Amalfi 2 - The Piazza in Cava di Terreni and dinner in Cetara

The charm of Cava is partly in it's relative obscurity, as it lies just off the Amalfi, about six kilometers from where Vietri perches at the southern end of the Amalfi coast, just before Salerno. We only know it because Son's dad lives here in the hills above the town. It is one of apparently only two villages in southern Italy that has colonnaded, arched walkways on either side of the main street.

The buildings surrounding the main piazza are mostly painted in the classic Italian ochre, with white trim and shutters. There is a charming central fountain, which also goes for a siesta when the rest of the town does and wakes with a gentle tinkle at 5pm to beckon all out for a passagare.



The Church on the square was destroyed and rebuilt after the war, but seems centuries old, displaying the notices of the upcoming Saints Feasts.

We had quick refreshments at Gran Cafe on the Piazza - espresso with very more-some little cheese twists, peach tea and gelato.

Well sated, we took a stroll through the park bordering the piazza, which was a cool oasis in the mid-day sun, graffiti on the park benched not withstanding. We were given a riotous welcome by the sprawling bougainvillea at the gate and were totally amazed by the massive old fir trees.

The wild life in the pond fascinated the boys, but I was sad to discover that the turtles weren't endemic to the region, they made good subjects though.

After a siesta, we set off to one our very favourite spots on the Amalfi Coast - Cetara. Unspoilt, not touristy and of the "blink and you'll miss it " variety, it's nested into the cliffs between Vietri and Maiori, at sea level.

We dined at Aqua Pazza, which despite it's contemporary take, still manages to maintain both an intimate and Amalfian atmosphere and aesthetic.

The starters consisted of sashimi di Mare, an assorted platter of raw sea food, lip-smacking fresh from the ocean, and maybe just a tad too sophisticated for the venue and occasion, but really good. The kids had a primi of simple spaghetti vongole, absolutely perfect with just a hint of lemon and garlic. Too Yummy.

We ordered a local bottle of white, Costa D'Amalfi - Terre Saracene, which with it's fresh citrus top notes, made for the perfectly paired wine for all choices for the meal.

The mains were simply a mixed grill of fresh local fish, spicy tomato based octopus, langoustine on parpadelle and a roughly chopped garden salad, all exquisitely delicious! The octopus did however take the proverbial cake...

After a very eventful and busy, long day we crammed back into Nonno's car (with Stef in the hutch at the back), and crawled our way back up the hill to SS.Annunziata.

The Amalfi coast - instalment 1

Arriving in Italy

We are back from a great holiday in Italy, where we stayed with Soni's Dad in Cava di Terreni, a few kilometers from where the Amalfi coast starts at the picturesque town of Vietri sul Mare. Vietri is famous for it's beautifull hand painted ceramics, and I must confess, we buckled and bought a few awesome serving pieces, but that is another instalment...

I'll be blogging about the food on our trip as well as dropping in some pics, just to make you all very envious, of the awesome scenery, classic architecture, as well as some happy snaps.

Oumie and I arrived on Sun the 12th, to join Soni, Stef and Luca who had been at Pappa since the previous thursday. He lives in the hills above Cava, where there are deliciously cool winds in the heat of mid summer.

The view from the terrace is amazing, and just to the right against the hill is a ramshackle ruin than we dream of restoring...

While Soni and the rest of the house hold went for a siesta, I went for a walk with Oumie and the Boys, who were so happy to see us after their ten day adventure with Lu & Co in London. The terrain is very rustic and hilly, so we stopped often, which was another excuse every time for a photo opportunity.

As is custom in these parts in summer, dinner was casual and late for us (9pm). Pappa drove us down to the beach promenade area of Vietri, where we were told they made the best potato croquettes in the world. Crispy outside, soft inside with melting mozzarella centres at Bar . This set the stage for the first meal of many that we shared with Soni's aunts Nelli and Angela.

The angel with Pappa. is ANGELO, Soni's six year old brother, what a gentle, charming boy and what a treat to watch Angelo, Stef and Luce communicate with a mix of pidgin English, Italian and mainly hand signals was refreshingly funny.

The only alternative to the potato croquettes was pizza - either Bianco or Rosso, sold by the slice.

We all slept well after a hour or so of the kids playing at the Gypsy fun fair and the trek back up the hill, there was a week or so worth of adventure, excitement and great meals ahead.....