Colossal Waste: Europe Day 17 of 59, Amalfi

Day 17 began with a surprise. We apparently had a pretty long way to go from Bonifacio to Amalfi. Always prepared, the crew had a high concept way to keep everyone unconcerned with the fact that for the first time nobody could step off the ship until 2 pm. They turned this small populace of 100 adults, average age around 50, into a seething mass of Spring Break college kids. Parents Gone Wild.

When we arrive on the scene, there were around ten clothed people in the pool. I snapped this one and headed up the staris.

Magically, everyone starting sneaking out of the pool before I could get the perfect picture. Even though nearly everyone got out of the pool, the DJ was still blaring Bryan Adams-ish music (remember, Canada did officially apologize for Bryan Adams on several occasions) and crew was pouring champagne like it was water.

I was drinking champagne a safe distance from the pool when the song YMCA came on and I said to Barbie, "They're playing your song." Can you guess what's next? Yes, she jumped up on the edge of the pool and started dancing. Soon she was joined by the soaked activities director and soon after by Irene, who likes to dance as much as Barbie does.

Looks like a dance epidemic to me.

Soon enough, it was lunchtime and then we arrived at Amalfi. Amalfi is a tiny village between the sea and cliffs. This geography makes for a fairly unique layout.

That is Amalfi. All around you see homes and business up winding roads. But more than roads, there are steps. And when you buy or rent a place to live here, apparently the way you talk about a residence is not, "How much?" or "How many rooms?" but "How many steps?" Because some homes take 20 steps to get to from the road and some take 200. Seriously.

How many steps?

We had signed up for our first official excusrion of the cruise, a tour of Ravello, a community in the hills above Amalfi known primarily for music festivals. We boarded a bus and were soon on our way up a winding road.

When you see a cliffside church, you take a picture even if it is through a bus window.

The view from Ravello.

This tunnel marks the entrance to the center of Ravello.

Ravello's tower. Nice, yes?

Inside the tower. Soon I will be so hot that said shirt will be unbottoned to the navel. I'm generally mistaken for an Italian football hooligan so don't worry about me giving Americans a bad name.

Architecture that proves the Moors influenced this area. (Now, everyone knows the Moors -- the Moops for Seinfeld fans -- were Muslim, but people often make the mistake of thinking that this means they were Middle Eastern. The Moors were North African, as in they were based in modern day Morocco and conquered East to modern day Iraq and North to Spain & Portugal. Moors -> Morocco... Got to love Wikipedia.)

Let's be honest. You get to Ravello and it's supposed to be gorgeous and amazing, and it is beautiful. But there are not many points of interest. So, yeah, another tower pic makes the cut.

Barbara Howard, "Have fanny pack, will travel." There has been much enjoyment with Ian and Tracy, the British friends we've made on this trip, regarding terms like, "fanny pack."

The two of us reflected in the window of the museum, which featured a photography exhibit. Just in case anyone is bothered that there are never pics of me. This counts.

This is the only photograph from the exhibit I'm sharing. The others were about wars, olympics, poverty, and suffering. This is a picture of a man on the street stopping to look at an advertisement. It is more with the spirit of our trip than the heavier photos.

Gelato was eaten in Ravello. However, one should note that the cone is substandard. An almost unacceptable cone, really. And for that I have to say... maybe one is better off staying in Amalfi and skipping Ravello. Gelato is not a game.

We came across two Wednesday weddings. Obligatory to take a picture of the bride and grrom even if you do not know them.

Oh my. This is a bad sign. (You know what I'm talknig about.) But a good pic.

The good thing about visiting Ravello is that Barbie got to visit two hotels she frequently books. As you can see, this hotel's design is influenced by Moorish architecture.

Barbie at a hotel. Beautiful, no?

In the main piazza, there was a shopwindow with this oddity. When I see symbols from different religions combined, I take a picture.

On the way down the hill I got this one from the moving bus. Not an easy feat.

Another shot from the moving bus. I wanted to be able to share just how unique these seacliff-side homes are.

The duomo of Amalfi. From our trip two years ago I can sound knowledgeable and point out that the use of light and dark stone is similar to the duomos in Tuscany. I really cannot get enough of Italy, and not just because all the Italians assume I'm one of them.