Cilento, Pompeii, Amalfi

We begin our first day by learning about the food, and its connection to this region. At the villa, we visit Baroness Cecilia’s nearby buffalo farm, followed by a tour of a countryside mozzarella shop where we will photograph buffalo milk made into bocconcini, luscious little balls of mozzarella. We gain a first- hand taste and knowledge of regional ingredients and learn why they play such a huge role in the quality and type of food served here. What is a delight for the palate is also a delight for the eye and camera. In the afternoon, we’ll partake in a hands-on cooking lesson given by Cecilia on the art of pasta. Depending on the quality of light, we’ll visit the impressive Greek temples nearby either that evening, or the following morning.

We travel by van to a charming hill town and to Baia castle, a fortress overlooking the sea which is also a fascinating archaeological site. The volcanic soil from nearby Mount Vesuvio produces especially flavorful vegetables and fruit: fig, peaches, lemons, apricots, and tomatoes. Grapes from this region are made into incredible wines, and we’ll sample several during a wine tasting stop for lunch.

From here, we journey next to Naples, the birthplace of pizza, where we’ll track down the perfect pie and the perfect photo opportunities along the way. No trip to Southern Italy is complete without visiting this infamous city. Among the narrow passageways are tucked gems of architecture: Etruscan, Greek and Roman treasures; hidden underneath Naples’s gritty, modern day exterior lies a whole network of caves, archaeological digs and tunnels.

These days are important to catch our breath, edit our images and maybe get some time to just be.

If you are eager to participate in an activity instead, I can make several options available, from horseback riding in the spectacular hills of Cilento to cycling to boar hunting (in season).

A short van ride takes us into the countryside, and into a lovely chestnut forest owned by Cecilia in Cicerale Cilento, which provides a dramatic panorama of the mountains and sea. There, we’ll picnic on regional produce and provisions we’ve gathered from the farm and outdoor markets in the morning; or, we will try our hand at making our own pizza in a small stone cottage with a brick oven on the property. The afternoon is spent visiting Santomiele Farm, which in addition to premium white figs produces other products such as “Stuffolata Cilentana”, a cake with muscat wine and honey as well as chocolate, almond, pistachio and walnut stuffed figs. Back at the villa, there is time to relax and regroup before sitting down for another fresh and wonderfully prepared evening repast. We’ll spend time before and after dinner reviewing what we’ve shot, finding our individual voice for the text that will accompany our photos, and discussing how to improve our style and technique.

The Almafi coast beckons. We travel by van to Amalfi. which provides a bird’s-eye view of this stunning coastline. After lunch at a private home in Almafi, we visit a wonderful bakery where we will be treated to a rare lesson with one of the area’s best pastry chefs. He will reveal secrets to his scrumptious desserts, made with the lemons for which this town is known. There are also wonderful walkways for photo opportunities that lead along the pastel-painted houses tucked into the cliffs overlooking the sea; and time to just watch the boats sail past before heading back to the villa for yet another dining adventure.

We will travel by van over the switchback of windy roads along Italy’s largest, forest preserve to the sprawling, 14th century Certosa monastery, a World Heritage site, and the second largest charter house in Italy. A combination of beautiful architecture, frescos, landscaping and art along with incredible lighting make this site a visual feast. Before returning, we stop at a small village for lunch and to explore before heading back to the villa.

As we have all week, we will gather at breakfast to review our edited work. There are several options for the rest of the day: revisit the Greek temples and museums a couple of kilometers away; go to Salerno for shopping and to visit the old centre, or simply enjoy a peaceful day at the villa unwinding before departing in the afternoon. Romans called this area campania felix, happy country, and for that very reason, you may want to linger a bit longer. We can certainly make accommodations.

NOTE: this is a primary itinerary, there may be substitutions due to changes beyond our control, but always with an event equally interesting, entertaining and artistically stimulating!  We may also do one or two days overnight at other locations as opportunities arise for great visuals, food or activities.

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