Walk of the Gods...

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The Walk of the Gods/Goddesses....

We walked this epic hike early in the morning on Friday. It was just as its' name would suggest and the description would offer this is a hike--not a walk-- that lasts over 10 kms along a small path carved into the side of a mountain. Some sections are very narrow and if you are not carefully, you may very well find yourself amoungst the Gods' in a literal sense as it is a several thousand foot drop and would probably include bouncing off of a few rocks and trees along the way down. Overcoming fears has long been one of my personal goals. I am not a big fan of heights but I would never let something so obviously illogical hold me back from seeing and experiencing things. That said, some things pose certain challenges that I have to work a little harder to overcome. This hike was not as physically strenuous as the Wednesday hike where we literally made the 'summit' and there were times that I was more crawling straight up or climbing rather than just walking but when you are going straight up you just look up and focus on that, you don't look down. On this hike, looking down was the purpose so there were a few sections that I had to force myself to keep a focus on the trail and not even THINK about setting a foot wrong.

It was lovely, I love the sea and I love that we were given such a beautiful day--okay it was hot as hell! Well above the 30 degree mark but our reward after close to 4 hours was a swim in th ebeutiful deep blue sea! The walk of the Gods' hike ends in Positano. This is a gorgeus place! I loved it...homes built on top of one another into the side of a cliff and the blue Meditterean Sea...warm and salty! It was great. We rented two chairs, an umbrella with a small table and lounged there for several hours. John bought us some beer and we shared a procuitto and cheese sandwich on a crusty roll, a peach for dessert and we were well set. We swam twice, more floated about than anything. The beach was rocky and hot and it was the best you could do to get in and out of the water but it was a great day! I loved Positano and would have happily spent another day there at least. In fact I LOVE the AMALFI Coast, it is quaint and lovely and fun and interesting. I love the sea, the cliffs and the beauty of it...yeah, I think I need a yacht now. While in Positano we bought some little water colour cards and wrote everyone in our little group a note at dinner we gave them out and it was bittersweet to have our last dinner together and to say goodbye.

Our last meal in Sant Alfonso was fantastic. Each night we start dinner at about 7:30. Usually we all meet up about 6:30 for cocktails and to chat. There is a long banquet style table set underneath a canopy that overlooks the sea. There are lovely candles lit everywhere. The table is set with light green, pink and white dishes on an Italian ceramic table. It almost always has fresh flowers and large decanters of water. The first course is 'antipasto' or starter. We have had eggplant in marinara sauce, cheeses and shaved meats with breads and all kinds of interesting things. On our last night we were given melon wrapped in proscuitto...and I mean three substantail wedges of cantelope each wrapped fully in proscuitto. It was fantastic....the second course was pasta--homemade with zucchini and pesto, shaped like a beehive--no sauces just parmesan cheese if you wanted,lovely, the third course was spinach with garlic, crispy potato and stuffed bell pepper, the final course was dessert: a confection of cream and chocolate. The servings are what they ought to be not gargantuan restaurant sizes. For example the pasta would be about a cup. The dessert was about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long. Each dish is presented like a work of art. I am certain that in a restaurant at home these meals would cost us well over $100 not including the wine. There is considerable time to eat and for dishes to be cleared in between each course and they subscribe to the 'slow food' idea. We do not finish eating until well after 10:00. Normally, this would drive me crazy as a waste of time but here, in the heat after a day of hard hiking we BOTH loved the leisure of it and the conversation we could have with people. That was really lovely. They make their own wines and serve those with the meal if you ask for it. I would say that these wines were just okay. I mean after all we went to wine school..haha...I have a particular taste for some wines. But if I don't like a wine I will not drink it no matter what. Each evening I would sample the white and the red and it was always different. In my opinion they were not great wines. John had beer and he seemed happy with that. Breakfasts consisted of a LOT of pastries--A LOT of pasteries and of course the ususal European style breakfast of cheeses, meats, breads, juices, FANTASTIC coffee, cereals, pastries, pastries, the odd egg--hard boiled or scrambled-which were great. Fruits were kind of hit and miss but you could ALWAYS count on chocolate pasteries and pasteries. LOTS. Think I made my point there. I am NOT a pasterie person at all but John pretty much thought he had died and gone to walk--and breakfast--with the Gods...Today we were brought back to Rome early in the morning and we are at the Armony Suites. It is lovely and quiet and clean and close to all that we are interested in, but in Rome you are pretty close to everything even in this heat...

Well here it is almost 8:00 and we have not even thought about where to go for dinner...we are becoming FULL Italians...this reset button is going to be a hard one....I booked my flights today for a short jaunt to Ottawa in August and I have already started to plant the seed for Christmas travel and next year. I have a secret spot in Asia in my sights unless we move overseas altogether which would be a dream come true! That said, tomorrow is our last day in Italy and we are going to enjoy Rome for all its' charms: coffee, gelato, historic sights, steet vendors, Italian Leather shoes...and one more fabulous dinner al fresco...I may post a bunch of photos but I think this will be the end of the blog. Thank you for sharing this with us and for caring about us to keep tabs...Italy is a place I would highly recommend for travel and don't rush through it in a day or two...Italy has thousands of years of culture and history and stories to tell...the food is served intentionally and slowly and it forces one to do the same...slow down and be mindful of the beauty. Ciao-ciao...kiss/kiss. John and Nancy

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Comments

[Sandra]

Bella Italia
What an adventure you and John live... What a wonderful trip and thanks for sharing your journey Nancy. We might venture over some day in the spring or fall, I am not a fan of the heat. Can't wait for you Asia trip... Thailand? China? So many possibilities...