Benevento Revisited

Last weekend, Mrs Asinello and I decided to spend Halloween away from home. And where better to go than Benevento, the city of witches? So here is my article from some time back, now updated with photos from last weekend. I hope you enjoy them!

Fire and Brimstone!

I wasn’t expecting much from the Christmas period in Vico. And although I loved the Neapolitan family Christmas, December in Naples had always been something of a disappointment. Although, on the one hand, I was grateful that Christmas didn’t start in late September, as it did in the UK, a bit of festive spirit in

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Sunday in the Village

In the 1990s there was a rather splendid TV programme that went out on Sunday mornings in Italy, and Giovanna and I always watched it if we were in. It was called “Sunday in the Village” and was introduced by a friendly, chirpy man, full of witty one-liners and warming bonhomie, who went to a

Mushrooms! What Passion!

Cooking and eating are art forms in Italy. The English eat to live, but the Italians live to eat. Meals are both clocks and calendars to the Italians, especially to those who live outside the big cities, such as the good people of Vico Equense. When I lived in Naples, I never really noticed autumn.

The Great Chestnut Festival

Summer passed all too quickly in Vico Equense, and I was sorry to see things returning to normal. I had enjoyed the holiday mood of Vico in the summer: the pedestrianized streets with artisans selling their wares to tourists and locals: the pan-pipers and human statues: the late-night concerts in the piazza and Miss Vico

An Update 1 – Vesuvius and Herculaneum

One of the things I regretted when I started my blog in the deep, dark days of the Covid pandemic, was the fact that many of the places I was writing about were places I had last visited back in the 1990s, armed with an old Pratika MTL3. That meant I did not have much

Amalfi and Ravello

A caveat: Since I first wrote this, things have changed greatly in Ravello. On our return there two weeks ago, we ate in the excellent Café Klingsor and did not have to mortgage our house to do so. Lots of other tourists in other bars, cafè’s and restaurants also seemed to be enjoying the experience

A Glow-in-the-Dark Crucifix

“Do you know where I can get a glow-in-the-dark crucifix?” asked Andy.“You what?”“A glow in the dark crucifix.”“Well, yes. But why on earth do you want one?”“I’ll tell you later. But these things actually exist then?”“Yes. Why?”“I thought he was pulling my plonker,” Andy said, shaking his head. This conversation was confusing me, but Andy

Positano!

“If you thought last week’s walk was spectacular, then just wait till you see what we’re going to do today!” announced Catello, back in Bar Aldo the following Sunday. “But drink up, or we’ll miss the bus.”“Bus?” I asked, but Catello had gone. I paid up, wished Aldo a pleasant Sunday and followed Catello to

Punta Campanella

Roberto was waiting in Catello’s office to show us around the new flat. He was a distinguished-looking man with longish, grey hair, swept back over his head, expensive gold-rimmed glasses, corduroy trousers and cream pullover, and a haunting, haunted expression. He quizzed us in a friendly manner on why we wanted to leave Naples and