Amalfi Coast

We met Francisco, our driver guide, at a central meeting spot about seven minutes walk from our hotel in Sorrento. We also met a half-dozen other Americans -- two from Oregon, two from Los Angeles, and two from Arizona -- and piled into a van together to drive along the seacoast to the south.

Isle of Capri on the far horizon

This rugged coastline is named "The Amalfi Coast" after the principle village along the route. Even with a bit of morning haze, the views were pretty spectacular.

Looking down on Positano

We were deposited in three of the villages to wander on our own a bit. We had a hour in Positano. The Greeks who first settled here told a story of how this little port and fishing town had been founded by the god, Poseidon, from whom it gets its name. The Romans didn't change the name of the town, even though they changed the name of the god to Neptune.

Selfie. We're getting better at these.

John Steinbeck put Positano, and this entire coastline on the map in a 1953 article in Harper's Bazaar magazine. American tourists have been flooding the place ever since.

Interior of famous seaside church at Positano. It's all Virgin Mary, no Jesus!

We drove on to Amalfi. Well actually, we crept along to Amalfi. I'm sure we could have walked there in the same amount of time. Traffic does not move smoothly on the narrow, winding road along the Amalfi coast. And our guide told us we were there on a light traffic day! It was mid-week, and it is not yet the high season.

Amalfi

Francisco pointed out Sophia Lauren's multi-million Euro summer home along the way (no good photo of that -- tourists don't get close).

Fountain in Amalfi with a hundred or so colorful tiny figures

From the 7th to 12th centuries, when Venice was still just a backwater, Amalfi was a maritime republic rivaling Genoa. Its merchant fleet traded throughout the Mediterranean, especially in Egypt, the Levant, and Anatolia. And its navy went to war against any who would interfere.

Cathedral of St. Andrew -- very Byzantine

The grand cathedral, dedicated to Saint Andrew the fisherman, reflects strong Byzantine influence. In the middle of the square is a statue of the local who supposedly invented the magnetic compass and revolutionized navigation at sea (not mentioned is the fact that the Chinese had it centuries before).

Fountain of St. Andrew, in cathedral square

Amalfi is also famous for production of thick, high quality, hand-made paper (something else stolen from the Chinese) that is still considered the top pick for wedding invitations and other fancy paper products in Italy.

View from Ravello

Our final stop was Ravello. The van had to really climb to get to this hilltop, which was once a citadel designed to hold of Saracens and pirates. Today, it's mostly just a nice view. The church here looks plain on the outside, but is supposed to be quite special inside. Unfortunately for us, preparations were underway for an afternoon wedding. We were not invited.

We did manage to discover some interesting shops, however, and to enjoy one last gelato before leaving Italy. After three trips there in the past four months, we probably won't be back for awhile.