SORRENTO AND AMALFI COAST

Hello again my dear readers and fellow bloggers.

In my last post I was telling you about our last day in Marrakesh which marked the end of our stay in Morocco.  Since then, we crossed the Mediterranean and landed in Naples where we hired a car to take us to Sorrento, which then became our home base for the next five days while we were exploring the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and the gorgeous island of Capri.

It was dark when we checked into our hotel but when we woke up the next morning and came down for breakfast we had to stop to take in the magnificent view overlooking the Med, blue and sparkling under the hot southern sun with Mount Vesuvius beckoning to us from the distance.

As per our traditional pattern, the first thing we always do when we arrive in a new destination, is to get on a Red Hop On Hop Off bus to get the feel of the place and map future potential points of interest.  If you never been or never heard of the Red Bus before, it is a double-decker sightseeing tour bus with an open roof and traditionally it is equipped with an audio system in multiple languages that allow the passengers to listen to the taped city guides while enjoying the highlights and landmarks along the way.  You can get off the bus whenever you want, wander around, get a feel of the place you liked and when you feel that you have had enough, get back on the next bus to continue your tour.

It was such a lovely warm and sunny day and choosing the upper deck of the bus seemed like a splendid idea.  The bus route took us around Sorrento central and then followed winding clifftop roads passing the olive groves and fragrant orange and lemon groves.

Sitting on the upper deck was a little tricky as we had to watch for the branches hanging over the road, but on the other hand, we were able to get a magnificent and uninterrupted view of the whole city and the Gulf of Naples lying below.  The whole tour ran for about two hours and gave us plenty of inside information and ideas of what to do and see in Sorrento and its surrounds.

Most of the evenings we did what the locals do, took a leisurely stroll up and down the main pedestrian strip of Sorrento, Corso Italia, stopping here and there for a scoop of gelato, a cup of coffee or a shot of limoncello, a locally made liquor hugely popular in this part of Italy.

It was during one of this walks then we came across the brightly illuminated charming Villa Fiorentino that was hosting an exhibition of Mark Chagall's paintings and photographs of the gorgeous Sophia Loren in a retrospective.

The following morning at exactly 10 in the morning we were informed by the hotel's front desk that our driver was waiting for us downstairs. Before we left Sydney, we had contacted Amalfi Coast Private Tours, one of the numerous touring companies operating in Southern Italy, to organise a private tour with an English speaking driver/tour guide to take us for a drive along the Amalfi Coast.

Again, the weather was kind to us, the day was warm and sunny and the fresh clear air was perfect for sightseeing the spectacular vistas that were sprawled in front of us at every turn.

The road along Amalfi Coast runs along the southern side of the Sorrento Peninsula and is one of the most dramatic and glamorous spots in Italy.

The Amalfi Drive is famous for its hairpin bends, zigzags and narrows at some parts to a point where the drivers have to fold their side mirrors to pass by.  It was built high on the cliffs at a very steep angle that makes this drive not only the one of the world's most beautiful drives but also one of the most exciting.

Our driver, Ellio, was not only an extremely knowledgeable and polite tour guide with a perfect command of English but also an excellent driver and every time he would take yet another hairpin bend with the ease and confidence of a pro, my heart would skip a beat and I would feel grateful that we both had agreed not to drive ourselves.

While he was skillfully navigating the intricacies of the road, we were enjoying the view on both sides of the road as we were passing the villages which clung to the high and steep cliffs on one side and on the opposite, the ever changing shoreline glistening under the sea cliffs.

When we felt hungry we asked Ellio if he could recommend a nice place to eat. He suggested lunch at a small restaurant Da Ciccio Restaurant, an ancient trattoria run by the same family since 1931 and famous all over the world for its traditional dishes that have been one the menu since ever since. He also recommended us to order the restaurant's signature dish called Cavatelli (home made pasta) with seafood on lemon flavoured mash potatoes.  Looks humble but tastes sublime.

Although it was already the end of September, every town that we stopped at along the way was packed with tourists.  The towns are relatively small and their historic parts are just in one or two narrow and winding roads that lead to the main square where you can  find an old church with a dome covered in beautiful Byzantine  mosaic.

In fact, the art of mosaic is widespread along the Amalfi Coast and we saw some amazing examples of their skill and imagination.  Some of the factories are so good that they claim that the colours of the mosaic they use in making the outdoor tables willl last for 100 years.

AMALFI COAST IS ONE OF THE MOST 

FASCINATING IN THE WORLD

FOR ITS LANDSCAPE

PESCE ALL'ACQUA PAZZA

This is one of the most popular fish recipes you would find on the menus of the myriads of restaurants that are dotted all along the Amalfi coast of Italy.  Among Italians it is known as Pesce all'acqua pazza or Fish in "crazy" water, referring both to the aromatic herbed broth it is cooked in and the generic recipe for poached fish.

Traditionally, this method calls for small fish such as bream or snapper, however after some experimentation, I came to the conclusion that the fish fillets work just as well.  Not only you don't need to deal with the bones especially if your household includes children but also the portions seem to be more of an even size, they present well and are easy to cook. Above all that, the fish tastes delicious which is exactly what we are after.

To feed 6 people you need:

200ml dry white wine

200ml water

1 tsp sea salt flakes

1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

2 small whole bream or snapper, 500 each, cleaned and scaled

or 6 fillets of any white fish about 250 gr each

1 punnet (250g) of cherry tomatoes

2 tbsp basil leaves, torn

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tbsp capers

2 tbsp flat parsley leaves, torn

1 lemon, quartered

Method:
Cut the tomatoes in half.  In a large frying pan, combine the wine, water, salt and olive oil and bring to the boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes, then gently slip the fish into the broth, add the cherry tomatoes, basil, lemon zest and capers. 

Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 3 minutes, if using fillets.  If you are cooking a whole fish, cook it for about 5 minutes on each side.  Carefully turn the fish over and simmer for another 3-4 minutes, depending on the size.  It is cooked when the flesh parts from the bone at the touch of a knife.

Remove the fish onto warm plates, bring the broth to the boil and spoon over the fish.  Scatter with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

The broth is so good that you definitely don't want to waste it, so the best way to serve this dish is with young boiled potatoes or a bowl of plain pasta laced generously with extra virgin olive oil.

If you like this simple but delicious recipe, you can find it and many more in MY COSMOPOLITAN KITCHEN recipes book.

Enjoy!!!

Enjoy!!!