Reviewing Ravello

Shrimps on Excursion

After an exhilarating ten days at the Olympics, we peeled off from the family and headed to the Amalfi Coast for a little R&R.

Life changing.

Ravello may be one perfect spot here on earth. If you don’t believe in God -go there, you might change your mind. It is not glitzy or super fashion-y —the scenery is the star. Dramatic mountains, deep blue Tyrrhenian Sea, small boats scudding across the blue below, while white clouds float across the blue above. Lemon trees everywhere. Jacaranda, hibiscus and wisteria hanging over pergolas, half- walls and garden gates. The hillsides trellised with grape vines and olive trees. Same as it has been since Roman times. Only the cars and modern clothing give it away.

We landed in Naples, rented a cute little cabriolet and sped into the countryside hunting Ravello. We climbed higher and higher into the mountains-traversing the switchbacks like seasoned Italian drivers. Though I was the passenger, I still white-knuckled the one-lane passes up the mountain-with no guard rail and no telling what was coming down from the opposite direction, ascending each curve was a little act of faith.

We arrived in Ravello in the afternoon sun and were instantly whisked inside the lobby of our hotel, and given a cool just-pressed lemonade to drink while we waited for the usual handing over of passports, presentations of credit cards and explanations of the amenities on property. This is usually boring stuff, but in Ravello you have an incredible view all the while you wait. We didn’t mind at all.

The view from the hotel bar

As we entered our room, we looked out the window and realized we had a beautiful terrace overlooking the sea. Ravello is a few thousand feet up from the water so there is no beach, but the views of the mountains and sea are unrivaled. We looked at each other and immediately realized we were of like mind—call the realtor—we are moving here!

View from our balcony

All the views in Ravello are gorgeous. There is not one ugly view anywhere. The sea views are sublime, but also the ancient town square with its church, outdoor cafes and medieval fortifications were so charming -it looked like a movie set.

The town square at night, with a small orchestra playing on the church steps

Day one we ventured into the tiny town and wandered around. At the opposite end of the town is an aristocratic villa dating from the 11th century with beautiful gardens that is now a hotel called Villa Cimbrone. It has a famous terrace with views of the sea that made my breath catch. Simply stunning.

Villa Cimbrone—best view I have ever seen

Villa Cimbrone courtyard

The entire town of Ravello is built into the mountainside, clinging precariously to the cliff and everywhere are stairs to take you up and down to all the unique little corners of the town. Ravello is definitely not for the infirm. We explored the town for most of the morning touring Villa Rufulo, with its cascading gardens and the petite Duomo on the main square, both surrounded by lots of little local shops to peek into for that perfect Italian souvenir.

As the sun got warmer and higher in the sky we decided to put on our swimsuits and have lunch by the pool at the hotel. And what a pool it was! The infinity edge pool looks straight out at the mountains and the sea. The pool was not only gorgeous but the waitstaff were fantastic and it was not a mob scene or really any scene at all. It was all very low-key glam. Nobody holding court, no tacky displays of excess, no dancing on tables-just people-couples almost exclusively, engaged in conversation or having lunch- no pretensions at all.

An afternoon well spent

After lounging around the pool most of the afternoon, we knew a good meal was in the cards. The hotel’s fancier restaurant welcomed us that evening, and the meal was one of the best I have had in Italy. There were several set tasting menus and we eventually settled on the “earth” menu (read classic) which was very Italian! Locally grown tomatoes from nearby Mt Vesuvius, homemade pasta, eggplant grown in their garden and a beef ragu-all perfect. We paired all of that Italian deliciousness with a yummy Brunello made with sangiovese -something I don’t usually drink, and I was very impressed. The “Let Yourself Be Guided” 7 course menu was intriguing as well, and we made a mental note to have it another night-especially after seeing the second item-"shrimps on excursion.” We decided that suited us -a couple of shrimps on excursion, and what a lovely excursion!

The following day we took the hotel’s complimentary shuttle into Amalfi-which sits at sea level below Ravello—it is not that far —maybe a mile or two but takes thirty minutes by car because of the one-lane, winding mountain road. It was very lively and busy and right on the water. We saw several beach clubs with umbrellas set up- south of France style— in long rows, but we did not explore as we immediately boarded a boat bound for Positano. We cruised down the Mediterranean parallel to the coast, ogling all the beautiful hillside homes, picking our favorites for our future dream life on the Amalfi Coast.

Approaching Positano with its colorful homes and shops, it appeared as a beautiful little jewel snugly set in the hillside and we couldn’t wait to disembark.

First look at Positano

Unfortunately, two thousand other people on the cruise ships moored nearby had the same idea, and the tiny town was clogged with day-trippers everywhere. We tried to do some shopping (which looked fantastic!) and sightseeing, but it was a bit like opening day of the state fair— long lines, throngs of people and generally nowhere to enjoy the beauty of the town. It was also about 95 degrees and we were a hot, sweaty mess in short order. We ducked into a beautiful courtyard of a hotel and ordered a lovely lunch with some properly chilled white wine but Les was already over Positano, so we headed back to the dock and boarded the boat for some cruising of the coastline and a little swimming. Our boat captain was raised in a little town next to Positano and he knew all the good spots. Soon we were swimming in a secluded cove and jumping off the rocks into the blue, blue Mediterranean.

We swam here and there all up and down the coast through the afternoon. The water clear and warm. Our captain took us to see a private island that is available to rent, the only fjord (he claimed) in the Mediterranean and also to a beautiful cave and a an unknown little beach with ruins- so rocky we could barely walk on it.

Private island sounds heavenly!

A swimming cave

The fjord— and people apparently jump off that bridge!

It was one of those best-day-ever days and we returned to Ravello at sunset—tired, sun-baked and very happy! Ravello and the Amalfi Coast are a feast for all the senses—the kind that linger in the back of your throat and in the mind’e eye long after departing. I hope to revisit soon-secure in the knowledge that it will be exactly as I left it.