Tag Archives: Arienzo

Back to Arienzo Beach

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Yesterday we went to our local beach – Spiaggia Arienzo. I blogged about it before in 2011 when we last visited it. In particular, the blog mentioned the number of steps from the road down to the beach – 239. Easy on the way down, not so much climbing back up.

Although the price for a lounger, umbrella and place on the beach at the Arienzo Beach Club has gone up from 9 to 20 Euros in the last 8 years, it’s still worth it with table service to your lounger being a winning idea. Lunch at the beach club was great and it is still amazing they can produce such good food, in such quantity, so quickly for lunch from a kitchen the size of a closet.

At the end of the day the 239 steps up to the road felt a lot steeper than 8 years ago and this old man needed a couple of stops along the way. Ideal breaks to grab a glance at the luxury villas that cling to this part of the coast.

 

One year ago today

Gallery

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This gallery contains 4 photos.

July 12 2011 – we were staying in the lovely Villa Greta in Positano on the Amalfi Coast. It was a scorching hot day with the temperature hovering in the low 30’s (celsius) with hardly a breath of wind. The … Continue reading →

Spare time

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Ok, so I’ve got the luxury of time on my hands.  And what better way to spend it than brushing up my PhotoShop skills and then boring everyone with the results.

In particular a process called “tilt shift” photography which makes a photo appear to be “model-like”.  The purist approach to this involves special camera lenses and vast amounts of setup time.  But good old PhotoShop can emulate the look with quite impressive results.

I’ve taken a shot of the local beach and had a wee play.

Answers to questions

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Never let it be said that Toscanakiwi doesn’t respond to it’s readers comments.  The recent post about our day at the beach raised a number of questions.

Here, we answer them.

That Ferrari

I didn’t have a photograph of the Ferrari yesterday but “Tina of Texas” wanted to see the car.  Today I wandered up the road to take a shot and, being Italy, the car was still there.  In fact it hadn’t moved an inch.

What you can’t see from the photo is the steepness of the drive the car is parked on.  Clearly the car’s owner doesn’t trust the handbrake and has used what I assume is a Ferrari aftermarket accessory to ensure the car stays put.

Obviously it must be a Ferrari branded brick although I couldn’t get close enough to confirm this.

The turntable

The turntable is covered in a very stylish faux grass finish.  Not really sure the logic of this but I guess it’s an Italian thing.

The beach

Geoffman asked about the makeup of the beach.  Asienzo beach is mostly a pebble beach.  There is a small area of sand but from where we were it was a stony walk to the water.

Also the stones were incredibly hot so part of the entertainment was watching people do a funny little dance when a stone or two worked it’s way into their shoes or sandals.  From experience I can say  – ouch.

The Beach

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Today we went to the beach.  We walked down the 239 steps to Arienzo Beach and paid €9 each for a lounger, an umbrella and a spot on the private part of the beach.

After an hour of tanning and swimming we adjourned to the Arienzo Beach Club for a pasta lunch, beer and Gin & Tonic.  The beach club is a restaurant and bar built on the beach and consists of poles, canvas, chairs and tables.  It’s amazing they can produce good food but based on our choices for lunch, they can.  What’s more, anything to do with seafood is fresh – caught that morning, in fact.

After another hour in the 32 degree sun we headed up the steps. – all 239 of them.  The walk up takes you past some of the most expensive villas in Positano and at the leisurely pace we were walking we got to see them in detail.  I was most impressed by the one with the brand new Ferrari out front and, to allow the car to turn around, a turntable at the end of the drive.

I’m sure the Ferrari driver was equally impressed by the two hot, sweaty, smelly, gasping tourists staring at his car and his turntable.

Arienzo Beach

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The nearest beach to Villa Greta is Spiaggia Arienzo which is, quite literally across the road and down the cliff.

It’s a small beach and is reached by 239 steps – straight down.  We haven’t got there yet – mainly because the 239 steps would be there at the end of the day – straight up.

Maybe tomorrow.