Oh, it was hot. So hot. But the Amalfi Coast was beautiful and Dave and I had a great time, cruising along the cliffs on a boat and wandering the streets of the village of Amalfi.
Above is the village of Atrani, next to Amalfi, seen from the water. On the right side of the picture, atop the church, you may see a brightly tiled dome. This is a thing along the Amalfi Coast -- each village has a colorful majolica tiled dome atop their church, mostly in different colors of yellow and green.
We boarded a double-decker boat at the cruise terminal in Salerno along with a large number of our fellow passengers, and as I said, we cruised along the coast as our guide, Alessandro, told us about the region and life in the villages. (He grew up and lives in Amalfi.) It's a coast of very steep cliffs that come right down to the water. If you stood atop any of those mountains and threw a rock, it would fall right down into the sea.
Our boat docked in Amalfi itself, and we were left to wander on our own for a couple of hours, which is what Dave and I wanted -- time to do our own thing.
This is the municipal fountain in Amalfi's central piazza. Someone had a sense of humor.
Amalfi is touristy, but there are also signs of real life on the tiny backstreets, like grocery stores and laundry hanging on a line. It's not a tourist museum. Plenty of people clearly live there.
And some cats, too!
Near the Arco della Faenza, an arch over the town's main street, I found this miniature model of an Amalfi town, built into the recesses of a building. Can you see it above the van and behind the fence? It looked in disrepair and I wondered what the story is.
Turns out it's a nativity scene and it's been there for many years -- since at least 2011, when it was captured by Google Street View. (The image from 2014 is the best one, I think.) Let's hope its current condition is temporary and it is eventually restored. There's more information and images here, but no mention of who made it in the first place.
Dave and I settled into a nearby cafe and had some bruschetta, and I had a Messina beer. We browsed a few shops, then gradually made our way back to the boat.
On the waterfront I was photographing the large Mediterranean mosaic with a bright red Vespa parked beneath it, when this police officer showed up and began checking out the motorbike.
Next thing we knew, it was being towed! Oops!
After waiting near the waterfront to board our boat back to Salerno, and then sitting on the top deck in the sun hoping to take advantage of the sea breezes, I was quite overheated and so thankful to get back on the ship. Dave and I had entertained thoughts of exploring in Salerno but that didn't happen. I took a shower and stayed in the air conditioning for the rest of the afternoon.
I hear you saying, "But wait! What about the Isle of Capri?! Surely you can't come to the Amalfi Coast and not visit its most famous destination?" Well, this video shows the closest we got to Capri. I took it from the balcony in our cabin as we sailed past last night. So yes, we saw it, but we didn't stop there. (That didn't stop me from humming Frank Sinatra's song "Isle of Capri" all day!)
Today we're at sea, headed north to Liguria. Tomorrow we'll be in Portofino.
It's a romantic sight, Capri at night, seen like this!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read your sentence about the miniature village "I wondered what the story is", my first thought was "it's a nativity scene", and then I read on :-) It's strange that the little buildings aren't even that old and yet already in disrepair and need of a good clean-up and restoration.
I know next to nothing about the Amalfi coast, so this was very interesting - thank you for taking us along!
Yes it is as if we are almost there on the cruise with you both. The photos capture the villages beautifully, but the boat seems slow!
ReplyDeleteThe miniature village is awesome.
ReplyDeleteCapri gets very, very crowded. A couple of years ago we stayed at Maori a bit further along the Amalfi coast and booked a visit to Capri, each town along the coast has days when their tourists can visit. Ours was on a Wednesday. Most large cruise ships no longer stop there because it becomes too congested, I pity the poor people who live on the island. It is lovely. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteI want you to pass Naples so you can sing Mambo Italiano for us. I’ve done a little of the Amalfi Coast (twice to Portofino). Breathtaking. I’d go back again.
ReplyDeleteSing it Steve....
ReplyDeleteIt was on the Isle of Capri that I found her
Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree
Oh, I can still see the flowers bloomin' 'round her
Where we met on the Isle of Capri
She was as sweet as a rose at the dawning
But some how fate hadn't meant her for me
And though I sailed with the tide in the morning
Still, my heart's on the Isle of Capri
I believe you do requests on this humble transatlantic flower-themed blog so please could you give us a recording of you singing "The Isle of Capri"? Nobody expects you to sound like Sinatra. By the way - the very first recording of the song happened at Abbey Road studios.
One of these days I would like to spend a month or so just wandering the towns along that stretch of coast and avoiding Amalfi, at least while there is a cruise ship parked out front. We spent a day doing that sort of thing in Greece and it was by far the best part of that trip.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful adventure along the coasts.
ReplyDeleteThat view in the first photo is stunning. When I see photos of the towns along this coast, it amazes me how buildings cling to the mountainside the way they do. It looks so impossible. I saw a similar statue to the one you have pictured in the town of Treviso. It was called Fontana delle Tette and dated back to the 16th century.
ReplyDeleteYou are visiting such a beautiful part of the world!
The photos are wonderful; I love those seaside, cliffside, towns.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting the impression that Italy and Sicily are one long ear worm! What marvelous views, and I'm glad Dave is up to enjoying it now.
ReplyDeleteTell me I'm not the only person who sees a cat and thinks, look, an Italian cat!
ReplyDeleteMy thought was ... leave it to an orange cat 🐈 to make an appearance! LOL
DeleteBeautiful photos, Steve.
ReplyDeleteThe homes built into the cliff overlooking the sea look spectacular. An ocean view is very appealing and listening to the tides never tires.
Exploring backroads and villages off the beaten track sounds lovely.
Disembarking every day or two makes your cruise perfect.
I love mosaics and wow -- how fun to see the different tiled churches. That mini-village -- I hope it is repaired. Even an orange cat! Every view is fabulous -- how can you miss? Apart from the blistering heat, this truly looks marvelous.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to be able to see these beautiful places without leaving my home. Thanks, Steve! I did want you to hum your song while you took the video, though! :)
ReplyDeletePicturesque little town in the first picture. The first thing that popped into my mind was how did they get the building materials there. By boat obviously but even so. And can you imagine that fountain anywhere in this prudish country? Children's eyes would be covered, women would be gasping, men would be outraged.
ReplyDeleteSo many beautiful sights! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful and unique place! I'm amazed at how in the world they get their supplies, living on the edge of a cliff like that. Everything must be very expensive! I've been to Capri but it was a long time ago. I don't remember being very impressed although part of it might have been that I was still seasick from the trip over to the island.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're enjoying your trip.
ReplyDeleteI think this is one of my favorite parts of Italy! Even all these years later I remember those gigantic lemons. I loved Capri and the boat we took inside the Blue Grotto.
ReplyDeleteI think I would enjoy Capri even more now that I know so much more Roman history. Tiberius, you know....
DeleteAssuming there are roads into the towns given the cars, they must be cut into the cliffs and quite steep. Very picturesque!
ReplyDelete