Honeymoon, Part III

Praiano
Shane’s Notes

The trip from Rome to Praiano was quite an adventure. We took a train to Naples, and then caught the Circumvesuviana, a commuter train, to travel to Sorrento. In Sorrento, we waited in line for over an hour for the privilege of standing on a crowded SITA bus which would take us to Praiano. The drive is harrowing, and it frequently looks like the bus is about to plunge over a cliff. Jen dubbed the bus the SATAN bus, and when we made the return journey, we traveled by boat.

The views of the cliffs and the Mediterranean in Praiano are absolutely sublime. Praiano has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world and trying to describe its beauty is a futile exercise. You simply have to see it to believe it. Our hotel was magnificent. It was located on the side of a cliff and our balcony overlooked the Mediterranean. We immediately raided the mini bar and had an Aglianico, Antiche Torri 2004. It was cold (it’s a red), but after our long journey, we just needed some alcohol. It showed a touch of plum and was gamey underneath. It was decent.

At dinner that night, we had a Sammarco table wine (Costa de Amalfi, Ravello). Because it was so cheap (4.5 Euros for a half bottle), I didn’t take any notes. I should have. For its price range, it had an amazing concentration (red berry fruit) and a very long finish. We could not believe how good it was. We later found it in the local grocery store for 3 Euros a bottle. At that price, it is one of the best QPR wines we have ever tasted.

Later that night at the hotel, we went to our balcony and opened an Antinori Muffato della sala 2003 Castello della sala. We paid 35 Euros for this 500 ml bottle. After having an amazing Muffo at a restaurant in the Trastavere, we had kept our eyes open for any Muffo we could find. We finally found this Antinori and even though I was the one constantly thinking about our budget, I bought it as soon as I saw it. It took a little while to open up but once it did, it was almost as fabulous as our other Muffo. It was honeyed, unctuous and rich with a green apple flavor and some candied orange peel on the finish. It had great structure and a nice tang on the finish. Why isn’t Muffo more popular in the U.S.?

When we woke up late next morning, we realized that we didn’t have anything planned for the day. We really enjoyed Florence and Rome but found it quite refreshing to have absolutely nothing to do. We walked to the local grocery store and bought some fresh bread, cheese and a half bottle of wine for lunch. We went exploring and picnicked at an isolated spot overlooking a bay. The wine was only 2 Euros for a half bottle and was a Lachryma Christi. It was mildly sweet.

We couldn’t find any restaurant that opened before 7, so we just accepted the Italian way and took a nap and had a late dinner. The restaurant that we went to turned out to be our favorite restaurant in Praiano, Il Pino. The tables had gas lamps and from the restaurant, you could watch the sunset over the Mediterranean. As Jen said, it was insanely romantic. We decided to try some more local wine. We went with a bottle of Selva delle Monache 2004, Ravello, Costa d’Amalfi for 20 Euros. It was a bit tannic and smoky. It had a rich, lavender, herbal flavor mid palate and a tangy finish. It was a very interesting wine. The label mentioned that Aglianico was one of the varietals.

On the next day, we made the mistake of leaving Praiano. We took a short trip to the much more famous Positano. It was beautiful but lined with shops and crowds. There was a café on the beach that must have seated a hundred people. We couldn’t get back to Praiano soon enough. We headed back to our room and had a 2001 Amarone della Valpolicella Bolla on our balcony (21 Euros). It was very sweet and one dimensional – concentrated prunes. Okay, maybe there was a touch of chocolate on the finish. Anyway, it was a bit too simple for the price but I did enjoy the massive concentration.

At dinner that night, we had a 2003 Olivero Casa Vinicola Bushced Dolcetto d’Alba Roddi for 18.5 Euros. It was sweet up front and tannic on the backside. The palate showed cherry cordial and sage and it was a good food wine.

That was the last time we took notes. We loved Praiano and our stay ended much too soon. We slept late every morning and wandered around the town enjoying the views. We took two hour lunches, peaceful naps and enjoyed three hour dinners (Every restaurant had a sea view). We spent every afternoon sipping a glass of wine on the veranda of our favorite outdoor café. We went to the beach and Jen swam in the translucent water. One day, we hiked about three quarters of the way up a cliff to see the church of San Domenico. The views from up there were sublime.

On the last day of our stay in Praiano, we finally stopped at a local gelato place and it was just about the best gelato we had on the entire trip. For our last dinner, we headed back to the insanely romantic Il Pino and had another fabulous meal. I had a steak wrapped in a carapace of salt and displayed inside an aluminum foil swan while Jen had a local seafood dish. We slowly ate our meal and drank our wine while strains of Dinah Washington wafted through the restaurant. We had after dinner drinks and lingered as long as possible, but as they say, all good things must come to an end. The dinner put a fabulous exclamation point on our incredible honeymoon.