400 STEPS TO A DREAM
 Hanna Maria LaaksoSome years ago I left for Amalfi to check out the world’s most beautiful coastline which includes Positano, its most precious beauty spot. When the local SITA bus drove along the serpentine road from Salerno to Positano via Amalfi I was thinking of the Canadian Rocky Mountains but dressed in colours and flowers. From the bus window I could see how the hills descended into the turqoise sea. Between the sea and the hills there were white houses built into the stony mountains.
Positano rests on the hills descending into the sea. 400 steps lead you from the sea up into the town. For me, Positano is a place I always want to return to. When the sun sets and the lights are switched on, I like to sit on a roof terrace. I can see Positano below, all the way to Praiano and somewhere in the midst of the sea the island of Capri. Seeing all this leaves space for dreams.
Culture and Art Tour on the Amalfi coast
Amalfi coast tour will focus on Positano fashion, the art of ceramics in Vietri sul Mare and the local culinary culture of this spectacular coastline.
The 1st day – Positano Fashion
On the first day we will learn about Positano fashion which is being exported to New York and other fashion hotspots around the world. You will see how clothes are hand-made of linen and decorated with macramé knots. You will get to know the local artisans’ work and see what are today’s fashion trends on the Amalfi coast.
In the old days Positanese fashion clothing was made of silk and jute with decorations reflecting the beauty of the coast. The 1960s turned this tradition into fashion while their arabesque decorations were viewed as being influenced by stories from the Arabian Nights. Positano bikinis got worldwide attention and Positano a reputation as a place for fashion. The simultaneous rise in tourism made Positano fashion a concept to be reckoned with. In the 1970s Positano became known as a place where pieces of clothing could be tailored for a customer within a couple of hours.
In addition to being an inspiration for local artists, the Amalfi coast has always attracted artists from all over the world. Norwegian playwright and director Henrik Ibsen escaped from heavy Nordic winters to the coast of Amalfi and got inspired by the coast’s relaxed atmosphere and the surrounding nature. The British painter John Ruskin paid attention to the locals’ grand way of walking and their way of dressing. Throughout the centuries Positano fashion has been in harmony with the surrounding nature while the Mediterranean climate attracted a worldwide audience. The spirit of such fairy-take like surroundings has always inspired artists and fashion creators alike.
The 2nd day – the history of sandals and cooking class
On this second day we will learn about the famous history of Italian shoes. Positanese sandals play an important role in this fascinating history. After we have had lunch in one of the locals’ favourite restaurants, Il Grottino Azzurro, we will go and explore another art form typical of Positano: the craft of making sandals. Handmade sandals play an important role in Positano fashion. The first sandals were made of leather- and treebases. Today the shoe makers decorate the leather basis with jewellery, stones and leather strings always using the best Italian materials.
Early on Positano became known internationally as a place where local shoemakers create shoes for famous film stars while they go for a swim in the sea. Today the shoemakers ask you to step on a leather base so that they can measure the length of your foot. Afterwards you can choose the decorations, jewelry, and stones as well as the material for the strings on your personal pair of sandals. In ten minutes your sandals are ready.
In the afternoon you will have a fascinating chance to learn to cook local culinary dishes together with a local chef. The chef will teach you to find the best ingredients and the way of making recipes that survive from one generation to another. After the cooking we will enjoy the first and second courses accompanied by a local dessert which we will also prepare ourselves.
The 3rd day – Your Day
Today, you have time to enjoy the atmosphere of this gorgeous town and the coastline on your own. You can also take a boat to Capri and see the famous caves.
The 4th day – inspirations for interior design and ceramics
On this fourth day you will learn about the famous art of ceramics which this coast is also famous for. As you discover where and how these ceramics are being used, you are bound to be inspired by these types of interior design. We will visit Ceramiche Casola, owned by a local family for four generations already. Casola celebrates the tradition of Italian art of ceramics. The ceramics that are being made there respect the ancient patterns. The plenitude of colours and shapes on the hand-made paintings reflect the colours and the beauty of the Amalfi coast.
From Casola we will continue to Vietri sul Mare. Vietri is the pearl of the coast and another important town in the art of ceramics. Moreover, from there the coast of Amalfi begins. Few people know that the ceramics one sees at local homes, restaurants, hotels, etc. (or even the ceramics found in Hollywood stars’ luxurious bathrooms) come from Vietri. We will get to see nice small places where ceramics have been made for many generations. Moreover, we will discover the various ways of how hand-made and hand-painted ceramics are being used.
ACCOMMODATION: In Villa Giada, which is situated on a hill slope, a 15-minute walk from the sea. From the terrace you can see all of Positano and the spectacular sea in front of you.
BACKGROUND
You can learn about Positano by proxy before you arrive:
Films: Under the Tuscan Sun (Audrey Wells, 2003) and Only You (Norman Jewison, 1994), which are partly shot in Positano.
Literature: read the essay on Positano by John Steinbeck. It was published in Harper’s Bazaar –magazine in 1953. After the publication of this essay tourists rushed into Positano to see a town, which is like a ”dream” and where one does not ”walk” but ”climb”. You can find the essay here
Video: watch a video of picturesque Positano. You can find the video clip from here
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If you wish, ArsMondo
can help you to find your way to Positano.
From Rome to Positano:
From Rome to Naples you can take a local train along the coastline or a fast train. The trip along the coastline lasts approximately 3,5 hours and the price is approximately 10 euros. The fast trains takes you to Naples in about an hour.
From Naples the local train, Circumvesuviana, takes you to Sorrento in about an hour and the ticket price is approximately 3 euros. From Sorrento the SITA-bus takes you to Positano along the spectacular serpentine coast road in 45 minutes. The ticket price is approximately 3 euros.
This tour includes:
- accommodation in the idyllic Villa Giada in Positano for four nights,
- “400 steps to dreams” –tour programme on the Amalfi coast during the four days,
- two lunches,
- a one-afternoon cooking course with a local chef in Positano, including also a dinner with drinks.
For more information,
email arsmondo(at)arsmondo.fi
or call +358 44 32 00 008
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