Ciao Amalfi Newsletter - September 2022

Back home on the Amalfi Coast.

Sep 18, 2022

It’s a quiet Sunday evening in Amalfi and the church bells are ringing out over the city. I’ve been back for a week now after an incredible holiday in Scotland and I’m very grateful to be home. And what a week it has been! Il tempo vola (time flies) … and certainly not because I’ve been having fun. But between unexpected doctor and vet visits, I stopped by Amalfi’s weekly outdoor market on Wednesday to pick up some fresh herbs to replace the ones that didn’t survive my husband’s valiant attempts to keep them alive while I was away. Then I spotted something familiar and happy – heather!

It took me straight back to Scotland and picking heather in the Highlands on the way to Skye. I have two little sprigs of heather, called erica in Italian, pressed into a book and now it cheers me to look out on my balcony and see these little heather plants with both white and purple blooms in the sunshine.

-Picking heather overlooking Loch Lomond in Scotland.

I’ve been thinking a lot about solace the last few days, which led me back to David Whyte’s remarkable book Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words. This book and the beauty of Whyte’s writing came to me by way of my friend Ginger, who I wrote about here.

“Solace is not an evasion, nor a cure for our suffering, nor a made-up state of mind. Solace is a direct seeing and participation; a celebration of the beautiful coming and going, appearance and disappearance of which we have always been a part. Solace is not meant to be an answer, but an invitation, through the door of pain and difficulty, to the depth of suffering and simultaneous beauty in the world that the strategic mind by itself cannot grasp nor make sense of.”
— SOLACE by David Whyte.

I’ve been simply noticing and reflecting on what brings me solace during difficulty and—besides heather and good friends—I remembered how recently, after being away from the Amalfi Coast for three weeks, just how surprised and pleasant it was to realize how much I had missed writing my newsletter here on Substack. In the car on the way home from the airport in Naples, ideas were flying and I was sending myself quick emails as reminders so the ideas wouldn’t slip away. It was a realization that the beauty of this place not only inspires me but also consoles, cheers, and soothes me – all the varied meanings of solace.

Although September’s newsletter is a little late, all of this is a way of saying thank you for reading. For me, Ciao Amalfi has always been what Whyte describes as “a celebration of the beautiful coming and going.” I enjoy sharing the beauty of the Amalfi Coast in any small way I can because I know it brings much happiness to so many people around the world. I hope, if needed, that it may also bring you solace. It sure does for me!

POSTCARD FROM AMALFI

While I haven’t been on the Amalfi Coast recently, my heart is never very far away. Last month I had the pleasure of joining Natascha Mirosch on her podcast ExtraVirgin Food & Travel to share a Postcard from Amalfi. Give it a listen below!

Listen now

ON MY BOOKSHELF

With Scotland still very much on my mind, I’m finally getting to The Good Left Undone, which has been on my bedside table since it came out earlier this year. Adriana Trigiani is a master storyteller, and I am thoroughly enjoying this one that takes place between Italy, France, and Scotland. As someone who has been inspired by a very different cathedral dedicated to St. Andrew, I enjoyed reading in this interview about how Trigiani’s inspiration for this novel started in Glasgow. Have you read The Good Left Undone? I’d love to hear your thoughts … just no spoilers please as I’m still reading!

(Note: *Affiliate links.* Ciao Amalfi gets a small commission from books purchased through links in this newsletter. Grazie!)

KEEP READING

Here are a few links I thought you would enjoy this month:

My Moon Southern Italy co-author Linda Sarris has announced her 2023 programs with The Cheeky Chef. Book before they sell out … and they do very quickly!
If you’ll be in Sorrento now through October 2, check out the Impressionism exhibit at Villa Fiorentino.
Planning a trip to Naples? Check out the David Bowie exhibition coming to PAN from September 24, 2022 to January 29, 2023.
Enjoy Julia Buckley’s article “Coast of miracles: uncovering the secrets of Amalfi” in National Geographic.
Want to practice reading in Italian, find out why Ischia è l'isola più bella del mondo.
Have a few million euros laying around? (Hahahaha … ) Well even if it’s just the stuff of daydreams, check out these five homes for sale on Italy’s Amalfi coast.

GET YOUR AMALFI COAST QUESTIONS READY!

I’ve been enjoying the monthly Amalfi Coast Chats on Substack. (Check out July and August if you missed them.) Get ready, because I want to know what questions you have about Amalfi Coast. Planning a trip? Curious about something about life on the Amalfi Coast? Next week I’ll be sending out the September chat where you can ask away. If you’re not already subscribed, click the link below so you won’t miss it!

Ciao from Amalfi,

Laura