Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is that stretch of steep and twisted and rocky coast stretching (or maybe writhing) between Positano, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, and Salerno, on the Gulf of Salerno. This is one of the most celebrated coasts in the world, and has been for at least two millennia. Although it was known to Roman elites, it's remoteness and nearly impenetrable topography made overland access virtually impossible until the mid 19th century when the newly formed Republic of Italy constructed a road to connect the scattered towns and villages that hang on the near vertical sea cliffs. Before the new road, access was only by boat or donkey.

After an early breakfast of various hams, cheese, bread and coffee at the hotel, our group of over 100 boarded four buses for a an all day tour of the Amalfi Coast. If you have had the opportunity of driving on Pacific Coast Highway along California's coast between San Francisco and Santa Barbara, let me just say that the Amalfi Coast drive is more spectacular, steeper, narrower, twistier, and scarier by far. Don't get me wrong. The road itself is in excellent condition, as are the two-foot high guardrails, but how our mammoth bus could navigate hairpin turns with only inches to spare for oncoming vehicles to squeeze past on one side while on the other side we stared down cliffs that plunged for 500 feet, I will never know. I was on the bus with mostly students. When we boarded the bus at the hotel, many had stumbled aboard still bleary eyed from partying the night before, although alert enough to grab choice seats on the right side of the bus where, our guide informed us, the view would be best. Now, as we actually skirted the rocky heights, there was a furious shuffling of seats as many discovered what vertigo feels like. The two girls sitting behind me, so jocular and cocky when we began our trip, were now hyperventilating and asking to be let off anywhere. They would get back by foot or donkey ... "just please stop the bus," they pleaded. Nevertheless, we all made it to our first stop, a panoramic view of Positano.

Positano a is town of white washed buildings built on steep terraces to the sea. There are few drivable roads through the town. In fact, the passage of our bus seemed to be quite disruptive. Moving vertically between terraces means walking up or down steep stone staircases. Apparently there are no disabled people in Positano. All of the little sea cliff towns we passed through seemed similarly organized. The buildings themselves seemed to grow straight out of the white limestone cliffs. All around these hamlets were lemon groves. The latter are almost always laid out on their own raised stone terraces along the otherwise steep sided terrain. Most were covered by black netting, apparently to defend the blossoms from rough spring weather. Someone said it was to protect the lemons from maurauding birds. The integrity of the lemon skins is particularly important for the production of limoncello. We didn't spend any time in Positano, but moved on to Amalfi.

Amalfi dates back to the 6th century and grew as a harbor under the Byzantine Empire. It eventually became an independent city-state by the mid 800s, and was Italy's first maritime republic, before either Pisa or Venice. During the Middle Ages its mills produced paper for much of Europe. The long history of settlement and wealth is very apparent. As soon we entered the central square, the Piazza Duomo, we were struck by the immense and beautiful Cathedral of Amalfi. It dates to the 9th century and is an example of Arabo-Norman architecture - a majestic facade of gold leaf and majolica, and an amazing and massive 11th century bronze door made in Constantinople. The cathedral is topped by a Romanesque bell tower. You approach the cathedral by walking up an imposing staircase that leads into an atrium covered in black and white marble. Inside the cathedral (entrance fee 3 euros) the design is rich baroque. We walked down into the 13th century crypt, which itself is richly decorated, and the resting place for the remains of the apostle St. Andrew, Christ's first disciple and the protector saint of Amalfi.

From Amalfi we rode higher into the mountains to the town of Ravello, which still looks over the sea, albeit from a considerable height and distance. Ravello is a beautiful little town, founded in the 5th or 6th century by Roman patricians fleeing from the ransacking of Rome by barbarians. Through the Middle Ages it was a retreat for the wealthy and still reflects that heritage in the handsome buildings and former palaces. The heart of the town is the Piazza del Vescovado, a terrace overlooking the valley of the Dragone. We only had a little over an hour here to get lunch and look around. From the open piazza, Ravello spreads out in a maze of narrow stone passages cut directly into the side of the mountain and lined with shops and eateries. There was so much to see and so much wandering to do, but we barely had enough time to eat before rushing back to the bus.

From Ravello we continued up into the mountains, passing groves of chestnut trees (no leaves yet, but still some fruit) before we crossed over the ridgeline of the Monti Lattari and before us spread the broad coastal plain to the Gulf of Naples, with Mt Vesuvius dominating the skyline.
We made back to the hotel by 5pm. Time for a nap and the dinner at a quiet restaurant with wi fi access.