Sorrento & Lemon Farm
Today I got up early and took a nice soak in the hot tub. I turned up the temperature in the hot tub last night and it was wonderful. The weather was sunny and clear as the sun rose up while I soaked.
Sunrise over Positano.
The Airbnb we stayed at made us a beautiful breakfast and served it on the patio overlooking the water. We had eggs, rolls, sweet breads, capris fried zucchini and cappuccino. Way too much food! But very good!
We booked a tour at the agritourism farm La Masseria. It is located in a volcanic valley overlooking the Gulf of Naples, just south of Sorrento on the Sorrento Peninsula. I used the GPS to get me there and missed a turn. It rerouted me and sent me in a most interesting path (and very challenging!) The back roads of Sorrento are very narrow and steep. Driving a manual transmission was only adding to the challenge. Even though the car was small, I had some very tight spots to navigate. Eventually we got to the farm.
La Masseria
This farm was founded in 1898 and is still in the same family. They are the pioneers of the lemon industry that made this area famous. They mainly grow lemons and olives for olive oil.
The olive trees are trimmed up to promote more growth for olives and they can then use the land underneath for growing other vegetables like potatoes and onion. They try to make use of every inch of the land.
Everything is is organic, (no pesticides or fertilizers).
Great great grandsons Eugenio and Raffael gave the tour of the farm and showed us the two main lemons grown in the area (Sorrento Lemons and Amalfi Lemons) and how they maintain them. They also have many olive trees that they use to make Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Some of these trees were planted by his grandfather and are almost 100 years old. Rolled up nets were hanging everywhere around the olive trees. They are used during harvest to catch the olives as they fall and keeps them off the ground. They also have a pneumatic arm used to shake the trees to knock them down. Less ripe olives that are still green are used to make the Extra Virgin Olive oil. This is what gives it its flavor.
Eugene showing us how they shake the trees for the olives.
The tour included a walk though the groves. They also showed us the “pergolas” they developed to protect the trees. Netting is draped over wooden frames to protect from frost and hail. It looks rustic because the timbers used to make the pergolas are grow on the property. There is an area at the bottom of the hill near the creek where they let Chestnut trees grow. It is like a small forest. The trees grow straight and are lightweight, so they are perfect . They will also last about 30 years before they need to be replaced.
“Pergolas “ to protect the trees make a nice background.
We also got a peak into the family wine cellar where they cure meats, store cheeses, lard and of course wine! They raised chickens, pigs and cows on the grounds as well. Food waste from the lemons are used to feed the pigs, that eventually will be come cured meats. The chickens area used for eggs to make fresh pasta, and the cows area used used for milk. Food waste from the lemons is fed to the pigs, so there is very little waste all around. They used to grow grapes for wine, but eventually expanded the lemon groves and now purchase grapes from a cousins nearby farm. Jars of lard from the pigs can be found as well. They are very self sufficient.
Cellar of stored meats, lard, wine and other items.
We also had a tasting at the end of the tour. We had some fresh lemonade and lemon wedges with sugar. The rinds are so tender, you can eat them! Eugene said this was as treat for him as a child. Then we got to try some of the olive oil they make. There are three types. Regular, lemon and orange. We really liked the lemon, so we bought a few bottles to take home.
The tour ended with a lunch of local dishes prepared by their mother using ingredients grown on the farm. A True Farm-to-Table experience. Lunch was finished with Limoncello made on the farm.
Lunch on the farm
Bob and Jim
We shared our table with an older couple from Toronto, Bob and Jim. They were a hoot! They also like to travel with a camper and we exchanged many stories. He gave me his “business” card so we could connect later if we wanted to camp in Toronto.
After the tour we headed to downtown Sorrento. This is a coastal town on the Bay of Naples. The city center is full of narrow alleys with lots of shops. We wandered the narrow alleys and had some gelato as well as some shopping.
View of a road we got lost on when trying to find parking in Sorrento.
Gelato!
We headed back to the Airbnb and took a nap, then an another soak in the hot tub.
Our host, Fabio, prepared a dinner for us. He made us pizza, ravioli, parmigiana. The food was delicious and once again way too much food. He also made is own wine and served it with the meal.
Dinner by Fabio! (This is only the first course.)
