Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
522
Next head to Villa Rufolo, beside the Duomo tower; the famous Ravello
Music Festival (www.ravelloarts.org) is held here each summer, and it's worth
whatever effort you can make to attend at least one concert. The stage juts out
from the edge of the garden cliff, suspending the performers over the sea. The
Villa Rufolo was founded in the 11th century. Richard Wagner composed an act
of Parsifal here, and Boccaccio was so moved by the spot that he included it in
one of his tales.
OTHER TOWNS TO CONSIDER
Several other villages along the Amalfi coast are worth exploring, at least for an
afternoon. Scala and Minori, toward Salerno, are both enchanting and largely
undiscovered. Atrani, just beside Amalfi, is an up-and-coming town with a won-
derfully quaint beach and lots of “real” fishermen who sell their catch on the
rocks. Inland from the coast are great options as well. Paestum, which was origi-
nally known as Poseidonia, has a wonderful excavation of Greek ruins and what
archaeologists have termed the best Doric temples in existence, and I prefer it to
the Parthenon. Don't discount Caserta either, if you have time to dawdle. This is
an important stop 19km (12 miles) north of Naples, with one of Italy's largest
palaces (120 rooms built around four inner courtyards) called Reggia di Caserta
(Via Douet, 2; %
082-3321400; 8 or 4 for just the gardens; call for open
hours).
The ABCs of Naples & the Amalfi Coast
American Express Call % 800-872000
Area Code 081
Chiaia; % 081-983292 in Ischia; % 081-
5266954 in Pozzouli; or % 081-5780760
in Vomero.
Emergencies Carabinieri (police): % 112;
fire department: % 115; ambulance:
% 118 or rush to a pronto soccorso
(below).
Hospital An emergency room in Italy is
called pronto soccorso. Those in Naples
with 24-hour service are Cardarelli ( Via
Cardarelli, 9, Vomero; % 081/7471111)
and for children Santobono ( Via M
Fiore, 6, Vomero; % 081-2205797). On
Capri: Ospedale Capilupi ( Via Provinciale
Anacapri, Due Golfi; % 081-8381205).
In Sorrento: Ospedale Civico ( Corso Italia;
% 081/5331111).
Internet Access In Naples, there's Clic
Net (Via Toledo, 393; % 081-5529370;
www.clicnet.it; 3 per hour or 5 for
2 hr.; 9:30am-9:30pm) or Internet Bar
(Piazza Bellini; % 081-295237; www.
internetbarnapoli.it).
for Naples and the
Amalfi Coast.
Business Hours Banks and public
offices are officially open 8:30am to
1:20pm and 2:45 to 3:45pm, though
nothing really gets going until around
9am. Churches are open 8 or 9am to 1 pm,
and then again from 4 to 6 or 7pm. Coffee
bars open around sunrise and many close
late in the evening. Restaurants generally
do not open until 12:30pm for lunch and
7:30pm for dinner.
Currency Exchange A great many cam-
bio centers are found around Naples and
the Amalfi Coast, but make sure their
rates are up-to-date. You cannot go wrong
with Banco di Napoli (Via Toledo,
177/178; % 081-7924567) for money
transfers.
Doctors For medical advice by telephone,
call % 081-2542424 in central Naples;
% 081-7613466 area from Posilipo to
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