Rather than rent a jaunty little open-top number to drive along the Amalfi coast, we chose to sit back and enjoy the view from a bus from Salerno yesterday. This was the cheap option and avoided any concerns Mark may have had with the Italian drivers on a long, narrow stretch of road with many hairpin bends.
The views were good, but it was a challenge to capture the scenery.
Dramatic views from the bus.
Houses perched on the cliffs must have fabulous views.Just as in Sorrento, many houses built high up have numerous steps, often cut into the rock face, leading down to a stretch of beach.Trees clinging onto the rock face.Lemons are grown all the way along the Amalfi coast in steep terraces. Protected under sheaths of netting until late spring, they are clearly much prized. The lemon trees flower in May, which must be a lovely time to be here, and the fruit is picked between February and October.The narrow coast road.These were the only traffic lights we came across. When going round bends, the driver sounded his horn as a warning.Coming into Amalfi. Even the pot plants, hydrangeas in this case, were protected.
With the sunny skies and the warmest temperatures we have had since we left the UK, we had a lovely, lazy saunter round the town, a delicious lunch of fresh fish and, of course, gelato, before heading back to the bus.
We saw no sign of anything to mark the first day of Lent, other than a lot of children, who had been given the day off school.
AmalfiDark volcanic sand on Amalfi beach. There were a few sunbathers, but I think they were tourists. Although it was about 18 degrees centigrade, a lot of the locals were still in their winter coats and woolly hats.St Andrew’s Cathedral in AmalfiThe Cathedral’s CloistersThe Cathedral crypt. St Andrew was crucified in Greece, but his body was recovered during the fourth crusade, and is now housed in this crypt.
More fireworks were let off on the street last night – on Ash Wednesday! Just another sign of the random nature of life here. Neither of us went out to look as we were tucked up in bed, exhausted after our long day.
My husband, Mark, and I have just sold our house and are taking a year out to have an adventure before we settle down to retirement. We decided on a journey through Italy as it has the perfect combination of good weather, interesting history, great wine and wonderful ice-cream! As we will be starting our journey in January, we are beginning in the very south of the country.
View all posts by tortoisesontour
Published
2 thoughts on “Coast Road to Amalfi”
We dream of seeing constant blue skies 😁 All your photos show parts of Italian life style that we have never seen before – tv being are main source of Italian knowledge! Keep travelling so that we can follow in your footsteps, or local transport in the future!
Tortoise Travel 
We dream of seeing constant blue skies 😁 All your photos show parts of Italian life style that we have never seen before – tv being are main source of Italian knowledge! Keep travelling so that we can follow in your footsteps, or local transport in the future!
LikeLike
Naples has certainly been sunny. We are really enjoying the blue skies – long may they continue.
LikeLike