Two Gold Coasts (cont')

Article and photography by Cliff Wassmann

Downtown Amalifi

Situated in a superb spot that opens out southward to the center of the vast gulf, Positano is one of the most famous and popular seaside resorts along the Amalfi coast. An ancient fishing village nestled on steep slopes, the city seems to grow on top of itself, with only narrow footpaths left for people to get around. At the center of town is the beautiful church of St. Maria Assunta, with its great majolica cupola in geometric patterns. The shops of Positano specialize in ceramics and other art works. There are none of the usual tee-shirt and fast food places that characterize the tourist towns of Orange County.
John Steinbeck wrote that Positano was "a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there but becomes beckoningly real after you have gone." I could only add that this applies to the the entire Sorrento peninsula. I often find myself drifting back there when daydreaming.

Drifting is exactly what you'll feel like when you get to the end of the peninsula. A staggering 360 degree view of both the mountains and coast behind you as well as the island of Capri just offshore is dizzying. Like other areas along this "Hwy 1 of Italy" there are no tourist traps, no signs telling you this is a place to take a picture. It's just another spot with a small village and people tending to grapevines and terraced tracts of land filled with olive trees.

As the sun set on that day I realized why, despite the differences, it felt so much like Southern California. The last hour of the day, the light took on a clear golden glow—a glow I'd seen only one other place—the California coast. That light, the light that inspired the California Plein Air painters was here as well. It is something about the angle, something about the moisture or the salt in the air from the sea that disperses it so perfectly, that is a perfect match to what happens off our coast. Upon arriving home I compared images of Southern Italy with shots of Southern California and was amazed at the similarity of the light.

Coastline of North Laguna

View of Sicily, Snow covered Mt Etna in background

As I traveled farther south, into Sicily, the landscape itself began to resemble Southern California even more and more. Giant agave dot the landscape, along with prickly pear cactus. The tectonic forces that shape California are also at work in Sicily and have created a rolling, fluted landscape, much like that you see along

Ortega Hwy. in San Juan Capistrano. In addition to earthquakes, the Sicilians have to contend with the massive Mt. Etna, the largest volcano in Europe. Two weeks prior to my trip a massive lava flow came down the west side of the mountain, forcing the evacuation of some of the 20 or so towns built on it's flanks. Although the major eruption had ceased, numerous outbursts of steam were a regular occurrence during my visit. The Sicilians take it all in stride, much like we do with our unstable geology.

So I guess the real estate industry isn't really exaggerating when they post their open house signs for "Mediterranean Villas." Driving around, looking up at the developments on the hillsides, I am now reminded of those pastel buildings clinging to hillsides over the Tirreno Sea. We're working hard to duplicate the achievements of the Italian craftsmen and carpenters. Will our developments sill look as good after 500 years?

Wassmann's Photographs of Italy as well as South Orange County can be seen at Headlands Gallery, 34118 Pacific Coast Hwy. Dana Point or on the internet at www.aku-aku.com