Howard here with my second blog post.

As we’ve mentioned in this space before, from time-to-time, we are invited on educational or “FAM” (“familiarization”) trips.  These trips are meant for those of us in the travel industry to become familiar (get it?) with a destination or hotel company in the hopes that we will someday do business with them. It also gives us an opportunity to explore a new destination or reacquaint ourselves with one that we may not have visited in awhile. I was recently invited to Italy by Belmond (formerly Orient Express) Hotels.  Italy is always one of the top destinations for our incentive clients.  Belmond Hotels are super-luxurious and, in most cases, are iconic properties in their respective locations.

Day 1

We arrived in Milan where we stayed at the new Mandarin Oriental for one night before beginning our adventure.  The hotel has a great location within walking distance of the Duomo and La Scala.  We enjoyed a terrific stay and delicious dinner (as well as a few drinks on the outdoor patio!).

Day 2

Off to Portofino!  Our hosts surprised us with a fleet of luxury cars for our transfer to the coast.  Maseratis, Range Rovers, Audis and BMWs (I was in an Audi Q7 SUV).  We stopped at Villa Crespi where we were treated to a multi-course lunch at their two Michelin-starred restaurant.  It was incredible – every course more delicious than the next and each paired with sparking wines from Ferrari (alas, no relation to the car company).  By the time we got to the “small pastry” (basically, a dessert-after-the-dessert), I could not eat another bite.  While I’m sure the macarons and other delicacies were delicious, my stomach said an emphatic “no”.

We piled back into our vehicles and it was off to Portofino to check-in at the magnificent Belmond Splendido and Splendido Mare.   The Splendido is perched on a hill high above the town affording guests spectacular views of the famous port below. Half of our group stayed here and the other half (including me) stayed at the tiny (16 rooms) sister property Splendido Mare.  This little gem is located in heart of the village.  I was lucky enough to have a room that overlooked the main plaza and harbor.  The town was preparing to celebrate the Feast of St. George in a couple of days (unfortunately, our schedule was such that we would miss the festivities).  A large bonfire is lit in the town square the centerpiece of which is a tree.  Legend has it that if the tree falls into the water, the town will enjoy a prosperous summer but if it falls into the plaza, not so much.  It’s too bad we didn’t stay for the festival – my room would have had an incredible view of the bonfire.

Later that evening, we enjoyed dinner at La Terrazza Restaurant overlooking the town.

Day 3

Today was a full day of site inspections of both hotels and excursions out of town.  Unfortunately, a planned boat trip to San Fruttuoso (a Benedictine abbey accessible only by water) was canceled due to the weather.  However, our hosts (as we so often have to do in this business) had a Plan “B” and we headed off to the charming fishing village of Camogli.

However, before that, we were treated to a great lunch at the hotel’s restaurant, Chuflay (pronounced “shoe-fly) which included a pesto-making demonstration.  I was one of the lucky ones who donned an apron and mashed the fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil with an old-fashioned mortar & pestle.  Afterwards, we enjoyed a lunch at included pasta with pesto (natch!).

Before dinner back at the hotel, we enjoyed cocktails and canapés at nearby La Cervara Abbey, a former monastery that is now used for special events.  We were treated to unbelievable views and spectacular gardens.

Our final night gala dinner featured incredible food, wines and a surprise performance by three very talented singers.  A memorable end to a memorable stay in Portofino.

Day 4

A transfer to Genoa airport and a quick flight to Naples and we were off to the Amalfi Coast by car.  Specifically, Ravello and the Belmond Hotel Caruso.  A former palace dating from the 11th century, this beautiful hotel is dramatically perched above the picture-postcard Amalfi coast.   After a delicious lunch at the hotel, we had free time to enjoy the quaint town of Ravello.   The town is known for it’s unique orange coral jewelry.  Many in our group visited the famous Camo store in the center of town to purchase some one-of-a-kind items.

An informal dinner back at the hotel ended our first day on the Amalfi Coast.

 

Day 5

Our planned outing to a local lemon farm and boat tour to the Blue Grotto unfortunately had to be cancelled due to weather.  However, our ever-resourceful hosts enacted another Plan “B” and gave us a choice of activities in and around the hotel.  I chose the pizza cooking class.  The nearby Naples area is well known as the birthplace of pizza and has very strict rules governing how it is to be made is order to be known as Neapolitan pizza. Classic Naples pizza is very, very simple but uses the best ingredients – flour, water, salt and yeast for the crust and a simple tomato sauce with fresh (drained) mozzarella for the toppings.  That’s it.  The oven is so hot that it only takes about 4 minutes to cook the pies.  Easily some of the best if not the best pizza I’ve had.  Here’s the chef teaching us how to do it and the finished product!

Dinner was a formal affair with, of course, great food.  We were treated to a performance by an incredible soprano as well.

The next morning, we said our goodbyes and I headed to Venice for a couple more days of sightseeing and eating.  All in all, a great trip.  I met some fantastic people and had a chance to familiarize myself with parts of Italy I had never visited!