Invitation To Italy, Vignettes-8

Chapter 22 Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi Coast

Capri … village square is like a diminutive opera setting; incomparable beauty, exceptional climate, superb facilities. Capri’s coast line is irregular, mostly cliffs, inaccessible at most spots, honeycombed with grottoes … subtropical vegetation

… Emmy indicated she wanted to buy the dress … he … quickly kissed her on the neck and said “Bella, Bella.” … Emmy indicated a lack of interest … he showed a lack of interest in selling the dress for that price, so no buy, and no sale either.

… we would not recommend the road along the Amalfi Coast for beginners. … narrow twisty, sometimes water level, sometimes cliff hanging road … the unbelievably gorgeous scenery … impossible for the driver to keep his mind and eyes

… could hear the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea quietly lapping the shore. With a light April shower besprinkling the tin roof of the RV, this was the epitome of a romantic Italian vacation spot. As an added bonus, the next morning the nearby hills were frosted with a fresh mantle of snow.

Chapter 23 Paestum, and to the “Toe” of Italy

Greek temples … ruins stand among aromatic herbs, cypress, oleander, ferns, and acanthus, enlivened by grasshoppers, lizards, and little snakes.

We talked to a retired archaeologist and his wife (the editor of an archaeology journal) from England, who said the Greek ruins in Paestum and in Agrigento, Sicily, are about the best we will see anywhere, including Greece.

… woman was walking alongside the road balancing a large bundle on her head. Anything from a water-jug to an immense bundle of hay goes on the head.

Chapter 24 The “Toe” to the “Heel”

… the Italian “boot” looks like a lady’s foot with a corn or callus on top of the toe. An open-toed shoe is complete with a big-toe with the nail showing, a prominent ball of the foot, the arch, then a very high spiked heel.

Soverato … most of the campers during the season are German, but the only other RV in the campground the night we were there was from Switzerland. The campsite owner said he doesn’t remember another American camper ever,