August 22
Amalfi is a town in the province of Salerno, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315 metres, 4,314 feet), surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery. The town of Amalfi was the capital of the maritime republic known as the Duchy of Amalfi, an important trading power in the Mediterranean between 839 and around 1200. In the 1920s and 1930s, Amalfi was a popular holiday destination for the British upper class and aristocracy.
Amalfi is a busy tourist town with lots of vacationeers staying there and in surrounding villages. Plus, the day we were there another cruise ship had anchored. Below are two more pictures of the city.
Neither one of was feeling spry so we just wandered the city for a while. The was one busy “street” with shops and cafes. There were small groceries, meat shops, one fish shop. Clearly locals and local vacationeers were getting their food and supplies in these stores. The street was full of walkers and occasionally a motor cycle would come up the hill or down the hill tooting their horns and scattering the walkers. We saw a police car and some kind of a city bus as well. But, for the most part there was no traffic on the street. The picture on the right shows the famous lemons from the area. The lemons are used for limoncello. We bought one and tried it with our friends. Definitely a lemon. It has a large rind which is what they make the limoncello from.
The main street was interesting, but the side streets were quieter. They were very narrow, but occasionally opened up into a small square which might have a cafe or a shop or two. When we got hot, tired, and thirsty, we found one and had a nice lunch.
One of the small side walkways. A resident watching the crowds below.
In one of those side areas, we found a very small chapel. There were two benches that would hold a handful of people.
Getting off the beaten path is often a good idea.