Amalfi Amore

Terrace view from Ravello HUB CULTURE.COM Amalf Amore It’s summertime and the living is easy along the Amalfi Coast, stretching south from Naples along the Sorrentine Peninsula to Salerno. The area is a legendary leisure spot, the home of limoncello, Sofia Loren, and a legendary place to lounge away August, neck deep in Italian tourists and Chinese tour buses jammed along one winding two lane road, Strada Statale 163. Arrivals the rocks on the shore, 200 steps up to the in a lemon tree garden, and views from Its just a short hop from most European nearest market, and 35 steps to Afrikana, Ravello, which winds its way high up the capitals to Naples, the main gateway of the the region’s most hilarious cave-nightclub. mountain from Amalfi and affords the most Salerno region. Renting a car at Naples If you are on a honeymoon or bought incredible views of everything – a must see. airport is a major pain in the kazoo, as Bitcoin in 2009 there will be other places Later at night, you’ll descend to Afrikana, Italians seem to have never heard of auto for you, including the Hotel Grand Tritone, that local nightclub-in-cave. The scene here insurance and make you pay large upfront which is up the road a bit at the edge of is ridiculous, where the DJ perches on a deposits when securing your tiny Fiat for Praiano. Legendary location – with rooms ledge, the Italian youth jump and scream an exorbitant price. Unless you plan on that tumble over the cliff and perch over the and preen, and tourists go crazy trying to driving the winding roads in a Porsche at waters and great service, this is a once in a pick up all the girls that drive down from 2mph, you’ll do just fine with a taxi straight life-time place that’s not too expensive at all. Naples in the shortest skirts known to to the good stuff, spending not a moment Towards Amalfi, the truly flash stay at man. The club features an overlook of the more in Naples than absolutely necessary. the Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi, with night time sea, where fish swim toward For about €120 your air-conditioned that sleek modern feel that comes from the lights and noise, and it all ends around late model Mercedes with hairy driver will an old place redone by a fashion designer sunrise when everyone invariably starts whisk you from the airport steps across type, where the juxtaposition reeks of cash fighting and pimping out their friends to numerous potholes and trash heaps to well spent. This makes it a bit boring and the Italians who haven’t yet scored. the motorway, where you whiz past Mt. predictable until you get to the infinity pool Vesuvius and Pompeii along the bay to down below, where all the interesting people Overall the steep cliffs ahead. Pop through the drink Aperol spritzers and count money on The best stories in Amalfi are made during mountain tunnel, and Paradise awaits. the phone with their Russian broker. the day, at the beach clubs. Take a water taxi Later, your hotel or villa will arrange the There are villas and apartments dotted from Praiano’s town beach or Positano’s occasional taxi, and the rest of your stay will up and down the coast, and while fun and tiny port to One Fire, a pulsating platform be dominated by the Amalfi Workout: core, often good value, be prepared for the step of orange chairs and umbrellas set against abs and glutes burn like fire climbing up workout and invariable lack of direction. the deep blue sea and vertical soaring and down 19,000 stone steps. With kids and strollers the hotels really are stone. Here the music is pumping and the the better bet, but a group of adults with a proprietor is dedicated to everyone having Where to Stay penchant for midnight drinking will find fun, no matter how tired you are and There are about a dozen towns dotted along the starlight views unbeatable the higher wishing to sleep the day away. One minute the coast, with Amalfi and Positano being you go. he’s cutting up watermelon for anyone to the most populated and charming among take, the next he’s serving some form of them, filled with restaurants and hand Entertainment frothy frappe to the unsuspecting. He’ll kiss painted pottery and gelato and old Italian Amalfi and Positano both feature anyone for a smile. Food here is adequate, ladies staring out of shuttered windows collections of swish restaurants and but its simply a lot of fun and a cool place with their cat. However, the magic of charming cafes, but the relaxing, enjoyable to waste an afternoon in Europe’s grand the coast is not in these towns, but the locations are where relatively less tourists beach club tradition. surrounding areas where you can park tend to flock. Along the coastline are Overall, the Amalfi coast is surprising your butt and spend time staring at the fun little beaches with simple Italian fare – for a place so popular, it still retains a sea atop a cliff, then jump off rocks into at remarkably feasible prices – €10-15 kind of local, peculiar charm. Away from the refreshing sea and swim to a grotto try euros will secure a hearty Italian main the glitz of Amalfi and Positano it can practice talking like a pirate. For this, there dish, but one must really secure 2-3 be surprisingly affordable and relaxing. is Praiano. hours and a hearty appetite to enjoy The views are simply the best of almost For hotels, we like the charming Torre the sharing opportunities - octopus and anywhere in Europe. July and August will Saracena in Praiano, located midway calamari, melon with proscuitto, burrata be ram-a-jam-jam, but if you can avoid the between Positano to the north and Amalfi and tomatoes, zucchini friti and lemon crowds or visit in September, you’re sure to to the south. Its cheap, the beds are firm asparagus, neri – you could eat for days, find a slice of lemon scented paradise. and the jacuzzi is chilly, but nothing in the and will. To top it off, skip the limoncello world compares to waking up on a terrace and try the meloncello – same thing but Stan Stalnaker is the founder and creative overlooking that magnificent view of lemon lighter on the palate. director of Hub Culture Ltd., a movement trees and gardens cascading down to a Good spots include La Pirata, situated at with a suite of activities focused on content sparkling sea. Praiano in particular is on a the base of rocks by the sea, Al Monazeno, development, private social networks and very steep part of the coast, and your time situated on a little beach underneath a global experiences. He can be contacted at here is all up/down: 200 steps down to soaring stone bridge, Il Giardino dei Limoni, [email protected]. 48 THE INTERNATIONALIST inter-2014-69.indd 48 7/10/14 8:08 AM.

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