The Amalfi Coast
I’ve spent roughly three weeks in Italy. It was during the Christmas season a few years ago. I stayed in a great little hotel in Sorrento called the Antiche Mura, very centrally located. From Sorrento, I could easily access the beautiful Amalfi coastline, the glamorous isle of Capri, the Pompeii ruins, Positano, and Naples. I saw them all, of course. There is one little town in particular, however, that I find myself thinking of over and over again with extreme longing. If you’ve never heard of Ravello, I highly suggest that you read the rest of this article and then do a little research of your own. Ravello is an exquisite village perched on the mountainside with views of the sea that are so heartbreakingly beautiful that you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.
I’m not the only one who found Ravello to be utterly enchanting. Gore Vidal eventually chose to live there. Greta Garbo used it as a divine get away. E.M. Forster, Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence, and Winston Churchill as well as conductor Leopold Stokowski were enraptured by this otherworldly location. Oh, the romantic trysts and fine dinner parties that must have taken place among some of the most famous people in the world at the time.
The twisting pathways with a view
My experience of Ravello was quite simple by comparison. While taking a bus from Sorrento along the awe-inspiring Amalfi coastline, in a rush of spontaneity, I decided to get off the beaten track just a tad. Climbing the mountain road to Ravello made me feel as though I was stepping back in time. It was clearly off season, so the village was quiet when I arrived. Many restaurants and hotels were actually closed. However, within a few minutes, I knew that I would be staying over night. I needed to find a room with a view.
My husband on the balcony of our hotel
This is when the story gets really interesting. I found a small hotel with a view that knocked my socks off. It was officially closed for the season, but we managed to convince the owner to allow us to stay there for one night. Hotel Villa Amore is as romantic as the name implies. The owner kindly prepared our dinner with his own hands and it was delicious. My husband and I dined alone in the lovely dining room with a million dollar view and the owner's undivided attention. Fresh made pasta, salads, and Italian wine were served with great attention to detail. Afterwards, he invited us to join his mother and mother-in-law around the fireplace in the living room. Neither of them spoke a word of English, but they nodded and smiled at us while happily employed with needlework as we sipped hot chocolate and nibbled on doughnuts. It was like being part of the family.
Dining room at the Villa Amore
Later that night, we were taken to our room in a wing of the hotel that had no heat. We fell asleep under a pile of blankets and comforters, the kind of deep sleep that can only be enjoyed after getting plenty of fresh air, good food and exercise. Breakfast, sunshine and blue skies with the glorious views of the sea awaited us the next morning.
Mountainside gardens in Ravello
I had to dig around to find my photos of Ravello. Perusing the collection, I enjoyed a flashback of the past. Once again, the deep longing to return overwhelmed me. Periodically, I revise my bucket list of places to visit. Ravello has been moved to the top of the list.
This blog post was first published January 24, 2015 on Creative Paths to Freedom.
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