Italy - Ravello

14-may-2015 to 19-may-2015

Rome to Ravello: 3:08hr

Driving the route we had driven before, we were on the lookout for were we had previously stayed. It had been an odd stay some 16 years ago. We had arrived in the evening asking for two rooms, the place was quite empty, elevated and remote, a little 'Hitchcock like'. The non-English speaking maitre d' seemed to find four New Zealanders somewhat curious. He followed us around offering gifts of wine and hotel souvenirs, really I think he was a little 'puppy-dog-like' mesmerized by my mother's beauty.
Sadly he was no longer there when we arrived again, but we were still eager to enjoy lunch overlooking the wonderful view of Mt Vesuvius.  It was still slightly odd, a little empty but in good condition, we were not prepared for quite such a gastronomic lunch. Answering 'Yes' to whether we would like to start with some tomato and Mozzarella, we were presented with a large ball of buffalo mozzarella each! It must have been the best I had ever eaten. I wondered how a tomato could taste like this too, so intense, not like I know.
We didn't really need anything else but out came the pastas we had ordered. Simple but delicious. I know now that I overcook pasta. Al Dente in Italy is much more firm to the bite. I was beginning to realise that Italian food was really really good!

One of my most favourite foods and
probably the best one I have had.

As expected it was a pretty wyndy drive up and over the hills to Ravello, but once there things went smoothly. We dropped our car with a valet attendant and ventured into the pedestrianized area with Tano, our host.

I couldn't quite believe the location of our apartment.  Tano lead us into the main square and then down a lane, through an entrance gate into the gardens of the apartment, located just behind the main square of Ravello.






We stood on a plateau of land perched 365 metres above the Amalfi Coast and the Tyrrhenoan sea, 'closer to the heavens then the sea' as they say.
The view was picture postcard, quite stupendous, quite otherworldly.  I was a little taken back.

Apartment Garden. How fabulous is this? Dream-like!

I had taken a bit of a gamble on our accommodation. It was a place that looked great on the internet but was surprisingly affordable(not much of Ravello is in NZD terms) and it had no reviews. I ended up writing their first review, completely glowing and probably now out-pricing me from returning. Like the expression, it was an unexpected gem.

Slightly faded-grandeur, but serene and magical.

Night lights at Villa Rufolo.

Chris and I laughed over an early evening drink on the terrace that come nightfall we would probably be eaten by Vampires (reminiscent of the movie ‘Dusk to Dawn’, all too perfect).

That night we fortunately remained uneaten but went to bed listening to the orchestral music of the Villa Rufolo’s light show just behind us. This was impressively ambient, but only for the first night!

 I eagerly headed off for supplies with Ollie and was somewhat distracted by the 'Wine and Drugs' (what does this really mean?) sign hanging outside a small boutique wine shop. Three quarters of an hour later Ollie and I emerged feeling a lot happier after several very generous tastings, mine been generous not Ollies. With hopes of purchasing, I was brave enough to ask to test something a little more affordable only to be told there wasn't anything more affordable.
She then proceeded to give me impressively large tastings of very fancy wines indeed! I can't say that I have ever had such a generous wine tasting experience anywhere, but then generosity seems to be the Italian way.

The Office.

The following day Ravello's main square provided a lovely spot for drinks. Particularly on a beautiful sunny day, not too hot and pre-tourist peak time. Chris had set up his office here as unfortunately we unexpectedly had no internet access at the property.

It was clear from a walk around Ravello, that it was originally developed as a 'refined' resort. Now it seemed to be a resort with more 'restrained glamour' and one very popular for weddings.  Ravello has a long list of credentials. Here DH Lawerence, Virgina Woolf and Wagner all spent time. Greta Garbo, Jacqueline Kennedy and Tennessee Williams all holidayed here too.

It is known for it's fabulous gardens and views, the best in the world according to famous former residents?

Apartment terrace: Office No 2.

A bar drink with Chris and much needed internet access.

The following morning Ollie, Jarvis and I headed off on the fantastic walk from Ravello down to Amalfi. It was like something out of an old romantic movie except that it was being lead by Ollie and Jarvis and my ‘romantic’ husband and 'invalided' Lachlan were somewhere on a bus heading towards Amalfi to met us . The 45-60min cliff walk down was very steep and dramatic. The sights and senses were overwhelming beautiful in a rustic faded grandeur sort of way. So serene and peaceful. At the most we passed six other people as we moved amongst the rustic trellised terraces and pergolas loaded with lemons, and vines. Wild flowers and broken stone steps all played their part in the enormous charms.

The boys ventured ahead looking like adventurous boys in heaven, with the hill to one side and the sea to the other , surrounded by cliffs full of intrigue. I pondered, what was going on within all these houses perched on cliffs or bedded into them with their secret gardens and the only access being 100s of goat-like steps. We ventured around another corner to see a huge drop of stars leading to no-where, off Ollie and Jarvis went! I was left in the dust trying to take the photo impossible to capture. 

Vertigo inducing glimpses.

Very glad to be going down.

Then around another bend we see the magnificent tower of a church way below us, looking as if it is rising from the sea. The boys can’t understand why I keep stopping, quite mesmerized by it all.

No need for cutlery when I'm this cute?

Dramatically set on the coast, Amalfi was once the seat of a powerful maritime republic. Most of the old city and it's 70,000 slid into the sea during an earthquake in 1343. The Arab-Norman Cathedral at the heart of the town has survived from this era.

It's striped Byzantine facade, an 1800s approximation of the original,  stands atop 62 steps. It's crypt inside is the heart of Amalfi because here are preserved the “head and the other bones” of Saint Andrew, Jesus's first disciple. Saint Andrew's relics are said to exude a miraculous  liquid called 'St Andrew's Manna'.

'Cloister of Paradise'

Wedding Confetti

A fancier option than the public bus I went home in!

With the temptations of incredible hills and views, Chris was fortunate enough to have been able to borrow a bike from Tano, our host. Tano had recently had a baby so was out of action. He had also provided us with a nurse for Lachlan's bandage changes which meant we didn't have to drive for 2hrs on the nerve racking coastal road to Sorrento. We were very grateful for Tano's hospitality.
Chris had biked up and down the steep cliff-like hill from Ravello to the coast passing young children doing the same. He reported that it was no fluke that the Italians are so good at cycling.

The next day Chris did the famous route along the Amalfi coast to Positano and back. When he returned he drove it too. 
Driving there I was rather surprised at the distance Chris had covered.   What an amazing drive although tricky stuff with the narrow windy roads , steep cliff on one side and a long drop to the ocean on the other. Lots of driving etiquette was required, watching the blind spot mirrors on the corners, listening for oncoming 'beeps' around bends that only fit one vehicle.

Positano itself seemed quite unreal, a vertical town quite hard to comprehend.

There was a fair bit more action going on here compared with Ravello. It had the bustle and benefit of the beach but was less heavenly than Ravello perched in the sky.

Positano: Houses tumbling down into the sea.

Back in Ravello I left Lachlan with Chris and took Ollie and Jarvis for a walk to Villa Cimbrone.
Another enchanting walk along the cliffs, past churches, gardens, past the 'Monastero di S.Chiara' where we stopped to sample products, alongside dramatic drops overlooking wild flowers to terraces and sea. All of it like a walk in an old romantic movie, somehow frozen in time, Ollie and Jarvis charged ahead not having the same appreciation.

I'm certainly not a gardener, but it isn't hard to appreciate a garden such as Villa Cimbrones. For me it was more so it's location, completely awe inspiring, than it's formal Italian precision and beautiful planting.
The view from the Belvedere (the terrace of infinity) has been claimed as the best in the world. Standing there it was hard to dispute it, looking downwards was quite hair-raising, the boys mocked me.

 Belvedere the Terrazzo dell'lnfinito (the Terrace of Infinity), an awe-inspiring terrace lined with statues.

On the route back from Villa Cimbrone I noted a lovely looking Pizzeria, 'Mimi' which on our later visit served us probably our best pizza experience ever (we've had a few). At only 7 euro the 'Calzone ricotta, prosciutto cotto, pepe e mozzarella' - (ricotta, ham, pepper and mozzarella), was amazing. Slightly cool ricotta in the middle with a blistered charred pizza exterior. The 'Bufala pomodoro San Marzano, mozzarella di bufala e basilico'  - (Tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil), at 8 euro was just as delicious.

Ravello main square.

Path to our apartment

Path to our apartment

Path to our apartment

Scala

Chris and I seized a chance to take a catch up walk to sleepy Scala on the opposite side of the Valle del Dragone, the oldest town on the Amalfi coast.


After growing a little weary of listening each evening to the 'light show' coming from Villa Rufolo (dates from 1200 AD) , we finally decided to all visit it on our final night. It was quite a strange event. Every 20 minutes the same fully automated show was repeated. Clever lighting effects displayed characters and scenes upon the ruined building walls which depicted the history of the villa. This unique and creative mixture of  music and lighting effects all played out in the dark was completely unexpected and very well done.

Evening Fog

Thumbs up despite still being on one foot.

I felt a little sad leaving Ravello, but optimistically hoped I will return again one day.