I can hardly believe we are already a week into our Italian holiday. We spent a day in Rome which destroyed my feet but gave a chance for Dario’s girlfriend, Alex, to see the Vatican for the first time. This is my umpteenth visit here but I still love it despite the ridiculous heat for this time of the year.
We then drove down to Sorrento where we stayed two nights at a wonderful Bed & Breakfast called Villa Maresca. This was run by the delightful owner, Maria and her lovely daughter, Federica.
The enormous villa is set on a large piece of land which is cultivated with all sorts of vegetables and covered in multiple fruit and nut trees.
Maria is passionate about cooking, in particular cooking organically with her own produce from her garden. She produced delectable breakfasts made by herself.
On the first morning the hero of the meal was the ricotta and amarena (cherries steeped in syrup) cake, which I couldn’t get enough of, while on the second morning, Federica made crepes with homemade nutella from their own hazelnuts. Two American couples were also staying there and we had long, leisurely breakfasts sampling all Maria’s wares – an experience I can highly recommend.
Maria has a lovely family, home and garden but two rather dodgy pets, which added a little extra colour to our stay. Their dog was a wee fellow who to all intents and purposes looked friendly and innocuous. You could have sworn he wanted to be petted but if you approached, his innocence turned menacing as a deep gurgle of warning came from his little throat and his fur took on the ruffled effect of a startled chook. At least he gave some warning. The cat was far more sly. It sucked you right in with its meows, its rolling exposure of its soft belly and come-hither looks. But move to engage and the claws flew out and made contact, as Alex discovered to her distress. I guess they were both rather tired of the endless parade of foreign tourists who thought they could take advantage of their cuteness.
On one of the days in Sorrento, we visited Pompeii, which was interesting for the first hour or so as I tried to imagine life way back then and the terror of that day when Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the whole city, but as the merciless sun beat down ever more fiercely upon our vulnerable heads and we dripped from every conceivable body pore, Pompeii turned to a pile of rubble. Historical, grief-laden rubble but rubble nevertheless. However, I have a great collection of photos as a memory of the day we visited an important part of Italy’s ancient history.
On the other day, we went across the mountains to Positano, which was a great disappointment. It has become little more than a tourist trap with shop after shop of exactly the same fare – garish ceramics (there are gorgeous ceramics in other parts of the country) or long, drapey skirts and tops in white or beige, which were not at all unpleasant but carbon copies of each other. The beach was the pits, covered in grey pebbles with heavily polluted waters from the fleet of small boats that transport the tourists to and fro.
Further down the Amalfi Coast, along death-defying roads, is the town of Ravello, which is as delightful as Positano is disappointing. A wedding was taking place in the main square church and you would have sworn it was Tom Cruise himself getting married for all the glamour of the event – quite a sight to behold.
The Sorrento side of the Peninsula is beautiful with breath-taking views across the Gulf of Naples to the city of Naples. We wished we could have stayed longer to explore further but alas our schedule was relentless and off we went for a six-hour journey across the mountains to Vieste on the Gargano Peninsula on the other side of Italy. But that story is for another time.
Here is Maria’s recipe for the cake we had at breakfast. She very kindly gave me permission to post it here. It’s truly delicious.
Also, if you are thinking of going to Sorrento at any stage, I can highly recommend you get in touch with Maria for a wonderful stay. You will find her at Villa Maresca, 8, Via II Traversa S.Andrea, Piano di Sorrento, NA , 80063. Her phone number is 081 808 7599. https://www.villamaresca.com/
- 300 gms flour
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 130gms butter
- 100 gms sugar
- 8 gms baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 300 gms ricotta
- 150 gms sugar
- Amarene (cherries in syrup)
- Beat the butter, eggs and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together and add.
- Mix lightly together until just blended.
- Put half into the bottom of a pie dish or cake tin and spread up the sides.
- Beat together the ricotta and second lot of sugar until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Pour the ricotta mixture into the pie dish.
- Place as many cherries as you like on top and cover with the rest of the cake mixture.
- Bake at 180°C/350°F for 40 minutes or until golden.
- Let cool and slice into servings.
Lovely photos of your trip, the cake looks delicious! Sad to hear about Positano – I haven’t been and it’s also saddening when beautiful places become overrun by tourism!
The cake was delicious, Laura. I think some of the disappointment is when the photos you have seen and the things you have heard about a place have created high expectations. Then there can be the disappointment of it not living up to its reputation.
Suzanne
Thank you for sharing your lovely personal photos and touches of the journey so far. I haven’t been on the Amalfi Coast for quite a few decades and felt the atmosphere around many of the areas becoming touristy even then. Lovely when you find the small pensione which still have an individual touch!
The Bed & Breakfast has certainly been the highlight of the trip so far. Maria was so genuine in her passion for food and for the produce from her garden. The rest of the peninsula was lovely so that made up for the disappointment of Positano.
Suzanne
That ricotta cake looks really delicious. That’s such a shame you found Positano to be so disappointing. I have many friends who have loved it but it’s about a decade since they were there. Perhaps it’s become so much more touristy. Glad you found a town you really enjoyed but I do hope that wasn’t Tom Cruise tying the knot – he definitely is not marriage material xx
Charlie, I think part of it is that I lived in Italy for a long time and so expect something different from what I see here. The tourist thing is off-putting in our own countries too. In other countries I might not feel it so acutely.
I agree that Tom Cruise is definitely not marriage material. Poor Katie.
Suzanne
I love Sorrento! Thanks for the recommendation about Maria’s B&B – I’m definitely bookmarking that. My sister is visiting that area right now. She’s currently in Ravello, and was in Positano a few days ago. That’s a great cake – thanks for sharing the recipe. Good to hear from you, and enjoy your vacation.
Thanks, we are enjoying it, especially now it is a bit cooler. You will love Maria’s B&B if you ever get there. She enjoys having food bloggers to stay. I’m sure your sister is having a wonderful time. It’s a great area to visit.
Suzanne
I absolutely love using ricotta in cakes – and this recipe sounds wonderful. We are going to Italy next year so am enjoying reading this post. I’m sorry to hear Positano was disappointing!
Amanda, it’s quite possible you will enjoy Positano, if you get there. But there are other wonderful places to visit. You will have a great trip.
Suzanne
So jealous it’s not even funny. This trip looks really amazing. I love the pic of the dog napping. Cracked me up.
We are a little calmer now we are here in the north with family and the weather is kinder but it is great to be here. The dog was quite a character.
Suzanne
What a lovely villa you stayed in Suzanne. We were at the Amalfi Coast last December and I found the area very beautiful. I’ll keep the villa in mind in case we find ourselves in the are again. Villa Cimbrone of Ravello was one of the places I loved. It’s so beautiful! Maria’s cake (and her other breakfast delights) looks like a delicious way to start the day or even something delightful in the afternoon. I wish Sorrento is just a hop away. It reminds me of the ricotta & cherry cake that i buy at the Roman Ghetto. Delicious! Enjoy the rest of your trip!
Thanks, Rowena. It was certainly a privilege to be a part of Maria’s life for a short time. We didn’t have time to go through Villa Cimbrone and now I regret it. We’re going to Venice this weekend and then to Florence after that but just for a day each time.
Suzanne
Nice to hear about your trip!
More to come, Carol, when I get a moment from all the gallivanting around.
Suzanne
I just found your blog over on another food blogger that I follow and I am so glad to have discovered you!
Finding and reading this post about your trip in Italy came at the perfect time. I am an Italian living in America and I will be returning for a visit to Italy this coming Saturday. I appreciate very much the comments that you made about the weather, and Positano vs. Sorrento vs. Ravella. I have hopes during my second full week on the Amalfi Coast to check out all three.
I am happy to be one of your new followers by email so that I never miss a post. I kindly invite you to follow my bog too if you like.
Ciao,
Rosalinda Corieri Paige
‘la bella vita’
SC, USA
Hi Roz, lovely to ‘meet’ you. You will love the Amalfi Coast – assuming you haven’t been there before. You might enjoy Positano, many people do. It could be just an expectations thing with me. It’s a great peninsula with some of the hairiest roads in Italy.
Have a wonderful trip and I will check out your blog now.
Suzanne
Oh, I love your trip review…so sorry about the heat! I’d be miserable, too. Your bed and breakfast sounds phenomenal…and so glad you sweet talked Maria into sharing this delectable coffee cake recipe!! Can’t wait for your next installment! Be safe, my friend~
The heat has improved considerably thank goodness, Liz. I have another installment coming up shortly.
Suzanne
Sounds like a great B&B, I have always wanted to get to Italy. The photo are great, thanks for sharing the start of your trip – look forward to hearing about where you are next.
Italy is a must on your travels, but so are many other countries. More coming soon.
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
It looks like you are having a marvelous trip! Your photos are beautiful and really making me want to jump on a plane right now. That was so kind of Maria to share her recipe. Enjoy the remainder of your trip:)
You’re not that far away now, Nancy – at least, not as far as usual. Maria gave me other recipes too, which I must try once I am home.
Suzanne
Love cake! I already got an idea how to make it withouh eggs.
Good luck – I’m sure it will work out beautifully with your experience.
Suzanne
What a beautiful trip to Italy. It looks likes you are having a fantastic time. It reminds me to my previous trips to Italy, which I always enjoyed tremendously. Unfortunately I never visited Rome or Pompeii. I’m glad I saw your pictures. Now I now where to go next time. I love the ricotta cherry cake. Enjoy the rest of your trip.
Thanks, Frank. Rome is my favourite city in the world and an absolute must for your next trip to Italy.
Suzanne
Oh, lucky you! Your photos are lovely and how wonderful that you are putting together a catalogue of your memories on your blog that you will be able to cherish for years to come. The ricotta cherry cake looks scrumptious and what a pretty design on top too.
Kelly, I hadn’t thought of it like that but it is a great record for the future. Maria obviously put a lot of effort into the cake and the design on top is beautiful.
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I’m enjoying your blog. We’re the American couples who were with your family at Villa Maresca in Piano di Sorrento~~my husband, John, my sister, Roberta and her husband Craig. Your pictures of Maria, her daughter, the B&B and Socksie, the dog are great. I just made the Ricotta and Cherry Cake. It was very good, but something was missing. It was too crumbly. When you say “put half into the bottom of a pie dish or cake tin and spread up the sides,” it was very crumbly, not like a batter at all and not held together at all. Something, perhaps like butter, was missing to bind the cake together. I did weigh everything in grams on my scale, so I feel that I had the right measurements. The ricotta filling with the cherries was especially good. The cake also never got golden. Have you tried to make the cake yourself yet?
Carol McCormack
Hi Carol, good to see you in here. I hope your trip went well. Ours was great.
I haven’t made the cake yet but my mother did and she said the same thing, that it was crumbly. Maria wrote the recipe on a piece of paper and I copied it out. We were talking the whole time so maybe an ingredient was missed out – probably the butter. I will email Maria and ask her what is missing and make the adjustment when I have it.
Suzanne
Hi! So glad I found your blog… I just booked our trip and we are staying at Villa Maresca this July… So glad I found someone other than the Trip Advisor reviewers who love this place. My husband and I wanted to experience as much as “real” Italy as possible. Do you have any restaurants or places we must try? WE will be doing Capri for one day… so any other things that are a must see would be great, can’t wait to try this cake!
I’m glad you found my blog too. You will love staying at Villa Maresca. Please say hi from me and let her know how you found her. I hope you are staying upstairs. Ask Maria to make the cake for you. I loved it.
We were only there for a couple of days so didn’t get to Capri unfortunately but we saw Pompeii and drove around the coast. The trip on the Positano side is pretty hairy but worth it. Don’t try to drive all the way along that coast but perhaps go as far as Ravello, which is lovely. I think there will be some great restaurants on the Positano side though it is very touristy there and I wasn’t impressed with it. We mainly ate at a restaurant that we could walk to from the villa. I can’t remember its name but Maria will tell you which one it was. She recommended it to us. We ate fairly authentically there. Have a wonderful trip and perhaps drop back here afterwards to tell me about it.