Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Italy Part I (and a ½) - Amalfi uncut_

OK, I really should write a bit more about my time on the Amalfi Coast... but I shall fly through so as not to bore you with too many intricate details... and let's be honest, I bet most of you are only here for the photos anyway!!

I had a pretty cruisy trip to Amalfi, and sort of ended up there by accident... I didn't anticipate that I'd make it quite far enough and expected to stop somewhere bland along the way so when I actually did end up making it at about 4pm just as the sun was making it's way down and looking stunning I was in absolute awe! And discovering in my Lonely Planet that there was a hostel just 16km away, I realised it was meant to be!

Amalfi Coast, Italy - 10

 

Hmmm, not so fast... turns out I read and understood my directions wrong (not the first time, I assure you) so spent the afternoon rolling up and down the coast looking for the damn hostel! Wasn't all bad though, it was pretty much the perfect afternoon for riding, and even though it was a Sunday, the road wasn't too busy... When I eventually realised my mistake a couple of hours later, it was all but dark and after I pulled over and asked a friendly hotelier where I was going, I discovered that to get to the hostel I'd have a relatively treacherous climb zig zagging my way up a steep mountain side - in the dark. Ah what the hell, you only live once!

Treacherous as it was, I made it about an hour later (to travel about 9km if that gives you an idea of the road...). Was worth it too, stayed at a cool but quiet little hostel and met some awesome girls just as I was finishing my delicious Canneloni + Vino Rossi + Tiramisu meal at the local pizzeria. I stayed up drinking and chatting with Visnja from Serbia and Trang from Vietnam until they had finished eating, and I was a little drunk!!

Amalfi Coast, Italy - 09

Amalfi Coast, Italy - 01

 

The next morning, hangover in tow, I was back on the bike in what was very near to perfect riding weather... almost too warm for my jacket! I stopped for some lunch in Positano, hung out there for an hour or two chatting with an older American couple - Barry and Jean, no less - from Boston. They were good fun to chat to, but they had a ferry to catch which was lucky as I am sure we would have ended up chatting for a lot longer and I had to get to Naples... not somewhere I wanted to arrive at in the dark as I would be soon to find out...

Amalfi Coast, Italy - 20

 

* In fact, let's test the little theory posed at the top... if you actually read this, and didn't just look at the photos, post a comment letting me know! Do you read all of my posts? Hmmm...

5 comments:

Nicole Lynch said...

Well I read it all Mr Bruce, love your pictures and also enjoy your writing style. You make me laugh X

Celia said...

You've cut to an ad break just as the drama was building up!! Guess I'll have to wait to find out what happens when you arrive in Naples after dark ...

Unknown said...

hahaha, how did you make it to get drunk?! :D

Ads said...

hahaa.. thank you all..

I wonder if I will get any more comments!? ;o)

Visnja.. I had already had half a litre of wine when I met you guys! that's how!!

Celia.. stay tuned... :P

Chris said...

Like the frog says... reddit.