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10-03-2018 Day 9 The Wonder that is Florence

High Temperature on this day, 78 Degrees F/25.5 C sunny and clear

When I started planning this trip I immediately bought some guidebooks. There is a ton of information on the internet but I wanted hard copy to peruse on cold winter nights. I had Rick Steve’s Florence and Tuscany, and Lonely Planet Florence. I read and read, studied maps, walked around the city using google street view, and tore out the hard copy map.

Isabella had said, “Always look for the Duomo, it will keep you oriented”. What she didn’t say is that the huge dome of the Duomo is not visible when you are wandering the narrow canyons that are the streets of Florence. As Deanna and I must have said a thousand times, “Thank goodness for Google Offline Maps!”. I have no idea how one would navigate Florence with only a paper map.

We dressed comfortably for the warm day ahead, making sure that we also had appropriate leg and shoulder coverings for the churches. The only way to begin to understand Florence is to head first for the piazza of the Duomo, formally known as the Cathedral di Santa Maria del Fiore. Our apartment on the east side of the Arno River is about half an hour’s walk from the Duomo, and on that first morning we chose to walk the west side of the Arno River toward the Ponte Vecchio.

Built in 966 very close to the original Roman crossing, the Ponte Vecchio, or “Old Bridge”, was the only bridge across the Arno in Florence until 1218. The current bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345. During World War II it was the only bridge across the Arno that the fleeing Germans did not destroy. Instead they blocked access by demolishing the medieval buildings on each side. On November 4, 1966, a devastating flood destroyed much of downtown Florence but the bridge miraculously withstood the floods.

There have been shops on Ponte Vecchio since the 13^th century. Initially, there were all types of shops, including butchers, fishmongers and, tanners, with the associated rank smells. Understanding the history of the Medici’s is central to understanding Florence and the Renaissance. Their wealth and power during the 15th century was unprecedented. They decided that the smell wasn’t acceptable and in the mid 1500’s, Ferdinando I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, decreed that only goldsmiths and jewelers be allowed to have their shops on the bridge in order to improve the wellbeing of everyone, including that of the Medici as they walked over the bridge between their offices at the Uffizi buildings and their home at Pitti Palace on the opposite side of the Arno River.

We followed the walk to the right. the Uffizi Gallery is the tall grayish building beyond the Galileo Gallery

The bridge looked interesting in the morning sunlight with rowers from the local elite rowing club on the water. We were glad to be walking rather than driving as traffic was crazy all around us. Even walking was a bit of a challenge on the narrow footpath along the river with crowds lining up and couples stopping to take photos of the famous bridge.

We didn’t realize that we were in front of the famous Uffizi Gallery when the foot traffic got really thick, and we had to thread our way through the crowds to try to get past the entry lines. On that first morning, we didn’t know much. It is fun to look back on that first wandering walk and compare it to how much we learned of the city in the ten days or so that followed. It was a bit intimidating, but not really too much as we continued to wander in the general direction of the Duomo.

I thought you might like an overview of the city as you read. Our apartment in on the lower far right corner

We turned at a side street just past the bridge, and there was the gorgeous red dome of the famous Duomo, gleaming in the morning light. The cathedral is huge, and the complex includes not only the main cathedral, but the bell tower, “Campanille” and the Baptistry. Our plan for this first day included no formal tours, with the idea that we would wander, get to know the place a bit from the outside before venturing inside any of the famous cathedrals and galleries that we planned to visit.

An aerial view from Google of the Piazza Duomo, the Baptistry to the left, the Campanille so the south of the Cathedral, The Dome on the right, and our little Duomo Caffe along the Piazza

That plan worked out fairly well. We had read that the only way to begin to deal with the huge crowds of tourists was to begin the day early, and we were in time to get tickets to climb the bell tower without having to wait terribly long in the lines. Even at that early hour, around 10:30, the lines for entry into the Duomo itself were all the way around the block and would be at least a 2 hour wait. Lucky for us, not many folks were excited about climbing the stairs of the bell tower. It is the tourist thing to do to climb the Duomo, but the guidebooks suggested that climbing the bell tower actually provided better views and the line was often much shorter. The guidebook was right!

We did have to stand in line at the Duomo Museum building, around the square some distance to get tickets for the bell tower. At that time we also got an entry time to climb the Duomo, with the first time available being the following Friday night.

Hurrying back to the bell tower line we discovered that in just the few minutes it took to get our tickets, the line had grown quite a bit. Still, the wait was tolerable. The ticket taker looked askance at my walking stick and my white hair and made sure that I knew the bell tower was 414 steps to the top.

Giotto was a painter and architect from Florence during the late middle ages. He was the main architect for the graceful “Giotto’s Campanile” as the bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is called in Italian. The tower is a beautiful example of Florentine gothic architecture of the fourteenth century.

As we began to explore the beautiful churches and museums of Florence, the evolution from the Dark Ages and the Gothic period to the brilliant realism of the Renaissance in art and architecture was evident everywhere. This was the heart of Florence, the reason is it such a magical place to experience the leap that mankind made during the Renaissance.

Deanna and I didn’t notice the diamond shaped sculptures here until AFTER we saw the real ones in the museum.

Giotto began the construction of the bell tower in 1334, and it was completed after his death in 1359. The bell tower is 269 feet/82 meters high and requires climbing all 414 steps to reach the top. The climb up the tower isn’t terribly difficult and there are three open middle floors where you can rest and enjoy the view.The steps are rather narrow and it is the only way up and down, so you need to share it with people going in both directions. Everyone is quite polite, with bodies grazing each other in the narrow space, and lots of laughter.

The view from the top was thrilling, with red tiles roofs far below us in all directions, the narrow winding streets of Florence looking like a huge maze. We had a gorgeous bird’s eye view of Brunelleschi’s Dome, (more about that in another post).

Going down was easier on the legs and lungs but harder on the knees and balance. Once again, in the narrow stairways on the crooked steps, I relied on Deanna’s shoulder in front of me for balance.Once we were back in the piazza, lunch seemed like a great idea. We were hungry! The shade under the umbrellas look very inviting and a cool drink would hit the spot. Lunch was not inexpensive, but so delicious. Italian salami, cheeses, more fabulous tomatoes, and panini bread that was done to perfection, crispy but tender. As always, the question about water, sparkling or still? No such thing as tap water in a glass in most Italian eating establishments.Topped off with a cappuccino as we watched the crazy crowds milling about it was a delightful treat.

The tickets we had purchased earlier at the Duomo Museum included the Bell Tower, the Duomo, the Baptistry, the Crypt, and the Duomo Museum. There were many reasons to visit this museum, but I had an agenda: it was time to view my first Michelangelo sculpture.

However an even more important reason to visit this beautiful newly remodeled museum is that almost all the original sculpture from the facade of the Bell Tower and the Duomo is here. In order to protect the priceless art from vandalism and the weather, copies have been made for display in their original locations and the actual pieces are inside the museum.

While I was searching around on Google attempting to locate the Caffe Duomo as I was writing this blog, I suddenly found myself right inside the museum with a 360 view. Google is now doing interior spaces of some of these great world treasures. Before you continue with my story, check out the link here. Deanna, this means you too! You will be amazed!

The figure on the left is Donatello’s St John the Evangelist originally on the exterior of the Duomo

The interior of the museum is a newly recreated facade of the original cathedral with the sculptures in place as they once were on the exterior of the church. The display of sculpture by so many artists was thrilling, with familiar and unfamiliar names from old art history classes.

Viewing the original Ghiberti Baptistry doors is so much better than seeing the copy from the street at the Baptistry. According to some, the Renaissance officially began in 1401 with a citywide competition to build new doors for the Baptistry. Lorenzo Ghiberti won the job and built the first set of doors for the north entrance. He was later commissioned to create another set of doors for the east entrance, facing the Duomo. These bronze “Gates of Paradise” revolutionized the way Renaissance people viewed and depicted the world around them.

The aging Michelangelo’s later Pieta, with the face of Nicodemus a self portrait

In room toward the back of the building, showcased in a way to honor the artist, is the Pieta by Michelangelo. This is his later Pieta, unlike the one in the Vatican which is so famous. I was close enough to touch the marble, but of course I wouldn’t think of it. If you reach your hands toward any of the art loud alarms will go off triggered by the lasers that protect the pieces.

A work of art that isn’t exactly beautiful but is so compelling is the wood carving of Mary Magdalene by Donatello. Donatello as a sculptor preceded Michelangelo and was at times a mentor to the younger sculptor. Between 1415 and 1435 Donatello and his pupils completed eight life-sized marble prophets for niches in the Campanile of the Cathedral, and we viewed these original sculptures in the Museum. This wood carving was a complete departure of style and material for Donatello, and shocked the people of Florence. The carving was completed during the later years of Donatello’s life and reflected the intense depression he experienced at that time.

This image is “The Weaver” by Andrea Pisano from the south side of the Campanile

This image is “Orpheus, the Musician” by Luca Della Robbia from the north side of the Campanile

Another display that we thoroughly enjoyed were the diamond-shaped, blue glazed panels that once decorated the Campanile, seven per side. The original design may have been Giotto, but his successor, Andrea Pisano and his assistants completed most of the panels.

The gallery for Brunelleschi’s Dome contains the architect’s models and his death mask in addition to details about the construction of the brick dome that was the precursor to the dome at St Peter’s in the Vatican.

We spent more than 2 hours in the museum. A happy circumstance was the lack of crowding. We did have to wait about half an hour in line to enter, but once inside the crowds were fairly well dispersed and not terribly intrusive.

I took a LOT of photos, and my museum interior skills definitely need some honing. I will include some of them but if you want to see more here is a link to the rest of the photos for this day.

We were darn tired by late afternoon after our first day seeing just the beginning of what Florence has to offer. Following our offline maps once again, we found a different route home, behind the Santa Croce Cathedral, and crossing the Arno River and the second bridge east from the Ponte Vecchio. It was a good route and we used it often in the coming days.

Once again we cooked a great dinner with some of our stash from the fabulous COOP grocery, with fresh veggies, tomatoes and zucchini of course, a salad with lettuce that was the least exciting thing we ate in Italy, and a great little steak to top it off.

We knew the next day would be another big one, and we fell into the almost decent mattress on the sofa bed with grateful hearts.

10-02-2018 Day 8 First Day in Florence

Cloudy, a bit rainy, and 58F 14.4C

View toward Michelangelo Piazza from the apartment bedroom window

Neither of us slept well last night. Perhaps Deanna may have slept better if I hadn’t been so restless, since we shared the queen sized bed in the bedroom. There is also a sofa bed in the living area, but we decided to skip making that one up since it takes up most of the space, and we had no problem sleeping together.

The problem with that plan is that the bed, much like our bed in Montepertuso, is very hard. In addition to being hard it is also lumpy, and sags a bit. I can’t believe how attached we both are to our comfy beds. Is this how Europeans sleep?

I got up in the middle of the night and tried to sleep on the sofa, (at least here we HAVE a sofa) but that didn’t work for long either. Hips and knees are arguing in a serious way. I have a feeling it is the damp and cool weather rather than all the hiking we have been doing, because I was much better back on the sunny coast of Amalfi!

Rainy morning view from the kitchen window

We have already decided that this will be a catch-up day, so the rain is quite delightful. No need to rush out and explore, and our main outing for the day will be a walk to the market.

Breakfast was simple, with NesCafe conveniently left in the cupboard, some of our lovely breads from Sara, and the last of our yogurts that we brought with us. We can drink the water here in the apartment and are quite happy that we don’t have to be buying and hauling bottled water every day as we did in Montepertuso. No clue if that was necessary or not as we never thought to ask Sara. We bought a lot of big bottles of water while we were there. We saw locals filling water bottles at the square in Montepertuso from a water vending machine so I am fairly certain we did the right thing.

This apartment has a lot of charm, with delightful art from the owner’s world travels in Africa. I should mention that while Isabella speaks excellent Italian, she is actually Canadian and speaks perfect English. Her home is outside the city on a small farm and she has lived in Italy for 18 years. She was kind enough to leave us a lovely bottle of olive oil from her home orchard. The apartment has two fat and fluffy down comforters, plenty of pots and pans, a microwave, and even a small washer which is currently taking care of a week’s worth of hiking clothes.

Isabella tried to give us a good overview of how to live in the apartment when we arrived. The most complex instruction was concerning the heat and air conditioning. It has a very strange system controller that is on the wall over the stairs, requiring a long lean over the railing and a flashlight to see the tiny settings which are in Italian of course. So far we haven’t been successful getting the heat to operate, but hopefully that will be attended to before it gets cold again next weekend. Tomorrow is supposed to be much warmer with no rain for a few more days. I did just receive a WhatsApp note from Isabella saying that in the city of Florence it is not legal to turn on the heat before November 1. Ok then! Back to the jackets, socks, and comforters!

The bathroom in our little apartment is well appointed, with nice fixtures, excellent plumbing, and a window that opens for fresh air. We had seen the photos on the Air BnB website, but they really don’t do justice to the small space. It is very very small, so tiny that turning around in the space is not really possible. The other laughable thing is that you have to step over the bidet to get the to toilet.

We sat at the table this morning for breakfast, on hard little chairs with a thin cushion, and came up with a great idea. We moved the extra cushions from the other chairs and now sit on 2 or 3, just right for computer work. Are Americans really this soft?? I guess so, at least we are. I want my cush!

The very best surprise for this morning, however, was our decision to open up the sofa bed and see how it worked. Out popped the most lovely memory foam mattress, and we looked at each other and almost cried we were so happy. Ahhhh. We WILL be sleeping on the sofa bed, and are incredibly grateful that the next two weeks in Florence won’t be marred by aching hips from a hard bed.

We looked at each other and at the gray skies outside, the wet terrace through the window, and said, “Time for a nap!!” I think it was about 9 AM. Yes, this is a day of rest and recuperation, with the most difficult tasks being napping, processing photos, and actually writing for the blog.

By midafternoon with rested bodies and minds it was time to brave the streets of our neighborhood and make an attempt to find the market. Although Isabella said that the market was just down the street, we had no clue how to find it. It was still a bit cool and rainy and we donned our jackets, made sure that Google Maps had downloaded the proper maps for the area, and set off on the hunt.

Even with google maps for imagery the directions for walking don’t work when offline. We wandered off in what seemed like the proper direction before we finally arrived on a street that had some shops. The Carni (meat market) was closed, but down the street was a small pharmacy where they told us that the Carni would open in November. The young woman in that shop told us to go to the COOP. We managed to find the shopping center where the COOP was located on Google Maps. After a couple of miles we at last entered into a huge supermarket and spent a long time looking at fabulous food and filling our carry bags with groceries for the coming week.

It was a long walk back to the apartment with those heavy bags. We had to stop for sustenance at very nice little gelato shop where we were allowed to sit with our treat at the empty table without an extra charge. While tasty, the gelato was nothing like the amazing treat we had in Positano.

A bit farther along on the same road we found a bakery with take away pizza slices and bought two for our supper that evening. We found Italian pizza to be much like any other, always different, some fabulous and some so-so. These first slices of pizza in Firenze were a veggie mix that was truly yummy.

Continuing along the road we passed the Carni once again and it was wide open! It had only been closed until 3pm, in the Italian tradition of closing in the afternoon for a long lunch. Most shops are closed between 12 or 1 and 3 or 4 at least. We also discovered that we had simply made the wrong turn when leaving the big intersection and in the future wouldn’t have to walk all the way to the COOP for groceries.

Just for fun, check out this Google map street view image of the intersection to understand why we were a bit confused on that first day in the big city. Just trying to get some groceries had turned into a major undertaking.

the main intersection near our apartment

Tomorrow will be a big day, as we begin to explore the magnificent history of the city center of Firenze.

10-01-2018 Day 7 Montepertuso to Florence

After a fabulous week of sunny weather, we woke this morning to cloudy skies, with big thunderheads in the distance, and a gray overcast tinged with pink over our terrace. We had been wakened by the sounds of the drop planes very early. The previous night as we were eating supper on the terrace, bells rang for a long time. We knew it was some sort of warning, but decided that if we needed to evacuate Sara and Enzo would let us know.

The smell of smoke was strong throughout the night, so we did know that the fire we had seen yesterday on the mountain just beyond our village was still burning.

We had arranged breakfast at 7, with our ride to the train station at 10:30, in plenty of time to catch the 1pm train to Florence. That all changed when Sara came to the apartment to tell us that we needed to leave earlier, and that her cousin would be taking us instead of Enzo, and we should meet him at the piazza. Sara doesn’t speak English well, and she handed us the phone where I spoke to Enzo who explained that the main road to Naples was closed due to the fire and the drivers were all having difficulties getting people out of town.

We packed up and headed for the piazza a bit early, and within minutes Sara came running down to tell us that her cousin would not be able to make it, but they had arranged yet another driver to take us to our train. Luigi was to arrive no later than 10, but with the road closures and all the traffic, he didn’t show up till 10:30. He was devastated at that, saying that he is NEVER late for his customers, but this was an extreme situation.

Luigi is singing, talking on his cell phone, driving really fast, and talking with his hands, a perfect Italian

Luigi was everything I had imagined an Italian driver to be, charming, a bit of a wolf, and he talked a LOT. He did tell us that his name actually IS wolf, and he is head wolf. He also sang! Our trip leaving Montepertuso was something I will never, ever forget. Luigi put on a favorite music mix to play for us, beginning with “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. This particular version has always been a thrill for me to listen to, but having this music accompany our ride leaving Positano was a moment I will never forget. I hope that I never forget that feeling as we watched the lovely little town built on the steep cliffs of the Amalfi Coast recede in the distance.

As sad as the road closure was, and as difficult as it was for other tourists and their drivers, it was an incredibly lucky break for us. We got to see the highway going in the opposite direction from our previous trip on the Sita bus, and Luigi drove us up through the town of Ravello, which we had been too tired and overwhelmed to visit on our day in Amalfi.

Continuing along the road to Amalfi, previously experienced in a big bus from a different direction, the views were achingly beautiful in spite of the speed. Luigi talked a mile a minute in between his singing, and even when talking on his phone (hands free of course) he talked with his hands as he drove those crazy roads through Ravello. Our views of Ravello were through the windows and the windshield and very fast.

The mountains were gorgeous, with views of the sea opening up as we rounded the curves, and cloaked in lush chestnut trees.Once over the mountain, the broad valley south of Vesuvio opened up below us. Luigi, not only drove incredibly well, but extremely fast. I had to laugh, because not only did he talk and sing, he also talked with his hands while talking on the phone to the other drivers who were all trying to figure out how to get people to their planes and trains. He also yelled a lot at stupid drivers, and honked at everything coming our way.He was angry at the Sita bus driver who didn’t slow down for the goats, and at stupid limo drivers who parked too far out in the narrow road.

The speed limit on the freeway approaching Napoli is 100 km/hr, but I noticed Luigi driving at least 130. He kept reassuring us, but I could tell he was doing his best. We arrive at the Napoli Centrale Station at 12:30. Made me very glad we were doing a train and not an airplane! He said, “Do not worry, I will take you to your platform”. We paid him inside the taxi, for safety, he said, and then he gave us a CD with all the beautiful Italian music he had been playing for us on the drive. He unloaded our bags, and led us quickly to the overhead sign showing which platform we needed to go to, and only left us once we knew what to do. Very nice for our first big train trip in Italy. Hopefully we will be a bit more experienced now when we catch the train back to Naples after our two weeks here in Florence.

The train ride itself was exciting as well, at least for first timers. I had read a lot about traveling by train in Italy on the “Man in Car 61” website that Erin shared with me a year ago, and we had made online reservations so did have a bit of an idea what it would be like. Still, going very close to 300 km/hour on a train is pretty exciting. It is especially so as you pass another bullet train. It is a blur that lasts about one second!

It was raining hard for most of our trip, and watching the countryside was interesting but not terribly exciting until we got closer to Tuscany where the landscape took on the beautiful lush look of the farmlands. I was surprised at how lush and green it is in this part of Italy, looking very much like the Willamette Valley. Checking the latitude, I discovered that while Positano is on the same latitude as Redding, California (remember the fires?), Florence is on the same latitude as Eugene, Oregon. Very interesting to me.

Our tickets were business class, with comfy seats, plenty of room for our luggage, and plenty of legroom. All in all an excellent experience. Within less than 3 hours we arrived in Florence, at the Santa Maria Novella station, made sure our items were properly secured and pushed our luggage in front of us to avoid the pickpockets that we had been warned about through ads on the train monitors. It wasn’t a problem for us this time, but all it takes is being unaware only once to lose something precious.

The only mistake we made was assuming when they offered food and drink it was complimentary. Only the coffee and snack is complimentary. The pasta and the wine cost us about 50 Euro, not money well spent, but we learned and didn’t make the same mistake on our return trip to Naples two weeks later.

Notice the gray wrist bands, my excellent solution for preventing motion sickness, they work!

When we arrived at Firenze Santa Novella Train Station we knew to walk directly outside to the taxi stand. In Italy you don’t hail a taxi, you get in line and wait your turn. Interesting thought as I remember no one waiting their turn for the buses, but everyone was very orderly when waiting for their turn at a taxi. Within ten minutes we had a taxi, showed the driver our address on Google Maps, and fifteen minutes and 15 Euro later arrived at our new doorstep.

We showed our driver the address on our phones in Google Maps, asked “Quanto Costa”, and were told to watch the meter. (of course) Within minutes, and only 15 EU later, we were at the door of our apartment, with several call buttons, and no clue which name we were supposed to call. A lady looked out the window above us and said, “No, not that one!”. Oops. We pushed the top highest button and the door suddenly opened. I was really glad then that we had small luggage because the door was very narrow. We could barely fit through it even with our carry ons!

Isabella came down the stairs to meet us and help with the luggage. And yes, there are a Lot of stairs, very narrow stairs, with ancient cement uneven steps. It is an old house. Once we reached the third level, where our studio space is located, we stopped to get instructions and fill out rental agreements .

The wooden arched door on the left is ours, and the gazebo extending on top of the roof is our terrace.

Isabella was quick and businesslike, unloading every bit of information she thought we might need. Continuing up another flight of stairs to the main floor of the apartment, she showed us the bullet proof glass door that led to the terrace, showed us how to operate those keys, showed us how to manage the heating system, where the turn off valves were for the water and the gas, and explained the 3 different levels of breaker switches for the apartment, including the one on our floor, on the next floor down, and on the ground level. She showed us the dishwasher, the washing machine, and made sure we knew not to run too many things at once. Our brains were a bit worn, and after she left neither of us could figure out how to manage the heating system and things felt a bit chilly after all that warm sunshine down south.

Looking out the windows, across the ancient red tiles, reminded me of those James Bond movies with people running from roof to roof, shooting their guns. She also said, don’t answer the call bell, because no one should be trying to call you or get in.

Isabella illustrated perfectly what Luigi had told us about Italy. As a Napolitano, he loves Southern Italy most. He told us the southerners are warm and friendly, happy, full of a love of life and food and everything beautiful. The Northerners are much less friendly, more businesslike, less welcoming. After our time in Italy, we would both definitely agree with Luigi.

We were happy that we had brought pasta and Sara’s tomato sauce and some of her bread with us since there was no way we were going back down all those stairs to try to find a grocery store. Isabella said something about “just a few blocks that way”, but we weren’t yet ready to brave the city streets. She also said something about buses, which one to catch, which numbers went where, and that the map in the study was worn out and we should probably go get another one to figure it out. Ok then.

Instead, we cooked our pasta, added a little of Sara’s sauce, opened the bottle of wine that Isabella had kindly left for us, and stepped out onto the terrace to enjoy an incredible view of Florence across the Arno River as sunset approached. This was the view I had seen in so many photos and imagined so many times as I dreamed about visiting the very heart of the Renaissance, Firenze.

The stairs were a bit daunting, but we had known to expect that, but the view from the terrace was even better than we had imagined. The clouds parted, the sun came out at just the right moment to light up the gorgeous dome of the Duomo across the river. In addition to the terrace, there is another lovely window in the kitchen with a view of the river, and a large window in the bedroom that opens up to the gorgeous sky.

Our location is perfect for us, on the south side of the river away from the bustle of the old city, and yet within walking distance. I think our favorite thing is that we can see the Michelangelo Piazza just above us on the next terrace and there is a lovely view of gardens and greenery from the terrace as well. The fourth floor is high, and there is a price to pay, but the open feeling is worth every step.

Our quiet little village of Montepertuso was as different as night and day from the big city of Firenze. But when the bells from all the cathedrals scattered throughout the city began tolling at 6pm we looked at each other in wonder. Wow! We are in Florence!

09-30-2018 Day 6 The Path of the Gods

Montepertuso, Italy Clear, Sunny and 75 Degrees F/ 24 C

View from the Path, with smoke from the fires showing on the mountain above Montepertuso and over the sea

Waking up on Sunday morning was lovely. The bells on the big church just behind our apartment started ringing early, and the clarion call sounded lovely echoing around the village. We had noticed the bells on other days, but on this day they rang several times. I am sure that the odd hours were announcing another mass for the townsfolk. 99.7 percent of Italian people are Roman Catholic.

When we first arrived in Montepertuso, Enzo was emphatic about making a reservation for us at a local restaurant, famous for its fish and wonderful food. We finally settled on Sunday night for the reservation, but by the time Sunday rolled around we knew that we needed to be ready to catch the train on Monday morning and didn’t want to go to dinner.

Neither of us are particularly attached eating fancy meals at expensive restaurants so it was an easy decision. Dinner at Ristorante la Terra would have cost at least 100 EU. We chose instead to spend that extra money on our tour day of the ruins and skip the expensive dinner.

The day was gorgeous and sunny, with only a slight breeze. Both of us were so appreciative of the fabulous weather we had enjoyed throughout our entire week on the Amalfi Coast. In spite of the winds, it was a perfect week.

We saved the famous hike along the cliffs for this last day. It seemed like a fitting end to our visit. There is much written about the Path of the Gods, and it is something that should be experienced during any extended trip to the Amalfi Coast.

The path itself follows the cliffs along an 8.7 kilometer trail from the town of Bomerano to Positano, along routes that have been used for centuries by farmers taking their products to market on the backs of donkeys. Each end of the trail has magnificent views of the Amalfi Coast and the beautiful farmed and grazed terraces gracing the steep slopes of the limestone mountains.

We knew that we were a bit worn from our week of stairs and hiking and with a bit of discussion decided that we would rather hike only part of the trail. The length was less daunting than the fact that we would have to take the Mobility bus down to Positano, catch the Siti Bus to Amalfi, and catch another bus to Bomerano to access the trailhead at its southernmost entrance.

Instead, we decided to take the Mobility bus up to Nocelle, get on the trail at the access point there, and hike as far as we could manage before turning around to retrace our steps. With my knee and vertigo, this seemed like a much smarter idea.

The bus was a bit late, as usual, but wasn’t a deterrence since we knew we could spend as much time as we wanted on the trail and catch the last bus going back to Positano via Montepertuso from Nocelle at 7pm. The bus was also quite crowded, with many people choosing to hike only part of the trail as well.

It was a hot afternoon, and right at the entrance to the trail in Nocelle was a lemonade stand with lemon granitas. On my! This is nothing like ordinary lemonade although I have no idea what makes it so luscious. Perfect start for our hike.

We walked a bit through Nocelle, meeting many folks coming our way from Bomerano. Mid afternoon was a perfect time to be walking in the opposite direction as all those very tired hikers. The standard question, “How much further”? was repeated often, with smiles and laughter and some big sighs for some. The village is a lovely place, much smaller than Montepertuso, and the path is lined with small villas, a tiny grocery store, and a few eating places. Cars must park at the entrance to the village near the bus stop.

The path is through Nocelle is well marked

If you look closely, you can see our path on the right beyond the stone building along the cliff

I am not sure how long we walked, but after we climbed this particular set of stairs, we came to an area that was basically a rocky cliff. There was nothing to break a fall to the sea below, far below.

We had been hiking for 90 minutes or so, and according to the map were about half way along the trail. It seemed like an opportune place to turn around. It made us doubly glad that we hadn’t tried to to the entire trail from the far end. We would have had no choice but to climb those cliffs. I suppose we would have managed, but I wanted to remain alive for another day. I had to face the fact that with the bad knee and vertigo coming and going I probably would never manage Angel’s Landing in Zion in this lifetime either.

Retracing out steps just a bit led us to a charming picnic table in a ravine surrounded by wildflowers and shaded by huge trees. There were just a few small pools of water remaining from what I could imagine were rushing waterfalls during the springtime.

People passed by on the trail and we were happy to have the table for our evening picnic of Sara’s goodies. The shade felt great and we were grateful for the water bottles we had carried on what turned out to be a rather hot afternoon on the trail.

Taking our time as the trail evolved from rough rocks to stone steps near Nocelle, we loved seeing the view from a different perspective. We saw that the fires were still burning, and watched the big bellied planes dipping into the sea and flying over the ridges to drop water on the fires.

The few tiny establishments along the way tempted us, but we didn’t want to miss the last bus from Nocelle back to Montepertuso. As luck would have it, the bus was on time and showed up not long after we arrived at the stop. The pushing and shoving were a little less obnoxious by that time in the evening and we were grateful for that. We were ready to be home in our little apartment for what would be our last evening on the Amalfi Coast. Time to pack and prepare for our travels north to the city of Florence “Firenze” and a completely different world.

09-29-2018 Day 5 Montepertusso, the Hole in the Mountain

Montepertusso, Italy, Clear and 22C 72F

After our very long day yesterday, Deanna and I thought that it would be great to have a nice quiet day at home We imagined a perfect “jammie day”. We did realize that we would have to dress to walk to the nearby market in the local square to get more bottled drinking water. I put on my most comfy shorts and top, a pair of sandals, bringing my walking stick and the phone. The short walk is still a bit rough, so the stick was a good choice. Who knows about the phone, but I thought it might be nice to get a photo of the square and anything else that popped up.

The market is small,and quite charming, with a very good deli in the back, a small hidden area for household items, some fresh produce, and lots of yummy pasta and olive choices. We chose a fat swirly pasta called Trecce to go with the homemade tomato sauce from Sara’s garden offered to us this morning. At the register the kind woman was very helpful with figuring out our change and what we needed to pay. Somehow the 16 EU charged on the register became 36 EU after she helped us with the currency. First lesson learned. Don’t be stupid and think that just because the sweet little lady in the market has served you several times and been really sweet that she won’t attempt to confuse you and cheat you. The market is called Marrone New Shop Di Cuccaro F. As I said a delightful little shop, but know your euros and count your change.

Leaving the market we counted our losses, laughed at ourselves a bit in frustration, and wandered off through the square toward the back of Il Ritrovo This restaurant is highly recommended however we will not have time to try it out. A beautiful colorful map posted by a nearby stairway showed us the route we had been wondering about: how to get to the famous Hole in the Mountain, Montepertuso il buco.

We looked at each other and said, “Why not?” I had on sandals but I at least had my stick for hiking the stairs and my phone for taking photos.

The stairs looked quite familiar, but unlike the stairs down to Positano, the stair depth was more like real stairs. One step per stair instead of 3 or 4. Up up up we went with a group of young people sometimes in front of us and sometimes behind us, but never intrusive. A few other folks my age were huffing and puffing and stopping now and then to catch their breath, so I didn’t feel too badly when I had to stop as well. We loved being slowed a bit by a young man sweeping the steps, taking care of all the debris from the previous night’s winds.

I also enjoyed stepping aside at several terraced gardens, rich with ripening squashes, grapes heavy on the vines, and tomatoes at the end of their cycle. These terraces are the rich legacy of centuries of farming and eons of rich volcanic soils.

On our return trip we encountered a farmer with his machinery going down the steps. Can you imagine having to do this to get to your gardens every day? Notice the tracks on the garden machine for climbing the stairs.

For me, however, the biggest problem was the dang vertigo that I have been fighting for some time now (like years). It gets to me at the most inopportune times, like when climbing stuff. Such a pain. I have discovered that I can crawl up really steep weird things, and have also learned that with one stick, all I need to do is simply touch something with my other hand to make it ok. Deanna’s shoulder was a very welcome addition to the hike, both up and down.

Not too far from the summit is a “park area”, and I was happy for a flat place to get my balance. I guess you can see from my expression I was a bit unnerved.

The last portion of the hike is quite steep and a bit rough, with crazy steps and rocks, and I was very happy when we reached the top. The small group of young people were ahead of us, standing around in the magnificent arched opening in the mountain.

One of them kindly took our photo and then Deanna decided to walk out on a very narrow rock ledge to a pinnacle overlooking the village below and the sea. I wasn’t able to get a photo of her adventure since she had the phone with her, but the resulting photo is one of my favorites of our trip so far.

We waited a bit for the young folks to come down, but when it seemed they weren’t about to go anywhere we joined them in the arch. They were very sweet, and I got a kick out of the fact that I wasn’t the only one wearing sandals. Actually the sandals were a great idea, since they are the least slippy of any of my hiking shoes, have plenty of toe room, and I love hiking in them.

After exchanges mostly in broken Italian, I asked, “Di Dove Sei?”, and it turned out they were Italians from a town just over the mountain near Sorrento. The young men were in suits and the women in dresses, and they were carrying man purses, which seemed a little strange for a hike. One young man finally spoke to me in English saying, “We are here to share the Bible knocking on doors of homes. We are Jehovah Witness”. Wow. In Italy, where 99 percent of the population is Catholic. They were sweet kids, and with the language barrier, they at least declined from asking us if we wanted to learn about the Bible and Jesus.

The hike down was a piece of cake, with the elevation difference of only 300 feet or so and Deanna’s shoulder in front of me for balance, we made it in no time. Returning through the square in the gorgeously brilliant sunshine, we ambled back to our home and spent the rest of the afternoon “doing nothing”. This meant we spent several hours processing photos from the previous days, and making sure we had all our spending tracked and recorded.

Supper was early by Italian standards, with the yummy pasta, a fresh zucchini stir fried as an addition to Sara’s tomato sauce, and a yummy salad with fresh greens, tomatoes, a truly fabulous balsamic from Valenti’s and some of Sara’s olive oil. The zucchini wasn’t anything like ours at home, much more dense and flavorful, and less watery. Fabulous. The tomatoes are a treat in themselves and can only be found with flavor even close this at home in farmer’s markets.

Dessert was the last of our pistachio cannoli we had saved from our walk in Positano and a sip of the incredible limoncello we purchased the night before at Valenti’s. (See the post from Day 4 with more about this)

I fell into bed so looking forward to a night of good sleep. As lovely as our little BnB has been, the beds are not the least bit lovely. The bedding is fresh cotton, all ironed and embroidered, the coverlet is nice, the blanket is good, however the mattress feels a bit like cardboard with a plank of plywood beneath it. I have only managed to figure out a bit of comfort by adjusting some of the 4 large pillows around my body here and there to try to get the pressure off the hips. Not a surprise, as I do remember some hard beds from previous trips on this side of the pond. Deanna and I are both really hoping that our bed in Florence is a bit better. Firm is good, but hard isn’t so much.

With all the photos we took, with two cameras and two phones, we had a bit of trouble trying to keep track and attempted to process and upload often so as not to lose them. We didn’t completely succeed, and some of the photos I took of the interior of our apartment are forever lost. If you would like to check out the space, here is the link to the Airbnb website for La Selva Santa, our Home Away from Home. The people in the photo sitting at the table are Enzo and Sara.

A link to the photos for this day that I did not manage to lose is here