The Amalfi Coast has always epitomized Italy to me.. Whether that stemmed from watching movies like James Bond, I don’t know, but I’ve always wanted to go there. Today Dan and I will be spending the day exploring Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. We were warned to tighten our seat belts for the ride,
We enjoyed a wonderful buffet at our hotel and met our driver, Alessandro at 10:00 AM. Another charming young man, who also happened to be Italian movie star handsome. Off we went heading toward Positano.
On the way we stopped at a local olive oil processor, Gargiulo. The family processed olive oil for themselves, as well for other olive growers in the region. Gino gave us a personal tour that included the family history, a walk through part of their property, and a tour of their production facility. It was actually a lot more than we expected (or wanted) but it was interesting to learn how olive oil was produced in the past, and why it is even a better product today due to modern technology. Of course we ended up at their store, and purchased several bottles. We ended up shipping them home. It cost almost as much for shipping as it did for the olive oil, but there was no way for us to carry it back with us.
From this point on, the drive was filled with hairpin turns, extremely narrow roads, and spectacular scenery. The sky was crystal clear and the Mediterranean was a sparkling deep blue. Every turn was harrowing, but every turn brought with it another amazing view. Alessandro made several stops for us take pictures, and pointed out sights along the way such as Gladiator Rock, a private island used by celebrities such as LeBron James and Sophia Loren’s home. He once was the personal driver for LeBron James.
Positano was a pretty town perched up on the hillside. It was almost as if it was just hanging onto the cliffs that surrounded it. Alessandro dropped us off and gave us an hour or so to wander on our own. While picturesque, it essentially consists of steep pedestrian streets filled with the same types of stores we had seen in Sorrento, only much more crowded. However, the town in known for its linens and colorful ceramics, and some of those shops offered some amazing products.
After walking down steps and steep inclines we managed to make our way to the shore, where I did my usual ritual of sticking a hand into the water. I got my hand wet as planned, but my shoes made it into the water as well. We then grabbed a quick bite at a caffe located on the Piazza dei Mulini located close the the town’s black sand beach. We also paid a quick visit to the town’s main church, The Church of Santa Maria Assunta with its dome of beautiful majolica tile.
Alessandro then headed up to the town of Ravello that sits 1,000 feet above the sea. This is the town where celebrities such as Richard Wagner, D. H. Lawrence, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow fell in love with the town and called it home.
Ravello does resemble paradise in that the views of the Mediterranean are gorgeous. It is a lush green and filled with flowers. However, while it must have been peaceful at one time, it is no longer. It too was jammed with tourists and shops
Ravello’s cathedral overlooks the main square, but we didn’t take the time to go in. We had limited time and decided to head toward the Villa Rufolo known for its gardens. The villa was built upon 13th century ruins. The gardens were lovely and the views worth the price of admission. The annual Ravello arts festival and music society performances take place at the villa during the summer.
By the time we reached the town of Amalfi, we already knew what to expect. In the 10th and 11th centuries it had been a powerful maritime power. To me it was the least interesting of the three towns and was also packed with tourists. The best thing we did was purchase delicious lemon ice.
It was time to head back to Sorrento. The scenery was the best part of our day trip. Alessandro was fun to be with, and we had met some interesting people along the way, i.e. a group of Israelis. The ride itself is a worthwhile experience, however, Dan and I both agreed that as far as towns go, we liked Sorrento the best.
When we returned to town, Dan insisted we try to find where our boat to Capri was situated, so we would know where to go in the morning. So, despite being tired, we took a very long walk. As it turns out, we discovered an entirely different part of Sorrento filled with Medieval like alleyways, and ended up at the waterfront area called Marina Grande. That is where we had to be in the morning, and it is also where we had a delicious dinner of ravioli stuffed with crab covered in a rich shrimp sauce. The restaurant, Taverna Azzurra, just had happened to have been recommended to us by Alessandro,
It had been a very long day, and we were really happy to get back to our hotel and collapse. Tomorrow was to be spent on and around Capri.
BY THE WAY WITH WENDY & DAN 