While Italy’s Amalfi Coast was not originally intended as a place to heal from climbing Peak Lenin, it has proven an idyllic location for just that. The amazingly fresh seafood, wonderful (and cheap) local wine, fantastic and varied walking, swimming in the clear and (relatively warm) sea, and spectacular views from nearly everywhere – including my terrace – have certainly had a rejuvenating effect on me.
I rented an apartment on AirBNB in Conca dei Marini, about midway between the tourist centers of Amalfi and Positano. About 100 meters above the sea (mslm in Italian), the terrace has nearly 180˚ views overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Several of the photos below were taken from my terrace.
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of visiting the Costiera Amalfitana, it consists of the southern portion of the Sorrento Peninsula, which delineates the southern side of the Bay of Naples. While only 30 km as the crow flies from that teeming metropolis, in every other regard it is worlds away. The rugged coastline has resisted invaders (though not always successfully) over the millennia, and until the Amalfi Coast road was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century, the only way for the locals to travel between villages was by path, either on foot or donkey.
Distances in this vertical landscape are best measured in how many steps one must ascend or descend. Fortunately for the active visitor these paths were generally very well constructed from the local limestone and for the most part remain intact. Their network provides a plenitude of walking and hiking options, ranging from short jaunts between nearby villages to longer rambles through the rural terraced farm landscapes to more serious hikes and scrambles at higher elevations in the Lattari Mountains, the spine of the Sorrento Peninsula, where one encounters goats and sheep far more often than tourists. The photos that follow try to capture some of this amazing landscape that I have enjoyed these past 5½ weeks.
Later this month I travel to Kathmandu for 3 ½ weeks of trekking and climbing. Our group will walk from the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Mustang, through the stunning Damodar Himal to the only recently accessible valleys of Naar and Phu. Two days of this trek will consist of climbing Saribung Peak. At 6,328 meters it is a straightforward glacier climb with rewarding 360˚ views. My hands have recovered nicely, and with my new pair of mittens and wool thermal liner gloves and a better appreciation of frostbite prevention, I anticipate no recurrence. Next month’s blog post should have some interesting photos from that adventure. Then a head to the antipodes for 10 weeks exploring New Zealand. See my updated calendar for more…
Buon camminare,
The Vagabond Hiker
Thoroughly fantastic adventures!! I am insanely jealous! Thank you so much for sharing and glad that you are doing so well and having such a memorable time! Keep up the posts!
I continue to appreciate and value my vicarious adventures through you. Having hiked the Annapurna circuit last April, I know you are in for a treat in Nepal. You have made me want to travel to Italy! I hope that Don and I will be able to mirror your adventures in a year or two when we retire . . .