So much, so fast!

Oh my, we're almost ready to leave we've left Southern Italy! Time for another update!

We're in Calabria, on the west coast of Italy, well south of Naples. Calabria is very hilly; most of the towns here are quite vertical.  Today we visited the celebrated statue of Christ the Redeemer, some 500 meters above the ocean, looking over the town of Maratea.  The road leading up is amazing, but no less so than the Italian drivers: the whole way up we were dodging cars parked in the right lane. This poses a challenge, since the road is exactly two lanes wide,  with the edges defined by low stone walls; which means we spend a fair amount of time in the left lane, on these steep short switchbacks. Oh well, everybody here just expects to meet another vehicle in their lane coming around a corner...

Led Zep built a stairway to heaven; the people of Maratea built a car ramp

Christ the Redeemer in Maratea

The main highway along the coast is not bad, very similar, we've been told, to the Amalfi Coast but less busy.  In fact, things are relatively slow here, in this tourist center. It's starting to gear up for the big months of July and (especially!) August, when half of the population of Northern Italy will be down here. Shops are opening, vendors are putting out their best "Produtti locali", and the beaches are getting cleaned up for the big rush. Now, though, its quiet, green, and cool.

We drove through Basilicata,  from east to west. Incredibly green, with each of the many mountain peaks crowned by a village spilling down the sides. The roads into towns are tight, often only a single lane (fortunately, not much traffic!); then once in town, it gets worse. Steep, sharp turns, and shear stone walls on both sides. Sometimes we fold the mirrors in for adequate clearance (and we've got a small Fiat!)

Castelmenzzano (or someplace close by!)

It was only a few days ago, but impressions are coming so fast we've almost forgotten Puglia: the impossibly Rococo buildings of Lecce, the huge gnarled ancient olive trees, the pointy roofs of the truilli houses of Alberobello; the fine, fine olive oil served everywhere; the ancient port city of Monopoli (no connection with the board game) where we met the French couple who've spent the last seven years cruising the Med on their sailboat. Wild flowers in the fields; those red red poppies are still our favorite. Standing on the rocks at the very stiletto tip of the heel of Italy, with the Ionian Sea to the left, and the Adriatic to the right. (Or was it the other way around?). Was this where the Sirens called to Odysseys?

The Trulli museum in Arberobello

Tomorrow we head further south; we're looking forward to see the Straits of Messina, at the very tip of the toe. Then it's another plane flight back to Milan, and two weeks of Northern Italy. We're expecting a bit of a contrast!

       Breaking news....

After a long day of driving down the coast from Praia a Mare, with a few stops, we arrived in Pizzo, where we were to spend 2 nights. It's only a hundred kilometers or so, and a few hours, but this is Italy, with a surprise around every corner.

 Anyway, we are finally in Pizzo, and we call our host. No go. The number doesn't work. Put a 1 in front. A 0. A space. Nothing. The email from that morning says, "call me when you get to town, I'll meet you in the Piazza." That's a bit vague, and anyway, we can't call. Stress levels notch up.

We arrive in town, ask directions to the Piazza.

 We finally get parked and walk back to the piazza. We'll get some WiFi at a cafe, says Paula, and email Franco, our host. There are many cafes in the piazza. We walk slowly along. Paula says, that one! We go in.

The proprietor is jovial. I ask for a coffee (always a good way to start, I figure; put our relationship on a sound business footing.) We ask about the phone number. "Oh, that's in London! But we have the second best gelato in the world, " the owner assures us, with a jovial laugh.

London?! Paula shows him our paper, with the number. He sees the name. "Oh, I know Franco! He's crazy! Here, let me call him for you! Yes, he'll be here in five minutes! Now take a seat and I'll serve you some of our famous gelato. "

So we do, and he does, and this gelato is incredible. Like a lava cake, with a liquid center, but ice cream. And chocolate to live for! We dig in, and a moment later Franco shows up.

Our laundry drying on our balcony, Pizzo

View from our window, Pizzo

And we are left wondering, once again, how is that things can go from the pits to the peaks in moments?

And God answered: It's called Grace (and magic!).

All for now

P&P