Descent to the Mediterranean – Atrani

A trekking trip on the Amalfi Coast in 2013 brought my husband and me to the town of Amalfi as the starting point for our journey. The first day, the two of us hiked up into the hills experiencing lemon groves, sheep, shepherds and the beautiful Ravello, home to the Villa Cimbrone gardens. Many hot hours later, we began the descent to the coast, with long steep trails and hundreds of stone steps. It was an exhilarating, if not exhausting day. Hot and tired, we rounded a corner and were met by this breathtaking site of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maddalena, suspended above the deep green of the Mediterranean Sea. I felt an instant connection to the many generations that have come before, walking the paths, worshipping in the old church, and gazing at the sea. Our ancestors come with us with every step.

'Descent' is a textile translation of a sketch that was inspired by the day, and part of my Textile Sketchbook series.