What a really fun concept. We purchased our tickets online but the scanner and code did not work. I…read moreshowed my email to the man at the register and he provided us with two tickets. No hassle. Two tickets will get you 3 special flavors and two obligatory flavors- Nutella (Nutella seems pretty big here?) and a milk chocolate. When you vote you get a 6th free sample. We then tested all 8 flavors. I was so fortunate to start at number two. Please see my photos for details. The chef(?), what do you call a gelato creator?, was so friendly. She explained the contest to me and then described her gelato. When I first read the description online o thought hers was going to be too much. Lots of ingredients, hazelnut, pistachio, chocolate, orange. But wow the Orange really pops with the gelato. Hands down my favorite. My number two slot goes to the parmesan and honey creation-- number 5. Who knew Parmesan cheese could taste so good with honey? Very unique these flavors really balance each other. Very nice and passionate gelato creator. Number three pick goes to number three gelato Fig and lemon. Well done. Unique. The lemon really stands out. There is a cooking demonstration where they will teach you how to make gelato and then provide you with samples. In Italian however. You can also watch them make gelato in a huge truck. The gelato fair is in Naples for 4 days then travels on. I highly suggest going if they are in your city. I'm glad we took the time out of our vacation to try this!

I was very impressed by Salerno and its Mercatini di Natale (Christmas Market) and that is not an…read moreeasy thing to do! I lived a 40-minute drive from Salerno for three years and have passed by or through it on many occasions, but yesterday was the first time I actually visited the city. We took the train from Napoli Centrale to meet one of my wife's friends and visit Salerno's renowned Mercatini di Natale ... and am I glad we did! Salerno, on the sea with fabulous views of the Amalfi Coast, is a city of a little over 130,000 people. The lungomare, a path along the sea next to the main road in town, is gorgeous and the buildings lining the street opposite the sea old and majestic. We walked down lungomare admiring the many Christmas vendors displaying their wares, including ceramics, local delicacies and liqueurs, sweets of every variety, puppet shows, clothing, candles ... well, you get the picture. You cannot miss it if you stay on the road that goes along the sea through downtown. They even have porta-potties, something you rarely see in Italy along with a public toilet. The breakwater that forms a lagoon adjacent to the lungomare and market was dotted with large, oversized penguins as the lights of Vietri Sul Mare and Positano twinkled in the distance and as daylight fell behind the massive Peninsula Sorrentina. A little further up the lungomare at the north end of the market was the villa comunale (Salerno's "Central Park"), filled with objects of all varieties made of brilliant lights, from Big Ben to Cinderella's coach, even Captain Hook's ship complete with crocodiles. Above villa comunale sits the brightly lit and impressive Castello di Arechi, an 8th Century castle built atop the mountain overlooking the city and once occupied by Lombard Prince Arechi II. CombatCritic Gives Mercatini Di Salerno And The City Of Salerno My Exclusive And Coveted 10 Bombs Out Of 10 Rating And A Spot On My "WALL OF FAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

Many destinations along the Amalfi Coast stand out for their incredible panoramic views of the…read moremountains and Mediterranean Sea. In Ravello, there are two better-known villas touting scenic eye candy worth checking out (with many other more or lesser known viewpoints)--Villa Cimbrione and Villa Rufolo. The latter takes its name from the wealthy merchant family that built this domicile in the 13th century. In the 14th century, banquets were hosted here for King Robert II of Naples and other Norman royalty. It was even written up in a story by Italian Renaissance author Boccaccio in "Decameron," published in 1353. In 1851, Sir Francis Neville Reid, a Scottish botanist and philanthropist, visited the villa in a state of deterioration and neglect, purchased it and renovated what was remaining of the property and gardens. Famously German composer Richard Wagner visited in 1880 and was so inspired he remained in Ravello to complete the second act of "Parsifal," an opera that had been in work for two decades. Today this villa is a historic landmark and cultural center, hosting musical concerts, open to the public for €8 regular admission, €6 discounted, tickets available at the entrance. There is a Moorish-inspired smaller tower and a taller bell tower from which you can climb to the roof to take in the views from behind a glass barrier.* The staircase inside this bell tower stands out in its criss-crossing design for stairs going up and down--reminiscent of MC Escher's lithographs showing impossible perspectives. From terraces and gardens outdoors behind the villa you can also catch sight of the hillside and coastline. While I was there in April, the gardens were in transition, they had various signs posted that apologized for the bare appearance due to recent storms. To me they still looked nice and I appreciated that they were so conscientious with upkeep! Wandering around you can spend anywhere from 30 min to 1.5 hours here. It's conveniently located next to the main town piazza and close walking distance to local restaurants and businesses. For more info: https://www.ravello.com/attractions/villa-rufolo/ *and from which I tried very carefully to hold my phone above--and not plummet it into the hundreds of feet below--when taking videos.

If you're already up in Ravello, you definitely need to stop by Villa Rufolo. To be totally honest,…read moreit doesn't quite have the same "wow" factor or the massive, sweeping panoramic views as Villa Cimbrone, but it is still absolutely worth checking out. The gardens here are beautiful, and the way the colorful flowers frame the old stone ruins and the ocean in the background is gorgeous--definitely a prime photo spot. It's right off the main square too, so it's super easy to get to compared to the trek out to Cimbrone.

From the owner: Concorso cinematografico internazionale dedicato alle location. Ideato nel 2003 da Michelangelo…read moreMessina si svolge a Luglio al Castello Aragonese Ischia. La tredicesima edizione si svolgerà dal 27 Giugno al 4 Luglio 2015. Ogni sera proiezioni all'aperto di lungometraggi, documentari, cortometraggi ed incontri con gli autori ed i protagonisti del Cinema.