Today is my birthday. What a great locale for a celebration!
We started our day with a trip to Moriarty's, a lovely little shop outside of Killarney with the most beautiful Irish goods we have seen so far. We shopped, which is unusual for us, but we just couldn't resist buying a shirt (the hubs) and a sweater (me). Both are lightweight (we are still Tallahasseans) but just lovely and soft. We were so tempted by the blankets and hand-woven sweaters, but had to be practical. They would be of no use in our Florida winters. Plus, there's the small matter of having absolutely no room left in our luggage!
Like most of the places we have been, both commercial and public, Moriarty's features a lovely garden next to a little fast-moving stream. In fact, this locale could have been the setting for The Quiet Man. I keep expecting John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara to come trotting along in a jaunting cart any minute.
After shopping, we journeyed to the Cliffs of Moher, with a brief lunch stop in the coastal village of Lahinch. This village reminded us of the coastal towns of England, with their crowds of holiday families (it's a Sunday), children in swimsuits and clinging to towels, the wind whipping, the sun moving in and out of the clouds, and everyone pretending it was a fine day at the beach. At least the surfers were wearing wet suits! To this group of Floridians, this behavior was madness. It was cold and windy and NOT swimsuit weather.
The Cliffs of Moher were only a few minutes away from our lunch village, and it's tough for me to do justice to this part of our day. This very popular tourist spot is beautifully managed, with a visitors' center built right into the side of the hill leading up to the cliffs and well-tended paths and strong walls to keep people away from the edge. The wind can be quite high, with gale force gusts, so there is some hazard involved. Of course we heard everyone's grisly stories (a woman camping nearby in a tent swept over the side, tent and all, by the force of the wind), but today was almost moderate. Having said that, I don't mean to minimize the wind; it made for a challenging climb. But what a reward! Looking north and south along the cliffs, out to the three Aran Islands, and down into the crashing surf was just spectacular. This was one of those times when I truly regretted not having a fine camera and a well-trained eye. My photos don't even begin to reflect what we saw.
A delightful bonus of this stop is that OLLI friends Frank Alarcon and Kate Kearney got engaged! Frank, the romantic, had been hiding the ring for the whole trip and enlisted another couple to casually hang around him, making sure to take a photo of the moment that Frank went down on one knee. Needless to say, this was a wonderful experience for all of us on the trip, including the folks who aren't with our group but who have become like family. All 43 of us, plus our tour manager Kim and our bus driver Nick, have moved with an extra bounce in our steps for the rest of this wonderful day.
And a footnote: Bob and Kathryn Callan celebrated their 46th anniversary today. What a great place for all of these celebrations!
Tonight we dined at the hotel, and are back in our room, getting ready for an early start in the morning. Tomorrow - Galway and Enniskillen!
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Ireland - Day 3, August 22, 2019
Today we left Dublin and traveled south to Kilkenny for a brief visit. Such a lovely town! We got off the bus and into a tram for a ride around the historic area. Our driver, Paul, was a lovely wee man, full of jokes and fun. As he drove us through neighborhoods and past shops, he rang his bell and was greeted by locals each time - clearly he's a popular guy around here!
After this introduction to all the sights, we began walking to a few of them. One stop was at the farmer's market that springs up every Thursday on the broad promenade outside the walls of Kilkenny Castle. At Paul's recommendation, we stopped at the Irish bog oak kiosk, operated by a farmer and his wife, he a wood carver and she a jewelry maker. The oak comes from the peat bog on their farm and is as old as 7,000 years. Preserved by the bog, the wood is carvable and beautiful. I did feel compelled to purchase some earrings ....
Next we poked into Kilkenny Castle, entering the keep and wandering around admiring the flowers and the acres of back lawn. Then we exited the grounds, crossed the street, and went into the Irish Design Centre, where the castle outbuildings have been converted to artisan workshops. So interesting to poke around in an exhibit of very modern sculpture (all for sale, and averaging around 2200 Euros) right in the midst of this medieval city!
After a light lunch and a stroll around some of the narrow streets, poking into a bookshop and peering into City Hall, we headed back to our bus and embarked for Waterford.
Ireland's oldest city, Waterford was first settled by Vikings. Situated perfectly for defense inside a triangle of two rivers and a stout city wall, the Norse settlement of Vedrafjoror was established in 853 A.D. Morphing into Waterford, the city lost a third of its inhabitants to the plague in the Dark Ages, but has flourished ever since. The inhabitants are proud to claim many superlatives - oldest, best, most wonderful artifacts, and so on. We found it hard to argue as we did a walking tour then a guided tour of the Medieval Museum. In the Oldest Wine Vault in Ireland, we had a tasting. We were awed by the golden vestments that are said to be the second-most valuable artifact in the country (couldn't quite beat out the Book of Kells). And our guide was absolutely delightful - very knowledgeable and noticeably proud to be born and bred in this marvelous city.
Tonight we stay at the Granville Hotel, which was once the home of Thomas Meagher, the man responsible for the Irish national flag. The building dates from the 18th century and was purchased and restored and opened as a hotel in 1979. It is delightful. Our room overlooks Meagher's Quay and the Nore River, with a view of the Gothic Revival clock tower erected in 1863. We dined in the Tapestry Room, with an Irish coffee demonstration to top off a fabulous meal, and of course our very own Irish coffees to drink!
OLLI at FSU trips in conjunction with Collette Tours are always packed with adventures and much learning. This has proven to be the case so far here in Ireland. Tomorrow - Blarney Castle, Killarney, and a boat ride!
After this introduction to all the sights, we began walking to a few of them. One stop was at the farmer's market that springs up every Thursday on the broad promenade outside the walls of Kilkenny Castle. At Paul's recommendation, we stopped at the Irish bog oak kiosk, operated by a farmer and his wife, he a wood carver and she a jewelry maker. The oak comes from the peat bog on their farm and is as old as 7,000 years. Preserved by the bog, the wood is carvable and beautiful. I did feel compelled to purchase some earrings ....
Next we poked into Kilkenny Castle, entering the keep and wandering around admiring the flowers and the acres of back lawn. Then we exited the grounds, crossed the street, and went into the Irish Design Centre, where the castle outbuildings have been converted to artisan workshops. So interesting to poke around in an exhibit of very modern sculpture (all for sale, and averaging around 2200 Euros) right in the midst of this medieval city!
After a light lunch and a stroll around some of the narrow streets, poking into a bookshop and peering into City Hall, we headed back to our bus and embarked for Waterford.
Ireland's oldest city, Waterford was first settled by Vikings. Situated perfectly for defense inside a triangle of two rivers and a stout city wall, the Norse settlement of Vedrafjoror was established in 853 A.D. Morphing into Waterford, the city lost a third of its inhabitants to the plague in the Dark Ages, but has flourished ever since. The inhabitants are proud to claim many superlatives - oldest, best, most wonderful artifacts, and so on. We found it hard to argue as we did a walking tour then a guided tour of the Medieval Museum. In the Oldest Wine Vault in Ireland, we had a tasting. We were awed by the golden vestments that are said to be the second-most valuable artifact in the country (couldn't quite beat out the Book of Kells). And our guide was absolutely delightful - very knowledgeable and noticeably proud to be born and bred in this marvelous city.
Tonight we stay at the Granville Hotel, which was once the home of Thomas Meagher, the man responsible for the Irish national flag. The building dates from the 18th century and was purchased and restored and opened as a hotel in 1979. It is delightful. Our room overlooks Meagher's Quay and the Nore River, with a view of the Gothic Revival clock tower erected in 1863. We dined in the Tapestry Room, with an Irish coffee demonstration to top off a fabulous meal, and of course our very own Irish coffees to drink!
OLLI at FSU trips in conjunction with Collette Tours are always packed with adventures and much learning. This has proven to be the case so far here in Ireland. Tomorrow - Blarney Castle, Killarney, and a boat ride!
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Shades of Ireland - OLLI at FSU tour, August 2019 - Days 1 & 2, August 20 and 21
Yesterday was our first day in Dublin, and much of it passed in a blur. After 27 hours of no sleep, when we finally got to our hotel room we needed a nap. Even though the afternoon was, technically, free time, we hit the pub next door for a delicious lunch before sleeping, then napped for a couple of hours, then met our group in the lobby to attend the welcome dinner at the Irish Party House.
The Irish, famous for both partying and eating, for centuries have had the party house tradition. Neighbors would gather from afar in one home, bringing food, pipes, fiddles, and concertinas, and eat and make music far into the night.
That tradition continues in the 21st century in the beautiful, welcoming city of Dublin. The Irish Party House is just one of several venues to offer dinner, music, and dancing. We feasted on soup, stew, and chocolate dessert, complete with wine choices and the ever-present Guinness (or other beer, which still looked like Guinness), then proceeded to the basement for the entertainment.
With four very talented musicians, one of whom also demonstrated Irish step dancing and jigs, we learned a few Irish words, clapped along, sang along, then finally got up and danced! Or a few of us did. We have video evidence of some very surprising OLLI friends who turned out to be excellent and energetic dancers. What a craic! What a lovely way to spend an evening!
Arriving at our hotel around 10:30, we showered and collapsed.
Today we were up, at breakfast (and what a spread), and out by 9:00 a.m. for a coach tour of the city. The hubs and I have done a number of tours like this in many iconic cities, but I can safely say that the tour guide for this one was far and away the best we have ever had. The lovely Grainne O'Malley (first name rhymes with Sonia, she told us) seamlessly blended a complete history of the city of Dublin with a running commentary on the sights we passed - we were enthralled. At one point we exited the bus for a tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral, which began its life as a Catholic church in 1220, although early Christian grave slabs on display, over a thousand years old, show that the site was in use long before the cathedral existed. After going through many changes in the 16th and 17th centuries, sometimes functioning as a Catholic church and sometimes as Anglican, it remains Anglican today. It is, in fact, the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland, and reflects Irish history in a very special way. Jonathan Swift was the Dean of the Cathedral, a fact which undoubtedly kept him alive as he wrote outspokenly in opposition to the prevailing practices of the time, most notably in his essay "A Modest Proposal." The reader of this blog will refresh his/her memory and be struck by how very modern Swift's ideas seem today.
Back at our hotel around the noon hour, with a couple of hours of free time, the hubs and I made a quick pit stop, then ventured out for lunch. The day had begun with sunshine (for about an hour), deteriorated into cloudiness, and by this time rain had begun to fall. Undaunted, we struck out complete with rain gear, ducked into Murphy's Pub for a quick lunch, then continued up O'Connell Street and around the corner to the Dublin Writers Museum.
What a find! Occupying a stately old row house (and the ceilings, staircase, and detail work were pretty amazing), this museum is just a few rooms, but what treasures! Given my interest in Irish history, this pretty extensive collection of books, letters, and photographs, accompanied by excellent commentary, added yet another view of Ireland as the land of poets. Particularly powerful to me was a copy of Yeats' "Easter 1916," which pretty much stopped me in my tracks. The multiple monuments and celebrations of the Easter Rising, coupled with so much great background offered by our morning tour guide, then the discovery of this poem which I had never read, was just perfect.
Back at the hotel, we boarded the bus at 3:00 p.m. for the Guinness Storehouse tour. "Storehouse" in this context just means the place where the beer is fermented - another fun fact. And what an amazing place! We learned how Guinness is made and even had a taste. I am not a beer drinker, but I will admit that it didn't make me gag. I even had a glass of a concoction called Black Velvet, which is half Prosecco and half Guinness. It tasted like a pretty cheap white wine, so I was okay with it. Of course the majority of our tour group was just fine with the Guinness itself, which everyone assured me did taste quite different from what is available in America.
After the brewery tour, we were off to Cleaver East, a lovely restaurant in the Clarence Hotel which is partially owned by U2 and Bono. Boasting a Michelin chef, Cleaver East was really a treat - starter, entree, and dessert, with wine/beer/soft drink option. Delicious food, lovely presentation, superb service, and we were back in our room by 8:30. This is a good thing. We are still jet-lagged, and must be up, dressed, fed, and checked out by 8:00 a.m. Tomorrow: Kilkenny and Waterford! But now to bed.
The Irish, famous for both partying and eating, for centuries have had the party house tradition. Neighbors would gather from afar in one home, bringing food, pipes, fiddles, and concertinas, and eat and make music far into the night.
That tradition continues in the 21st century in the beautiful, welcoming city of Dublin. The Irish Party House is just one of several venues to offer dinner, music, and dancing. We feasted on soup, stew, and chocolate dessert, complete with wine choices and the ever-present Guinness (or other beer, which still looked like Guinness), then proceeded to the basement for the entertainment.
With four very talented musicians, one of whom also demonstrated Irish step dancing and jigs, we learned a few Irish words, clapped along, sang along, then finally got up and danced! Or a few of us did. We have video evidence of some very surprising OLLI friends who turned out to be excellent and energetic dancers. What a craic! What a lovely way to spend an evening!
Arriving at our hotel around 10:30, we showered and collapsed.
Today we were up, at breakfast (and what a spread), and out by 9:00 a.m. for a coach tour of the city. The hubs and I have done a number of tours like this in many iconic cities, but I can safely say that the tour guide for this one was far and away the best we have ever had. The lovely Grainne O'Malley (first name rhymes with Sonia, she told us) seamlessly blended a complete history of the city of Dublin with a running commentary on the sights we passed - we were enthralled. At one point we exited the bus for a tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral, which began its life as a Catholic church in 1220, although early Christian grave slabs on display, over a thousand years old, show that the site was in use long before the cathedral existed. After going through many changes in the 16th and 17th centuries, sometimes functioning as a Catholic church and sometimes as Anglican, it remains Anglican today. It is, in fact, the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland, and reflects Irish history in a very special way. Jonathan Swift was the Dean of the Cathedral, a fact which undoubtedly kept him alive as he wrote outspokenly in opposition to the prevailing practices of the time, most notably in his essay "A Modest Proposal." The reader of this blog will refresh his/her memory and be struck by how very modern Swift's ideas seem today.
Back at our hotel around the noon hour, with a couple of hours of free time, the hubs and I made a quick pit stop, then ventured out for lunch. The day had begun with sunshine (for about an hour), deteriorated into cloudiness, and by this time rain had begun to fall. Undaunted, we struck out complete with rain gear, ducked into Murphy's Pub for a quick lunch, then continued up O'Connell Street and around the corner to the Dublin Writers Museum.
What a find! Occupying a stately old row house (and the ceilings, staircase, and detail work were pretty amazing), this museum is just a few rooms, but what treasures! Given my interest in Irish history, this pretty extensive collection of books, letters, and photographs, accompanied by excellent commentary, added yet another view of Ireland as the land of poets. Particularly powerful to me was a copy of Yeats' "Easter 1916," which pretty much stopped me in my tracks. The multiple monuments and celebrations of the Easter Rising, coupled with so much great background offered by our morning tour guide, then the discovery of this poem which I had never read, was just perfect.
Back at the hotel, we boarded the bus at 3:00 p.m. for the Guinness Storehouse tour. "Storehouse" in this context just means the place where the beer is fermented - another fun fact. And what an amazing place! We learned how Guinness is made and even had a taste. I am not a beer drinker, but I will admit that it didn't make me gag. I even had a glass of a concoction called Black Velvet, which is half Prosecco and half Guinness. It tasted like a pretty cheap white wine, so I was okay with it. Of course the majority of our tour group was just fine with the Guinness itself, which everyone assured me did taste quite different from what is available in America.
After the brewery tour, we were off to Cleaver East, a lovely restaurant in the Clarence Hotel which is partially owned by U2 and Bono. Boasting a Michelin chef, Cleaver East was really a treat - starter, entree, and dessert, with wine/beer/soft drink option. Delicious food, lovely presentation, superb service, and we were back in our room by 8:30. This is a good thing. We are still jet-lagged, and must be up, dressed, fed, and checked out by 8:00 a.m. Tomorrow: Kilkenny and Waterford! But now to bed.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Milan - Amalfi Coast trip days 10 and 11
So much of yesterday was spent traveling by train almost the entire length of Italy, there seemed little to recount, so here's a two-day writeup, much like days 1 and 2.
We left Amalfi Town and the coast with regret - what a wonderful part of the world to experience! One gets a bit casual about it, so much natural beauty filling the eye. We loved our little hotel and the very kind and patient staff; there's just something very special about having a breakfast hostess who has your exact coffee order on the table without being asked, and always remembers your room number. Our last breakfast yesterday morning was lovely; the dining room opened a half hour early, with a full buffet, just to accommodate our early departure time.
The bus ride from Amalfi Town to Salerno takes about an hour and a half, and we had become so used to the near misses between bus and car, bus and bus, bus and retaining wall, and (unbelievably) bus and early morning runner that we scarcely noticed. The sound of the horn now seems perfectly ordinary, and we hardly look up when the bus stops suddenly and begins maneuvering carefully around some obstacle.
Salerno is a largish city, with a very busy port. The ride took us past hundreds of acres of cars waiting to be loaded onto giant ships, and thousands of containers. Past the port, into the city, a sharp left turn and we left the Mediterranean Sea behind.
The train station was very busy, and our group had to climb many stairs to get up to the platform. Of all places to be completely without elevators, this was the worst. We are all senior citizens and had been warned to take care of our own luggage, not to let any seemingly helpful local person take our bags. Whew! We are all so grateful for the amazing Rafael, who had accompanied us from Amalfi Town and grabbed two very heavy suitcases at a time and bounded up the steps. Some of the men in our party also helped. Otherwise, we might still be in the station in Salerno, unpacking those heavy bags and carrying our belongings up the stairs one armload at a time!
This wasn't our first trip on a high speed rail train system and we were looking forward to having the luxury of first class seats (thanks to our wise director for thinking of this.) After heaving the luggage up the train steps and stowing it away, we collapsed into those wonderful seats and breathed a sigh of relief! As the train pulled away, some lovely angels with a refreshment cart distributed water and some little cookies and we pulled ourselves together.
The distance between Salerno and Milan is almost 500 miles, and we were scheduled to make the trip in about five and a half hours. Of course there were delays; we had scheduled stops in Naples, Rome, and a couple of other cities before reaching our destination, and I think we had to wait at each station to be able to pull into the platform. We were around 45 minutes late in arriving, then did the whole baggage thing in reverse: pull the heavy bags out of the little shelves where they were crammed together, get them down the steps, find our guide, then roll those blasted things a couple of very uneven flagstone-paved blocks, crisscrossed with trolley tracks, headed for our private bus.
Here my good luck ended. Catching a wheel of my suitcase in the tracks, I took a header into the sidewalk. It wasn't a bad fall and I had no ill effects, but I found myself looking into the face of a total stranger in a pink sport coat with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, looking pretty concerned. "Grazie, mille grazie," says I. And of course the group all came rushing to my aid - this kind of thing is so embarrassing! And so we proceeded.
Arriving at the Hotel Fenice, right in the heart of the historic district of Milan, we encountered a truly European phenomenon: one lift. And a tiny one, at that. So twenty worn-out, mildly crabby old people stood in line for an elevator that would hold one or two people and their luggage at a time. Truly needing some exercise, we just dumped our stuff and headed out.
We checked out the area briefly, then returned, got a recommendation for a nice restaurant just down the street, then headed out again. A lovely dinner, a nice stroll back to our hotel, and to bed.
THIS MORNING, TUESDAY: A whole new us - although up very early for a 6:45 a.m. breakfast in order to grab taxis and get to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where DaVinci's Last Supper graces the former dining hall of the Dominican monastery that adjoins the church. We learned that the Dominican order traditionally places a Last Supper on one end of their refectories and a Crucifixion on the other. DaVinci's work was commissioned by the powerful Sforza family in 1495. The artist painted it directly onto the wall rather than creating a true buon fresco in wet plaster, and as early as six years after the painting's completion it was already beginning to deteriorate. Thus began over 500 years of constant restoration, so that only small fragments of DaVinci's original work remain. Luckily, his students copied the painting more than once, and those copies do remain, giving us a very good idea of what the original looked like.
Visitors are allowed only 15 minutes in the room with the painting as the very presence of humans contributes moisture and damage. But it was well worth traveling thousands of miles and lugging huge suitcases up and down stairs just for this one experience. There is simply nothing like putting one's eyes on a masterpiece - widely counted as one of the artist's three most outstanding creations, the others being the Mona Lisa and the Vitruvian Man.
After exiting the building, part of our group headed even farther north to Lake Como. Some of us opted to stay in Milan, and we boarded a Hop-On, Hop-Off bus, headed for the Duomo.
I couldn't help but be reminded of Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona as I approached the Duomo. The modern Gaudi seems to have taken the Gothic cathedral and melted its spires, played tricks with its statutes, and installed its windows for maximum light and shadow within the space. The Duomo in Milan plays by the rules, but, as the third largest church in Europe, it is truly breathtaking.
We began our tour by taking the elevator to the first roof terrace, where we wandered among the spires and the gargoyles and saints that adorn each one. There are stairs to go even higher and higher, but they are really steep and scary - we decided to be content with the lower side terrace.
Down in the elevator, out and around the church to the front entrance and we were inside. We explored the interior and also went below the church to the ruins of older churches, all the way back into the days of Roman temples. The practice of building a new place of worship on top of an old ruined one was quite common; in this case, there are several. The old Roman Empire town of Mediolantum had streets that were ten feet below the level of the streets of today's Milan, and the Roman ruins can be seen through portions of the floor that are clear glass.
After the Duomo, we walked across the street to the Galleria. Built around the same time as the Eiffel Tower, the Galleria is a beautiful example of Victorian modernity. It's very reminiscent of the Crystal Palace in London, Prince Albert's pride and joy. We sat for a coffee and watched the passing throng - so much fun!
We continued our city tour on the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus, stopping for lunch, then riding through the very modern skyscraper district. Milan is the second-largest city in Italy with almost 1.4 million people and is a growing center for Italian commerce. The towering Palazzo Lombardia houses the offices of the Lombardy district, much like a state capital in the U.S. There is plenty of room to grow both up and out, while making sure to preserve the treasures of many centuries.
After a brief rest at the hotel, many of our group visited yet another restaurant recommended by our hotel staff. What a fabulous meal! It was a fitting end to a day that had begun with the Last Supper.
Tomorrow - home again!
We left Amalfi Town and the coast with regret - what a wonderful part of the world to experience! One gets a bit casual about it, so much natural beauty filling the eye. We loved our little hotel and the very kind and patient staff; there's just something very special about having a breakfast hostess who has your exact coffee order on the table without being asked, and always remembers your room number. Our last breakfast yesterday morning was lovely; the dining room opened a half hour early, with a full buffet, just to accommodate our early departure time.
The bus ride from Amalfi Town to Salerno takes about an hour and a half, and we had become so used to the near misses between bus and car, bus and bus, bus and retaining wall, and (unbelievably) bus and early morning runner that we scarcely noticed. The sound of the horn now seems perfectly ordinary, and we hardly look up when the bus stops suddenly and begins maneuvering carefully around some obstacle.
Salerno is a largish city, with a very busy port. The ride took us past hundreds of acres of cars waiting to be loaded onto giant ships, and thousands of containers. Past the port, into the city, a sharp left turn and we left the Mediterranean Sea behind.
The train station was very busy, and our group had to climb many stairs to get up to the platform. Of all places to be completely without elevators, this was the worst. We are all senior citizens and had been warned to take care of our own luggage, not to let any seemingly helpful local person take our bags. Whew! We are all so grateful for the amazing Rafael, who had accompanied us from Amalfi Town and grabbed two very heavy suitcases at a time and bounded up the steps. Some of the men in our party also helped. Otherwise, we might still be in the station in Salerno, unpacking those heavy bags and carrying our belongings up the stairs one armload at a time!
This wasn't our first trip on a high speed rail train system and we were looking forward to having the luxury of first class seats (thanks to our wise director for thinking of this.) After heaving the luggage up the train steps and stowing it away, we collapsed into those wonderful seats and breathed a sigh of relief! As the train pulled away, some lovely angels with a refreshment cart distributed water and some little cookies and we pulled ourselves together.
The distance between Salerno and Milan is almost 500 miles, and we were scheduled to make the trip in about five and a half hours. Of course there were delays; we had scheduled stops in Naples, Rome, and a couple of other cities before reaching our destination, and I think we had to wait at each station to be able to pull into the platform. We were around 45 minutes late in arriving, then did the whole baggage thing in reverse: pull the heavy bags out of the little shelves where they were crammed together, get them down the steps, find our guide, then roll those blasted things a couple of very uneven flagstone-paved blocks, crisscrossed with trolley tracks, headed for our private bus.
Here my good luck ended. Catching a wheel of my suitcase in the tracks, I took a header into the sidewalk. It wasn't a bad fall and I had no ill effects, but I found myself looking into the face of a total stranger in a pink sport coat with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, looking pretty concerned. "Grazie, mille grazie," says I. And of course the group all came rushing to my aid - this kind of thing is so embarrassing! And so we proceeded.
Arriving at the Hotel Fenice, right in the heart of the historic district of Milan, we encountered a truly European phenomenon: one lift. And a tiny one, at that. So twenty worn-out, mildly crabby old people stood in line for an elevator that would hold one or two people and their luggage at a time. Truly needing some exercise, we just dumped our stuff and headed out.
We checked out the area briefly, then returned, got a recommendation for a nice restaurant just down the street, then headed out again. A lovely dinner, a nice stroll back to our hotel, and to bed.
THIS MORNING, TUESDAY: A whole new us - although up very early for a 6:45 a.m. breakfast in order to grab taxis and get to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where DaVinci's Last Supper graces the former dining hall of the Dominican monastery that adjoins the church. We learned that the Dominican order traditionally places a Last Supper on one end of their refectories and a Crucifixion on the other. DaVinci's work was commissioned by the powerful Sforza family in 1495. The artist painted it directly onto the wall rather than creating a true buon fresco in wet plaster, and as early as six years after the painting's completion it was already beginning to deteriorate. Thus began over 500 years of constant restoration, so that only small fragments of DaVinci's original work remain. Luckily, his students copied the painting more than once, and those copies do remain, giving us a very good idea of what the original looked like.
Visitors are allowed only 15 minutes in the room with the painting as the very presence of humans contributes moisture and damage. But it was well worth traveling thousands of miles and lugging huge suitcases up and down stairs just for this one experience. There is simply nothing like putting one's eyes on a masterpiece - widely counted as one of the artist's three most outstanding creations, the others being the Mona Lisa and the Vitruvian Man.
After exiting the building, part of our group headed even farther north to Lake Como. Some of us opted to stay in Milan, and we boarded a Hop-On, Hop-Off bus, headed for the Duomo.
I couldn't help but be reminded of Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona as I approached the Duomo. The modern Gaudi seems to have taken the Gothic cathedral and melted its spires, played tricks with its statutes, and installed its windows for maximum light and shadow within the space. The Duomo in Milan plays by the rules, but, as the third largest church in Europe, it is truly breathtaking.
We began our tour by taking the elevator to the first roof terrace, where we wandered among the spires and the gargoyles and saints that adorn each one. There are stairs to go even higher and higher, but they are really steep and scary - we decided to be content with the lower side terrace.
Down in the elevator, out and around the church to the front entrance and we were inside. We explored the interior and also went below the church to the ruins of older churches, all the way back into the days of Roman temples. The practice of building a new place of worship on top of an old ruined one was quite common; in this case, there are several. The old Roman Empire town of Mediolantum had streets that were ten feet below the level of the streets of today's Milan, and the Roman ruins can be seen through portions of the floor that are clear glass.
After the Duomo, we walked across the street to the Galleria. Built around the same time as the Eiffel Tower, the Galleria is a beautiful example of Victorian modernity. It's very reminiscent of the Crystal Palace in London, Prince Albert's pride and joy. We sat for a coffee and watched the passing throng - so much fun!
We continued our city tour on the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus, stopping for lunch, then riding through the very modern skyscraper district. Milan is the second-largest city in Italy with almost 1.4 million people and is a growing center for Italian commerce. The towering Palazzo Lombardia houses the offices of the Lombardy district, much like a state capital in the U.S. There is plenty of room to grow both up and out, while making sure to preserve the treasures of many centuries.
After a brief rest at the hotel, many of our group visited yet another restaurant recommended by our hotel staff. What a fabulous meal! It was a fitting end to a day that had begun with the Last Supper.
Tomorrow - home again!
Sunday, June 9, 2019
Amalfi - 9th day - Ambling on our own
Today was the one day of our trip where there were no planned activities. This is a special characteristic of OLLI Study Abroad; we usually have at least one day, and sometimes a weekend, to figure out what we absolutely don't want to miss, or maybe return to one spot we really want to revisit. It's good that this free time comes near the end of the trip, as we have gotten very comfortable with our surroundings, the transportation system, and where the best restaurants are.
SO - first on the agenda was to NOT get up at 6:30 a.m. We have indulged ourselves in retirement by not being in such a hurry to get up in the morning, and the luxury of sleeping in until 8:00 a.m. was really nice. Our hotel offers breakfast until 10:30, so we stretched that out a little, too, with an extra cup of coffee and some lovely visiting with friends.
After breakfast, we went in search of a quiet, shady spot to do some sketching. Our instructor, the brilliant Bill, had offered a sketch class in OLLI Maymester just to prepare us for this trip. The Amalfi Coast is a haven for artists; there seems to be a sketchable landscape or architectural detail around every corner.
The problem with this plan was the "quiet, shady" part. It's very hot now, and midmorning offers very little shade. Alternative plan: find someplace cool, then return to the hotel and sit in the lovely area on our floor that has comfortable seating and a window opening onto a beautiful view and try that for the sketching.
There are two museums in Amalfi Town which we have intended to visit and just haven't quite gotten around to, so this morning we checked out the first one, the Arsenal Museum. This is housed in a tunnel under the main road in what was once the center of Amalfi's busy boat-building industry. Since the 4th century it was quite common for the keels of boats to be laid down inside the tunnels, then pushed across the beach into the water to be completed.
The tunnel was cool and quiet - we were the only visitors so early in the day. A small but beautifully curated history museum, this venue is a boat person's dream. There are compasses, sextants, octants, charts, maps, tools, even a scale model of the Doge of Venice's barge,complete with oars and a velvet canopy for the Doge himself in the stern.
Amalfi was one of the four major maritime republics of Italy in medieval times, along with Pisa, Genoa, and Venice. The four cities hold a regatta every year on the weekend of the first Sunday in June, rotating between them. Unfortunately, Amalfi's turn is next year - drat!
We left the museum and headed back to the hotel, where we spent an hour or so doing some sketching. Since I have neither the ability nor, really, the interest to get very far in this pursuit, I gave it my best with a pretty poor result. I can see so clearly what should be on the paper, but cannot seem to make my brain and my hand cooperate!
Next - lunch. By now it was about 2:30 p.m., and our late breakfast was but a faint memory. We headed for a seaside restaurant we had been meaning to try, split a very good pizza with a little dish of lemon sherbet to share, and just relaxed and watched the ferries and tour boats come and go in the marina. Today we have a medium-sized cruise ship just off the coast (the Amalfi harbor is simply not large enough or deep enough for that size ship), so crowds have been large, and tenders go to and fro ferrying passengers between ship and shore and back again. We enjoyed watching and not mixing in!
After lunch, it was on to the second museum that we had decided not to miss, the Museo di Carta, or Paper Museum. Amalfi once had many paper factories and even today the one remaining family business produces some of the finest papers in the world. This family has turned their old factory into a very well-preserved little museum, complete with a guided tour and a paper-making demonstration.
After a somewhat lengthy walk up a fairly steep street, we arrived and joined a tour with a total of five people, just perfect. The young man who showed us around was entertaining, demonstrating how paper was made before trees were used (with fine imported cotton and other cloth), and how the factory, established centuries ago, upgraded its process and its machinery as technology permitted. Through it all, the operation has used water power and natural drying methods. While today the paper that is made for artists and the paper used for writing is made from wood products, the process is very nearly the same as it was in the 14th century. We learned that the Vatican still insists on paper made from cloth, as it lasts for hundreds of years - and that paper comes from this very family's factory! This was fascinating, unhurried, and quite charming. We are very glad we took the trouble to climb that steep street.
Today is our last day in Amalfi Town; we leave very early in the morning for Salerno, where we will catch the train for Milan. The most important feature of any OLLI Study Abroad trip is that we have time: time to get to know an area or a town; time to enjoy the food and wine and friendship of our fellow travelers; time to rest; time to write in our blogs or journals and to look at our photos; and best of all, time to use a little of the language and interact with the people who are such gracious hosts. They are patient with us and seem genuinely glad that we are here. At OLLI at FSU, we say we "go and grow." That has certainly been true so far on this trip - so Milano, watch out - here we come!
SO - first on the agenda was to NOT get up at 6:30 a.m. We have indulged ourselves in retirement by not being in such a hurry to get up in the morning, and the luxury of sleeping in until 8:00 a.m. was really nice. Our hotel offers breakfast until 10:30, so we stretched that out a little, too, with an extra cup of coffee and some lovely visiting with friends.
After breakfast, we went in search of a quiet, shady spot to do some sketching. Our instructor, the brilliant Bill, had offered a sketch class in OLLI Maymester just to prepare us for this trip. The Amalfi Coast is a haven for artists; there seems to be a sketchable landscape or architectural detail around every corner.
The problem with this plan was the "quiet, shady" part. It's very hot now, and midmorning offers very little shade. Alternative plan: find someplace cool, then return to the hotel and sit in the lovely area on our floor that has comfortable seating and a window opening onto a beautiful view and try that for the sketching.
There are two museums in Amalfi Town which we have intended to visit and just haven't quite gotten around to, so this morning we checked out the first one, the Arsenal Museum. This is housed in a tunnel under the main road in what was once the center of Amalfi's busy boat-building industry. Since the 4th century it was quite common for the keels of boats to be laid down inside the tunnels, then pushed across the beach into the water to be completed.
The tunnel was cool and quiet - we were the only visitors so early in the day. A small but beautifully curated history museum, this venue is a boat person's dream. There are compasses, sextants, octants, charts, maps, tools, even a scale model of the Doge of Venice's barge,complete with oars and a velvet canopy for the Doge himself in the stern.
Amalfi was one of the four major maritime republics of Italy in medieval times, along with Pisa, Genoa, and Venice. The four cities hold a regatta every year on the weekend of the first Sunday in June, rotating between them. Unfortunately, Amalfi's turn is next year - drat!
We left the museum and headed back to the hotel, where we spent an hour or so doing some sketching. Since I have neither the ability nor, really, the interest to get very far in this pursuit, I gave it my best with a pretty poor result. I can see so clearly what should be on the paper, but cannot seem to make my brain and my hand cooperate!
Next - lunch. By now it was about 2:30 p.m., and our late breakfast was but a faint memory. We headed for a seaside restaurant we had been meaning to try, split a very good pizza with a little dish of lemon sherbet to share, and just relaxed and watched the ferries and tour boats come and go in the marina. Today we have a medium-sized cruise ship just off the coast (the Amalfi harbor is simply not large enough or deep enough for that size ship), so crowds have been large, and tenders go to and fro ferrying passengers between ship and shore and back again. We enjoyed watching and not mixing in!
After lunch, it was on to the second museum that we had decided not to miss, the Museo di Carta, or Paper Museum. Amalfi once had many paper factories and even today the one remaining family business produces some of the finest papers in the world. This family has turned their old factory into a very well-preserved little museum, complete with a guided tour and a paper-making demonstration.
After a somewhat lengthy walk up a fairly steep street, we arrived and joined a tour with a total of five people, just perfect. The young man who showed us around was entertaining, demonstrating how paper was made before trees were used (with fine imported cotton and other cloth), and how the factory, established centuries ago, upgraded its process and its machinery as technology permitted. Through it all, the operation has used water power and natural drying methods. While today the paper that is made for artists and the paper used for writing is made from wood products, the process is very nearly the same as it was in the 14th century. We learned that the Vatican still insists on paper made from cloth, as it lasts for hundreds of years - and that paper comes from this very family's factory! This was fascinating, unhurried, and quite charming. We are very glad we took the trouble to climb that steep street.
Today is our last day in Amalfi Town; we leave very early in the morning for Salerno, where we will catch the train for Milan. The most important feature of any OLLI Study Abroad trip is that we have time: time to get to know an area or a town; time to enjoy the food and wine and friendship of our fellow travelers; time to rest; time to write in our blogs or journals and to look at our photos; and best of all, time to use a little of the language and interact with the people who are such gracious hosts. They are patient with us and seem genuinely glad that we are here. At OLLI at FSU, we say we "go and grow." That has certainly been true so far on this trip - so Milano, watch out - here we come!
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Amalfi Coast - Day 8 - Capri
At 9:30 this morning, we boarded the ferry from Amalfi to the Isle of Capri. This is a journey of about an hour and a half, and the ferry makes a stop at Positano about a third of the way there. We stayed close to the coastline and the trip was pleasant and cool. We decided today to sit in the interior of the ferry out of the sun - we knew we would be walking around in the heat soon enough! Of course for Tallahassee folks, this heat is definitely bearable. The humidity isn't an issue and there is always a breeze.
The ferry lands at Capri at the Marina Grande, which is a noisy, chaotic place filled with hundreds of tourists, both those from far away, like us, and those who are simply day-trippers, many from just across the bay in Naples. We immediately purchased our tickets for a boat tour around the island, with a stop at the Blue Grotto.
Capri is a pretty impressive rock. Its cliffs are white and towering, its sea caves numerous. Our boat captain gave us just enough information, first in Italian and then in English, to be interesting but not too disruptive. Mostly we just enjoyed the natural wonder of Capri. For centuries it has acted as a kind of sentinel for the mainland, and there are many ancient towers and one very modern lighthouse, all of which serve to warn all comers away from the very forbidding rocks. The marina at which we first landed seemed to be just about the only bit of shoreline that is approachable.
There are one or two spots where our boat could come in very closely so we could see the sea caves. They seem to be fairly young, judging from the stalactites that seemed rather short. Of course, these caves are different from those found on land, as the sea undoubtedly sheers off the stalactite tips with each high tide.
Our captain pointed out one hotel way, way up - 2,000 Euro per night, he said. We also saw a couple of celebrity villas, also perched on the edges of some pretty high cliffs. (We all keep wondering: what does one do about grocery shopping? The answer to that is just an Italian shrug; one shops daily.)
As we approached the Blue Grotto, the captain informed us that there was a two-hour wait to enter. For the hundreds of people waiting in large boats and small, this is pretty normal. Each dinghy that enters the Grotto holds only four people - the math is pretty obvious. We were given the choice to continue on our way, with those who were willing to wait the two hours being brought back to the Grotto. As it happened, only four members of our group decided to wait it out. The rest of us were ready to get back to dry land and start exploring!
Back at the Marina Grande, we decided to head up the mountain to Capri Town via the funicular. This is a small train that runs up and down the mountain pretty much continuously. Funiculars are very common throughout the world in towns with steep inclines - there are several even in America. They are inexpensive (electric) and efficient. We bought our tickets (2 Euro each) and headed to stand in line. After a brief wait and a pretty spectacular ride, we stepped out into Capri Town.
We decided it was time for lunch, and following our tour book, we found a delightful restaurant tucked away in a narrow alley. The proprietor took much pleasure in showing us the photos of celebrities who have eaten there, as disparate as Jerry Springer and Adam Sandler! Sophia Loren still maintains a villa in Capri - but she hasn't made it in for lunch yet.
Capri Town itself is crowded and mostly famous for shopping and extremely expensive stores. We wandered a bit, but decided we would like to check out the other little town on the island, Anacapri. To get there, we bought tickets and boarded a small bus - just eight seats! There were at least 30 people on our bus, standing in every tiny bit of place available. It was hot.
Anacapri proved to be absolutely delightful. Uncrowded, also offering much merchandise for sale (fabulous clothes, beautiful jewelry, sandals made to order for your feet), it also has a few notable venues for the sightseer. In our wandering, we came upon the true WOW of this visit - the Church of San Michele.
This small church has the most remarkable floor. Made entirely of majolica tiles, it depicts the Garden of Eden with all its bounty, and in the center the apple tree, the serpent, and an angel driving Adam and Eve from Paradise. All of the animals have human faces. They are completely disproportionate and not quite accurate - in the 18th century, artists would have had to rely on descriptions from explorers to depict many of the animals of the earth. The lion is the size of a small dog, while a nearby pheasant is about the same size. There is a unicorn. The alligator has ears.
Some of our companions have traveled far more extensively than we, and we all agreed we have never seen a church quite like it. The church has services only at Advent, and no one is ever allowed to walk on the floor. There is a narrow wooden walkway around the edges so visitors can walk around and look at the floor, and a tiny, steep spiral staircase leading to the organ loft from which one can look down on the whole thing. The altar in the church is quite ornate and beautiful, as are the little side chapels - but the floor is just jaw-dropping.
As we were approaching time to catch the ferry back to Amalfi, the five of us in our group agreed that it was time to try a cab. The cabs are such fun - they are open-air, very new vehicles of which their owners are very proud. We bargained a bit with the driver, who agreed to take us all the way to Marina Grande for 25 Euro (five per passenger) which we thought beat that crowded hot bus considerably. What a great ride down the mountain!
We caught the ferry at 5:30 p.m. and were back in Amalfi, hot, tired, and thirsty, by 7:00 p.m. We walked a bit up the main street to a favorite little piazza and tried a new restaurant, which turned out to be excellent. Topping our dinner off with a gelato from the stand next door, we headed for bed.
Tomorrow is our free day - and we will sleep in just a bit! After that, who knows?
The ferry lands at Capri at the Marina Grande, which is a noisy, chaotic place filled with hundreds of tourists, both those from far away, like us, and those who are simply day-trippers, many from just across the bay in Naples. We immediately purchased our tickets for a boat tour around the island, with a stop at the Blue Grotto.
Capri is a pretty impressive rock. Its cliffs are white and towering, its sea caves numerous. Our boat captain gave us just enough information, first in Italian and then in English, to be interesting but not too disruptive. Mostly we just enjoyed the natural wonder of Capri. For centuries it has acted as a kind of sentinel for the mainland, and there are many ancient towers and one very modern lighthouse, all of which serve to warn all comers away from the very forbidding rocks. The marina at which we first landed seemed to be just about the only bit of shoreline that is approachable.
There are one or two spots where our boat could come in very closely so we could see the sea caves. They seem to be fairly young, judging from the stalactites that seemed rather short. Of course, these caves are different from those found on land, as the sea undoubtedly sheers off the stalactite tips with each high tide.
Our captain pointed out one hotel way, way up - 2,000 Euro per night, he said. We also saw a couple of celebrity villas, also perched on the edges of some pretty high cliffs. (We all keep wondering: what does one do about grocery shopping? The answer to that is just an Italian shrug; one shops daily.)
As we approached the Blue Grotto, the captain informed us that there was a two-hour wait to enter. For the hundreds of people waiting in large boats and small, this is pretty normal. Each dinghy that enters the Grotto holds only four people - the math is pretty obvious. We were given the choice to continue on our way, with those who were willing to wait the two hours being brought back to the Grotto. As it happened, only four members of our group decided to wait it out. The rest of us were ready to get back to dry land and start exploring!
Back at the Marina Grande, we decided to head up the mountain to Capri Town via the funicular. This is a small train that runs up and down the mountain pretty much continuously. Funiculars are very common throughout the world in towns with steep inclines - there are several even in America. They are inexpensive (electric) and efficient. We bought our tickets (2 Euro each) and headed to stand in line. After a brief wait and a pretty spectacular ride, we stepped out into Capri Town.
We decided it was time for lunch, and following our tour book, we found a delightful restaurant tucked away in a narrow alley. The proprietor took much pleasure in showing us the photos of celebrities who have eaten there, as disparate as Jerry Springer and Adam Sandler! Sophia Loren still maintains a villa in Capri - but she hasn't made it in for lunch yet.
Capri Town itself is crowded and mostly famous for shopping and extremely expensive stores. We wandered a bit, but decided we would like to check out the other little town on the island, Anacapri. To get there, we bought tickets and boarded a small bus - just eight seats! There were at least 30 people on our bus, standing in every tiny bit of place available. It was hot.
Anacapri proved to be absolutely delightful. Uncrowded, also offering much merchandise for sale (fabulous clothes, beautiful jewelry, sandals made to order for your feet), it also has a few notable venues for the sightseer. In our wandering, we came upon the true WOW of this visit - the Church of San Michele.
This small church has the most remarkable floor. Made entirely of majolica tiles, it depicts the Garden of Eden with all its bounty, and in the center the apple tree, the serpent, and an angel driving Adam and Eve from Paradise. All of the animals have human faces. They are completely disproportionate and not quite accurate - in the 18th century, artists would have had to rely on descriptions from explorers to depict many of the animals of the earth. The lion is the size of a small dog, while a nearby pheasant is about the same size. There is a unicorn. The alligator has ears.
Some of our companions have traveled far more extensively than we, and we all agreed we have never seen a church quite like it. The church has services only at Advent, and no one is ever allowed to walk on the floor. There is a narrow wooden walkway around the edges so visitors can walk around and look at the floor, and a tiny, steep spiral staircase leading to the organ loft from which one can look down on the whole thing. The altar in the church is quite ornate and beautiful, as are the little side chapels - but the floor is just jaw-dropping.
As we were approaching time to catch the ferry back to Amalfi, the five of us in our group agreed that it was time to try a cab. The cabs are such fun - they are open-air, very new vehicles of which their owners are very proud. We bargained a bit with the driver, who agreed to take us all the way to Marina Grande for 25 Euro (five per passenger) which we thought beat that crowded hot bus considerably. What a great ride down the mountain!
We caught the ferry at 5:30 p.m. and were back in Amalfi, hot, tired, and thirsty, by 7:00 p.m. We walked a bit up the main street to a favorite little piazza and tried a new restaurant, which turned out to be excellent. Topping our dinner off with a gelato from the stand next door, we headed for bed.
Tomorrow is our free day - and we will sleep in just a bit! After that, who knows?
Friday, June 7, 2019
Amalfi Coast - Day 7 - Positano and the Green Grotto
Today we boarded the ferry from Amalfi to Positano, one of the prettiest and most fashionable spots on the Amalfi Coast. Although its primary attractions are shopping and the beach, Positano also boasts a Roman church that presents a number of incongruities. First of all, the small plaza that leads to the doors is decorated with completely contemporary inlaid art. The Church of Santa Maria Assunta began life in the 12th century as a Benedictine monastery, but was abandoned when the entire lower town moved higher because of fear of pirates. When the pirate threat was deemed to be over in the 18th century, the church was given a compete Baroque makeover. Consequently, it is much more ornate than other churches in the region.
There is a marvelous legend surrounding the Byzantine of the Black Madonna which hangs above the altar. While it probably was brought from Constantinople by the monks in the 12th century, locals prefer to think that Saracen pirates had it on their ship as plunder, and in a violent storm, the Madonna spoke to them, saying "posa, posa," (lay me down). The ship glided safely onto the beach and the pirates became Christians. The painting was kept by the locals, and the town was henceforth called Posa-tano (tano meaning town). Today, of course, it is Positano. (Credit to Rick Steves for the info on this story.)
After our tour of the church, we were free to take the 30-minute tour of the archaeological museum, or just to wander on our own. Foregoing the museum for a little exploring, we walked as far as we could go on the beachside promenade, where we enjoyed some beautiful beach scenery. Positano is home to many wealthy people and their beach homes perched high on the hillside are pretty impressive. We checked out some shops; Positano is known for its beautiful linen clothing. Very pricey - thank goodness it cost nothing to look!
We had a leisurely lunch before getting the ferry back to Amalfi, where we rushed to purchase tickets to visit the Emerald Grotto just down the coast near Conca di Marina. While not nearly as impressive as the Blue Grotto at Capri, the Green one was fun. We were entertained by our boatman with a rendition of "It's Now or Never," partially in English but mostly in Italian. Music echoes quite well in this cave by the sea!
Back in Amalfi, we rested a bit before meeting our guide to Amalfi Town at 5:00 p.m. This gentleman was quite entertaining, sharing little local stories and quite a bit of history. He is very proud of his town (not surprisingly) and certainly shared some history that we did not know. For instance, poor old Flavio Gioia, who has two separate parks named for him, not to mention a pretty impressive statue, actually never existed at all. Apparently the methods of recording history all those centuries ago resembled the modern game of Gossip; by the time the books had been revised a few times, Flavio had been invented. Not surprising that every single little town along the Amalfi Coast claims him as their most famous citizen!
Such a long day - lots of fun, but pretty exhausting. After a lovely dinner with friends at one of our favorite local restaurants, we are planning an early bedtime. Tomorrow - the Isle of Capri!
There is a marvelous legend surrounding the Byzantine of the Black Madonna which hangs above the altar. While it probably was brought from Constantinople by the monks in the 12th century, locals prefer to think that Saracen pirates had it on their ship as plunder, and in a violent storm, the Madonna spoke to them, saying "posa, posa," (lay me down). The ship glided safely onto the beach and the pirates became Christians. The painting was kept by the locals, and the town was henceforth called Posa-tano (tano meaning town). Today, of course, it is Positano. (Credit to Rick Steves for the info on this story.)
After our tour of the church, we were free to take the 30-minute tour of the archaeological museum, or just to wander on our own. Foregoing the museum for a little exploring, we walked as far as we could go on the beachside promenade, where we enjoyed some beautiful beach scenery. Positano is home to many wealthy people and their beach homes perched high on the hillside are pretty impressive. We checked out some shops; Positano is known for its beautiful linen clothing. Very pricey - thank goodness it cost nothing to look!
We had a leisurely lunch before getting the ferry back to Amalfi, where we rushed to purchase tickets to visit the Emerald Grotto just down the coast near Conca di Marina. While not nearly as impressive as the Blue Grotto at Capri, the Green one was fun. We were entertained by our boatman with a rendition of "It's Now or Never," partially in English but mostly in Italian. Music echoes quite well in this cave by the sea!
Back in Amalfi, we rested a bit before meeting our guide to Amalfi Town at 5:00 p.m. This gentleman was quite entertaining, sharing little local stories and quite a bit of history. He is very proud of his town (not surprisingly) and certainly shared some history that we did not know. For instance, poor old Flavio Gioia, who has two separate parks named for him, not to mention a pretty impressive statue, actually never existed at all. Apparently the methods of recording history all those centuries ago resembled the modern game of Gossip; by the time the books had been revised a few times, Flavio had been invented. Not surprising that every single little town along the Amalfi Coast claims him as their most famous citizen!
Such a long day - lots of fun, but pretty exhausting. After a lovely dinner with friends at one of our favorite local restaurants, we are planning an early bedtime. Tomorrow - the Isle of Capri!
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