Day 4 in Amalfi - Sunday 15 September

Today we had a more leisurely start to the day, even taking an hour over breakfast. The last two days I've enjoyed some gluten free bread at breakfast, which has been nice.

We had planned to catch the public buses to the towns of Minori and Maiori, not far along the coast, but as I left to head over to the information centre and to organise tickets, I noticed the Hop On Hop Off Bus ready to leave in a circuit between these towns and Amalfi. It became a mad rush as the bus operators kindly waited for all of us and left a little late as a result. We were grateful, because this ended up being a cheaper option for the day, and much more comfortable - being on the open-topped bus, enjoying the fresh air and the chance to get photos without a window in the way.

It was another glorious day, and we enjoyed the trip along the coast for 15 minutes - the views were spectacular, and the narrow roads crazy! We were soon in the larger town of Maiori - this had a lot of more modern buildings, an absolutely lovely esplanade area and pier, and a lovely big promenade area up the centre of the town for quite some way. It had a lovely area in the middle which also appeared to serve as a channel for a stream and flooding. It was very nicely done.

The town was very quiet to start with, most people probably being at church (we could hear the singing as we walked past one). We wandered through the centre of town, and decided to climb up to the castello (15th century Castle of San Nicola)) for great views over the town. On our way, we heard more and more booms, like canons, and looked back to see the puffs of smoke from what were probably fireworks in the air - we think it was more festival celebrations for Santa Maria.

The climb was hot work, and after 361 steps, the others reckoned we were lucky to be half to three quarters of the way up. Reluctantly, I pulled out and started the careful climb back down. The others continued and were rewarded with great views. It was fascinating though, to think that people live in the homes along the alleyways with all these steps, and must walk them every day, in all weathers. I don't know what happens if you break a leg, or get too old or have arthritis and can't get up and down them any more! David could feel the tight pull on his calf muscles afterwards, and Jan reported the 'shivery' leg experience that I reported earlier in the week after a steep climb.

Next, we found our way into the main church (Abbey of S. Maria de Olearia); it was lovely. As we were coming down the many steps from there, some more even bigger booms started, and the church bells rang out - more festival celebrations.

By the time we got back down to the main promenade there were a lot more people about, especially families socialising and enjoying lunch together. The others grabbed some local bread delicacies for lunch and I wasn't really hungry, so just had a gluten free muesli bar from home.

We wandered along the beautiful esplanade soaking up the atmosphere, the warm temperature, and the views, and were also intrigued by the way the policeman was directing the traffic so that pedestrians could cross the busy road.

After a couple of hours in Maiori we were soon back on the bus, and heading to Minori, a much smaller town, and quieter. We spent only an hour here, in which time we wandered around the town centre, and visited the Villa Romana Marittima (an ancient Roman villa unearthed from the 1st century AD). Here, as in Rome, newer buildings have been built on top of the old, and uncovered centuries later.

We got back to Amalfi around 2:15 pm, and headed straight to our favourite cafe/bar where they were getting to know us. The main person working there (who understood gluten free, and remembered who had ordered what at all the tables) was obviously pregnant, but still,on her feet and working in the heat for long hours. She said her baby was due in 10 days... The others ordered cold drinks, and I ordered a small risotto to help me last till dinner time.

Next, we headed across the piazza to the Cathedral of Amalfi - St Andrew's - the bones of St Andrew himself, are laid here, along with the relics of other Saints. The Cathedral has a beautiful exterior, with a large, broad stairway that is used for concerts. It has several beautiful sections - the Cloister of Paradise (13th Century cemetery for the noblemen of Amalfi built in a Moorish style), the Basilica of the Crucifix (once the Cathedral Church, dating back to 596 AD, and now a Museum), the Crypt (here are preserved the head and other bones of Jesus' first disciple, Saint Andrew), and then the Cathedral itself (Baroque style). We were so glad we visited this beautiful site.

  

David and I bought some limoncello in one of the shops, and an Amalfi tea towel - we don't have much room for souvenirs!

It was soon time for our 7 pm dinner at the Marina Grande restaurant where we'd had that amazing lunch on the first day. The service was excellent and we enjoyed some lovely fish dishes. The others loved the different fresh breads that come out before the meal. I was even able to have a dessert - creme brûlée and peach sorbet!

Then it was back to the hotel to get packed and ready for our transfer to Sorrento the next morning.