Becks and the Cities

Wednesday ~ June 22nd, 2022

If you’ve been on TikTok or Pinterest at all within the last year and a half, you know how popular the Amalfi Coast has become! With such popularity, however, comes great crowds! How do you beat the heat and people? You get up at 6 am to take photos and explore in peace, which is exactly what we did!

After exploring the area, we stopped by our hotel for a breakfast with another amazing view! I couldn’t imagine a more idyllic setting!

We were picked up from our hotel for our private “Taste of Amalfi” day. Our driver, Sal, was incredibly entertaining to ride with (and he just so happened to know every person we came across). He also just casually mentioned being Taylor Swift and Reese Witherspoon’s driver when they were visiting the Amalfi Coast in years past. However, he did say, “But today, Sal’s celebrities are Rebecca and Tristan!”

We started by driving the incredible Amalfi coast, which overlooks the blue waters that make up the Tyrrhenian Sea. When the road bends, which it does often, we were able to see water views edged with the pretty coastline (postcard material!). I was in awe of the pastel-colored little houses that clung to the cliffs along the route.

Sal dropped us off at Tenuta San Francesco, a family winery located in the country side of Italy in Tramonti. Upon arrival, we were taken to the vineyards where we were shown how the winery creates such amazing wines. The wines they produced, are created from ancient and pre-phylloxera vines (which existed prior to the epidemic of phylloxera in Europe in the late 19th century). As you can see, the vines are THICK like tree-trunks!

The winery has several indigenous grape varieties such as Tintore, Piedirosso, Pepella, Falanghina and Ginestra. Interesting, the vines are held to the trellis by willow ties, which is one of the most ancient forms of vine training. Willow branches are perfect for this task, as they are cheap to grow, sustainable (unlike plastic ties that eventually break and litter the ground), and are flexible when creating ties.

After our tour we watched as the kitchen prepared four unique Italian meals to pair with each of the vineyard’s wines. I wouldn’t consider these tasting pours!

Everything was delicious- from the wine to the food! Perhaps under the wine’s influence or with the spirit of the Amalfi Coast, we purchased a case to be sent to us back home in the states! We leaned one of the white wines are able to be matured for another 5 years, which will be a special treat to open on our five year anniversary!

Sal picked us up and whisked us off to the next destination, Ravello! Ravello, surrounded by mountains, is perched on a hilltop more than 1,200 feet (~365 meters) above the Mediterranean Sea and is much quieter than the towns of Amalfi and Positano.

Ravello has beautiful villas, vistas, and musical festivals that have welcomed visitors for centuries. Several famous actors, authors, composers, and artists have come here for refuge and inspiration (like Jackie Kennedy, Woody Harrelson, Pierce Brosnan, Angelina Jolie). Interestingly, the great artistic works of M.C. Escher (one of my favorite artists) were heavily influenced by the Moorish decorations and the lizards that the Dutch artist discovered while staying in Ravello.

Next, we were dropped off in Amalfi, a beautiful small town along the scenic Amalfi Coast. The town is sandwiched between the water and the mountains, resembling the typical appearance of most towns in the area.

In the Tenth and Eleventh centuries, Amalfi dominated the trade routes of the Mediterranean, along with the other three Maritime Republics of Italy (Venice, Pisa and Genova). This success brought Amalfi wealth and power, which created the beautiful town and historic architecture we admired while visiting.

We walked around and explored the port, Piazza Dante (and its fountains), the Amalfi Duomo, and meandering allies. The duomo dominates the piazza from the top of a high steps and has a distinctive looking façade that suggests medieval origins, although is largely a product of the Seventeenth century architecture.

Right in front of Amalfi’s Duomo, we saw the Fountain of Sant’Andrea, which is one of the most distinctive landmarks in town. The decorated fountain, which dates back to the Seventeenth century, includes representations of St. Andrea and marine creatures to pay homage to the vocation of the city. As a bonus, it also provides drinkable water for visitors.

Sadly, we weren’t able to visit the Limoncello farm, as they were filming a documentary that day. Instead, we were dropped off an hour early, and were able to explore more of Positano. I made sure to have my own lemon day by ordering a limoncello spritz, a lemon zest ravioli, and a lemon cake for dinner and dessert!