Minori, Italy: My kind of town

Published: 1:05PM GMT 02 March 2010

Previous of Images Next On the Amalfi Coast ? Ravello, Positano (above), Amalfi ? there was all a child could instruct for The travel from Minori to Ravello, takes about dual hours, but is well value it for the smashing views

WHY MINORI? Because it is my dear home town, the place I was innate and brought up. It has only 3,000 inhabitants, but when I was immature it seemed a big place with lots to discover: the warm, bluish sea was my paddling pool and the plateau were my behind garden. Here, and elsewhere on the Amalfi Coast Ravello, Positano, Amalfi there was all a child could instruct for, all of it supposing by nature.

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WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST WHEN YOU ARE AWAY? The clean, uninformed air and the receptive to advice of the sea.

WHAT"S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU RETURN? I go to the small beach and put my feet in the sea, afterwards wander to one of the cafs and suffer a undiluted espresso.

WHERE"S THE BEST PLACE TO STAY? In the centre of the village, Villa Romana (0039 089 877237; hotelvillaromana.it; doubles from �91). Orto Paradiso (089 851209; ortoparadiso.com; doubles from �65) is a family-run b & b outward the village. You have to stand stairs to get up there, so it"s befitting for the some-more energetic, but once you"re there the perspective and satisfaction have the bid worthwhile. Agriturismo Villa Maria (089 877197; agriturismovillamaria.it; from �33) is a lovely, small, family-run farmstay where you can suffer the farming peace, but you are only a shuttle-bus float from the centre of Minori and the beach.

WHERE WOULD YOU MEET FRIENDS FOR A DRINK? At the Pasticceria De Riso on Piazza Cantilena, nearby the seafront. Great for aperitifs, coffee and smashing cakes and ice cream.

WHERE ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES FOR LUNCH? Il Pontile, Via Nazionale (near the seafront) great for fish dishes. Alta Marea, on the seafront, has glorious pizza.

WHERE ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES FOR DINNER? Giardiniello, Corso Vittorio Emanuele (089 877050), is poetic to lay outward underneath the pergola: try the glorious pasta, fish meals and pizza. Torre Normanna (089 877100) in Maiori a 10-minute cab float is a converted building by the sea. It"s a smashing setting, undiluted for a regretful evening.

WHERE WOULD YOU SEND A FIRST-TIME VISITOR? The subterraneous hull at the Villa Romana. Also the travel from Minori to Ravello, takes about dual hours, but is well value it for the smashing views and the actuality you can finish up in one of Ravello"s most cafs for a well-earned drink.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM TO AVOID? It is all so pleasing that I contend do whatever takes your fancy.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT OR TAXI? Taxi for short journeys, such as to the Torre Normanna restaurant. Otherwise, make make use of of the ferries to revisit Amalfi, Positano, Capri and even the incomparable locale of Salerno. Going by vessel you will be means to admire the coast.

HANDBAG OR MONEYBELT? Minori is still really safe, though keep your personal property secure as you would in any piece of the world. If you are entrance from Naples, or intend to revisit the city, really make make use of of a moneybelt.

WHAT SHOULD I TAKE HOME? Ceramics from Ceramica Ruocco on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, or limoncello and alternative flavoured liqueurs from Laboratorio Artigianale Mansi on Via Dietro la Chiesa.

AND IF I"VE ONLY TIME FOR ONE SHOP? Laboratorio Artigianale Mansi on Via Dietro la Chiesa for handcrafted cakes and biscuits.

Gennaro Contaldo"s new cookbook, "Gennaro"s Easy Italian" has only been published by Headline (�20).