's little orange fiat cinquecento regularly brings customers up the mountainside
from Positano down below.

Beautiful mosaic sign at the entrance to the city of music, Ravello.

The next four photographs were taken as we wandered around the gardens at La Tagliata, Montepertuso.

Look closely and you'll see a peacock perched on a branch inside this cage.

Amazing ice cream flavours in Sorrento.

Newly weds on Spiaggia Grande, Positano.

We spotted this huge anchor by the quayside in Positano,
no boat just the anchor!

Coming shortly, as a tribute to the 2012 RHS Chelsea Flower Show which is taking place this week, "Italian flowers and gardens" 

Italian Doorways.

It may have taken me a while but I think I've just about sorted through our vacation photographs and got to the stage where I can share some once again.

Sometimes though it can get a bit boring looking at someone's holiday snaps and so I thought I'd post them a little differently. Each post will have a theme.

For example this post shows a collection of doorways that caught my eye as we toured around the glorious Amalfi coast, towns and villages.

Welcome to the Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, "considered one of the most important examples of the landscape, botany and culture of England created in the Mediterranean area between the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries." (quoted from souvenir brochure)

The architecture of these beautiful buildings is staggering, sometimes so simple it takes your breath away. 

Pompeii

Others are so ornate they make the breath catch in your throat.

This building houses the Operatic Society in Sorrento.

In  towns such as Amalfi the shop owners fill their doorways and the pavements beyond 

with wonderful goods for sale.

The torre d'ingresso, Villa Rufolo, Ravello.

The area around this doorway below entranced Richard Wagner to such an extent that he exclaimed that he had found the magical garden of Klingsor 

for it was the tangible expression of his most fantastic vision.

In my next post, some of the quirkier things that we spotted on our travels.

La Tagliata, Montepertuso.

Positano rising up the mountain side seen from Spiaggia Grande

Well, the rain that has been falling almost non stop since we picked up our hire car on Saturday has finally stopped, for now!
I have lots of pix to share but first the bad news........................
On Saturday afternoon as we approached the final leg of our journey from Naples to Montepertuso we found ourselves in the middle of an autobus sandwich!
On a very narrow road which consisted of one hairpin bend after another.
I guess it was inevitable..........................
whilst reversing back down the mountain the SP backed into the rail guard and bashed the car.
The carbinieri arrived, the driver of the local football team bus (the one that made us back down) was given a ticket (YAY!) and after about 20 minutes we completed the last 100 yards of the journey.
Now the good news.
The family who own and operate La Tagliata welcomed us with open arms, insisting that we eat a little something to recover from the journey.

Some of the antipasti from Saturday's lunch

Antonietta and Peppe brought eight plates of antipasti to our table, also red wine and still water, then refused to let us pay for the meal!
We were so stuffed replete that we didn't eat dinner that evening!

 Our home away from home

The view from our terrace

Breakfast Italian style.
Eggs, grapefruit juice, fresh fruit, toast & conserves,
TIRAMI SU?

Limone and Limone Grande grow abundantly in the terraced gardens.

You may just be able to see a small island in the background?
This is one of the legendary sirens from Greek mythology.
I see it every morning as I sit in bed & drink my tea!

So, now you know where we're living for the next couple of weeks, I'll be back again in a few days with more photos of the area, around and about.
Ciao, ciao!!