Amalfi from hotel patio. Caters to tourists during the day, but we could always feel the presence of its indigenous elements. |
Amalfi as seen from a boat. Ravello also is seen here above Amalfi. |
Piazza Flavio Gioia as seen from the patio of our room at the Hotel Luna Convento. The camera's lens was set to telephoto. |
Judy on the beach. The Hotel Luna Convento where we stayed, is the white-beige building at the top of the hill (background). |
Richard on a pier in Amalfi. Our hotel and guard tower are seen at the top of the hill. |
The hotel (Luna Convento) where we stayed is at the top of this hill opposite the round tower. |
The Hotel Luna Convento & guard tower (now a hotel suite and a restuarant) as seen from the beach. Used a telephoto setting. |
Looking toward Amalfi while walking up the hill to our hotel (Luna Convento) |
Judy on the hill to our hotel. She is facing toward Amalfi. |
Walking up the hill to our hotel - narrow road, lots of traffic & no sidewalk - woman pushing a baby stroller. |
Tight squeeze for the drivers on the road to our hotel - typical of the roads on the Amalfi Coast. |
Entrance to the Hotel Luna Convento - top of the hill. Hotel was a 13th cent. convent but redone to suit its present purpose. |
Torre San Francesco, across from hotel entrance, overlooking Tyrrhenean Sea. Mirror is for cars to see around the bend. |
Atrani - looking east from the front of the Hotel Luna Convento. |
The front desk of the Hotel Luna Convento. The original (13th century) open air cloister is to the right. |
The dining room and breakfast area (including outdoor patio) of the Hotel Luna Convento. |
Breakfast buffet at the Hotel Luna Convento. Big breakfast kept us going each day, but we didn't skip gelato. |
The bar at the Hotel Luna Convento |
The original 13th century hotel cloister, supposedly founded by St. Francis of Assisi. Now a place to have a glass of wine. |
Cloister & lemon trees. Lemons from area less sour than others - eaten like other fruit (but with salt to neutralize acidity). |
Judy having a glass of wine in the 13th century hotel cloister. |
Lemon tree in cloister. Lemons grown on coast are more scented & less sour than lemons grown elsewhere - great for limoncello. |
Judy and Richard in the hotel cloister |
Our hotel room, facing the entrance |
Our hotel room facing the patio. |
Tower (and restaurant) from patio with telephoto setting. Fortification at least 500 years old - could even be from 13th cent. |
Tower and pool - looking west as seen from Atrani. |
The hotel pool as seen from the road, next to the tower. |
The hotel pool as seen from the road, next to the tower. A telephoto setting was used. |
Judy at the pool. |
Judy relaxing - hotel pool. Our luggage was delayed for two days (mishap at the Paris airport), so she is not fully prepared. |
Judy near the hotel pool. She was on her stomach on the left beach chair. The pool is the raised area to the left. |
Judy near hotel pool. Another woman was topless (covered in yellow by me). I didn't notice until Judy told me - bad sign :-) |
Judy near hotel pool, which is the raised area on the left. Topless woman was lying on her stomach. Atrani is in the background. |
We wanted to go for a swim in the Tyrrhenean Sea from this platform near the pool, but the water was too cold. |
Tower and restaurant near hotel as seen from pool area. Tower at least 500 years old. Protected against pirates & invaders. |
Looking east from the pool area toward Atrani. |
Judy exploring near the pool area. View is toward the west. |
View from pool area looking west at sunset. |
Judy and Richard having dinner at the restaurant in the guard tower. Amalfi is in the background. |
We chose fish (the red Scorfano) from the daily catch for our dinner at the tower restaurant. |
Amalfi in early evening light. Photo from the patio of our hotel room - telephoto setting. |
Amalfi in the morning from the patio of our hotel room. |
Judy on the patio of our hotel room, catching a few rays. |
Cliffs and mountains in Amalfi. Photo taken from the patio of our hotel room. |
An early morning fisherman as seen from the patio of our hotel room. |
Amalfi: Laundry hanging outside the adjacent house - common site in Italy. Photo from our patio. |
Judy after breakfast at the Hotel Luna Convento. Amalfi is in the background. |
Traffic on narrow rode in front of hotel - requires skillful drivers. Outdoor hotel breakfast area on left. From our patio. |
Cars, scooters, pedestrians and a bus on the road in front of our hotel. Seen from our patio. Always fun to watch. |
Typical traffic on the Amalfi Coast. A few inches often separate buses. Telephoto setting from our patio. |
Road in front of our hotel. Traffic often chaotic on the Amalfi Coast. Telephoto setting from patio. |
Burro with supplies for the hotel. Burro proceeded up the steps to deliver them. |
Steps used by burro (previous photo). Other supplies delivered via pulley shown here. Doors & elevators too small for supplies. |
More heavy traffic near hotel. No sidewalks. Pedestrians a few feet or inches from oncoming cars, as I was taking this photo. |
Piazza Flavio Gioia and the beach in Amalfi as seen from our patio. Telephoto setting. |
The beach in Amalfi. Small stones cover the beach. Beach chairs are a requirement for the uninitiated. |
Amalfi and a structure on the mountaintop, as seen from the beach. People somehow built that structure on the mountaintop. |
From the beach: Arched structure is cemetery. Above it, Ziro's Tower (at least 500 years old). Umbrella Pine is to the right. |
Ziro's Tower high above Amalfi. At least 500 years old. (13th cent?) Protection against pirates & invaders. Telephoto setting. |
Street near Piazza Flavio Gioia. We ate at La Caravella Restaurant on the right side of the photo. It is partially seen here. |
Judy near Flavio Gioia statue - legendary Amalfi sailor supposedly invented compass (15th cent. legend). Piazza named after him. |
Main street off the Piazza Duomo. Local residents need pass to get cars into this area. See next photo for blowup. |
Low balcony (left): Da Gemma - we ate there. Traffic light (right) - one way traffic - 10 minute wait. Crop from previous photo. |
Richard at Fountain of St. Andrew (1760) on Piazza Duomo. St. Andrew: fishermen saint and joint patron saint of the Amalfi Coast |
Judy at store. Giant lemons selling for 16 euros. Lemons grown on terraces on cliffs all along Amalfi Coast since the 15th c. |
Richard drinking at St. Andrew's Fountain. Water from woman's breast - not sexual - everyone belongs to the church. |
Judy in front of her favorite gelato store, Gelateria Porto Salvo. Trust her judgment; she is an expert :--) |
Duomo from 10th century but later altered - named in honor of St. Andrew. Bell tower (campanile) from 12th & 13th centuries. |
Top of bell tower - from the 12th and 13th centuries. Has Moorish features. |
Hung laundry & potted flowers near Duomo. Laundry & potted flowers are so common in Italy as to seem somewhat symbolic. |
Judy on the steps of the Duomo with the Piazza Duomo in the background. Steps were modified in the 13th century. |
The nave and high alter of the Duomo. Baroque style. Wooden crucifix from the 13th cent. and paintings from the 18th cent. |
This list of newborn babies is at the back of the Duomo. The love of children permeates Italy. |
Judy in, "The Cloister of Paradise," (13th c.). Cloister attached to Duomo. Moorish style. Was a necropolis for aristocracy. |
Bell tower (12th&13th centuries) seen from, "The Cloister of Paradise." Lower part Romanesque. Upper part Moorish. |
In "Cloister of Paradise." Roman & medieval archeological remains. Top left, arched piece is a medieval mosaic from the Duomo. |
"The Crucifixion," (14th c.): Fresco by Roberto d'Oderisio in the small, "Chapel of Crucifixion." (13th & 14th cent. ) |
"Basilica of the Crucifix." Original church from the 9th century - now a museum. Attached to the Duomo. |
St. Andrew's Crypt (13th c.): His remains brought here during Crusades (1206) because of Amalfi's importance & wealth then. |
St. Andrew: Bronze statue (16th c.). St. Andrew's remains here include back of his head. Pope moved face to Greece. |
Steps to a street |
Steps to a passageway |
A passageway |
A red apartment with a wooden model of Amalfi. Model is historical showing Amalfi as it used to be. |
A street and surrounding mountains |
Street scene: The boys are pitching coins against the wall. |
Surrounding mountains as seen from a street |
A street and surrounding mountains |
The lower structure on the left is the Paper Museum (Museo della Carta), in a 14th century paper mill. |
Richard in front of the Paper Museum (The building was a 14th century paper mill.) |
Judy inside the Paper Museum. People in Amalfi learned how to make cotton paper from the Arabs in the 12th century. |
First, cotton rags were pulverized by wooden mallets - split the fibers - 14th century wooden machines (left). |
14th cent. machines to pulverize rags. Driven by power (small waterfall) from Canneto River, using a water wheel seen here. |
By 17 c., had metal machines: Cotton rags pulverized in tub (above steps) by metal wheel powered by water wheel. |
Pulverized cotton rags then put in vat of water. Cotton amalgamated with water and collected on a filter as seen here. |
Then cotton paper was produced & collected on the drum (background) of this machine. Powered by a water wheel (left side). |
Closer look at the machine to produce roll of paper: The paper was then cut to size by the saw-like tool in the foreground. |
Press (18 c.) used to eliminate water residue from sheets of paper. (Watermarks often on sheets - from filter used earlier.) |
Paper dried outdoors on branches (shown here) but not in sun which turned paper yellow. Whole process today is similar. |
Richard in front of Paper Museum. Small waterfall (not shown) is behind the fence & powered paper making machines. |
House and waterfall |
Up the steps is the entrance to Zaccaria Restaurant where we had dinner - between Amalfi & Atrani |
Judy in a passageway |
Houses |
We often sat outside this snack food place on the Piazza Duomo to people-watch. |
Judy and Richard having lemon granitas and doing some people-watching on the Piazza Duomo. Rare for Judy not to have espresso. |
Teenagers at the beach after school. |
Teenagers fishing on the pier after school. |
A passageway. |
A passageway and houses. A satellite dish hangs on the white wall to the right - seems out of place here. |
Grocery store where we bought snacks, soda and wine to take back to our hotel room. |
Judy shopping at the grocery store. |
An entrance near the grocery store. |
Judy "helping" the chef prepare a meal at Da Gemma Restaurant where we ate dinner. |
Dinner at Da Gemma Restaurant overlooking Via Lorenzo d'Amalfi, Amalfi's main street. |
Celebration of St. Rita seen from Da Gemma Restaurant. St. Rita (14th-15th c.) known as the, "Saint of the impossible." |
Procession (mainly women) for Saint Rita. Almost eveyone in town belongs to the church except for some Jehovah's Witnesses. |
Feast of St. Rita (May 22): She is most meaningful to women and to those with heavy burdens to bear. |
Da Gemma Restaurant: Photo taken after we had dinner there. |
Judy finishing off the night with a gelato. |
Amalfi at night from our patio. Amalfi was a major maritime power, rivaling Genoa and Venice, from the 9th to 11th centuries. |
A closer view of Piazza Flavio Gioia at night from the patio of our hotel room (telephoto setting). |
Panorama & Judy's back: Click on thumbnail. Then click on "original" below this caption. Then use scroll bars (bottom & right). |