The Drive back North
Trip Start
Nov 16, 1995
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Trip End
Nov 25, 1995
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Orvieto, Umbria, Italy
Monday, November 20, 1995
We load everything into the car and drive over the mountains to the famed Amalfi Coast , considered as one of the world's most spectacular drives. The views over Sorrento get more and more expansive as we zigzag up the mountainside. We pass small villages and many summer homes and mansions surrounded by lemon and olive groves. Finally we reach the summit and descend to the leeward side of the peninsula. The wind is cut off here, and though still chilly, it's much warmer than Sorrento . Suddenly we round a bend in the road, and there ahead of us is the Amalfi Coast . Indeed, it's spectacular and breathtaking with almost perpendicular green cliffs climbing up to the sky from the azure sea. Words are quite inadequate to describe this. We continue slowly, ohhing and ahhing at each curve. We are told that in summer. this road is just one solid traffic jam. I can well imagine this is true, as no visitor would want to go over 20 miles per hour on this glorious drive. The road is narrow and winding, which makes overtaking extremely hazardous, not that that seems to faze the locals as they zip by us with very little regard for what's around the next bend.
Suddenly, around a corner, we see a large village spreading up the mountainside in pinks, yellows and whites. It is Positano. It is so beautiful it makes you want to weep. We drive down the one way street into town. We are fortunate that we are here out of season, and easily find a place to park. Walking down to the beach, we pass ceramic shops and many tiny boutiques. Everything is very elegant, exclusive and expensive. On the beach there are actually fishermen mending their nets, and lots of friendly dogs. Accommodation costs here are outrageous. The town is so pretty, that it would seem worth almost anything to stay here. None the less, we are told that in the summer it is a zoo (they probably get rid of the fishermen and dogs during the season). We decide to take some refreshment and enter a charming café done out like a sailing ship. We enjoy a cappuccino and assorted sweet and savoury delights. But our unequivocal praise is for the gelato (Italian ice cream). Bryan selects a gelato di cioccolata, which is served
with a spoon into a deep milk shake cup. It is homemade, and is indescribably delicious. We tasted gelato many other times during our stay. All were good, but like nothing compared to this.
On our way back to the car, we encounter the place Marisa Tomei finds her second "Damon Bradley" in the film "Only You". For those who have not seen this light comedy, Marisa is pursuing a childhood fantasy called Damon Bradley. At one point the chase brings her to Positano, and we first see Damon emerging like a god from the swimming pool of the Sirenuse Hotel. Today the pool is empty (it's far too cold to swim), but the hotel is a knockout. Built cascading down the cliff on a multitude of levels, it is unique, graceful, beautifully decorated and maintained. Bryan voted the bathrooms the best by far in all of Italy . What better recommendation can any hotel have. The price tag? Only about $ 300.00 a night in the off season(including the empty pool!).
Regretfully we depart Positano and continue along the coast. We soon arrive at the town of Amalfi . From a distance, this looks quite as pretty as Positano, but on closer inspection, it is much more commercial, with a bus depot, parking lot and two petrol stations on the main square beside the rather mangy looking beach. The whole place looks tacky, and we just drive right through.
Our destination is the village of Ravello , even higher up the mountainside. The turn-off at Atrani isn't easy to find, but we are soon winding up towards heaven. If you are not concentrating, you may rush through a tunnel and end up in Salerno , but we see the turn in time, and locate the town parking lot. We ascend stone stairs to the piazza and wander around the very quiet streets. At this time it had clouded over, and had become very cold. Suddenly we feel wet on our faces. It is actually snowing on us, in the south of Italy ! It's a very brief experience, and none settles on the ground. A local tells us it is not unusual in winter, and that down below in Amalfi is comes down as drizzle.
In spite of being almost at the top of a mountain, Ravello was once actually a powerful maritime state with a population of over 36,000, though today it is very sleepy indeed. It is also famous for being the site where Richard Wagner composed and based his opera Parsifal. We realize the romance of this place when we visit Villa Cimbrone, a charming mansion with lovely gardens , built by an English lord. The end of the garden path is at a pinnacle with a terrace called "balcone del infinito". The view is incomparable and you seem suspended between heaven and earth.
This drive had taken much longer than planned, and we make our picnic on the move as we drive on to Salerno . We soon realize that we are not going to arrive in Paestum in time. This despicable system of closing two hours before sunset is depriving us again. It is now 2.30 pm , and it will take at least an hour to get to Paestum , so we would arrive just as they close the gates. FYI, Paestum is considered one of the finest examples of Greek architecture, with three wonderful temples similar to, but in far better condition than, the Parthenon in Athens . We realize that we would be wasting our time to attempt this visit, so regretfully we turn north, fill our petrol tank (WOW! US$ 32.00, and it's only half full!), find the motorway, and head towards Umbria .
Our destination for tonight is the Umbrian hill town of Orvieto . Located on the motorway some 250 miles north of where we are now. We estimate arrival by 7:00 pm . After a few hours, we reach the Rome by-pass, and stop at a service centre. This is a very elaborate place, with a great looking restaurant (not yet open for dinner), snack bar, and a store almost as big as a supermarket, with everything from maps and "T" shirts, to food and drink. Later on we stop at another service centre, but find it quite different, small and much less inviting. Never the less, this is where we eat, and though the place is far from elegant, the food is good in a truck stop sort of way, and hearty meal only comes to US$ 24.00 with wine. We are surprised to find truck drivers enjoying their dinner with a bottle of wine!
It's now 8:00 pm , and has been dark for two hours. At the exit from the motorway (US$ 17.00 toll) we pass the ugly new town of Orvieto, complete with a motel strip, before ascending the winding road up to the old town. We have been recommenced the Hotel Corso, but when we arrive there we find it closed for renovations. We are directed to another hotel, the Valentino, which is newly opened in a restored Renaissance palazzo within the historical centre? There didn't seem much left of the palazzo except the outside walls.
The interior is very standard modern, but certainly adequate for our means. The price is within our budget at US$ 94.00 a night, so we check in. The room is small, but very well appointed.
I leave the car in a parking lot a couple of blocks from the hotel, noting that it is free up to 8:00 am , at which time I will have to pay the parking meter. Though Bryan elects to stay in the room watching Italian TV., we change and decide to take a walk around the town. It's very cold indeed, but that doesn't put us off strolling all the way to the impressive Cathedral. This is a charming town, with narrow winding cobblestone streets, setting the scene for all the hill towns we will see within the next few days. Very little is open at this time, though the Cathedral is brilliantly lit. The facade is incredibly ornate, one of the finest in Italy . We look forward to seeing it again tomorrow in the daylight. It's been a long day, so we return to the hotel for a good night's sleep.
