insideKENT Magazine Issue 66 - September 2017 | Page 112

GETAWAYS
EXODUS TRAVELS
#HolidayInspirations Show / Sun 24th Sep
THE OLD MAN’S EYES ARE HONEST AS HE WHISPERS TO ME, “HERE, IN THIS REGION,
WE HAVE EVERYTHING YOU CAN POSSIBLY LOOK FOR." THIS WIZENED FACE BELONGS
TO ONE OF THE FAMILY WHO OWN THE HOTEL LE DUE TORRI WHERE WE ARE STAYING,
HIGH IN THE HILLS NEAR THE AMALFI COAST OF ITALY. AT FIRST I ASSUME THIS
STATEMENT IS PART AND PARCEL OF THE TYPICAL PATRIOTISM THAT CHARACTERIZES
MANY ITALIANS – BUT SOON, I AM PROVED WRONG.
Seven days in Amalfi makes me realise the old
man is right. This tiny stretch of coast linking
Amalfi and Naples has many treasures, both
those of Mother Nature and those belonging
to human history. All five senses are brought
to life here, often in a blur of sensation – I find
myself devouring my dinner with my eyes
before a single morsel has passed my lips and
smelling the sunshine on the air each morning
as I awake. I spend my days wandering
through a portrait of quintessential Italy I have
seen represented in countless paintings,
novels and photographs – slumbering
volcanoes, ancient Roman ruins, culinary
genius, long lazy afternoons under the sun.
As an Italian myself, I have an advantage here.
I have the privilege of observing this place
with both the critical look of an emigrated
Italian citizen (who had had enough of Italy
and Italian clichés) and the curious look of an
external and impartial visitor. What surprises
me is that Amalfi makes me fall in love all over
again with a country I decided to leave years
ago.
Everything here feels like a pleasant surprise
– day after day, step after step, bite after bite,
I am falling deeper in love. The romance of
this landscape is neverending, though it begins
at the steep ascent to Monti tre Calli. Reaching
the top feels like opening a door which to a
new world I never knew existed, overlooking
the Positano peninsula. I get a first taste for
the dramatic coastline.
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The perspective changes again the following
morning. Far from the clouds this time, and
closer to the sea, we reach the elegant and
charming Amalfi after descending 2662 steps.
Nature blossoms in an abundance of emerald
greenery melting into a vibrant seaside port
lapped by the bright blue sea. It is a sequence
of colours, smells and sights that leaves me
mesmerised and wondering why I’d never
been here before now. Even Pompeii catches
me unawares – despite knowing all the basic
facts, the dramatic stories of the eruption and
following deaths take my breath and my
imagination.
Thanks to the knowledgeable local guide I see
myself projected back to that age and the
sleeping eerie town comes back to life in my
mind, more vibrant than ever. I imagine the
power of the volcano that once buried the
town in lava and ash, and shiver at the thought
I was walking up to its smoking crater just a
few hours ago. The beautiful landscape that
is now below, in front of my eyes, appears still
very much under control and possession of
the dominant sleeping beauty.
A few hours later and I am in a restaurant, the
sun sinking below the horizon. I’m relaxed,
laughing, amidst our group tucking into pizza
prepared and baked in front of our eyes. Our
waiters smile as they serve us – I wonder if
they too, know the secret the old man shared
with me. I feel like I am on a continuous,
almost mystical journey than charged my
senses and made me feel more alive. The wise
old man was right. I’d found everything I’d
looked for.
You walk, you eat, you love!
by Marta, Product Manager, Exodus Travels
If you would like to Walk, Eat and Love
like Marta, join Baldwins Travel Group
and more than 35+ travel, tour and cruise
operators at the #HolidayInspirations
Show on Sunday 24th September. Open
from 10am – 4pm at Salomons Estate,
Southborough, TN3 0TG, there will be
plenty to see and do for all ages including
travel presentations, food and wine
tastings, a pop-up Baldwins travel agency
and much more.
Register online for Free Entry and to be
entered into the Free Prize Draw to win a
Holiday for two to the Amalfi Coast!
www.holidayinspirationsshow.co.uk/ik
btg_hishow