Salerno
is the port we docked at for our trip to the treasured Amalfi Coast. It was
raining when we docked so we were warned to take care of puddles and moving
vehicles as we walked through the dock area to get to the town. However, the
rain had stopped by the time we began our exit and we just had to watch the
puddles and oil slick on the pavement. (this is a working dock for heavy
industry exports) We were surprised to see hundreds of steel coils stacked up
on the dock and beside the route we needed to take. The stacked coils, reminded
Ken of Port Kembla’s exports but the general public would never be allowed to
walk through the docks at Port Kembla. We’re realising how different safety
standards are all over the world. Safety codes for regarding seat belts,
helmets, hand rails on stairs and level footpaths are enforced in Australia but
ignored in most of the countries we’ve visited (Britain is an exception) so
far. 
We were
on a private tour that Ken organised for ourselves and 6 other couples, around
the Almafi Coast which is a magnificent drive around the mid-west cliff-side, coastal
road near Naples in Italy. The road winds through 26 tunnels as it hugs the
coastline for about 127 km and the views are stunning. Tall limestone cliffs,
sandy beaches with holiday accommodation ,villas and flats, shimmering turquoise
blue seas with yachts, windsurfer, boats and swimmers and dramatic rock
pinnacles formed over time from wind and sea. It is a very pretty area to
explore and by 10 am the sun was sparkling on the ocean and reflecting off the
cliff and rocks as we drove.
Our Italian
driver was friendly but he did not give a running commentary as we drove so we
plied him with questions for this area has had volcanic activity over many
years, Pompeii ( which we visited last time we were in Italy is nearby) and at
one point in our tour we saw the top of Mt. Vesuvius, in the distance. Later in
the evening some of our fellow cruisers saw red reflections and glows in the
sky, from this active volcano as they stood on the deck of our ship, but Ken
and I missed it as we retired after our long, hot day of touring. I’m sure if
the ship had announced what was happening, 2000 passengers plus the crew, would
have viewed this spectacular sight as well.
Our
first stop was at the sea-side town of Positano where we enjoyed a stroll
around the plaza which had ancient stone buildings, a belltower and small
cafe-bars where people were having coffee or breakfast or just watching the
passing parade of tourists, local shoppers and merchants. It was a pretty stone
plaza with brightly coloured flower displays and outdoor cafe seating. We were
meant to visit the pedestrian area along the beach front but because the
coastal traffic was building up, parking near the beach area impossible and crossing the road just to promenade along the beach front with crowds of sand / seeking holiday makers was not attractive so we voted to move on with our tour
We
continued our drive along the Almafi Coastal road where hamlets of white houses
seemed to cling to cliff sides in terraced arrangements. Our narrow ancient
Roman road is a marvel as it wends its way past different communities villages.
We drove
through some further tunnels and up over a mountain pass to arrive at our
second stop on the mountain. It was the rustic hillside community of Ravello
where many artists reside and tourists enjoy a peaceful and creative village community.
We wandered through the cliff-top village and enjoyed browsing its colourful
shops and narrow cobbled streets. We especially loved the designs and colours
of the local pottery works, colourful woven blankets and art works displayed on
footpaths. We visited the square in the village which was surrounded by clusters
of stone houses, shops, the village church and had a wonderful view of the
mountains. In the square groups of outdoor-table were set up, awaiting the setting
up of the weekly markets and a time when families would share meals together in
this peaceful town. We were too early for the markets but we visited the church
with its tall, beautifully decorated bronze doors. Dorothy and George were part
of our group and we enjoyed sitting on the steps of the church, watching the
locals roaming about and taking in the fresh cool breeze which filtered through
the tall pine trees on the mountain in this sleepy little town.
We left
the square and continued our wander through the village and we stumbled on an
amazing market garden built on the side of the mountain where the range and
yield of crops and the size of the vegetables was impressive. The fertile
volcanic soil, the aftermath of Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 AD, is ideal for
growing fruits, vegetables and grapes. We watched some of the gardeners tending
the crops. These included lettuce, marrow, zucchini, tomato, celery, beetroot,
potatoes, onions, orange trees, grape vines basil and many other herbs and
vegetables. We could not believe the size of the size of the zucchini flowers
that had just been freshly picked, no doubt to be sold in the village market
place later in the morning. We also noted that the market garden had an
especially beautiful view along the Amalfi Coast and that if this was in
Australia it would probably have been sold to a developer to erect multi-storey
villas or apartments. Gladly, the people in this village value fresh food over
real-estate. We were so pleased to have come across this ‘secret garden’ and
our memories of it are warm and appreciative. What a special little hillside
village! Still gushing about our experiences we resumed our Amalfi Coast by
heading for the coastal town of Amalfi which lies in the Mediterranean. See Salerno
-2 blog.