Closer to the sky than the sea

Ravello has given its name to a thousand cafes and restaurants in this country, some of them less than lovely. It's a town that towers above the Amalfi coast, looking out on one side on the village of Minori, where we rented a house last week. I first visited five years ago. Few places have made more of an impression on me. This time, we were lashed by rain as we ascended - ears-popping - in an open top-bus. (What a mistake-a to make-a: the grey clouds that hung overhead as we hopped on board by Amalfi's harbour gave ample warning). Still, that serene central square didn't disappoint, with a duomo on one side and a sheer drop to a lush and green valley opposite. Neither did the glasses of Paulaner lager from Munich, sold to us by a cafe that peeks out from one corner of the piazza. As we enjoyed our beer, the rain stopped and the sun came out.