Amalfi and Ravello
Tuesday 5th September 2006
It was a stuffy night again and I had problems breathing and therefore little sleeping and decided that another ‘vege out’ day would be appropriate. However I did wander up the street to a small shop where I bought an electric jug for 50 Euros, the last in the shop.
There was a huge collection of coffee makers in the villa, but no facility for easy boiling of water for tea.
When I got back from the shop I found that the plug on the electric jug was not compatible with the sockets in the villa, so I rushed back up to the shop hoping that it had not closed. It had not and despite my lack of Italian and the young man’s lack of English we managed to communicate. I think taking the cord of the jug with me and performing a pantomime about trying to plug it in, and it not working ‘helped’. Both Rosalind and Sheila were thrilled that their tea making equipment was now complete.
Sheila was suffering with sore knees and legs, a legacy of the Positano steps; so Sheila also decided that a rest day was the order of the day for us.
Adam and Rosalind walked down town for some retail therapy; Adam bought some shoes, trousers and some shirts while Rosalind bought a skirt.
For dinner we walked down town to a different restaurant called ‘Il Capitano’, it was in a very pleasant balcony area, on top of a hotel that seemed to be largely located below ground, though I suspect it was an illusion created by the steep topography of the area.
I was starting to notice that the menus in each place we went to was very similar and I was forming the opinion that when dinning out in Italy if you don’t want to eat Italian then you don’t eat.
The evening was very balmy and walking very slowly back up the hill to the villa was very pleasant and a prelude to a great nights sleep.
Wednesday 6th September 2006
I felt a lot better for a good nights sleep and even though I was up quite early for breakfast Adam had already left for a run up a very big hill nearby to the small village of Nochelle, while Rosalind was doing some grocery shopping in a nearby supermarket. I think the term supermarket is a bit of a grandiose title as it was about five metres by ten metres, though its shelves were stacked to the ceiling.
When Adam returned and showered he announced that the plan for the day was to drive along the coast to Amalfi and then inland to Ravello. In its ‘hey day’ Amalfi and its fleet of ships were a serious rival to Venice and Genoa.
I was ready very quickly and finished reading another of the books that we had brought with us: ‘High Society’ by Ben Elton. ‘High Society’ is a ‘black’ comedy about drug use in all strata of English society. It seemed to be a very realistic portrayal, and mostly I thought it very sad even though it was meant to be comic in places, more tragic than anything, but a book that I think many people should read.
The next book I started was ‘A Perfect Obsession’ by Caro Fraser, a book about some barrister’s chambers in London, easy to read and amusing.
The road to Amalfi via Priano along the hillsides with very close views of steep drops to the sea was even more winding and narrow than those we had experienced to date.
The next picture give you some insight, but it should be mentioned that often drivers have to move their wing mirrors in towards their cars so that they can scrape by each other.
Scrape by being an apt description as not long after this Adam had the back rear right side forced against the wall in one tight squeeze, though we managed to ‘polish out’ the damage before the car was returned and Adam was not charged any excess for it.
We stopped for lunch at a square in a little fishing village called Atrani, just past Amalfi. I was pleased when I spotted a ‘free’ car spot when we were looking for somewhere to leave the car while we had lunch in the square featured over the page. After lunch when we returned to the car we found out it was not a free spot and in fact Adam had been given a parking ticket for 35 Euros.
The short trip inland from Atrani to Ravello is spectacular and when you get to Ravello they get even better. The next photos are of Ravello and include a church that was built in 1086 and is still very much in use.
Ravello’s history is entwined with that of Amalfi: the former became part of the Duchy of Amalfi in the 9th century. The greatest era was during the 13th century, when trade with Sicily and the middle-east was at its height. Somewhat off the beaten track, in fact there is no through road; Ravello is for lovers of peace and quiet and stupendous views. The Duomo (church) is dedicated to San Pantaleone, the town’s patron saint, and the blood of the saint is kept there. The church dating from 1086 has bronze doors dating from 1179. Inside, halfway down on the left hand side is a splendid raided pulpit, the work of Niccolo di Bartolomeo da Foggia in 1272. The twisted columns patterned with mosaics, rest on sculpted lions.
Walking around the town was a very warm experience, but very rewarding as the Moorish detail are evident in many of the buildings, in the inner courtyards, gardens and many churches. The narrow streets and pathways often provide unexpected glimpses of marvellous coastal views. Two highlights are the Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone.
The villa Rufolo, originally built for the Rufolo family, is a mixture of 13th and 14th century constructions. Sheila was thrilled to see that it was remodelled in the 19th century by a Scottish enthusiast,(Selkirk I think) who preserved the Arabic elements. It is famous for the courtyard with double arches and even more for the tropical gardens, which inspired Wagner’s Parsifal. The Wagner festival is now held there annually. We walked along the Via San Francesco, which led to the Villa Cimbrone.
The Villa Cimbrone was built in the late 1800’s by the Englishman Lord Grimthorpe; it is an assortment of ancient architectural elements incorporated into the house which is now a small hotel. From the villa’s cliff top terrace there is a spellbinding view of the coast to Punta Licosa and the Paestum plain, where we planned to go on another day.
Following are some views of the church including the pulpit in the middle of the church which was a phenomena of the churches in middle ages, the confessional and the alter where the blood of San Pantaleone. I think the blood is supposed to liquefy on a particular day in July of each year and if it does not it is a bad omen for the town. Adam and I had a close look behind the alter and the glass flask, and conjectured that perhaps the priest is the only person who gets close enough to see the ‘miracle’ and declares it to the faithful.
The pulpit
I kept expecting Dave Allen to appear, but he did not
In the small cabinet that is illuminated is the glass flask containing the blood of San Pantaleone.
The next pictures show some of the Moorish features and views of the garden and the sea. The platform was where an orchestra was playing during the Wagner festival.
While I was busy taking pictures I became separated from the other three, and it was half an hour or more before I was found, and Sheila told me off for wandering away causing her to worry that I might become ill and no-one will be on hand to help. Despite my errant behaviour we had a great day. In the evening we went down to the restaurant strip again, this time to a place called ‘Mediterraneo’. The meal was very good despite it being the same limited ‘Italian’ menu. There was an excellent busker walking around the restaurant getting everyone involved in singing Italian songs. We had a few glasses of Limon cello, which diminished our inhibitions and increased the volume of our contributions. We bought a copy of his CD and have enjoyed listening to it a few times already. I also took a few opportunities to watch a soccer match between France and Italy, that the owner had showing on a TV in the kitchen. France won this game 3-1 which I guess was revenge for the World Cup.
Sheila and I walked back to the villa falling into bed about 2330, with no idea at what time Adam and Rosalind returned.
The next picture is of the CD cover of the CD containing songs by Pietro Rainone
The following picture is of the card that is provided by the restaurant Mediterraneo Via Pasitea 236 -238 Positano www.ristorantimediterraneo.com to hide the bill so you don’t faint.
It was a stuffy night again and I had problems breathing and therefore little sleeping and decided that another ‘vege out’ day would be appropriate. However I did wander up the street to a small shop where I bought an electric jug for 50 Euros, the last in the shop.
There was a huge collection of coffee makers in the villa, but no facility for easy boiling of water for tea.
When I got back from the shop I found that the plug on the electric jug was not compatible with the sockets in the villa, so I rushed back up to the shop hoping that it had not closed. It had not and despite my lack of Italian and the young man’s lack of English we managed to communicate. I think taking the cord of the jug with me and performing a pantomime about trying to plug it in, and it not working ‘helped’. Both Rosalind and Sheila were thrilled that their tea making equipment was now complete.
Sheila was suffering with sore knees and legs, a legacy of the Positano steps; so Sheila also decided that a rest day was the order of the day for us.
Adam and Rosalind walked down town for some retail therapy; Adam bought some shoes, trousers and some shirts while Rosalind bought a skirt.
For dinner we walked down town to a different restaurant called ‘Il Capitano’, it was in a very pleasant balcony area, on top of a hotel that seemed to be largely located below ground, though I suspect it was an illusion created by the steep topography of the area.
I was starting to notice that the menus in each place we went to was very similar and I was forming the opinion that when dinning out in Italy if you don’t want to eat Italian then you don’t eat.
The evening was very balmy and walking very slowly back up the hill to the villa was very pleasant and a prelude to a great nights sleep.
Wednesday 6th September 2006
I felt a lot better for a good nights sleep and even though I was up quite early for breakfast Adam had already left for a run up a very big hill nearby to the small village of Nochelle, while Rosalind was doing some grocery shopping in a nearby supermarket. I think the term supermarket is a bit of a grandiose title as it was about five metres by ten metres, though its shelves were stacked to the ceiling.
When Adam returned and showered he announced that the plan for the day was to drive along the coast to Amalfi and then inland to Ravello. In its ‘hey day’ Amalfi and its fleet of ships were a serious rival to Venice and Genoa.
I was ready very quickly and finished reading another of the books that we had brought with us: ‘High Society’ by Ben Elton. ‘High Society’ is a ‘black’ comedy about drug use in all strata of English society. It seemed to be a very realistic portrayal, and mostly I thought it very sad even though it was meant to be comic in places, more tragic than anything, but a book that I think many people should read.
The next book I started was ‘A Perfect Obsession’ by Caro Fraser, a book about some barrister’s chambers in London, easy to read and amusing.
The road to Amalfi via Priano along the hillsides with very close views of steep drops to the sea was even more winding and narrow than those we had experienced to date.
The next picture give you some insight, but it should be mentioned that often drivers have to move their wing mirrors in towards their cars so that they can scrape by each other.
Scrape by being an apt description as not long after this Adam had the back rear right side forced against the wall in one tight squeeze, though we managed to ‘polish out’ the damage before the car was returned and Adam was not charged any excess for it.
We stopped for lunch at a square in a little fishing village called Atrani, just past Amalfi. I was pleased when I spotted a ‘free’ car spot when we were looking for somewhere to leave the car while we had lunch in the square featured over the page. After lunch when we returned to the car we found out it was not a free spot and in fact Adam had been given a parking ticket for 35 Euros.
The short trip inland from Atrani to Ravello is spectacular and when you get to Ravello they get even better. The next photos are of Ravello and include a church that was built in 1086 and is still very much in use.
Ravello’s history is entwined with that of Amalfi: the former became part of the Duchy of Amalfi in the 9th century. The greatest era was during the 13th century, when trade with Sicily and the middle-east was at its height. Somewhat off the beaten track, in fact there is no through road; Ravello is for lovers of peace and quiet and stupendous views. The Duomo (church) is dedicated to San Pantaleone, the town’s patron saint, and the blood of the saint is kept there. The church dating from 1086 has bronze doors dating from 1179. Inside, halfway down on the left hand side is a splendid raided pulpit, the work of Niccolo di Bartolomeo da Foggia in 1272. The twisted columns patterned with mosaics, rest on sculpted lions.
Walking around the town was a very warm experience, but very rewarding as the Moorish detail are evident in many of the buildings, in the inner courtyards, gardens and many churches. The narrow streets and pathways often provide unexpected glimpses of marvellous coastal views. Two highlights are the Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone.
The villa Rufolo, originally built for the Rufolo family, is a mixture of 13th and 14th century constructions. Sheila was thrilled to see that it was remodelled in the 19th century by a Scottish enthusiast,(Selkirk I think) who preserved the Arabic elements. It is famous for the courtyard with double arches and even more for the tropical gardens, which inspired Wagner’s Parsifal. The Wagner festival is now held there annually. We walked along the Via San Francesco, which led to the Villa Cimbrone.
The Villa Cimbrone was built in the late 1800’s by the Englishman Lord Grimthorpe; it is an assortment of ancient architectural elements incorporated into the house which is now a small hotel. From the villa’s cliff top terrace there is a spellbinding view of the coast to Punta Licosa and the Paestum plain, where we planned to go on another day.
Following are some views of the church including the pulpit in the middle of the church which was a phenomena of the churches in middle ages, the confessional and the alter where the blood of San Pantaleone. I think the blood is supposed to liquefy on a particular day in July of each year and if it does not it is a bad omen for the town. Adam and I had a close look behind the alter and the glass flask, and conjectured that perhaps the priest is the only person who gets close enough to see the ‘miracle’ and declares it to the faithful.
The pulpit
I kept expecting Dave Allen to appear, but he did not
In the small cabinet that is illuminated is the glass flask containing the blood of San Pantaleone.
The next pictures show some of the Moorish features and views of the garden and the sea. The platform was where an orchestra was playing during the Wagner festival.
While I was busy taking pictures I became separated from the other three, and it was half an hour or more before I was found, and Sheila told me off for wandering away causing her to worry that I might become ill and no-one will be on hand to help. Despite my errant behaviour we had a great day. In the evening we went down to the restaurant strip again, this time to a place called ‘Mediterraneo’. The meal was very good despite it being the same limited ‘Italian’ menu. There was an excellent busker walking around the restaurant getting everyone involved in singing Italian songs. We had a few glasses of Limon cello, which diminished our inhibitions and increased the volume of our contributions. We bought a copy of his CD and have enjoyed listening to it a few times already. I also took a few opportunities to watch a soccer match between France and Italy, that the owner had showing on a TV in the kitchen. France won this game 3-1 which I guess was revenge for the World Cup.
Sheila and I walked back to the villa falling into bed about 2330, with no idea at what time Adam and Rosalind returned.
The next picture is of the CD cover of the CD containing songs by Pietro Rainone
The following picture is of the card that is provided by the restaurant Mediterraneo Via Pasitea 236 -238 Positano www.ristorantimediterraneo.com to hide the bill so you don’t faint.
posted by John Lunn at 6:33 PM
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