Amalfi

May 26 - 27

High: 74

Low: 62

Partly to mostly sunny

Along the way

Buffalos and Mozzerella

We made two stops on our way to Maiori. The first was to an organic buffalo farm. Buffalo mozzarella, a traditional Italian cheese made from the milk of water buffalo, is renowned for its creamy texture and rich flavor. We were given a tour where we got to meet some of the buffalo and see how the mozzarella is produced. The milking of the buffalo is surprisingly automated. They have these giant machines and when the buffalo feels full they just wander into them on their own to be milked. We were allowed in the pen area to get up close to pet them. We also shared a delicious lunch featuring fresh-made mozzerella in a bucolic setting, followed by gelato made on site.

Along the way

Paestum

Given my fascination with the ancient world, this was a highly anticipated tour. Unlike Pompeii, which is a moment frozen in time, the tale of Paestum is one of evolution. Paestum is not currently a coastal ruin, but it was on the coast during its heyday. We tend to think of geography as relatively unchanging, but especially when left to its own devices, it changes dramatically over time, which I find fascinating.

Paestum, also known by its ancient Greek name, Poseidonia, was established around 600 BCE by settlers from Sybaris, a Greek colony in southern Italy. It thrived for a couple hundred years and is home to three remarkably well-preserved Greek temples dating back to the 6th and 5th centuries BC.

As you can tell from the photos, we had absolutely glorious weather for this tour and the highlight was that they actually let us climb up and walk around on the Temple of Hera II! I'd seen other accounts where folks said they hadn't been allowed on, so I was shocked and awed when they allowed us to do it.

Temple of Hera II

The best preserved of the three temples, it was built around 460 BCE. The double row of slim Doric columns once supported a roof made of wood and tiles.

Temple of Hera I

This temple was built around 550 BCE.

Temple of Athena

This temple was built between 510 and 500 BCE.

Poseidonia became Paistom under the rule of the Lucanians

Around 410 BCE the region was conquered by the Lucanians. It is from this time period that most of the famous tomb paintings found in the archeological museum on the site were created.

The Tomb of the Diver, the most famous of them, is the exception, however. It was painted several years before the Lucanians arrived. The illustrations were, interestingly, found inside the tomb.

Rome expands to the south, and Paistom becomes Paestum.

In 273 BCE the Romans took over the area. It was an important city until about 133 BCE. Paestum's fortunes began to ebb when a new highway was built that bypassed the city (how 20th century!). The land was marshy and prone to flooding and with less access it became a less desirable place to live. After the earthquakes from Vesuvius' eruption, excavations show that they didn't even try to fix the plumbing and just left the city.

It was rediscovered in the 18th century, around the same time as Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Fun fact: If you search for Paestum in Google Maps, they have street view for it! You can virtually walk around the ruins.

We ended the day by leaving the bus behind and taking a boat to the coastal town of Maiori. I cannot over-emphasize how dramatic this coastline is. I have nothing but admiration for people who could carve picturesque towns out of such rugged territory.

Maiori

Maiori was an excellent choice as a jumping off point for the Amalfi coast. It is a quiet, small town where you can relax away from the crowds in places like Positano and Capri.

Our hotel room was bright and cheerful, overlooking the beach. Dinner was on our own and we found a cafe on the beach where we had a great meal and discovered the pleasure of a really good lemon spritz.

There are regular ferries to the enable you to have adventures in other places and return to the peace of Maiori.

Positano

The next day there was nothing planned on the tour. We had gotten tickets in advance for the Museo Archeologico Romano di Positano, which I'd learned about from Rick's Best of Italy guidebook. We took a water taxi to Positano.

There is an app you can use to buy water taxi tickets in advance. We did, but in our experience it wasn't necessary. We weren't there during high season, however, so your mileage may vary.

Neither of us are shoppers, so places that are known for all their shops are not a major attraction for us. I will say, however, that this was the one place where we actually bought things, because they were distinctive and not mass produced. I got a pair of leather shoes that I will keep and treasure and a linen top that was beautifully hand-painted.

A few hundred years after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, a Christian church was founded at Positano. Ever since, there had been rumors that there was a villa that had been buried underneath. In the early 2000's that rumor was proven true, and an excavation was done where they discovered vibrantly painted rooms in amazing condition. There were also really unique facts revealed about some aspects of the Christian church itself, which we had great fun sharing with the other tour members later. I'm not going to give away those secrets here - sign up for the Best of South Italy tour and go there for yourself!