Might as well use the thread here to document and highlight some of our gastro adventures in the south. I think most of you have already noticed that we mainly get excited from traditional/regional foods or very slight elevations on regional classics so you’ll not find modernity or chef’s table looking things… though there’s some overlap.
So we started in Sicily for 6 days, very glad that we left Palermo after a couple and hung out in south west with Ragusa being home base. Noto and Modica were both beautiful visits as well. To get to Sicily and back we had to book airfare with layovers so we chose long ones in Zurich so tha twe can at least hang there and have big dinners. Worked out wonderfully on the way there. Very beautiful place and the food from the Vaud region was so great! Coming back the strikes canceled our flight and sadly we didn’t have time for anything on the return trip but by that time i was just happy to not walk anymore 
After we drove up the coast right by White Lotus Taormina and after a quick seaside seafood lunch we jumped on a ferry to mainland. Got to spend a day in Reggio Calabria, which is a kind of life long wish of mine given that my grandfather always dreamt of going there and never could (iron curtain). That memory never left me and glad we got to go there. Very lovely place with a long boardwalk and feels a bit like Baden Baden with a bit more of a posh flair as compared to Sicily.
Then we made our way toward Puglia and made it to our home base of Matera, I didn’t even realize that it’s in the Basilicata province (i wasn’t the planner). So while my wishes of spending significant time in Puglia didn’t materialize this time, Matera completely blew us away. It’s just shockingly beautiful and so so fun on the weekend. Even got to see a Verdi opera. Very low tourism in March as well. We did drive into Puglia for a day trip to a couple of towns and Alberobello and Locorotondo were hugely memorable. Puglia proper will have to be saved for another day. Lecce sadly was out of reach.
Then on to Amalfi coast which was a hillarious driving experience given that the rental gave us a big ole yank Jeep Renegade. I loved it despite the stresses of Positano driving. We just left the car in the garage for the 2 days and enjoyed the million steps and stairs. But after a good 10 days or so in the south south, getting to Amalfi and just suddenly being around tourists only rather than blending in with natives and a few tourists it was a stark and unpleasant contrast. So luckily we had a crazy view from the house and we mostly just stayed away from the crowds. We might never even go back there, just really dont like to contribute to such tourism takeovers of places, and it translates to many unplesant experiences. Gorgeous though obviously. We expected all of this.
Vesuvius and Pompei were shocking. Way way more interesting than i though. I purposely dont research things too much before going so as to experience them but it’s so much bigger than i imagined. Just glorious.
And then Napoli… sigh… we fell in love… we knew we’d like the busy energy and the craziness and it was just perfect. So so so much energy and music and i cant believe how big the old town area with small streets is. Food is another level and this pizzaphile was blown away as expected.
All of the photos are in the dump links below but ill highlight restaurants of note in follow up posts.
First meal in Italy was the not so secret anymore pastry shop at the monastery
https://imgur.com/gallery/BgA1NZH
last was three pizzas in napoli with leftovers on the plane back through zurich.
