Well over 100 years ago
Naples had become a major stop for wealthy young men finishing their
education with a European “Grand Tour”. The whole region, known as Campania, contained a wealth of interesting, historic and cultural sights for them
to see. In the 60’s and 70’s, package holiday tour operators seized the
opportunity to promote this ready-made traditional holiday destination. So
fifty years on we also experience just what still makes this region so
special.
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Find FOOTLOOSE IN ITALY
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Part
one ~ Introduction + Neapolitan Riviera
Starts with a walking tour of historic Naples, probably the
oldest continuously inhabited city on the Mediterranean. It's known for
the massive Spanish fortresses which have protected the city for
centuries. After a look at Castel Nuovo we begin our trail at the port and
make our way along the elegant sea-front to Castel d'Ovo. From here our
tour takes us to the magnificent pink Royal Palace and Piazza Plebicito.
Nearby is the Galleria Umberto 1st and the Royal Opera House which give
class to the shopping district. We take the funicular to gigantic Castel
Sant' Elmo to end our trail high above the city.
 
Next morning we board a hydrofoil and speed across the bay of
Naples to the volcanic island of Ischia to explore the landscape by
bus and see the ancient Castello Aragonese.
Leaving Naples on the train we stop at Ercolano to see the
Roman remains at Herculaneum and to take a historic ride up to the crater
of the famous volcano, Vesuvius, following the steps of a Thomas
Cook excursion well over a century ago. Next stop on the railway is
atmospheric Pomeii where the massive eruption of Vesuvius in AD79 wiped
out an entire Roman town. Our train journey terminates at Sorrento...
Part two ~ The Sorrentine Peninsula
Perhaps the best place to stay in
Campania is Sorrento. For the sheer ease of travel and relaxed
atmosphere you can't beat it. We made all our trips from here. In the
film, our host is president of Sorrento tourism Nino Miniero who gives us
plenty of advice and suggestions.
  
A walking tour of Sorrento is easily
done in an hour or two and there are two museums to look out for: the Correale
and the Inlaid Wood, both give a wonderful insight into how
important Sorrento was as an historic, cultural and romatic destination on
the "Grand Tour" a century or two ago. We visit nearby Meta to
look at an interesting collection of maritime antiques.You can't leave
Sorrento without trying Limoncello and we sample different types
and talk to the family at I Giardini Cataldo who have been
growing lemons in the town and producing the delicious "nectar"
for many years. We then discover more of the peninsula on a Footloose
trail as we walk to Termini at the end of the peninsula.
useful
websites:
CAMPANIA
NAPLES:
World
Heritage Sites
Underground
Naples
Herculaneum
Vesuvius
Vesuvio
Express Bus tour from Ercolano Scavi train
station
Pompeii
SORRENTO:
Tourism
Website
Correale
Museum
Inlaid
Wood Museum
I
Giardini di Cataldo Limoncello producer ~ Lemon
grove & ice cream parlour
POSITANO:
Independent
Tourism site
Hotel
Buca di Bacco cookery masterclasses
AMALFI:
Tourism
Website
Hand-Made
Paper Museum
CAPRI:
Island
Website
Villa
Jovis Roman villa ruins ~ 2km walk from Capri
Town
We
recommend hotel bookings by www.expedia.co.uk
or booking.com
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Part three ~
The Amalfi Coast
Value for money buses leave virtually every hour from Sorrento and
travel the switchback Amalfi Drive or Nastro Azzurro along
the famous dramatic coastline. We get off at Positano and step down
into the lovely resort, made famous by the jet-set some fifty or
sixty years ago.
 
It has become fashionable to take a cookery masterclass
whilst on holiday in Italy, and Debra joins a spirited lesson at Hotel
Buca di Bacco (not to be missed!). With a take-away of the afternoon's
delicious grub we take a coastal cruise to Amalfi, once the ancient
maritime republic. After exploring the historic streets and cathedral we
head up the gorge to the Valley of the Mills and Amalfi's fascinating Hand-Made
Paper Museum, full of ancient working machinery. The third and last
town we visit, perched high on the Amalfi Coast is Ravello. A
shuttle bus whisks you up there and you have a choice of two fabulous
gardens to see: Villa Rufolo the spectacular terrace which becomes
the stage for a prestigious musical event every year; and Villa
Cimbrone, home of an englishman who turned the near-ruin into an
exquisite house and gardens, visited by the rich and famous.
Part Four ~ The Isle of Capri
The finale of our "Grand Tour" of the Campania region of
Italy. Regular ferries and jet-boats leave the pier at Sorrento and it
takes about 20 minutes to reach the "Isle of Dreams". A
funicular takes you from the port to Capri Town where crowds gather
to take in the views and visit the exotic designer shops. With a bit of
footwork you can soon leave the bustle behind and head up delightful
bougainvillia-lined paths to places like Villa Jovis former
palace of Roman Emporer Tiberius or Arco Naturale a
breathtaking natural stone arch. From here our Footloose walking
tour continues around the panoramic coastal path back to Capri Town.
 
A short little bus takes you on a
hair-raising ride up to the other town of Anacapri where it is less
busy, a bit cooler and, incidently, the shops and restaurants are better
priced. You have a choice of villas and lovely churches to visit as
well as a 2km walk to the site of a Roman villa (Damecuta) and the Blue Grotto an
amazing sea-cave, lit entirely with reflected underwater light from its
narrow entrance.
 
GP025 Footloose in Italy III ©2014
Running time: 150 minutes
Aspect 16:9
We consider this film to be Exempt from Classification
Reproduced as DVD-R (PAL-all regions) viewable on almost all DVD players, including overseas.
We have found with feedback from customers in USA and Canada that our films generally work on NTSC players too, with few
exceptions ...any computer with DVD software will play also.
©2014 Grindelwald Productions Ltd.
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