In Lemon Country

This was the day to explore the lemon-filled countryside outside of Sorrento. But there was plenty more on our agenda, and since our group wasn’t scheduled to depart from the hotel until 9am, I used the early morning hours, while the streets were still quiet, to take a walk down to the Marina Grande. In other words, I was going to retrace the steps I took on my misguided walk in search of the ferry to Capri a few days earlier. It was not only to prove to myself that I now knew where I was going. It was also because I wanted to take some photos of the picturesque route. 

 

Walking through the pedestrian shopping area, reminders of lemons were inescapable.

 

On the via Torquato Tasso, not far from the main square, I noted the interesting looking façade of a small church, the 17^th century Church of Saints Felice and Baccolo, sometimes called the Chiesa del Rosario. 

When I reached Victory Square, I stopped to take in the sweeping views of the Marina Grande below.

 

Then the descent began.

Once I’d accomplished my goal, I had to tackle the steep return.

 

I actually made it back to Victory Square, at the level of the town center, in well under 10 minutes.

 

Now, I felt ready for our day’s official activities. As our bus headed west along the coast, we got our first glimpse of the Lattari Mountains, sometimes described as the backbone of the Sorrentine peninsula. The name is a reference to the milk-producing cows and goats that have grazed here over the centuries. The limestone mountains drop dramatically down to the water. Typical vegetation is Mediterranean scrub and beech forest. The many little villages in the mountains are connected by hiking trails.

From the bus, we could already see the island of Capri in the distance.

The area we were traveling through is known as the Massa Lubrense. Our first stop was in the quiet village of Termini where we learned about the production of limoncello at the Nastro d’Oro distillery. Of course, we also tasted several different varieties of their liqueurs. Several of my fellow travelers purchased bottles to bring home.

 

Cheesemaking has traditionally been an important activity in this area. To learn about cheesemaking, we drove to the Tenuta Pierose dairy farm in the Massa Lubrense. The Cacace family has owned and operated the agricultural property for four generations, since 1912. They belong to a coop of ten producers. 

It was quite windy up at an elevation of 1440 feet. However, it didn’t seem to bother the cows. We learned that the herd includes eight Vaca Agerolese cows, a heritage breed native to the Lattari Mountains. Their milk, which is very high in protein and fat, is used to make Provolone del Monaco, a semi-hard, stretched-curd cheese which was originally made by local monks. Since it has DOP status, production of Provolone del Monaco is tightly controlled. The cheese can only be made in 13 towns on the peninsula and the cows can only eat non-GMO hay. 

The farm also produces other cheeses, including fior di latte (balls of mozzarella made from cows’ milk), caciocavallo (a tear-drop shaped stretched curd cheese), and boconcinni (bite-size balls of mozzarella). We went inside to see a master cheesemaker demonstrate how to make fior di latte. She had already done the first step, i.e. separating the curds from the whey by heating the milk and then adding an acid. As she gently stirred the mixture, it started to separate into solid white curds and liquid whey. While we watched, she showed us how she stretched the curds and then squeezed it into balls. 

This is one of the oval-shaped Provolone del Monaco cheeses the farm produces. It weighs about six pounds and requires about 55 liters of milk. According to DOP regulations, the cheese must be aged between six and eighteen months.

 

After tasting a couple of different cheeses and three varieties of local honey (multi-flower, chestnut, and apple blossom), we dined on pasta with tomato sauce and grated provolone accompanied by homemade red wine. The dessert was a delicious tart of ricotta and amarena cherries (cherries bottled in a rich syrup).

It was so peaceful at the farm, and such a contrast to the touristy towns on the peninsula, that I hated to leave.

 

Our next activity, back at the hotel in Sorrento, was an hour-long presentation about the Italian Mafia. The presenter, an Italian journalist, told us how it had originated and how it evolved over time. In fact, he shared so much information so quickly that I couldn’t keep up with my note-taking. Here are a few things that I managed to write down. 

 

There are three different criminal organizations in southern Italy:  the Cosa Nostra in Sicily, established in the 1860s; the ‘Ndrangheta in Calabria (the tip of the boot), in the 1880s; and the Camorra in Naples, established in 1820. 

 

Each organization has a distinct structure. The organization controls the economy of a particular territory by demanding protection money from local businesses (in other words, through extortion). In addition, the organizations are involved in legal businesses, such as the distribution of goods, the building industry, and the waste cycle. They also have secret agreements with corrupt public officials at all levels.  

 

Our presenter stated that “violence is the investment capital of the Mafia.” In other words, the Mafia intimidates people through the threat of violence, which allows the criminal organizations to manage businesses and thereby extend their control. 

 

International drug trafficking is now the main business of the Mafia. In order to “launder” the revenue from this illegal activity, the Mafia establishes companies all over the world, creating a multi-layered web that makes it difficult to trace the source of the money. 

 

Mafia activities have a huge impact on Italy’s economy. Seven to ten percent of the country’s GNP is related to the activities of three criminal organizations. 

 

Perhaps I was naïve, but I had never thought the Mafia’s influence was so pervasive nowadays. I couldn’t help wondering if all the shop owners in Sorrento had to pay protection money to the Camorra. I’d definitely think about that next time I'm in a gelato shop. 

 

Shortly after the presentation ended, we headed out into the countryside again for a “lemony experience.” Our destination was a family owned orchard for a tour of the lemon groves and a lemon-themed dinner. 

 

Four generations of the Galano family have owned and managed the lemon farm. With a family member to guide us, we made our way through a virtual forest of lemon trees. The actual total is 1500 lemon trees and an additional 300 olive trees in the six hectare (nearly 15 acre) grove.

Our guide called our attention to the pergolas, made of wood or metal and covered with netting, that protect the trees from damaging hail. The black tubes that were running up above the trees were part of the irrigation system.

 

Under a canopy of trees, we looked at different varieties of lemons and learned about the grafting process. Different varieties of lemons mature at different rates. Our guide pointed out one plant on which three different kinds of lemons were growing. On other plants, both lemons and limes or lemons and oranges were growing. The fruit is hand-picked three times a year by a team of six workers who climb up on ladders to reach the highest growing fruit.

Here’s a tip our guide shared: When you’re shopping for a lemon, you should look for one with the leaf attached. This serves as visual evidence that the fruit is freshly hand-picked. 

 

Since it wasn’t harvesting time, the work crew (guest workers from Senegal who live on the property) were busy in the indoor processing building. We watched as a specialized machine peeled a truckload of lemons and then another machine (invented by a family member) squeezed the lemons for their juice. The family guards the technology they have developed and didn’t allow us to take photos of the processing.  

 

About three years ago, the family added a lemon-oriented restaurant to the property. Our dinner began with lemon risotto garnished with lemon leaf powder. The main course was sea bream with a topping of shredded potato and crispy lemon peel, accompanied by spinach. Along with the meal, we drank a regional white wine called Falanghina Pompeiano.

The most impressive course was the dessert, called Delizia del Limone. This celebration of the lemon, which was invented in 1978, is famous all along the Amalfi and Sorrento coasts. It’s a dome of light sponge cake with a center of lemon pastry cream. The cake is soaked in Limoncello syrup and covered with a lemon glaze. All of it, including the decorative flowers, was edible and was grown on the farm. And yes, it tasted as good as it looked. Definitely try it if you’re ever in this part of Italy. 

 

Back in Time to Herculaneum

It was a day to travel back in time, nearly 2000 years, to the Roman city of Herculaneum, which was destroyed in 79 CE by the same eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that had destroyed Pompeii three days earlier. 

 

To get there, we traveled by private bus from Sorrento. The route took us along the northern coast of the peninsula, towards Naples. Along the way, we passed many lemon groves. Lodo told us that Sorrento is famous for producing limoncello, the intensely lemon-flavored liqueur. Lemons are grown throughout the peninsula. However, the lemons grown in the Sorrento differ from those grown in Amalfi on the southern coast of the peninsula. While Sorrento lemons are perfectly oval and slightly tart, those from Amalfi are larger, elongated (tapered like a spindle), and quite sweet. Both varieties can be used to make limoncello. 

 

Something else I learned during the 90-minute ride was the Italian word “pazzo,” which means crazy. It was uttered multiple times by our bus driver when daredevil motorcyclists zipped around our vehicle on the narrow winding roads with mere inches to spare. 

 

Even before we reached Herculaneum (Ercolano in Italian), we could see the massive bulk of Mt. Vesuvius towering over the coastline. Herculaneum is located practically underneath the volcanic mountain, about 17 kilometers (10 miles) from Pompeii. 

 

Millions of people still live in close proximity to Mt. Vesuvius and I couldn’t help wondering what it’s like to live so close to an active volcano. Lodo told us Mt. Vesuvius is very closely monitored. In technical terms, it’s a stratovolcano, i.e. a composite volcano, which was created by different eruptions. Stratovolcanoes are tall, steep, and symmetrical mountains composed of alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava, ash, and volcanic rock. Today, Mt. Vesuvius has almost two distinct cones but in the 1st century AD it likely had a single cone.

 

According to recent studies, Mt. Vesuvius started to erupt in October in the year 79 CE. The eruption began with a huge column of ash that went up for miles. Herculaneum, which is closer than Pompeii to the volcano, was hit by a pyroclastic flow which covered the town. Because the pyroclastic flow filled up buildings, organic material survived. When the flow came to an end, it left a layer of lahar that was 50 to 60 feet deep. 

 

Lahar? Pyroclastic flow?  Since I wasn’t familiar with some of the terms our guide used, I had to look up their definitions after our visit. A pyroclastic flow is made up of extremely hot gas, ash, and rock fragments. It rushes like an avalanche down the slope of an erupting volcano. Lahar is a fast-moving mudflow or debris flow composed of water, pyroclastic material, and rocky debris. It flows down the slope of a volcano and can travel for tens of miles, destroying everything in its path. 

 

The people in Herculaneum were killed instantly and the town itself disappeared. Among those who died was Pliny the Elder, the Roman author, scientist, and military commander, who sailed his ship to the coast while trying to rescue friends. 

 

 

The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius affected Pompeii in a different manner. A tall column of fine ash and pumice (lightweight highly porous volcanic rock) fell on the city, burying buildings. Ceilings collapsed under the weight. The ash and pumice mixture burned everything, including organic material. However, the frescoes that adorned the interior walls of Pompeii’s buildings were preserved as the ash formed a protective seal over them. 

 

The remains of Herculaneum, buried under a deep layer of ash and mud, remained hidden and unknown for centuries. It wasn’t until 1709 that a farmer or worker digging a well accidentally discovered a wall of white marble which later turned out to belong to an ancient Roman theater. 

 

Archaeological excavations of the 20-acre site have revealed a wealth of architecture (including multi-story buildings), mosaics, papyrus documents, food, and even intact Roman skeletons, most likely those of slaves and laborers who were unable to flee.  

 

Archaeologists excavating at the site have found the first layer to be from the Greek settlement of Neapolis. The Greeks didn’t realize Vesuvius was a volcano. They just thought it was a wonderful mountain where they could grow grapes and fruit and olive trees.

 

During Roman times, Herculaneum was primarily a holiday destination and a residential town for the wealthy whereas Pompeii was a larger city and a commercial hub. Our first look of Herculaneum was from the level of the mud flow that covered the town. Our guide noted that before the volcanic eruption, the ocean came right up to the edge the town below us. Now it’s much further away because the mudflow filled in the area. 

He led us down into the level of the town, whose grid layout followed a Greek model. There was a system of perpendicular roads running north-south and east-west. This design would have maximized winter sunlight and summer shade. 

 

One of the first structures he pointed out was a domus, or house, that archaeologists have named the House of the Wooden Partition. This is considered one of the most important houses in Herculaneum. Domus is the Latin name for a private single-family house that allowed the occupants to show off their social status, wealth, and political influence. It typically faced inward, with a hall just inside the entrance that leading to an atrium that served as a reception hall. The owner’s private office would be directly behind the atrium. 

 

In the atrium of the House of the Wooden Partition, there was a square basin where rain water was collected and a table where clients who came to see the owner of the house would place gifts. The table, made of expensive Carrara marble, was a way for the owner to show off his wealth.  

Wooden partitions that separated the office from the atrium were preserved in carbonized form and are still structurally intact. They are now covered with protective glass. Other wooden items in the house were also carbonized by the intense heat of the pyroclastic flow.

 

There was usually a private garden courtyard at the back of the house. This would be decorated with statues, fountains, and frescoes. 

 

An important building in Herculaneum was the Central Thermal Baths, which date back to the beginning of 1^st century CE. Water was delivered to the baths via an aqueduct system. There were separate men’s and women’s sections, each with a changing room, a warm room (tepidarium) and a hot room (caldarium).

Our guide pointed out the vertical channels in the walls which helped control the humidity level.

There were beautiful mosaic floors in the baths, including a depiction of a Triton, a mythical Greek sea god who is half-human and half-fish, surrounded by dolphins, octopuses, and cherubs. 

On one of the commercial streets, we entered the workshop of a metal worker where we saw a bronze statuette of Bacchus with panther.

 

I was struck by the vivid colors and detailed frescoes on the walls of other buildings. 

One of the most interesting places we saw was a thermopolia, a restaurant with hot buffet bar and terra cotta pots. I was surprised to learn that many Herculaneum’s middle-class families patronized these establishments because their homes (just a couple of rooms in a three- or four-story building) lacked kitchens. 

The middle-class homes also lacked bathrooms so the ordinary people utilized public latrines and the thermal baths. Scientists who’ve studied the poop found inside ancient sewers believe that the diet of the ordinary ancient Romans was primarily based on carbs and vegetables and contained little meat. Actually, that is very similar to the carb-heavy meals I’d encountered since arriving in Sorrento. 

 

I could easily have spent several hours wandering through the ruins but our time was limited. I was able to take a quick walk through the on-site museum where I saw the keel of a boat that was discovered in 1982. The boat had originally been overturned by the force of the volcanic eruption. It was buried in pyroclastic flows which sealed it when they hardened.

 

There were many other interesting artifacts found in the ruins, including statues, frescoes, mosaics, and everyday household objects. 

The day that had started with an overcast sky and a sprinkle of rain was bright and sunny by the time we returned to Sorrento. After lunch, I headed right back to Raki for more gelato; this time my choice was lemon. The verdict? Delicious, but I still preferred pistachio or nocciola.

The day ended with a wonderful home-hosted dinner, a feature of every OAT and GCT tour. A small group of us spent the evening at the home of a multi-generational Italian family who lived in a residential area on a hillside above the touristy center. The local church was just a few doors down from their house.

Viviana, who spoke excellent English, was a student attending the university in Naples. She told us that her grandparents, aunt and uncle and cousins, as well as her parents and siblings live on different floors of the house. Behind the house, there was a vegetable garden and a small yard for the cow and her calf, plus the chickens.

 

We all sat around a long table and enjoyed an excellent home-cooked meal. In fact, everything we ate was produced on their farm: pasta with their own tomato sauce; lettuce and pancetta from the pig they had raised; homemade bread; delicious carrots they had grown; and tiramisu. 

There was even homemade limoncello.

 

Best of all was the warmth the family showed to me and my fellow travelers.

 

Herculaneum plus gelato plus dinner with an Italian family – I couldn’t have asked for a better day!