Ravello, Amalfi, Positano - 9/24
Note: these were written up in the past week, but I'm posting them now. So no, I'm currently not in Italy (sadly).
Today we went and took a boat over from the small coastal city of Amalfi to the other small coastal city of Positano. Getting down to Amalfi from Ravello involves quite a few death-defying turns and jaw-droppingly narrow roads, in which our very large van and a tiny European hatchback would inch past each other, as everyone in the van except the driver held their breath.
Amalfi has a giant cathedral in the center of the city (villa? it's not quite a city proper). The cathedral is festooned with colored tiles and striped arches; it's more Romanesque than Gothic. We came to it just as Mass was ending, and people poured out of the doors while I craned my head in, attempted not to look too touristy, and failed spectacularly.
We only got to see enough to verify that Amalfi was a very touristy town and that it was largely composed of a town square and half a dozen twisty alleys and cobblestoned streets. The short time period was largely because we had missed the boat to Positano thanks to my insistence on finding a bathroom. Of course, I found out that the boat had some very clean bathrooms on it later.
The coastline here is spectacular. It's all cliff faces and tiny buildings lining the steep sides row by row, with the occasional unexpected cave.
Positano is also a tourist town, like Amalfi. There are a lot of Americans and Brits here, though I suspect many Italians come to spend a nice weekend by the ocean as well. We were mistaken everywhere for Japanese tourists; I've never been konnichiwa-ed so much in my life. My sister attempted to tell people, "No, not Japanese. Chinese! From Taiwan!" though mostly that got ignored in favor of "Annyo? [sp]" ("Hi" in Korean, she told me) or "Sayonara!"
There was this one pre-adolescent kid with a green shirt and gangly limbs who had probably never seen an Asian person in his life; I walked by him in the streets, and he stared, turning his head to catch more of me as I went by. There was much elbowing of his friend, and then, he got his courage up, put his hands together and bowed to me, saying, "Konnichiwa, arigatou!" Then he dashed away, giggling. I was mostly amused, particularly by the bow. Then he ran back, friend in tow, and bowed again, saying, "Arigatou!"
I think pretty much everyone here knows those three terms (konnichiwa, arigatou and sayonara), as has been demonstrated many times.
I saw the kid again as I was shopping for clothes (pretty billowing skirts everywhere!); he bowed once more and giggled, as I laughed in amusement as well. I suspect there aren't very many Asians around these parts; we've been the only Asians we've seen around here.
The funny thing is that after Japan, people do tend to guess Taiwan. I suspect Taiwan tourists are going to be the next big thing in the Asian tourism business.
My favorite bit, though, was when we got off the boat in Amalfi. One of the crew said (in very Italian-accented Japanese), "Konnichiwa!"
My mom's friend, completely nonplussed, just strolled on by, nodded her head, and said in very Chinese-accented Japanese, "Konnichiwa" right back at him and walked off the boat.
Neither of them quite understood why I burst out giggling hysterically for the next ten minutes.
Asian-tourist jokes aside, Positano is also composed of alleys and narrow streets and tiny arches connecting the buildings on either side. Nothing is straight; the streets curve and twist in on themselves, only to suddenly open up to a small square with a few shops. There are stairs up and down everywhere, vines and flowers on the walls, handwritten signs to the nearest restaurants and shops, tourists bustling through every conceivable crevice.
I love the surprises of the villas, how they go up and down the mountainside and curve in and out. Everything here is so unbelievably storybook-like, and I keep expecting to see the Prince of Pasta from the fairytale in Gunslinger Girl. We had the freshest seafood for lunch, and though I was falling asleep from exhaustion and jetlag, I still managed to get sandals and a cute hat.
It's still hot here as well, the sun beating down on every inch. I took an umbrella from the hotel and probably looked like an idiot as I opened it every opportunity possible. Heads would swivel as I put the thing up, but personally, I think everyone was just jealous that they didn't have the same idea as well. Obviously they are not privy to that great tradition of little old Chinese ladies walking around with umbrellas for shade.
I was pretty much dead to the world by the time we got back to Amalfi; I seem to have an ever-decreasing tolerance to alcohol, and the champagne and white wine left me with a dreadful headache that the boat ride didn't help. But still, I was conscious enough to glance askance at our taxi driver, who looked like a refuge from the seventies, with an Elvis pompadour, a slightly unbuttoned shirt with grey chest hair showing everywhere, a giant gold chain around his neck, and fancy aviator shades.
We all found that this was not a mistake on his part, as he proceeded to show us his very Elvis-like picture and blast us with Elvis on the way back.
ETA: Accompanying pictures
Today we went and took a boat over from the small coastal city of Amalfi to the other small coastal city of Positano. Getting down to Amalfi from Ravello involves quite a few death-defying turns and jaw-droppingly narrow roads, in which our very large van and a tiny European hatchback would inch past each other, as everyone in the van except the driver held their breath.
Amalfi has a giant cathedral in the center of the city (villa? it's not quite a city proper). The cathedral is festooned with colored tiles and striped arches; it's more Romanesque than Gothic. We came to it just as Mass was ending, and people poured out of the doors while I craned my head in, attempted not to look too touristy, and failed spectacularly.
We only got to see enough to verify that Amalfi was a very touristy town and that it was largely composed of a town square and half a dozen twisty alleys and cobblestoned streets. The short time period was largely because we had missed the boat to Positano thanks to my insistence on finding a bathroom. Of course, I found out that the boat had some very clean bathrooms on it later.
The coastline here is spectacular. It's all cliff faces and tiny buildings lining the steep sides row by row, with the occasional unexpected cave.
Positano is also a tourist town, like Amalfi. There are a lot of Americans and Brits here, though I suspect many Italians come to spend a nice weekend by the ocean as well. We were mistaken everywhere for Japanese tourists; I've never been konnichiwa-ed so much in my life. My sister attempted to tell people, "No, not Japanese. Chinese! From Taiwan!" though mostly that got ignored in favor of "Annyo? [sp]" ("Hi" in Korean, she told me) or "Sayonara!"
There was this one pre-adolescent kid with a green shirt and gangly limbs who had probably never seen an Asian person in his life; I walked by him in the streets, and he stared, turning his head to catch more of me as I went by. There was much elbowing of his friend, and then, he got his courage up, put his hands together and bowed to me, saying, "Konnichiwa, arigatou!" Then he dashed away, giggling. I was mostly amused, particularly by the bow. Then he ran back, friend in tow, and bowed again, saying, "Arigatou!"
I think pretty much everyone here knows those three terms (konnichiwa, arigatou and sayonara), as has been demonstrated many times.
I saw the kid again as I was shopping for clothes (pretty billowing skirts everywhere!); he bowed once more and giggled, as I laughed in amusement as well. I suspect there aren't very many Asians around these parts; we've been the only Asians we've seen around here.
The funny thing is that after Japan, people do tend to guess Taiwan. I suspect Taiwan tourists are going to be the next big thing in the Asian tourism business.
My favorite bit, though, was when we got off the boat in Amalfi. One of the crew said (in very Italian-accented Japanese), "Konnichiwa!"
My mom's friend, completely nonplussed, just strolled on by, nodded her head, and said in very Chinese-accented Japanese, "Konnichiwa" right back at him and walked off the boat.
Neither of them quite understood why I burst out giggling hysterically for the next ten minutes.
Asian-tourist jokes aside, Positano is also composed of alleys and narrow streets and tiny arches connecting the buildings on either side. Nothing is straight; the streets curve and twist in on themselves, only to suddenly open up to a small square with a few shops. There are stairs up and down everywhere, vines and flowers on the walls, handwritten signs to the nearest restaurants and shops, tourists bustling through every conceivable crevice.
I love the surprises of the villas, how they go up and down the mountainside and curve in and out. Everything here is so unbelievably storybook-like, and I keep expecting to see the Prince of Pasta from the fairytale in Gunslinger Girl. We had the freshest seafood for lunch, and though I was falling asleep from exhaustion and jetlag, I still managed to get sandals and a cute hat.
It's still hot here as well, the sun beating down on every inch. I took an umbrella from the hotel and probably looked like an idiot as I opened it every opportunity possible. Heads would swivel as I put the thing up, but personally, I think everyone was just jealous that they didn't have the same idea as well. Obviously they are not privy to that great tradition of little old Chinese ladies walking around with umbrellas for shade.
I was pretty much dead to the world by the time we got back to Amalfi; I seem to have an ever-decreasing tolerance to alcohol, and the champagne and white wine left me with a dreadful headache that the boat ride didn't help. But still, I was conscious enough to glance askance at our taxi driver, who looked like a refuge from the seventies, with an Elvis pompadour, a slightly unbuttoned shirt with grey chest hair showing everywhere, a giant gold chain around his neck, and fancy aviator shades.
We all found that this was not a mistake on his part, as he proceeded to show us his very Elvis-like picture and blast us with Elvis on the way back.
ETA: Accompanying pictures