Vietri sul Mare and the Amalfi Coast 11.8.06

While our fellow Americans were going to the polls today (and giving our fellow Democrats back the House! Bob says our Republican friends may be "Mourning in America!") Bob and I were driving along the Amalfi Coast. Vietri sul Mare is the first (or the last, depending on how you look at it) little town on the "Costiera Amalfitana," - the Amalfi Coast. We are a stone's throw away from Salerno and about 25 minutes drive from Amalfi. Yesterday we finally felt rested enough to wander up into centro and took a few shots around the city so you can see where we are now. It's a completely different-looking region from Verona to be sure but we are liking the crusty buildings that tumble down to the sea. The Amalfi Coast lives up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful scenic areas in all of Italy and we are just thrilled to be here. Today we decided to simply drive it, not intending to thoroughly explore the towns - there will be time for that later - but just to drive on the road and take in all the spectacular scenery. When we reached Sorrento, instead of turning around and heading back to Vietri along the Coast, we headed north towards Napoli and picked up the autostrada that brought us along the northern side and back around to Vietri, so we made a loop around the Sorrento Peninsula. The air was a bit hazy and as we passed Napoli and the Bay of Naples, we could barely make out Mount Vesuvius, kind of like the mysterious Mt. Etna that appears and disappears depending on the weather!

Here are some first impressions of Vietri sul Mare and the Amalfi Coast:

Vietri's majolica-tiled Duomo and laundry


The weather has been warm enough for some hardy folks to swim. The pescatore (the fishermen) are ever present here


The Marina area looking back towards Vietri


One of Vietri's beaches from above


These very large rock formations are just off the shoreline in Vietri