Dan's Comments 1

From time to time on this tour of Italy, Dan has agreed to share some of his impressions with me.  Here's the first:

"This is a very interesting country in many unexpected ways.  A motorist is apt to leave his car in the middle of a one-lane road and block the flow of traffic while he has a drink in a bar.  Yesterday a Northern Italian told us that this would happen in South Italy, but before we reached our hotel it happened to us here in Rome."

Our bus blocked in Rome.

"The proficiency of drivers, especially big bus drivers, on the switchback roads of the Amalfi Coast is incredible.  In three days of driving we encountered only two accidents, although there was seldom more than six inches of leeway between our bus and the ones it was encountering.  Fortunately the Vespa riders usually didn't try to squeeze between us until we had passed.

Scenically that coast is quite spectacular, with volcanic mountains of the southern Appenines plunging several thousand feet into Homer's wine-dark sea.  It takes a while, though, to make the esthetic adjustment to fishing villages that look like tenements."

Fishing village along the Amalfi Coast is very different from one in Nova Scotia

"Pompeii was much more impressive than it seems in photographs.  Something about the third dimension gives it a convincing reality, the humanity of which is attested to by the hundreds of museum amphorae and the handful of plaster casts of the bodies of people killed in the eruption.  Today there are 700,000 people living within Pompeii's distance from Vesuvius. That's what makes it the most dangerous volcano in the world."

Amphorae and cast of victim from Pompeii.

"After even Amalfi's tourist accommodation, Rome's seem rapacious.  Five euros to use the TV or the Internet. It would be cheaper to buy a new blouse than to have one laundered here."

Eleven euros ($15.00) to launder a blouse.

Drive Along the Amalfi Coast, Italy

On Tuesday afternoon after spending the morning in Pompeii, we had a lovely drive along the Amalfi Coast which is truly spectacular. Except for the rain on Monday morning, the weather has been perfect.  We have seen so much in such a short time that I will have to post some blogs about this trip after we return to North Carolina.  In the meantime, here are some photos from our drive along the Coast.

Viagra on the Amalfi Coast

Fruit stand in Positano, Italy.

On Tuesday, after visiting Pompeii, we drove along the beautiful Amalfi Coast which must surely be one of the most beautiful coasts in the world.  (Photos of that later.)  Near the small town of Positano we stopped at a little roadside market..  Many of the products we encountered were similar to ones we might find at the NC State Farmers Market.  Others were quite different.

These small tomatoes resemble ones you might get at Harris Teeter, but they taste oh so much better.

Locally grown lemons.

The Amalfi Coast has the perfect climate for growing lemons and lemons are a major crop of the area.  The trees produce from four to five crops a year.  And in addition to fresh lemons, many lemon products are sold here.

Colorful hot peppers.

Although there are lots of peppers sold in the market, we haven't found the food particularly spicy.
The most interesting products sold at this market were the Viagra peppers and the olive oil infused with the Viagra peppers.  Do these products have the same effect as Viagra?

Viagra peppers.

Olive oil infused with Viagra peppers.

Did I see some of my colleagues preparing to test this product????

Jim's Birthday Celebration in Roma, Italy

Jim, the birthday honoree, with Dania, our tour director, to his right, and his wife Barbara to his left.

Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii

Mt. Vesuvius as seen from Pompeii.

On Tuesday morning we toured Pompeii.  Incredible.  Mt. Vesuvius in the distance was impressive.  I think best to just post some photos.  Under time constraint here---dinner coming up, and then we are packing tonight to leave for Rome tomorrow.  I'll have post later on Ravello and Amalfi coast. 

 

Ruins of Pompeii.

 

Cast of Pompeii victim probably trying to keep ash from face.

Cobble stone streets.

Dan taking a break.

View of  Vesuvius from the other side looking across the Bay of Naples.

Dan and I almost missed this trip.  We overslept and fortunately woke up about half an hour before we were to meet the bus.  We had to skip breakfast.  We would have been so disappointed to miss this.

Arrival in Amalfi, Italy

We had a rather uneventful trip here.  On Saturday we flew from RDU to Dulles in Washington to Munich and on to  Naples, Italy arriving on  Sunday morning. The tour director met us along with others in the group, and we were taken by bus to Amalfi where we're staying at the Marmorata Hotel.  The hotel overlooks the romantic Amalfi Coast.

On Sunday night we had dinner with the group in the hotel.  Our tour is organized by the NC State University Alumni, and there are seventeen of us plus the tour director.

Dania, our tour director, and the waiter setting up the bubbly.

Dan with Jim and Barbara, two members of our group.

On Monday, if weather permits,  we will go by boat to the nearby town of Amalfi.  (Our hotel is about a mile and a half from the little town.) Otherwise we will go by bus.  We'll spend the morning in Amalfi and have lunch there.  In the afternoon we will continue on to hilltop Ravello. 

www.marmorata.it