Today we leave the crowds and head up the mountain to Ravello. Unbeknownst to us, the elevator at Palazzo Tasso is only operational during office hours starting at 8 so we had to carry our luggage down 3 flights of stairs. I had reserved a car to transport us and our luggage from Sorrento after breakfast. Geraldo made the 2 hr drive along the coast to Amalfi and was an informative driver. He told us there are 2000 steps up Positano, that the island is privately owned. and that the coastal area between Naples to Salerno is owned by the Parc Nationale. There is no limit on the number of ships coming in but large ships must anchor a mile away. The tourists empty out by Nov 1-April and there are about half the restaurants and hotels open in the winter, however Ravello shuts down completely. The weather remains nice.
The coastal is crowded with cars parked along the sides. These belong to residents and workers as there are no parking garages in Positano. These belong buses squeeze by alongside cars and scooters. Occasionally cyclists are also on he road. The views are magnificent.
Geraldo drops us off at the edge of a narrow road facing but high above the ocean. There is a steep set of stairs to a small gate, the entrance to Ravello Rooms. The owner’s daughter leads us up 2 more levels of stairs and checks us in. The view from the breakfast balcony is breathtaking.
Ravello is a small town above Amalfi. The bus ride down is 30 min on the winding road. There does not seem to be much of a reason to join all the tourists in Amalfi. Ravello is quiet, the breeze blows through and we can see terraced hillsides of gardens and what appear to be lemon groves. The weather is sunny and warm, nearly 90 today, a bit too hot for a hike. We relax and enjoy the calm.
We took a walk in the late afternoon past terraced hillsides
old ruin walls
and a mozzarella cheese store
Here is a local delivery truck, going up the hill on the ramp side
As I was taking a picture of the evening lights, I spotted a fire on the hills of Ravello.
