"Give Way to Overtaking Traffic"

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  Praiano, Italy
Saturday, October 4, 2008

Although I am not entirely sure what the phrase "Give way to overtaking traffic" means, I know all too well its importance.  The Amalfi coast is beautiful and well worthy of its great reputation.  I have loved my time here.  The way the towns are built right into the cliffs of the coastline are incredible.  I am shocked that they could even be built that way!  Most amazing is the road that travels east from just before Positano to Amalfi (with Praiano, where I am, in the middle).  It winds around the edges of the cliffs impossibly allowing for 2-way traffic.  Beware if you are prone to motion sickness as it is one incredible ride, but just bring along the Dramamine and hold on!  It's worth it!

On Wednesday I got up in the morning and took my first trip on a SITA bus along the winding road that seemed much more manageable the day before when Luigi picked me up from Sant'Agnello in his small car.  A little girl in the front was sick into a bag...I told you, its VERY windy!  Then I got on the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii.  I spend 3.5 hours walking around the ruins of the ancient city.  It was so interesting to me to walk along imagining the city in the splendor it seems it would have had before the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.  It was a cloudy day and the volcano was ominously ghostly in appearance with fog circling the crater.  Walking around you almost think you are just at another abandoned city of the past, but the casts of the bodies that were made tell the story of the horror of the day.  There were 2 in particular that gave a clear vision of how awful it must have been.  One of them has finger and toe bones and a skull and teeth visible.  That made everything seem so real!  Incredible.  I would have loved to gone hiking up to Vesuvius, but I vow to come back and will make that a priority next time. 

Thursday was another day spent on the water.  I had thought it was going to rain, but that held off until tonight.  Yesterday was very nice and Luigi (very kindly of him!) took me out for a private tour of the coastline.  The BEST way to see the Amalfi coast is from the water...an absolute must!  Today while I was on the bus again and people were trying to grab pictures, I thought...'Oh, I have a great one of that from the water!' We got off the boat at a small beach with a couple of restaurants and had lunch with wine with peaches(I don't usually like peaches, but these were delicious).  He was too nice to take me out on the water, but he really wanted the outing for himself he admited...just lucky for me to get to go along!  It was a really nice day!  So full from lunch I just spend the evening in the bar downstairs putting the pictures up for the last blog. 

Today was more bus riding...this time I actually remembered to take my motion sickness medicine!  I went to Amalfi and saw the Duomo, then up further to Ravello and toured the very beautiful Villa Rufalo, then after a quick stop along the way back in Praiano I went to Positano and explored the small streets and MANY steps down to the beach (necessary since I got of the bus at the top of the hill instead of the bottom like I was supposed to!).  It was a great little place...hope to go back someday, maybe when I have more money to spend on the expensive items for sale there!  And then it poured!  My first real rain of the trip.  Short lived though and then it was back on the bus to return to Praiano. 

Leaving the beautiful coast tomorrow for the east, one night in Bari before I catch an overnight ferry to Athens.  Greece here I come!!

Miss you and love you all very much!

Ali / Althea

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