Amalfi and Ravello

Our hotel is located about midway down the Amalfi Coast in a little town called Praiano. Yesterday we went west to Positano, today east to Amalfi and its neighbor, Ravello. On the SITA bus ride over, I got out my camera to eat up the views. It wouldn't turn on. I had left out the dumb SD card. My first thought was ridiculous but you'd have it too: well this is going to be pointless if I can't get any pictures. Now really that is just stupid. People traveled for a long time without cameras, recording memories in diaries and drawings. But I just bought a new SD card at the Tabacchi shop.

We walked down away from the square to the harbour to find a taxi/tour to the Emerald Grotto. After signing up for a 12:30 pm boat, we had about 45 minutes to kill. Mom found a pair of pants. I found a lovely paper store. Amalfi is well known for its paper-making industry, which has been nearly forgotten in favor of tourism. But they still make and sell some beautiful things. Anyone who knows me should know I'm a sucker for the school supply aisle.

We made it back to the harbour and caught the boat to the Grotto Smerelda, aka Take My Money at a Cave. We expected Pirates of the Caribbean. We got about a 50 ft. diameter cave. The water did look beautiful, though. A natural undersea tunnel somehow shuttles light in from below. The oarsman/tour guide made a big deal of the miracle of emeralds that happened when he splashed his paddle in the water. Something strange: a television donated a manger scene, which the cave people sunk down into the water and spotlighted. Mom said she thought they were drowning Baby Jesus.

The tour neatly dumped us ashore just in time to catch the SITA bus to Ravello. Amalfi is touristy. Ravello has earthy beauty. It is crowned by two villas. I don't think either is occupied now, and one has very lavish gardens. It's what you think of when you picture Italian villas in movies. Ravello is well-known for a concert series it has throughout the summer at Villa Rufulo. Every night is something different, from dance to orchestra and performance. We could have caught a piano concert that night but, feeling tired, we headed back down the hill.

On the SITA bus

Villa Rufolo

Vineyard

Terrace of Infinity, Villa Cimbrone

In addition to beautiful villas, we went into a smaller church. I walked with Mom and then had to walk back outside to get Dad to come and see. At the front alter a glass case was there, looking like a casket with the side open. I'm pretty sure there was a life-sized statue of Jesus in there. Weird--don't they know He rose from the dead? If I hadn't felt strangely sacriligeous doing it, I'd have taken a picture. Near the doors I did get a picture of this guy, who I can only guess is John the Baptist. All I know is it's by far the ugliest sculpture I've ever seen in a church.

Rick Steves was right, Amalfi gets less touristy the higher you go from the city center. After poking in and out of shops, we found ourselves in what felt like a pretty residential area. We ate a light dinner, and then walked to the square to catch the bus home. On the way, we saw two things of grand proportions:

It's been a great stay here at the coast. We'll drive back to Rome tomorrow. We were going to stop off in Pompeii on the way. Mom's ankle has been hurting still though, and it seemed like too much walking. Hopefully after tomorrow I will again have clean clothes. I'm starting to smell European even after showering.