I spent these three days wandering through the little town of Minori, going to the beach, taking the bus to Amalfi, and just enjoying. The agrotourism was situated on the top of a very steep hill, and in order to get down to the main town (and the beach) I had to climb down a long and winding set of stairs that weaved its way into tight alleyways and in between homes. I was absolutely fascinated by the intricate pathway carved out between apartments that seemed to go nowhere, but then all of a sudden would open up to a small piazza in the main town. One time while climbing back up the stairs to the agrotourism I got lost wandering in the alleys, and a little girl who laughed at my foreign accent pointed me in the right direction. It was easy to get turned around in this intricate maze of alleys and end up climbing a set of stairs that led to a person's front door rather than back to my original destination.
Villa Maria Agriturismo was an exceptional place to stay, I really felt like I was staying at a place you find on postcards but not in real life. The scenery was so strikingly beautiful, with terraces of lemon and olive trees, and rocky outcrops that looked as though they would crumble under the weight of the houses perched on them. The family that owned this farm/bed-and-breakfast was extremely charming and welcoming. They also ran a small dining hall which sourced most, if not all, its food directly from the farm. There was no menu, they simply brought out dishes based on what was available at the time. I dined on scrumptious salads with bright red tomatoes bursting with flavor and cruncy lettuce harvested that day. The pasta was fresh and homemade, as was the wine. As yes, I'm very sorry to all my vegetarian friends...this is the place where I became a meat-eater again after twelve years of vegetarianism. It's a hard thing to explain, really. I didn't even think about eating meat again before this, and I didn't feel forced into it either. Since there was no menu, the first plate brought out to me was a beautiful array of cured meats, produced on the farm from their resident pigs. To be honest I don't know much about meat since I haven't eaten it for half of my life, so I couldn't easily tell you what I ate, but I can tell you it was delicious. And the knowledge that I knew where this meat was coming from, and I met the man who raised and butchered it, and earlier that very day I had met its brothers or cousins and saw how they lived....all made this dish that much more savory and enjoyable. And as for the main course that night....chicken. Yum.
All in all, this short trip to the Amalfi Coast was beautiful, refreshing, insightful, and utterly enjoyable. I may be going back this summer with my friend Adriana to see some of the other towns along the coast, and I'm really looking forward to it! Here are some more pictures from my trip for your viewing pleasure:
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