Our last week in Italy 1976. Fourth stop: Gaeta
Route from Positano to Gaeta.
Some facts about Gaeta
- One of the most stunning attractions of Gaeta is the Montagna Spaccata.
- The mountain has deep crevices that create a natural sea grotto.
- The waters around the coastline of Gaeta appear a deep turquoise blue and provide a stunning contrast to the countryside.
Our Vacation in Italy 1976: Remembering Gaeta
Grandpa Sam’s nephew Gennaro Serrapede and his family hosted us while we stayed in Gaeta. Gennaro love to go diving and showed us many fragments of ancient pottery he found during his dives. I found these object fascinating. On one of them, the handle of an earthenware pot was covered with many tiny shells. Others had deposits built up on them that formed an ornamental scrollwork. Gennaro displayed these finds on shelves throughout his apartment.
We went for a drive along the coastline, stopping to take photos of the narrow inlets and beaches below the highway. Each view was more beautiful than the next.
The last days of our travels were very hot and lazy. I remember falling into a deep sleep the night we were in Gaeta. I could hardly believe we would be returning to Rome the next day. Three weeks felt like three months. I wondered if I could get back into the faster-than-fast tempo of life once we got back to New York.
From Our Photo Album
Grandpa Sam, his nephew Gennaro, Grandma Josie and Grandpa’s niece Italia. Summer of 1976 in Gaeta.
View of Gaeta taken from the road which led out of town.
On the way to Gaeta, we stopped to take photos. The road was high above the coastline. Summer of 1976. This might be the grotto of the Montagna Speccata.
Gennaro took us to this church during a stop in our afternoon drive along the coastline. It may be the church of San Giovanni. If any of my readers can identify it please do so in the comments to this posting.
Resources
Google Maps
Positano to Gaeta
Recommended Reading
Wikipedia
Gaeta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaeta
Gaeta Italy: a secret destination worth uncovering
by Kimberly Lord Stewart
Oct. 18, 2012
examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/article/gaeta-italy-a-secret-destination-worth-uncovering
Surprising Gaeta, Italy; You Haven’t Heard of It But You Should
http://timelessitaly.me/2014/07/14/surprising-gaeta-italy-you-havent-heard-of-it-but-you-should/
Through The Byzantine Gate 
Your series on Bella Italia is so lovely and your photos are beautiful. Ah….the 1970’s in Europe. In hindsight, this was a wonderful time to visit Europe. In the mid-1970s I made my first trip to France. So much has changed since.
Thank you and I’m glad you’re enjoying it. You are right that it was a good time to travel there. It’s too dangerous now.
Not to mention how globalization has changed things, nearly wiping out the “quaint-ness” that once existed.
That is true. All it’s done is make the world much more boring. Add to it the sameness of the big businesses. I dislike even the idea of finding a McDonalds and Starbucks no matter where I go.
There’s a Starbucks at the Louvre as well as in every neighborhood in Paris!!!!!
Oh Lordy, how dreadful! I spent the weekend in Baltimore and had a great time discovering the local shops. In Falls Point there’s a strip marked off by old cobblestoned srteets and a farmer’s market. I found a small, local café that sells its own blends of coffee. They’re all named after different breeds of dogs. A portion of each sale goes to pay for saving a dog through a local organization. The staff was super friendly and very colorful. There wasn’t a Starbucks in sight and Falls Point was all the better for it! April, I hope you had a chance to go to a real Parisian café. If so how was the coffee?
I don’t do Starbucks anywhere! But yes, each time I’m in Paris I do meet friends for coffee in the local cafes. We always order an expresso (un express) and it is always good, no matter where in the city you go!
that is so reassuring! I don’t want to go on about Starbucks anymore but I really dislike everything they represent. Nice to meet someone else who isn’t “Wowed” by them.
Not to mention how globalization has removed much of the character and quaintness of Europe’s cities and towns.
P.S. I’m glad you’re enjoying the photos. These were taken with a box camera.