Amalfi continued

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Breakfast was like a continuation of dinner. They set a table just for us (promptly at 8, our requested time). Unline the paultry stuff Bradley and I have been having for breakfast, we had unlimited reign over a table of goodies. Breads and jellies and spreads and cereals and juices and fruits and as much coffee as I could drink.

For the cost of a hostel, I felt like we were treated to a five star resort.

Hotel 2 Torri. Agerola, Italy.

We got our bags, checked out, said goodbyes. We headed to the city square and followed directions I found online taking us through sidestreets and eventually into a hike called "The Path of the Gods." The name could not be more appropriate. These were probably the most scenic 4 or 5 hours I can imagine.

The hike began simply and overcast. It was like Cinqu Terre with the hills and terracing and quaint buildings. Then over the course of five minutes or so, we turned a corner (literally and figuratively). As we rounded a mass of land jutting out into the sea, the sky cleared, the sun shone, and the view that would draw us forward for the next few hours suddenly appeared around the bend. The succeeding, cascading hills of granite that is the Amalfi coast lie before us. My pictures will do better than any discription.... but inevitably, that will eve fall dramatically short.

I think Cinqu Terre is still my favored spot.... but the views are king here in Amalfi. Oh the views. And unlike Cinque, the uphill was all done on the bus under cover of night, practically without our knowledge. Our steps were level or downhill (but often frighteningly near the edge of a precipitous drop).

Long story short, on the trails tail end, I talked Bradley into doing an extra (very difficult) portion of the hike which turned out to be completely not worth it. What can I say, I dont want to leave anything behind.... any view, any vista, anything to see. Sometimes you win. Sometime you walk up 1700 steps and feel like death..... then get lost amongst the back alleyes of an impossibly ludicrous and irational street plan built into the side of a cliff.

We grabbed the bus back to sorrento, ate great pizza (its fun to be the only customers - late afternoon, before dinner time, off season anyway - in a rather large dinning hall). Now we are going to crash. Tomorrow is an easy day. We sleep in. We have absolutely nothing on the schedule other than to get up to Rome. We may nap on Sorrentos beach between reading and sipping tasty lemon drinks (their specialty around here). However, we may also take a boat to Capri to hike a mountain and paddle kayaks around. Its an option. Im just saying.

Then to Rome, Sienna, Padua, Venice. All in two days. Then we leave Italy for good...... hello Munich.

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