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Two Gold Coasts
Article and photography by Cliff Wassmann
 Venice
had been fogged in the whole time I was there. Every ruin and building
I wanted to explore in Rome was covered with scaffolding as it
prepared for the millennium. And now, driving on my own on windy
one-lane roads outside of Naples, I was totally lost as the sun
crept down below Mt. Vesuvius. This was all I needed, to be stranded
overnight not being able to put together a single sentence in Italian.
I was headed for the fabled Amalfi Coast along the central coast of Italy.
Up until this point I had traveled by train and taxi. To fully see the Southern
part of Italy and Sicily, however, going out on my own was necessary. Fortunately
I managed to find the freeway and get out of the madhouse of Naples quickly,
but the back roads of the Sorrento Peninsula are not as forgiving or well marked
as the Italian freeway system. Even though all the maps show the road numbers
plainly, the road builders didn't think to follow the same system. Instead
of posting route numbers on signs, they simply have signs with the upcoming
town names and arrows. Of course most of these towns are too small to be on
the map.
Knowing I had missed the turn for my primary route I continued south along
the upper part of the peninsula. The mountainous area is dotted with medieval
towers and ivy covered ruins left over from over 3000 years of occupation,
first by the Greeks who built enormous temples just south of the peninsula
at Paestum and then later by the Romans. Emperor Augustas Tiberius ruled Rome
during the last ten years of his life from just off shore on the island of
Capri. And finally reaching the southern edge of the peninsula, I got my first
glimpse of this legendary island, just as the sun began to set over it in a
spectacularly fiery sunset. I was awestruck at the view, reminiscent of, but
even more magnificent than, the Big Sur coast. But even better than that was
a sign that said "Amalfi 20Km."
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Fishing Village of Priano, along the Amalfi Coast
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The term "Mediterranean" is routinely used to describe
the South Orange County Coast. I had heard it used so much that I
had written it off as just another exaggerated marketing claim by
the real estate industry. But, despite the 500 year old churches
I passed at each town and the unlighted narrow road, more and more
I started to feel at home. It was early November, but the dry 75
degree air and sage colored scrubby vegetation growing over cliffs
that fell precipitously towards a deep azure sea had a familiarity
to me. From a distance the buildings high in the hills reminded me
of Laguna Beach. Of course on closer examination many of those buildings
showed the wear of decades, if not centuries, quite unlike our coastal
cities where nary a vine is allowed to grow up the pure white stucco
walls. Checking into my hotel, an 800 year old converted monastery,
complete with medieval ruins inside it certainly wasn't anything
like I was used to. But I felt so comfortable in this area. It was
a strange sensation to have something that was so different feel
so familiar.
With daylight, I began to explore the area. The town of Amalfi itself is Italy's
oldest maritime republic, founded by Romans in the 4th century BC. Due to its
unique location it quickly became a powerful and wealthy republic, with a massive
fleet of ships. Numerous attacks eventually diluted its power and in 1343 a massive
sea quake submerged a third of the city and destroyed the entire port, together
with its arsenals and ships. The city never regained its glory and became known
simply for producing excellent rigging and nets. Amalfi now receives most of
its income through tourism, although it still retains a unique charm and one
simply has to walk up its narrow streets, away from the bustle of the shops by
the beach, to feel the centuries drop away.
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Amalfi retains a unique charm and one simply has to walk up
its narrow streets, away from the bustle of the shops by the
beach, to feel the centuries drop away.
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Traveling west towards the tip of the peninsula the road winds through
deep canyons and along sheer rock walls that plunge over 500 ft. in places.
Nestled in the narrow canyons where they meet the see are small fishing
villages such as Priano and Conca dei Marini. Sculpted sandstone along
the coast is of the same type of rock as that found along Heisler Park
in Laguna Beach. The highlight along the road is the village of Positano. |
