Far’ niente (the art of doing nothing)

Wednesday

If I had exactly 24 hours in Ravello, how would I spend it?
Doing nothing. It is a town that invites exactly that. In the past, I tried hiking but it is treacherous. I’ve looked at the “sights” but they are minimal. Even sleeping a regular cycle is a waste of time because it cuts into your “doing nothing in the evening” time and your doing not much in the morning” hours.

True, eating a meal figures into this mentality. In fact, if truth be told, much of the impetus for this little sojourn could be found in the recollection of a past perfect dinner here (at the family-run Villa Maria, where one can also stay overnight). It was simple: a pasta, a grilled fish and a dessert. But each component, infused with herbs and lemons from the garden, is near-perfect. And the setting – yes, on a terrace, suspended over the northern shore of the coastline.

evening: a slow dinner on the terrace 

scialiatelli: a thick noodle that I can only have in the States if I make it myself 

inside the souffle: half lemon, half chocolate 

After the meal, it is time to move yourself to the main square, for several late hours of “doing nothing” there. Children chase each other, young adults flirt outrageously, older types stand or sit in groups talking with the animation you’d normally have only if you’d been locked in isolation for the past two months. It is a glorious way to spend the late hours of the evening.

Breakfast is, of course, leisurely. Same terrace, with views, this time, over the bay in the pink morning light. Lemon marmalade is made from the monster lemons grown in this region. They have a special taste – tart and sweet at the same time.

a pink morning: view from the breakfast terrace 

breakfast with lemon jam 

a lemon transaction 

I admit to breaking from the routine then and taking a brief stroll up the winding streets of Ravello. True, it required some exertion, but I admit to having a hard time shedding my “do something” routines. Passing through the center of town (which, btw is closed to traffic) you come across the ceramics of the region (Ravello is known to have the best ceramic shops in the country).

the lemon motif, in yellows and blues 

I moved up into “alto Ravello,” where an occasional vineyard crops into sight, always framed by the spectacular coastal scenery.

vineyards and views 

back alleys, upper Ravello 

But eventually I come to my senses and remember that I am out of step with my surroundings. Thus I retire back to the square, where I sit at one café, eating a prolonged lunch, then switch to another, on the other side, for a café and a gelato. There you have it, a Ravello 24 hours.

La casa e tutto… (home is everything)

Thursday

Returning to Umbria and the farmhouse feels like coming home after a vacation. I could do without the 3-centimeter scorpion inside and the snake outside (both apparently harmless; how reassuring), but still, it is so beautiful that one can forgive these little imperfections.

In the morning, I take my sunrise walk and am again greeted with the cheerful grin of the sunflower. Several kilometers down the road I turn the corner and find this view of the distant Todi. But it’s the fourth photo from the ones below that brings the agricultural elements of the region together for me: sunflowers, vineyards and olive groves.

a cheerful greeting 

Todi (in the distance) at sunrise 

morning walk: fields, forests, flowers 

Umbrian trilogy: olives, sunflowers and vineyards