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| The beach at Sperlonga |
Here are some scenes from Sperlonga, a small seaside town, halfway between Rome and Naples, that I visited last year. To get there, I took the train from Rome to Fondi, then a bus to Sperlonga, about 10 miles west of Fondi. Sperlonga is favored by Italians in the area, but unknown to most Americans.
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| A view of the village from the beach: it's a good climb to reach the centro storico (old town). |
I spent part of every day at a nearby beach. A section of it was free, and it was a great place to walk, swim, and sunbathe. The beach was a short walk from the B&B where I stayed, which was nice, but pricey.
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| Bougainvillea covered the walls of many buildings in the centro storico. |
I trekked up and down the various paths to the centro storico: some were easier than others. The old town was mostly geared to tourist trade, and was often empty during the day, but livened up in the evening. On the weekend there was a band playing in a small piazza, as more tourists came to town for shopping and dinner.
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| Another view of the village from below. |
Since Sperlonga juts out into the sea, there are different views from the three sides of the village.
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This beach is to the south of the old town.
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| A view of the north beach from the centro storico. |
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| Torre Truglia. |
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Torre Truglia was built in 1532 to defend the area against attacks from the sea. Built on the foundation of a pre-existing Roman watchtower, it was then destroyed two years later by Ottoman pirates, rebuilt in 1611, then attacked again by the same pirates in 1623. Between 1879 and 1969 it was used by the Guardia di Finanza, but now belongs to a Marine Education Center. When I visited it, there was nothing to see inside but an old man serving as a caretaker, listening to a transistor radio.
I had some of the best meals I've ever eaten in Italy during my stay...fresh fish creations that were not only tasty, but beautifully presented. And the prices were surprisingly reasonable. Like Ischia, I could easily return to Sperlonga, again and again.
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From Ristorante Altro: Tortelloni asparagi con gamberi. (Asparagus tortelloni with shrimp.)
Scrumptious! I ate several times at this restaurant.
Calamaro stuffed with spinach in a blackberry cream, with black rice. The chef at Altro invented this dish and brought it to me himself. One of the best meals I've eaten in my life!
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| From Da Martini sul Ponte: Seared tuna encrusted with pistachio and sesame seeds. Yum! |
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