♪♪♪ Duran: The open road has always been an open invitation to me, winding through new adventures and personal experiences.

Unreal.

Absolutely incredible.

♪♪♪ And nowhere does this happen more often than along the yellow roads.

♪♪♪ On a Michelin map, one will find many different colored roads.

While red are the major highways, it's the yellow roads I'm chasing, the more scenic roads winding through a country, through cities and towns, and never knowing what lies just beyond the horizon.

Wait a minute.

So, this used to be the beach right here?

Yes.

Yes.

This was the water?

It's these roads that are calling me on a journey unlike any other.

♪♪♪ My name is Paulino Duran, and I travel the world looking for exotic and unique experiences.

I'm always up for making new friends, listening to tall tales, and trying fantastic cuisine.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ So I planned out my trip.

My agenda is set, and I'm ready to explore the yellow roads.

♪♪♪ [ Water lapping ] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ It's a country that is divided into north and south by one of our world's oldest cities.

♪♪♪ From Rome, one can head north into the feudal regions of Umbria and Tuscany and explore the Renaissance and culture that defines the romance and charm of Italy.

♪♪♪ These fertile lands inspire feasts that are endless, wines that are bold, and traditions that are timeless.

The south of Italy seems mysterious and enchanting.

I researched many of the southern cities before planning my trip.

I went to ask friends of mine, big travelers, and they hadn't been there.

And I think that says something.

In southern Italy, I think I'm going to find out a lot more.

The man who will show me around this part of Italy is none other than Claudio Mollo, licensed debonair.

♪♪♪ As I explore the soul and spirit of Italy's south, I begin my journey on the mountain island of Capri, An hour boat ride from Naples.

[ Fog horn blows ] ♪♪♪ The island is a daytripper's paradise.

♪ Mia bella, come to me ♪ Perfect weather and photogenic at every turn.

♪ For my heart is longing for you ♪ If you're Italian, it's "Cop-ri."

I'm not Italian.

I'm gonna say "Capri."

Hopefully I don't insult anybody.

For me, Capri is a world unto itself.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ That drastic landscape is shot up out of the water.

And here's these cliffs, just, you know, angling off into the sky and down into the water.

And here you are on this ferry, just rolling in.

♪ The stars, they shine from your glowing ♪ ♪ The moment we kiss, a comet of bliss ♪ I find the sweetest lavender-velvet, crushed-velvet interior taxi, where the driver literally matches his car.

This guy -- rock star.

♪♪♪ So, how many people actually live on this island?

On, the Isle of Capri, there are about 5,000 people living.

Yep.

The owner of the Fiat that has been living on the island, and 20 years ago, the president, the chairman of Fiat was Mr. Romiti.

And he was talking to the driver here in Capri, and he said, "We do not have a convertible car."

He said, "I will build for you at least 35 cars just for the Isle of Capri."

So these Marea Fiat were built just for these drivers here in Capri.

They're the originals?

And they are 20 years old.

The only thing that they change, you know, is this inside.

Interior.

Yeah.

Yeah.

The gear inside.

That's Capri, which is the name of the island and of the main city.

Also, we have the western part of the island, which is called Anacapri.

That's Greek.

It means "above Capri," the high part of Capri.

So, Claudio and I are cruising up these hills, these switchbacks, these gorgeous switchbacks where every turn, you look left, incredible.

Wow.

And they are extremely -- We will be driving up there.

We're gonna be driving up there?

Yeah.

That's the cliff I was talking about.

You look right, amazing.

You look up, I can't believe it.

Unreal.

Absolutely incredible.

[ Camera shutter clicking ] It's all around you.

It just circles you.

The views are absolutely stunning.

So, Claudio, where are we heading?

I'm taking you into the house of a great friend of mine.

Her name is Candy, and she lives on the western slopes of the island.

Andiamo.

Andiamo.

♪♪♪ ♪ Quando ♪ ♪ Ti ho visto la prima volta ♪ ♪ Gia sentivo che eri mio ♪ Her home was a dream.

It was a dream wrapped in a wish, sprinkled with a rainbow on the back of a unicorn.

It was that great.

♪♪♪ Capri as an island -- it's setting off all your senses.

Every single one.

You've got the beauty.

You've got the quiet.

You've got nature.

Colors.

And the colors.

You've got everything.

The scents.

Everything comes out.

And the good food and the good wine.

And then -- Because Capri, in the evening, the scents come out.

There's always scent in the air.

Something -- Peppino had lots of girlfriends before he met me.

[ Laughter ] No comment.

"No comment."

And it's one of the things -- He said to me, "Can you smell the air?"

And it's true.

You can smell the air.

My experience from the marina up to here -- Yeah.

You come through these waves of what seems to be these jasmine clouds, is the only way to describe it.

Yes, yes.

Yeah, yeah.

And it hits you.

Do you smell that, though?

You how smell incredible that is?

Like, for real.

The jasmine in the air, it's incredible.

And it's a very tranquil and peaceful kind of scent and puts you in a great kind of mindset.

Yeah.

So, welcome, Paulino.

Thank you so much.

Enjoy the island.

Well, cheers.

Really enjoy the island.

Thanks for coming.

I will.

And thank you for having me.

Saluti.

Grazie.

♪♪♪ Duran: With so much history everywhere I turn, the island is a jewel of discovery and surprises.

Perched on the top of Anacapri is the Villa San Michele, an example of Capri's history, spanning from the island's ancient Roman era to the more modern times.

But while Capri offers amazing vistas that beckon tens of thousands of visitors each day, on the mainland of Italy is a stretch of coastline that is both death-defying and thrilling.

♪♪♪ The Amalfi Coast in the southwest of Italy is one of the most dynamic landscapes in the Mediterranean.

♪♪♪ Claudio knows his way around this area.

Having grown up in this part of Italy, he explains to me the four major cities along the coast and how he intends for us to visit each one of them in a one-day epic road trip.

♪♪♪ Here in Positano, you get a true sense of what building a city on the side of a mountain is like.

Positano seemed to cascade down a very steep cliff.

I didn't understand why they would build a city on a sheer cliff.

♪♪♪ I learned that it started as a fishing village, and through, you know, years and years and years, it slowly built up more and more and more.

And when I asked Claudio specifically what brought, like, anybody -- the village, a culture -- to start here, he said to me, "Fresh water and drainage."

There are two elements that the ancient people were looking for to build a place.

One was a sloping area, two, a river.

So, most of the ancient cities are always on a river.

And here there is action, great sources of water coming from the top of the mountain.

There is a river down below here that goes down to the beach.

So, there was abundance of water.

Today there is an aqueduct.

♪♪♪ What brings the artists here are the colors, the colors of the sunrise, the colors of the sunset... Mm-hmm.

...the colors of midday, the colors of the flowers.

♪♪♪ [ Camera shutters clicking ] ♪♪♪ This southern region of Italy is also known for its citrus, something Claudio was adamant I try.

♪♪♪ So, here I am on a cliff.

And here's this man, Salvatore, and his fruit stand.

The citrus -- they prefer land rich of calcium... Mm-hmm.

...whereas the oranges, they prefer land with rich of potassium, volcanic land.

That's why we have oranges in the Bay of Naples and citrus here.

Duran: The side of the cliff, old-school fruit stand.

He's got grapes.

He's got pomegranates.

He's got some of the best melon I've ever tasted in my life.

With all these busses flying by, with tourists and cars honking this and honking that, where every second you think you're about to see an accident.

He let me start slicing it up a little bit, some lemons... Ohh!

...and all sorts of fruit and press the freshest juice you could possibly get.

This is about as local as it gets.

That's a pomegranate.

I've never seen one in Safeway like that.

Yeah.

Fresh.

That's real.

Not in any little L.A. gym workout place.

Alright.

Cheers.

Saluti.

Saluti.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Duran: There are many different cities dotting the cliffs, but Amalfi is what the coast was named after.

Once a superpower of trade for thousands of years, an earthquake in 1343 reshaped the city to what it is today.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Mollo: What I wanted to show you is a different perspective because the Amalfi Coast can be totally different from the sea.

♪♪♪ What is special are the relics of St. Andrew that were brought here during the time of the Crusades.

I'm talking about the 12th century.

The original church is of the 9th century, actually, but the church that we can see today has been rebuilt during the 17th and 18th century.

♪♪♪ Duran: The south of Italy embraces the tradition of family meals.

Sitting at the table in the restaurant Cumpa' Cosimo in the town of Ravello, I felt like I was in my grandmother's kitchen.

♪♪♪ I walk in the door.

She literally grabs me, hugs me, kisses me, and says, "Sit down and eat."

My first big meal back in Italy, and I had forgotten how much of a workout eating here is.

So, if you've never been to Italy, pace yourself because if you're not ready, Italy will tackle you and throw you to the ground with its amazing cuisine.

[ All singing in Italian ] [ Singing continues ] I know I'm looking for just that genuine person, the people, the culture.

I feel like the North can be -- As beautiful as the North is -- and I love the north of Italy -- it's very commercialized, very big-city, whereas, as we go south, it's a seasonal thing.

There's much more farm to table, the slow cooking.

[ Singing continues ] That evening, Claudio introduces me to that slow-cooking style of food in Sorrento.

♪♪♪ [ Camera shutter clicks ] The South seems to be a little bit more dug in in culture.

dug in, you know, deep-rooted in cuisine.

Agriturismo Galatea is a fourth-generation farm and restaurant in the middle of Sorrento.

Here, they embody Italy's passion for local and organic ingredients that they use in their meals.

♪♪♪ Hey!

Hey!

They're all family around.

All family.

Everyone's got a job.

Mm-hmm.

And I hear pizza is your next fancy -- He is the pizza-maker.

Please.

Yeah.

Look -- fresh Basil direct from the farm.

I mean, everything is all fresh.

Mm-hmm.

I live in New York, and if you eat it with a knife and a fork, it's not okay.

-I know.

-The pizza with your hand.

Yeah.

Always with the hand.

All fresh ingredients -- mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil.

And all from here.

All from here.

Woman: Oh, hey!

♪♪♪ Oh, hey!

So, how do you usually finish a meal like this off?

Oh, yes.

Limoncello at the end.

Yeah.

That's one of my favorites.

You like it?

Oh... We made it here.

We have 150 lemon trees in the farm.

♪♪♪ Very good.

Salute.

Man: Salute.

All: Salute.

Man: Hey!

Hey!

Hey, hey, hey!

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Italy is known for many things -- romance, culture, the food.

But the history is what I'm truly excited to see.

♪♪♪ And I'm told I'm going to find that at Herculaneum.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Duran: The city of Herculaneum once sat on the coast of Italy.

The Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 A.D. altered the geography of this part of Italy and buried the city, trapping it in time.

We are walking down to the ancient town of Herculaneum.

This place -- it's at 20 meters below the road that today is taking people to Herculaneum.

People are walking on the volcanic material that buried the city.

Duran: The first day of the eruption slowly covered the city of Pompeii, on the other side of Mount Vesuvius.

In Herculaneum, the story is much different.

And pyroclastic lava flow.

They came down from the height of 4,000 feet to the ocean at a speed of 80 miles an hour and a temperature of over 300 degrees Celsius.

It happened that, during the first day of eruption, everybody came down to the beach, which is this area over here, the key side, to take the boat and save their life, going to the city of Naples.

But, you know, they ran out of boat.

Those families -- they were placed in this shelter, okay, for the night.

Here they are in the staging areas, essentially waiting for help, and help never came.

The surges of volcanic mud that rebounds from the sea into the boat sheds.

These people were burned.

They have evaporated.

They didn't even have time to understand what was happening to them.

They died within the blink of an eye.

In fact, you can see it by the position.

You literally see the skeletons preserved perfectly, exactly as they were thousands of years ago.

In fact, this that we can see over there are the 20 meters of volcanic material that buried Herculaneum.

So, wait a minute.

So this used to be the beach right here?

This was the water.

Yes, sir.

Yes.

Duran: And in that instant, in that moment, everything stopped, and it was frozen in time.

Claudio and I walked through the remains of the city, which are still being uncovered today.

I say goodbye to Claudio, who has painted a picture of the Amalfi Coast that is both breathtaking and heartbreaking.

[ Camera shutter clicking ] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ I venture into the countryside of Italy to explore one of civilization's oldest settlements.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ The city of Matera sits along a ravine called La Gravina, and from afar, it looks like a city carved out of the side of a mountain.

The city's origins date back over 7,000 years, and the caves along the ravine, as well as the old part of the city, are suspected to be one of humankind's first settlements.

♪♪♪ A great way to explore the city's narrow streets is on a motorcycle.

♪♪♪ And so if you're in Matera and you don't ride a motorcycle, a great way to see the city is on a tuk-tuk.

With my buddy Paolo.

And Paolo was what looked like an Italian movie star.

And here he is driving this tuk-tuk.

And I'm in the back, and we're scooting along, going up and down and around and seeing this beautiful, you know, stone city, Matera, with all its canyons, its beautiful churches.

Hey, you know, this is the third-oldest city in the world, yeah?

So Paolo took me outside the city, where I could see, from base level, the grandeur of Matera.

Duran: Wow.

Wow!

Really kind of just humbled you and made you feel small.

♪♪♪ [ Camera shutter clicking ] Matera's caves are what give the city its unique charm.

Matera, you're walking through history, you're touching history, you're in history.

It feels like a town that's suspended in time and, yet, extremely progressive.

There was cave dwelling up until the 1960s, and we're talking thousands of years old.

Those caves have been renovated into unique and inspiring spaces.

The Baccanti Ristorante is one such place -- a restaurant with high-end cuisine in one of the city's many caves.

I literally had dinner in one of those caves.

It was like an oxymoron, like a thunderous silence.

Here's this beautiful dining in a cave.

And really, the only difference was aside from tables and chairs, some lighting, and a grill or a kitchen, and that was it.

And here you are surrounded by this rock that, like I said previous, has been around for thousands of years.

I mean, if these walls could talk.

And the food itself is art.

When I was able to talk to the owner at the end of the night, he explained a lot to me and his purpose in the restaurant, and that was to keep it just like it is.

And I asked him, "Well, why Matera?"

Like, I want to know.

I'm very intrigued by a person's story and why they chose something, their path, so to speak.

And he just said, "It's my home."

And "It's my home" is the answer I've been hearing specifically through Southern Italy.

♪♪♪ [ Camera shutter clicking ] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Family, roots, people.

Obviously, there's the food -- incredible.

Landscape -- beautiful.

But the driving force behind all that -- it's the people.

It's their willingness to keep their culture alive.

It's the hospitality.

It's the "Come sit here, eat with me."

It's a connection.

My journey through the Amalfi Coast and into the city of Matera has given me a new perspective of this vibrant country.

It's as if time has slowed down here, that traditions and experiences are more important than punctuality.

It's as if this part of Italy begs you to be quiet, to take a breath, and really examine the traditions and culture that flourished here.

♪♪♪ So, I hit the road looking to find -- Well, I'm not sure, but I'll know it when I see it.

♪♪♪ [ Man singing in Italian ]