Pompeii was Great

I sat on the curb of a highway which was built over 2,000 years ago by an advanced civilization which was totally destroyed when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.  Pompeii came under the domination of Rome in the 4th century BC, and was conquered and became a Roman colony in 80 BC. By the time of its destruction, 160 years later, its population was estimated at 11,000 people, and the city had a complex water system, an amphitheatre, gymnasium, and a port.  The eruption destroyed the city, killing its inhabitants and burying it under hundreds of tons of hot ash.

This highway exists today, and we replace our's every ten to fifteen years.  I'll give you that it would be a bumpy ride today.

The complexity of their city, and the unbelievable art that they produced was truly amazing.

Size matters 

The shear size of the statuary in Pompeii will blow you mind.  The quality and size together indicate a very advanced society in which art was an important ingredient of their culture.

Many years later, artists toiled over the ability to portray a horse with its body standing on the tiniest of legs given the size of the horse.  I can remember reading about this in a museum once, and it was considered a huge breakthrough.

The male form was more prevalent in the statuary which survived the devastation, and it was on a huge scale.

Columns were the key structural element for all buildings, and partial columns served as decorations in a fresco manner in many locations.  Given the number, there must have been a column, factory setting where they could "mass produce" them in some manner.

Ciao for now.

I found Sophia Loren's old house, now to meet her

Sophia Loren was married for fifty years to director, Carlo Ponti.  He died in 2007,  She was born in 1934, and now lives in Geneva, Switzerland.  This was their home (the white one on the right and below) in Amalfi, Italy  Our boat captain pointed it out on the way to the Emerald Grotto yesterday.

Cetara - The town the Tourists Passed By

I asked my Untours person it there was a little fishing village along the coast which wasn't full of tourists like me, and Cetara was suggested.  It met my expectations on almost all counts, except I should never have thought of "poor fishing village" on the Amalfi coast.  I was delighted to get off my bus as the only departee at that stop, and within a few hundred meters, I found the place I was looking for, albeit a bit more upscale.

Following the sign indicating city center, leads one to this lovely, upscale neighborhood with a narrow park meandering through it.  More importantly, lots of people were out talking to each other in that animated Italian manner which is so rare in the U.S.  Rather than intrude on their privacy, I shot the buildings.

A block down the street, and I see a little different socio-economic section, and the wash-hanging-out-scene.  Wash was hanging out of may apartments, but I didn't see any "unmentionables" as was common in France or Belgium.  The guide books tell us that Italians prefer to air out their homes for part of the day, so you will see windows open part of the day year-around.  They also prefer to hang their washing instead of using dryers.  Indeed, the two place I rented on this trip have furnished very good quality washing machines, but no dryers.

The best part of shopping, however, is what we would call a Ma and Pa grocery store.  Here the distinction is more clearly defined.  This place sells fruit (and vegetables) but nothing else.  For those things, you need to go a few meters down the road.

Yes, it is a fishing village, and anchovies are their specialty.  They make a famous paste by pressing anchovies and putting it on pasta.  It's known all over Southern Italy according the the owner of the restaurant I ate in last night.

In addition to sea kayakers, there were three groups of senior-aged men who bicycled up to the local bar and had coffee al fresco while I was walking down the beach shooting pictures.  All of those "old guys" looked to be in great shape, which one would have to be, riding these steep hills.

Like every town on the Amalfi coast, you can see traces of medieval or Roman history incorporated into the local architecture.  I can't swear how old the lower building is, but you know it has to be older than the USA.

These are the little knooks and crannies which always fascinate me.  A picture should tell or cause the viewer to make up...  a story.  Here is a stairway which is probably several hundred years old, on a building with poorly patched stucco, with an ultra modern shutter and grill work, and a lace curtain.  Get your creative juices going and make up a tale.

On my way back to the bus stop, I passed into a small courtyard.  Looking back over my shoulder, I was captivated by the idea that the people living on this court, walk through this beautiful portal every day on the way to shop, work or play.

Ciao for now!

One of the Italian Dream Towns

Positano is everyone's favorite for destination weddings, and I ran into several young couples who were on their honeymoons.  We went to Ed Gabe's Lost Lake Lodge in Wisconsin for our honeymoon, and the cash we received at the wedding paid for it.  However, it's a new day.

Regardless of how you end up here, you will love it.  Get used to the walking, because the city fathers have steadfastly refused to put in the escalators and funiculars that many a hill town in Italy has incorporated into the landscape.  I stopped rather quickly for a bite to eat, and the half eaten panni on the table is my mozzarella and pomodoro version.  That and a small beer gave me claim on that table for half an hour while I drank in the sun and view.

As you move down the road, you are treated to cafe and hotel, one after another all with a wonderful view of the water and the town.

When I saw this collection of destinations on the way out of town, I thought Dean Martin should be here singing them.  If we added Vallari the list would be complete.  If you have traveled Europe, you know that you get from place to place with destination signs rather than route and highway numbers.  It is really a simple system, and it works.

On the way back to Amalfi, we made record time, and since I was standing for half the trip, I have the bruises to prove it.  Not really, but when you change direction every 100 meters or so, there is a bit of sway to the standers in the crowd.

Ciao for now!

Technical Problems with Computer Solved

The technical gods were agin me for the past 24-hours.  For some reason, my computer would not charge, and was down to 18% power. It worked fine in Umbria, but not her here in Amalfi, despite using the same equipment.  If I fail to solve this one, the blog would have to wait until I returned home to post pictures.  When the little electronics store finally opened, there was a 3-Euro solution, and we are charging again.  The second problem was banking - the ATM did not recognize my PIN, so no way to replenish my cash.  The third was that my phone (that I was trying to use to call Chase/Visa, would only call one number regardless of what number I would enter.  Therefore no help from Chase.  The phone finally worked (who knows why), and I was able to get Chase, who issued an "emergency PIN" and I'm rife with cash again.

It's 5:30 am, and the rains are gone.  However, there is a howling wind working its way through the narrow streets.  That will make trips to Capri and the Blue Grotto impossible for today, so I'll seek Positano.  With the sun came out, I first walked to the end of the pier to take these shots below and was actually almost blown into the water.  My camera bag was sliding towards the edge, and I barely caught it.  The gusts must have been 60 mph.  It is the front going through which brought the sun and cooler weather, so it should subside today.

The Town of Amalfi certainly looks better in the sun, and here are three pictures taken from the city dock. (Looking West, we have North, Center and South)

Amalfi is the central point for all the bus lines.  As you know I opted for bus passes rather than a rental car, because parking is all but impossible in the towns along the coast.  It was a good move, and here is one of the many luxury buses that avbus pass provides.

Another reason not to drive, is that these things are "moving" up and down the same "highway" you would be driving, and there is not a lot of room.  I sat in the front seat, so I could grab a few shots out the window to show you the traffic problem when two of these monsters approach each other.  there is less than 6" between them.  

That's the rear end of a red bus that is going the other way.  We are moving between the rock wall and the red bus.  The driver is handling all this with just the palm of his hand on the steering wheel while he waves and shouts a greeting to his fellow driver.  There were multiple cases where we or an oncoming vehicle had to stop and back up to allow passing during our one hour ride.

This is one you might face, if you were behind the wheel.

But on to Positano!

Spoleto to Naples to Amalfi

Drive to Naples

Driving in Italy is considered a non-contact sport in which participants attempt to come as close to an opponent as possible without touching them.  This applies to passing, where it is recommended that one come within a meter of the opponents bumper before swerving out to pass and then cutting in as close to the opponent's front fender as possible without touching.  The traffic circle feint requires special skill and daring, as the participant's car protrudes as far as possible into the circle in an attempt to force his opponent (who has the right-of-way) to yield.  I've not mastered this, because I didn't buy the extra insurance which covers stupidity.

I was a participant in this event yesterday on my 3.5 hour driving trip from Spoleto to Naples, where I was to return my car to the Avis people.  Participating was a blast as most Italian driving is, especially in the narrow, winding, mountain roads south of Spoleto.  Here opponents will pass you at the double line leading up to a hairpin turn, even though there is oncoming traffic; knowing full well that one will not purposely cause a fatal accident; or the oncoming car will pull close to the cliff to save his or her life; or the person being passed will brake to create space.  All in all it was an exhilarating time, and a game well played by all involved. 

I was met at Avis by Rosario Mercadante, my Untours contact, who accompanied me on the next road trip to Amalfi along with our driver.  He gave me a run down on the history of the area and thoroughly entertained me.  As we passed Mt. Vesuvius, he emphasised that it had not erupted in 79 years, but there were untested evacuation plans in place to relocate the million people who live on it's slopes, and the additional two million in the area.

Rosario was an English teacher by profession before retiring, and now leads trips from Italy to the US and UK.

Naples to Amalfi

The road from Naples to Amalfi begins in the broad plain which becomes the Bay of Naples, and crosses over a very steep mountain range to reach the Bay of Salerno. This twisty, narrow, un-guard-railed experience was made simple by out expert driver who pulled up to the front of my new abode in about an hour and fifteen minutes.  We were met by Paola, who is the apartment manager, and with her sister, runs a local tourist business.

As you can see we had a heavy overcast, and the forecast is for rain tomorrow.  Hopefully I can retake these in the sun.  The top picture is of the church on the main square, which is about 100 meters from my front door.

These pictures were taken from the city dock which extends directly from my apartment.  You can see the crude arrow I used to point out my apartment location in the third picture down.

The Apartment

2

I selected this place from many others for two reasons:  it had the fewest steps to climb, about 18, and it was very close to the bus terminal (50 meters), making transportation up and down the Amalfi Coast a breeze.  It is on the first floor (one floor above ground floor), and looks out over the busy beach and bus scene.  People were swimming, but I suspect these were the hearty, last of the season folks.  I resisted the temptation of photographing the man’s bare bum, as he changed into his trousers on the beach.

Than tragedy struck when Paola told me that the apartment had no Internet access, despite the fact that it was supposed to have it.  This led to a scramble to solve the problem, in which Paola’s office loaned me a wireless modem, and paid for a SIM card to allow me access in the apartment.  I went to the store that sold sim cards, and all was well except they explained that it would take three hours to become active.  Three hours later, and after the store was closed, it did not appear as a wireless option on my computer.  Problem not solved, so I went to bed, only to awake in a pouring rain storm.  On balance the drive was the highlight of the day yesterday.

Spello, One of the Beautiful, Walled Hill Towns of Umbria

From the Highway, Spello is just a stones throw, as you can see from the picture below.  It's another town that will test your legs if you decide to "walk up" rather than vie for one of the few parking places inside the walls.  Almost all of the hill towns have some version of the original walls.  Of course there has been maintenance over the years, but you are seeing "old" construction.

I opted to hoof it, and was rewarded with some great views of what it must be like to live here on one of the very narrow streets, sometimes without a yard at all, and sometimes with a small garden.  After all, this is a thriving little town and a popular residential place.

Below, you can see that one must share the road once inside the walls.  This is a two-way street.  In Italy driving is a sport, and you would be amazed at the highway driving.  However in these hill towns, everyone seemed to be very polite about giving way.

This picture of the famous church, Santa Maria Maggiore was captured before the attendant (sitting at his desk reading a newspaper) mentioned that photographs were forbidden.

The church houses amazing frescoes by Pinturicchio, famous in his time but new to me.  They really were something to see.

Yes this is a road, and those doors go to houses where people live.

One of the things call to my attention early in the week is the number of different building materials which have been used over the centuries to expand, repair and maintain the buildings of the hill towns.  Look at this wall below, and count all the different types of stone.

After Spello

I decided to do what I love most in a foreign country.  I hit the little back roads and head in a general direction to see what turns up.  One name on a direction sign interested me for some reason, so I set out south to find Montefalco.  I turns out that this is a central point for both the grape and olive industry in the valley.  As far as the eye could see, there were fields of one or the other, accented occasionally by a freshly plowed field which will be planted with next year's wheat.  Hard semolina of course, because that is what's best for pasta.


The grapes below are sagrantino, which are the best of all Italy,  I got it first hand from the man I ran into (or he into me) who was the owner of the grapes.  We had a spirited conversation making maximum use of my six words of Italian, and his seven words of English.  But we parted friends with a handshake and a Ciao!  Look at the density of the grape bunches.  This must be a banner year.

The next farm was growing olives, and several nets had been placed under the trees ready to catch the crop.  There were no workers around, so I assume it was their lunch break.  Nevertheless, here is a shot showing the density of the olives on a tree.  Remember from an earlier post, these are "raked" off the tree by hand.  Given the hundreds of thousands of trees in the valley, there is employment to be had in Umbria, at least now at harvest time.

Tomorrow, I pack up and drive to the Naples airport, where I will turn in my car and be picked up by the Untours driver who will then take me to Amalfi along with other Untourists flying into Naples.  I don't have a car in Amalfi, at the suggestion of Untours because parking is virtually impossible in the area.  Instead, I will be provided with a week of bus passes, so good bye to my little 5-speed, she has been a ball to drive this week on the twisty mountain roads and the high speed highways in Umbria.

The Big City

Yesterday was Perugia day, and I remembered why I love the small hill towns so much.  After a later than normal start in an attempt to miss the notorious Perugia traffic jams, I landed in the middle of one, two or three of then.  As a cross roads of the Italian version of Interstate highways, construction can bring things to a standstill.  When the construction closes two major tunnels which carry the load into the city, it becomes a parking lot.

The National Gallery of Umbra and the National Archaeological Museum of Umbria are here, however, and it makes the wait worthwhile.  For the rest of the day, I set aside some time to work on pictures.  You can only traipse around with your camera so long before the backlog catches up.

Today it is the hill town of Spello, and possibly another hill town up north.  Now it's time to get a load of wash done.  Don't want to be a dirty tourist.  I'd like to say I'm going down to the river to beat my underwear on a rock, but the apartment has a very modern washing room to be shared by the guests.  OOOOPs, stepped out the door to do the wash, and we have another dense fog morning.  It looks like I'll finish my washing (and hanging on a rack to dry) before going to Spello.  1 hour later:  My whites are whiter, my colors brighter..............  It must be the Tide! (or whatever that stuff in the big box was called.)

I have a feeling that just touching this old olive-picking ladder might send it crashing to the ground. Or..........., maybe it's holding up the wall.

Norcia and the Steep Mountains of Eastern Italy

Today's adventure was to head to the Sibillini Mountains, It is in the area of the recent earthquakes Which killed 300 and wiped out Amatrice almost completely.  This is not my picture, it came from the internet.  The police still have the roads blocked into what's left of the town.

Nevertheless, I did visit Norcia, which had substantially less damage; and enjoyed seeing a city famous today for its meats and meat products (especially pork) along with its black truffles.  Norica butchers are famous throughout italy.  It may explain that the city was once famous for producing surgeons, including those who helped young boys keep their voices from ever changing.  Pity the castratos.

Historically, it was the home of St. Benedict, the founder of western monasticism, and this twin sister, St. Scholastica.  The town Piazza features a statue of St. Benedict (Benedetto) shown below.

This pork butcher really knows how to advertise his wares, and reminded me about a marketing consultant who said, "When marketing a hog, the best sign to use is Pig for sale"  The inside of the store was equally exciting with every imaginable version of pork you could want.

Less intimidating, however, it was this smiling young lady's pitch that convinced me to purchase my sausage (Salame) and truffles (Tartufo) from her.

Tonight, I'll be cooking in the apartment with what I purchased in Norcia.  Strangozzi ai funghi porcini (pasta infused with Porcini mushrooms), tarfudu (black truffles), Parmigiano Reggano (cheese), Amatriciana Pomodoro Sauce with pancetta, and of course some local olive oil.  Washing it down with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and then frutta fresca.  Come join me.  There is plenty.

Following Norcia, I drove into the mountains, found what my little 5-speed could do on the narrow mountain roads, and then returned to Spoleto where I found a little road on the opposite side of the valley where I could better photograph the aqueduct and some of the ruins looking back towards Spoleto.

Ciao

Assisi in the Fog (Most of the Morning)

I out smarted myself this morning, and arrived at Assisi before the tourists and before the sun melted the fog away.  Then, I almost killed myself walking up and down the steep slopes.  It was worth it, however, and you have to love the architecture of this famous hill town.  Here are a few of the images from this morning.  The first, second and fourth are of the Basilica di San Francesco.  The third is the Rocca Maggiore (Great Fort), rebuilt by the church to give the impression of impregnability. The fourth is the Church of St. Mary.

So far I've been pleased with the results from the new, Fujifilm X-T2, travel camera, and it is great not to carry a 40# back pack full of my Canon gear especially in these hill towns.