UNDER CONSTRUCTION – COME BACK FOR MORE LATER

My father, my brother, and I flew from Newark, New Jersey to Rome for a transfer, and then ultimately to Brindisi (BDS), rented a car, and drove down to Lecce in the “heel” of the boot near the south-east coast. That was the first stop in our journey across the country from the heel to the shin on the west coast.

LECCE

OSTUNI

City on a hill with narrow roads. Had trouble finding the hotel in the labyrinth a local named Vittorio jumped in our car to direct us to the hotel.

BASLICATA REGION

ALBEROBELLO

MATERA

ACERENZA

Acerenza is small town in the Basilicata region where there is likely a familial link. We drove up the road that wound around the hill that the town is built on. It was a sleepy town like many we visited. It was late in the afternoon and we were looking for food. We were able to convince a cafe owner to make us sandwiches (prosciutto & mozzarella) We were hungry, but it seemed an especially good sandwich.

The cafe owner told us of The Lucan Portrait of DaVinci that was discovered in 2008 in a cupboard in someone’s kitchen there in Acerenza. It was thought to have been a self-portrait of DiVinci’s.

On our way back to the car we passed a doorway in the wall of the city to a cave-like room where an old man and woman were making wine.

When traveling, “get off the beaten path” is, I guess, what I’m saying.

SAN FELE

San Fele is a small mountaintop city where some of my ancestors are from.

While wandering around the nearly empty town, one friendly, seemingly “tipsy” local took an interest in us and pointed out the ancestral family residence. Here he is with me and my brother.

AMALFI

Arcidioscesi di Amalfi – Cava de’ Tirreni

POSITANO

CASERTA – October 7, 2013

Reggia di Caserta (The Royal Palace of Caserta) is the largest palace in the world. You can fit two Versailles in its grounds. It is thirty-five miles north of Naples. The ultimate must see in Italy.

Caserta is so sprawling that you need to rent bicycles to get around. There’s Poppy, camera hanging around the neck, and another in hand while riding the bike. Now you know where my love of photography comes from.

PAESTEUM – October 8, 2013

Paesteum was a greek colony established in Southern Italy around 600 BC called Poseidonia. The ruins include three well-preserved Doric temples and an amphitheatre. The site is also known for painted tombs, most famously, The Tomb of the Diver (Tomba del tuffatore) dating back to 470 BC. It’s worth the trip – twenty miles South West of Salerno.

SORRENTO – October 8, 2013

Villa Ribinacci di Tuttomare restaurant October 8 ,2013

HERCULANEUM – October 9, 2013

Scavi di Ercolano

NAPLES – October 10, 2013

Took the Napoli Beverello aka “Molo Beverello”(the Ferry) from Sorrento to Naples and back

Sorbillo Pizza October 10, 2013

Mount Vesuvius – Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio

RAVELLO

Giardini Villa Rufolo

ROME – October 11th, 2013

Piazza Del Colosseo – October 11th, 2013

Roma Da Cielo – Dalla Terrazza Delle Quadrighe – “The Wedding Cake”