How lucky I was that Rome-is-Home was booked for the time I was in Italy. The apartment of Massimo, Biancamaria & their almost-seven-year-old Delfina on Via dei Chiavari is even more perfect than I had imagined, but if it had been available I might never have been the very first person to stay at their new vacation rental in Sutri.

This came about on account of the prize I won for my photo essay on Cumae in the 2006 ST Anniversary Contest. Because Biancamaria, Massimo and Delfina like to know a little about the people whose lives will be intersecting with theirs, we had become friends by email as we tried to work out how and when I would claim the overnight in Rome with a day in the country that were my chosen prize. When it turned out that Rome-is-Home would be occupied during my stay in Italy, they invited me to Sutri even though they were not quite ready to open.

Not only was it fascinating to watch from the inside the mechanics of preparing a place for the use of imagined strangers - trying to anticipate their needs & habits, likes & dislikes at the same time as giving them an experience of a different kind of life - but it was a special delight spending everyday time with this creative, generous and dynamic family. They have absorbed the spirit of their century-old farmer’s cottage so thoroughly that they could add rooms, dimensions and functions, fill it with light and originality and very personal spaces, without altering its essential character. It still radiates simplicity, warmth and comfort and seems to grow from the land, even though it is now a thoroughly modern living place. I felt like a privileged guest in a very special world.

I will review the apartment soon of course (!), and even write a trip report eventually, but I wanted to express a little of my exuberance right now. We ate lakefish outside at Lake Bracciano and dinner in Sutri, circumambulated the Etruscan amphitheater, had cornetti with nocciola or buiscuits with local honey for breakfast, went shopping, compared curtains, refrigerators and towels, and walked through the hazelnut and chestnut groves at sunset, watched over by silhouettes of umbrella pines on the hilltops. Even with her hands so full, Biancamaria made wonderful pastas, salads, vegetables and risotto (now the kitchen in the guest apartment is complete, so visitors will be able to indulge in their own experiments). And Delfina and I played a great many rounds of Tombola!, a kind of Bingo using wild animal picture cards instead of numbers. We talked so much that I never did remember to take a picture of us all together for the official prize photo, but below is a little collage from when we went to watch Delfina’s weekly riding lesson and Biancamaria and I climbed up to join her in the hayloft.

Leaving Sutri, I took the Eurostar south to Pisciotta on the Bay of Palinuro, where I spent a few off-season days at the beautiful Agriturismo San Carlo with some minor adventures along the way, and then to Ravello. The concert at Villa Rufolo, which I had reserved tickets for months in advance, was a bit disappointing (not outside but inside / not Mozart but Beethoven / and not that inspired anyway), but Ravello was breathtaking, I walked miles & miles and ate well. From Amalfi I took the boat to Capri (a small indulgence as I stayed just long enough to embrace the air of the island), from there to Naples and back to Rome, where I had just time to walk through all my old haunts and have a farewell lunch and tea with Delfina, Biancamaria and Massimo.

Now I’m back in Vermont, and the colors actually waited for me. There’s no place like home, but neither is there anything like expanding the definition of home, which certainly happened on this trip!

Great photo collage Dorothy. I will be heading out the door in 2 hours to go to Rome, and I'm looking forward to meeting Massimo, BiancaMaria & Delfina.

Hm, I think I know most of those people; except you, Dorothy!

Thanks for the apetiser; waiting for the primi and secondi!

Doru, I'm so sorry to have missed you! Massimo told me how close we were to meeting, and was sure we would have enjoyed it. I love the clarity of your posts.

MargM, Happy travels, and say hello to "the family" for me if you see this before you see them.

Welcome back, Dorothy. You really got to do quite a bit so I'm not surprised you didn't get up to Pisciotta. I'd be curious to hear what you think of staying in an agriturismo versus a village. As I also prefer to travel off season, I wondered if it's almost too quiet. We never really spent any time Palinuro. Hopefully your "adventures" weren't the "better to be forgotten" kind!

Thanks for the welcome home, Karinka, and apologies for taking so long to reply. Since my last email my husband had a heart attack and triple-bypass surgery. Anyone who's been close to that knows what an all-encompassing operation it is; but thankfully he's safely home now and has only to get through the next few weeks before (we hope) he may be feeling better than he has for decades.

As to agriturismo vs. village, I think my answer would be combined with your seasonal question. I did not have a car this time, but would recommend it for off-season at San Carlo, when buses are few and some of the local activities such as boat trips and riding are not taking place because there are not enough visitors to warrant the personnel. Since I was only there for a few days it didn’t matter, and I definitely did a lot more walking and Slower Travel than I would have with a car. Unfortunately the roads in that area are not really walk-friendly, so traveling from town to town on foot can be less than relaxing, although the paths through the olive groves to the sea are a delight.

With a car, the ocean would be a short drive away from San Carlo, but although it was the ocean and sunset that I saw from my room and terrace, the distance between us was more or less vertical, so it was not quite as close at hand as I had imagined - actually, quite comparable to the walk from upper Pisciotta to the Marina, although the beach is less developed.

San Carlo was every bit as lovely as I remembered it, and the restoration of the place more complete than when I saw it in 2002. It seems that the owner, who has really done a beautiful job, had recently gotten married and was taking advantage of the quiet season to revel in his new life, so I never did meet him. The agriturismo, which I shared with an extended family the first night of my stay and had to myself afterwards, was being watched over by a deputy who tried very hard to make everyone happy within the context of his experience. The food was good but not as inspired as I suspect it might be if the kitchen was fully geared up.

In town of course you are more a part of the daily round of life in the cafes, the pasticcerie, markets and restaurants than in an off-season agriturismo, and if you are staying in an apartment like those of Casa Pixos you have privacy, ocean views and a kitchen as well; but there is also something wonderful about being surprised each night by the dinner and the company, and about being in what seems like a world of your own, which I think in season probably creates its own interesting society, so I would want to give each kind of residence its due.

Palinuro is a lively little town that really is right on the ocean and might be a better choice for a carless person, although it doesn’t have the medieval stonyness of upper Pisciotta. I made note of several guest houses and small inns there, and was even invited to visit by my seat-mate on the train going back to Salerno.

So sorry to hear of your husband's needed surgery but from your optimistic comments it sounds like it could all be for the better. Your photo is gorgeous. I can feel the warmth of that sun-drenched canopy of leaves. I enjoyed your comments and often think about doing a trip without a car. There is a car rental in Palinuro which I considered for a 3 or 4 day rental but since there was 4 of us this year it was better with the car. We would watch the local bus come into Pisciotta and it didn't seem to be on much of a schedule...almost as if they waited til the word was out that it arrived and a few locals would gradually make their way on board. I had read an account of a fellow who had to walkfrom the train station up to Pisciotta schlepping his luggage including much camera gear as there was no taxi or bus running on an April evening.

Then I was even luckier than I thought.

All the trains were late, and because I didn't ask the right question (I asked does this one GO to Pisciotta-Palinuro, not does it STOP there), ended up on a train to Siracusa. I got off at Sapri and took the next train back, but by that time the man from San Carlo who had come to get me had given up. Embarrassed at not having been able to make my cell phone work to keep them informed, and told that it was only a couple of kilometers to the agriturismo, I set off with my rolling suitcase and my shoulder bag. And walked and walked and walked along the switchbacks of the sidewalkless road, congratulating myself that it was mostly downhill, until I saw the stone bridge of the main road high above me.

Seeing that the road I had come down was child's play compared to what lay ahead, I turned to go back to the station, hoping that I would be able to contact the agriturismo from there. As I toiled back up the road, the handle broke off my rolling bag. I was still able to grasp one of the sticks (which later retracted) that protruded from the suitcase, but things felt hotter and more daunting by the moment. When I saw a small dirt road leading off in the direction of the station, I thought, "Of course! This must be for pedestrians so they don't get run over by the station traffic!" Or maybe it went gradually up to the highway, or even to San Carlo... So I made my way through the olive groves until a kilometer or so later I came to a dead end at a deserted construction site, with a tall fence between me and the railroad tracks.

Back down to the paved road and uphill again toward the station. When I was almost there, a motorcycle pulled up beside me and its rider asked what was the matter with my suitcase. (Apparently he had had dreams of inventing the perfect suitcase for decades.) He was sure he could fix it, but when he saw that it was impossible he asked where I was going and told me to hop on. I had my doubts, but right then I couldn't face the alternative, so I let him load my suitcase in front of his knees and mounted the seat behind him, holding on for dear life at the same time that I tried to somehow distance myself physically, and off we went. I might have gotten us both killed when my shoulder bag shifted at a steep curve and I tried to correct it, but his warning was so no-nonsense that I did no more fooling around.

When we got there the agriturismo was deserted. I tried to give my new friend some money, but he said a second offer would be an insult. He refused to leave me there alone - "You never know who might be around!" - and spent a good while regaling me with stories of the region until the manager returned. When we parted I asked his name. He bowed and proclaimed himself "Michele [ - - - ], detto Pasta e Fagiole!"

Oh my gosh, what an adventure. That little story deserves a prize and is the makings of a movie scene. But then Steve and I always would say we felt we were part of a movie set when in Pisciotta. The setting, the play acting of the various roles from grocer, barber, policeman, to the juggling of vehicles in the piazza. It was non stop entertainment. And your hero brought that mix of smile and tears I always feel for the unconditional warmth and helping spirit of the people in Southern Italy.

Dorothy
Firstly let me say that you are an excellent storyteller. I read your thread with interest as we are going to Italy in May 08 for 5 weeks and I wanted to visit the Cilento area on our way south to Calabria and Sicily. I had thought of Palinuro or a little further south in Maratea. Is the picture of the the leafy courtyard, of the agriturismo you stayed at? We will have a car which means we can access some of the more out of the way places. This is only our 2nd trip to Italy and I would like to experience a couple of agriturismos this time mixed in with other forms of accommodation.
We will be staying for 5 nights in Rome before we leave Italy. A couple of months ago, I came across Massimo and Biancamaria's website and managed to book their apartment. I am looking forward to this part of our trip, looking across the rooftops of Rome.

It's great that another traveler is inspired by Dorothy. This year we traveled south from Pisciotta to to Maratea. It is a beautiful unspoiled coastline...especially if you are going off season. Maratea is an interesting, pretty, & busy little town and though we only stopped for afternoon drinks and most shops were still closed, we really liked the town of Sapri. It sits right on the water which is a nice change compared to the towns that are perched above the sea. You will eat well every where you go in the South and if you are interested in agriturism and slow foods, there are several resturants in the area that specialize in local cuisine and products. Beside the sea, the hilltowns in the interior of Cilento are lovely also. Great hiking at a World Wildlife Fed site and a lunch to die for nearby in Casalle i Pitari at Zi Filomena's.

Sorry it took me so long to answer your nice post, Boothy, but I wanted to upload some pictures for you first - and it takes forever on our Vermont Minimalist dial-up. Here is the album at last : Cilento Coast : Pisciotta-Caprioli-Palinuro, October 2007

Yes, the leafy courtyard is of the Agriturismo San Carlo. It is a lovely place, and with a car you would be able to do lots of exploring in the surrounding territory. I don't know where their website went, though! Maybe they are redoing it.

Let me know if you have any other questions - I promise to answer sooner! You will love Massimo & Biancamaria's apartment for sure.

Karinka, you make me eager to get back there with a car again to mosey further south. To be at the Sapri train station is not enough!

Wonderful photos. Thanks for lighting up my day here at work!

Dorothy, thankyou for your reply. I think you have helped me with my planning. When I first thought about travelling south via the Cilento coast, it was difficult to glean any information regarding this area. The photos are a good reference point.
Unfortunately I received an email from Massimo yesterday saying that a longer term rental for the apartment in Rome has meant that we are now unable to stay there. I am disappointed as it was just what I was looking for in Rome. I now have the task of searching for something else. Could be worse, it could have happened a month out from our trip.
Many thanks
Boothy

Too bad about the Rome apartment, Boothy! I take it the reservation had not been fully arranged yet. Still, there are many wonderful apartments in Rome in that price range. You might save that plan for another time and investigate a different area of the city for this visit. That will ensure your having an excuse to come back

Thought you might be interested in a few sites for further info on the Cilento area in case you haven't run across them already: for Pisciotta-Caprioli and good links, for Palinuro , and Pisciotta.net, mostly for the pictures of Pisciotta and nearby towns, as they are still under construction.

Let us know if you can't find the right apartment (although with the resources on SlowTrav I think the problem is likely to be an embarrasment of riches). No doubt many of us have lists of places we dream of staying sometime...

Typo fixed at Dorothy's request.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Doru,

It occurred to me I should mention one other thing about the Agriturismo San Carlo. The place itself is very quietly situated in the countryside, but (as mentioned earlier in this thread) the railroad tracks pass between the sea and the agriturismo at a lower level.

That means that you do hear a fairly intense roar from passing trains with varying degrees of frequency depending on the time of day and, presumably, the season (I think they run more often in the summer). It can be a bit startling, especially at night, but it didn't bother me once I got used to it. Anyway, I grew up with trains and rather like the reminder of unknown voyagers.

Still, if you are sensitive to that kind of thing, you could be unhappy not to have been warned...