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| Piazza in Ravello |
As my family heads to Italy for a Labor Day holiday, I have
been reflecting on our own visit to Italy
several years ago. We visited the Amalfi
coast for about two weeks, and have so many warm memories from our time there.
The experience I recall the most vividly was the one rainy
day during our vacation. Our trip thus far has been quite active – taking in
all the sites of the coast – and climbing lots and lots and lots of stairs. It
was a gray and rainy day, and we were
looking forward to a low-key day of relaxation at Hotel Le Fioriere in Praiano. We
slept late that morning, and even though
it was overcast, we woke to lovely views of Positano, Capri and the coastline.
We headed out to the local (and charming) market to pick up some provisions for
an early picnic on our covered terrace. The sandwiches with local cheese, fresh
bread and a tasty olive spread were
amazing. We forgot that we didn’t have any cutlery to accompany our
lunch. So, while tearing apart some
bread with our hands was easily accomplished – the cheese was a different
story. Luckily, Greg had an unused nail
file from our mortgage company that did the trick in a pinch. What we won’t do for fantastic cheese! And definitely memorable too…
The day looked to clear up just a bit after our early lunch, and we decided to make the most of what
was left of the day and hopped on a bus to the mountainside town of Ravello.
The bus ride is amazing. How can this
place just keep getting prettier and prettier?! But it does. It’s so lush and
beautiful up here, especially when combined with the low clouds and a bit of
fog here and there. We make a turn toward Ravello itself and are treated with an aerial view of the south
that makes us exclaim loudly, “Oh, wow!” How the mountains fall sharply to the
sea are absolutely amazing, with their heads
in the clouds and their feet in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The views are awe-inspiring,
and once we arrive in Ravello, the City of Music, we fall in love. It has a
great mood and ambiance to it. It is so
very beautiful, old and quaint. It has a very different vibe from the other
towns we have visited on the Amalfi Coast so far. I am instantly smitten with
this town, and now I can understand why THIS is the place all the locals
have been telling us we must see. It is truly magnificent. The bus can’t
navigate the tiny roads into the center
of town, so we take a short walk to the piazza, with its large church on one end
and another magnificent view of Scala on the other. Scala is across the range from Ravello – and
looks even higher.
We continue to
explore all the nooks and crannies – or most of them anyway. Each one is just
enchanting. The town is so amazingly quaint – and ancient. Each direction off the square is interesting. One way goes past beautiful, tiny vineyards,
barely the size of a typical backyard. Other walkways go through tight streets
of casbah-like shops. Another way goes
up to a convent which houses an art gallery
and also has its own small vineyard.
Everything about this place impresses us – even the scary enclosed walkways that
lead down the hill and out of town. With genuine ruins, great views and being
an overcast Monday afternoon, it is blissfully quiet and serene. Additionally,
the views of the surrounding area are just as storybook magical. Speaking of
storybook magical, we also purchase the requisite Italian tourist souvenir here,
a wooden Pinocchio ornament for our Christmas tree. I just love everything
about this place – the dark walkways, the old buildings, the moodiness of it
all on a gray day – it’s just perfect.
After some delicious gelato, we decide to catch a bus back
to Praiano. The bus ride is again a
memorable one, and I especially enjoy our
stop in Scala. I later read that it is
the oldest town on the Amalfi Coast. I
make a mental note to stop here again someday.
We asked the bus to drop us off at Il Pino Ristorante in
Praiano. Il
Pino was another recommendation provided by a local resident. We are greeted warmly by the host, despite the very
late hour. Our meal was flawless and delicious!
We started with a heavenly tuna tartare with mozzarella and pomodoro; it was
light and perfect. We made sure to accompany our meal with prosecco – and of
course wine from Ravello! We also had orecchiette with pesto – which may have
been the best I've ever had. The sauce was so good that I used the last bit of
their amazing bread to sop up each drop. Then, our next course was the salt-crusted sea bream, which
was out of this world. They bring it to
your table, remove the salt dome and the fish bones, and then serve. Greg and I couldn’t recall if we’ve ever
had any better! Our meal was outstanding,
and as it was close to midnight at this point, we opted out of dessert. But the server brought us a complimentary
pastry all the same – it’s delectable and thankfully, light. But then, the table of resident “Praianoians”
next to us are celebrating a birthday,
and as we are singing with them, they serve us birthday cake too! It is a
delicious lemon cake. How nice to be
included in their celebration. The people here are so, so kind, warm and
welcoming.
What a great day for such unfortunate weather – I couldn’t
have had a better time. Even gray days
can offer bright memories!
