The road to Ravello is a dangerous one
Trip Start
Sep 11, 2008
1
6
19
Trip End
Sep 20, 2008
Ravello,
Campania,
Italy
Sunday, September 14, 2008
11:36 PM
Hey! Finally a moment to write! I woke up early this morning and I was thrilled that I slept through the night. We packed up our suitcases and headed down to breakfast at 7:00. I enjoyed the Italian pastry-and-coffee addiction as I ate breakfast for the last time in Hotel Medditeraneo. At 8:00, we left Rome and began our journey south toward the Amalfi Coast. It was a pretty drive (when I was awake) - plenty of Apennine mountains and small towns seen from a bus. We took a neat stop in the outskirts of Naples to visit a cameo factory. Cameos are made of shell or coral and then intricately carved by masters of the dying art. They were quite lovely to see! I loved looking at and admiring them but they had a hefty price tag - too much for a teenager like me
Mt. Vesuvius and Naples below
. I saw Vesuvius today. A looming and dangerous giant, the volcano demands respect from Neapolitans and tourists alike. Imagine; for centuries, people have been building towns and cities around a time bomb - yet they ignore the ever-present danger. Pompeii did it and paid dearly for it.
So then we drove to Ravello. Just getting there was an experience, let me tell you. Ravello is a very small town on top of a mountain - a very steep mountain. So to drive up there (in a bus, no less) you have to take roads that twist and turn with the mountain that were originally built for horse-drawn wagons. With the slightest movement of the steering wheel, one could kill a busload of tourists. The road clung to the mountain like a snake curling around its prey. Although the view got prettier and prettier as we got up there, it seemed to become more dangerous. If you think you're a great driver, take the Italian test - if you pass, congratulations; if you don't, you're most likely dead. It was so dangerous and exhilarating - like bungee-jumping or sky-diving - no risk, no reward.
When we finally arrived in Ravello, my nerves were shot, but it was so worth it. The view from the road was spectacular, but we could get a better one from the look-out point. Before we went there, we ate lunch at a small restaurant and I ate my first margherita pizza
Up in Ravello...Steeple in the square
. Yummy!! After lunch, we did some shopping and then visited Villa Rufolo. The Villa Rufolo is a cliff-hanging villa with lovely gardens and (more importantly) a spectacular view. It showcases the Amalfi Coast beautifully - mountains plunging into the sea with steep cliffs lining the edges. I enjoyed the relaxed pace of visiting it in our own time (but it was only for a moment) and I took many pictures of the spectacular panorama. When we left Villa Rufolo, we decided we needed gelato break. I had "fraggole" - strawberry. Delicious!! So perfect...gelato is the best Italian food ever!!! Then it was 3:30 - time to leave Ravello. I don't even remember descending the mountain of death - I fell asleep as soon as we left. With little sleep from the time change, I'm exhausted. I think I'm running on coffee and adrenaline right now.
