A Gray Day in Italy

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!