AMALFI (ITALY)
08 April - 11 April 2017
The Lattari Mountains Regional Park (Parco Regionale Dei Monti Lattari), occupies a great part of the Sorrentine Peninsula in the Campania Region. It's about a 4.5 hr drive south of Rome but the real challenge of arriving is when you make it to the frontier of the National park. The distance from one side to the other, via the shortest route available, only takes 38.5kms ,but, it takes over 1hr to complete the drive. Doing a quick calculation, what this means is that 13.7% of the distance takes 25% of the total drive time duration...and there's no secret as to why that is the case.
Climbing up, over and then down the Lattari mountains is a challenge. The roads in these parts are narrow, the drivers commonly insane for Italians, and then, on the other side of the equation there was me, driving on the side of the road that was still uncommon to me. Turn after turn, with a heightened level of alertness, we inched over the range until we broke out on the coastal side and plunged head first into the Tyrrhenian Sea. But my, what a spectacular scene. The sun beating down on the blue azure water as the road zig-zagged down the mountainside, seemingly beneath our feet, and then, when you finally hit the coastline and take to the main road you can easily discern why this area is considered to by many to be Europe's my beautiful and dramatic stretches of coastline.
Amalfi coastline - Italy
Amalfi coastline - Italy
The corniche road winding around towering cliffs that appear to slip directly into the sea whilst also punching through quaint villages takes in the terrain that includes terraced vineyards, orchards and pastures. It feels like another world entirely, almost like the inhabitants here decided to dream up their own version of paradise and come up with a mighty satisfactory result.
Slowly winding down the coastline, with the blessed sun-kissed water below, the clusters of small towns morphing into the natural rugged beauty of the cliffs. I was already forming the opinion that our choice for a wedding in these parts was going to be an absolute winner.
We stayed in Tovere on our first night, a short 8km drive from the town of Amalfi. The next day we had an appointment at the Town Hall in Amalfi where we needed to take the Atto Notorio and Nulla Osta and also lodge our declaration of intent to marry. Now, as per my last entry, it says the Declaration of Intent to Marry, which in this case was to be lodged at the Town Hall in Amalfi, would be followed by a Civil Ceremony. Now when we were at the Town Hall we had an offician 'read out' all our marriage obligations in a rather terse proper manner and then had two witnesses sign the Intent documents, plus some other administrative documents. At the end of the hoopla the the official said to us, Congratulations, now you are married... and then when Inga and I looked at each other, feeling kind of odd and somewhat duped, they laughed and simply said in a somewhat disconcerting fashion, 'No, no, no....we are only kidding'....but really, were you??? I don't even know anymore. So it could very well be that we had a covert, clandestine wedding in a somewhat stuffy office of an official in Amalfi village on 08 April 2017. How's that for dreamy and romantic!?
Amalfi Cathedral - Piazza Duomo - Amalfi - Italy
Main street - Amalfi - Italy
View of Amalfi from the Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy
Amalfi - Italy
The village of Amalfi itself is so damn charming and picturesque. The road into the town has two buildings that arch over the road,and then the town itself you enter via a type of gated entry that draws you into the main town square. Piazza Duomo is the heart of Amalfi with the Amalfi Cathedral overlooking the down, accessed by a grand staircase from the piazza.
Terraced pastel coloured buildings of differing heights surround the piazza and indeed the foreshore of the town. Entering into the town there is one main thoroughfare that moves up and back into the valley where the town lies. Buildings are terraced up both sides of the valley slopes with the rugged cliffs of the town standing imperiously above it, offering both protection and another scenic marvel. Beautiful, charming, stunning, all the superlatives you would want to identify with a place such as this are completely justified.
Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy
Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy
The Cloister - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy
The Cloister - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy
Understanding very quicjkly that Amalfi as a destination was going to be a complete hit for both us and our guests, what we needed to do now was test our venue and see if it passed our suitability threshold.
The NH Collection Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi was located only a short distance up the road from the town itself. When driving into Amalfi, and also from the shoreline of the town, this hotel is obvious to anyone and has to be one of the most distinctive landmarks of the town, if not the entire coastline.
A one time home to Capuchin monks, the former monastery dates back to the 13th Century and owns a piece of Amalfi real estate that has one of the most dramatic locations in the area. Situated on a cliff edge that overlooks the beautiful coastline and Amalfi town itself. there's no doubt of its regal status. Our excitement, even before getting to the venue itself was palpable just by seeing the presence that the building held. Once however we took the lift up from street level to the main reception area and headed out onto the terrace, well, our breath was simply taken away. The views were quintessentially Amalfi and quite simply the concept of breathtaking has to be understood in its most literal of forms.
Monks Walk - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy
Monks Walk - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy
Monks Walk - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy
Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy
Monks Walk - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy
As we were guided through the grounds we were shown the cloister, the area in the monastery around which the other buildings are built, and the area that would host our wedding ceremony on the day. Framed by cliffs on one side, large stone pillars and arches all the way around and the front drawing your eyes to a view to the sea, there is just no doubt that the venue would more than hold up to doing our big day justice. A stunning venue, plain and simple, the atmosphere encapsulated within this space was undeniable.
Our walk continued to where our reception was going to be held, a location on the other side of the monastery, an area bounded by lush terraced gardens and lemon trees. The Monks Walk, as it is termed, runs from the monastery to where an infinity pool now resides against the face of a cliff. This area we were explained would be set up with tables for pre-dinner drinks, dinner and also post-dinner activities. Again, making our way down the walk and imagining the day and what it would feel like felt somewhat surreal. The backdrop of the sea, the fragrance from the lemon trees, the bougainvillea that would frame the arches of the walk, it all seemed like a fanciful dream. To say that we were impressed by the venue would have just been a monumental understatement. Picturing the day in our head and actually believing that it would become reality, again, felt like a flight of fancy.
The road to Positano - Amalfi - Italy
Positano - Amalfi - Italy
Positano - Amalfi - Italy
Positano - Amalfi - Italy
For now I think that's where I'll leave my description of both the hotel and Amalfi. Of course I have future entries that will discuss the days leading up to our wedding and the wedding itself. It's good however the look at the photos as they are here, as we saw it in April and then compare it to our wedding day in June when it ALL came together in the most wonderful way possible.
Positano - Amalfi - Italy
Positano - Amalfi - Italy
Positano - Amalfi - Italy
Positano - Amalfi - Italy
We did, as an aside from Amalfi, managed to make it to Positano for a late afternoon coffee. I write about Positano here as almost an afterthought but it shouldn't be, it's a stunningly beautiful town in its own right and in fact hosted Elisher drinks on the 1st of July - the first official event that Inga and I hosted together as a married couple.
