Costiera Amalfitana

We wake up in the middle of the night. The heat is oppressive and our bodies itch everywhere. A short inspection reveals that our bed is full of ants. Small ants, yes, but many. Nothing to be done now, in the middle of the night and since we can't breath inside the caravan anyway we go outside and sleep on our lounge-chairs. This kind of heat we didn't experience earlier on this travel, usually when evening falls at least a bit of refreshing wind starts blowing, which made sleep possible. But now there is no wind at all.

The sun shining on my face wakes me around half past seven. My body feels a bit stiff and the cushion of my lounge-chair is wet. The sea is just visible in between the olive trees. Because of the haze I can't even see the other side of the bay, where Napels is supposed to be. It is a kind of smog, no Lorelei to be seen! Today promises to be even more hot than yesterday.

So now war is declared to the ants! I discover complete highways running from one of the supports of the caravan to the airing grid through our bed on to the cooking plate, where they have good hope to find something edible. From the cooking plate the ants walk right up, to the kitchen cupboard, where new delicious food is to be found. Now I understand the origin of these round white dusty places on the ground, everywhere on this camping. Usually I don't use any poison, but necessity has no law so Jac goes hunting for the ant poison, keywords: 'formica' en 'veleno', supposedly the camping shop has large supplies.

In the mean time the heat of the sun lets the haze or smog disappear and I make some pictures of our view on the sea and Sorrento. Our camping is just next to the bay to the South of Sorrento, a nice town below Napels, on the Sorrento peninsula. This peninsula is very beautiful, high cliffs, the sea a dazzling combination of blue and green colors, curving roads, towns seemingly growing higher and higher on a hill. We are not the only people that like it over here and as a result the peninsula is very crowded, the only road next to the coast permanently filled with cars and on the many crossings traffic is crazy, the only way to cross seems to me just to close your eyes and drive ahead. Italians seem to respect this kind of driving, the only problem that could arise is if you happen to meet another desperate tourist!

Jac returns with a large bottle of poison. He is covered with bites, either from the ants or from the mosquitos, also available in large quantities over here. I cover the wheels and the four caravan supports with presumably enough poison to kill all the ants of the whole camping. Indeed the next evening we find not so many ants in our bed, but the next day the ants strike back! Things are worse than before (even now I start scratching!) and the only animals bothered by the poison are we, the smell of the poison is really bad. Presumably the ants are resistant to all kind of ant poison sold in the wide surroundings.

OK, I'll stop about the ants! We drive around the peninsula, or try to, to reach the south of the island. But the road is blocked and we have to drive back almost half way to Napels and then head to the south through the mountains. It takes us more than two hours to reach the coast on the South close to Amalfi, but we aren't disappointed by the view, which is even better than on our side of the peninsula. From the highest point on the mountains we drive down to the sea. Every hairpin bend in the road gives us a new surprising view on the coast and the sea: tiny white boats on the azure sea, houses painted in soft pastel colors build on to the hills and cars parked everywhere in between - Italians use even the most improbable spaces to park their small and usually not very new cars.

Amalfi is a complete chaos, houses, people, cars and boats seem to be everywhere. For us not-Italian-tourists parking will be impossible. But I really have to take some pictures of the bay and so we stop on the middle of the small road. Italians hoot like mad in almost every situation - but are very tolerant when somebody does something really crazy. So the cars behind us wait patiently while I take a fantastic picture of the harbor with a million boats, the high houses, the blue of the sea stretching to the horizon.

We drive through Amalfi and leave the coast heading for Ravello. An even smaller street than before leads into the mountains to Ravello. Alas, we are not the only car on this road, because Ravello has the top score of three stars in our Michelin guide and even the LP - not always as positive about super tourist attractions - recommends a visit to Ravello. Halfway up we meet the local bus - I would say driving a bus on this road is impossible, but the thing looks very real and not exactly patient. Jac (and everybody behind us) has to drive back at least twenty meters, trying not to drop into the gulf or hit the rock bluff, until the bus can pass us. For once I'm happy not to be driving! Ravello has been a popular place for a long time, some popes have lived over here, lots of rich families and also the composer Wagner got his inspiration from this tiny city with its delicate atmosphere and dramatic views. I can't stop looking around, every turn gives a totally new view, the sea far below, every space on very steep slopes is reshaped in small terraces for grapes or olives. Above the mountains, a little further away, we see some smoke, supposedly forest fires.

Ravello is, notwithstanding its tourist three star status, a very relaxing, romantic place which succeeded in keeping its own original character. We sit on the square and enjoy a cold drink - very refreshing after our long hot drive in the car. We visit the Duomo with its famous culprit - a little bit out of proportion - and follow the small roads toward the famous Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, weathered spacious buildings in the shadow of large trees.

On the way back we take some time to visit Positano, almost in the West point of the peninsula and then we have to drive all the way back. Helicopters carrying big sacks of water fly regularly over our head, the forest fires seem to have worsened. Darkness falls and suddenly we see the fires, red flames against the dark mountains, lots of smoke. We turn onto the road towards the mountain and each hairpin brings us closer to the fire. Suddenly we hear the sirens of the fire-brigade everywhere around us. I'm a bit frightened and hope this road won't be blocked, this road is the only way towards our caravan now the coast road around the peninsula is closed. But we can drive on, passing cars of the fire-brigade parked in the middle of the road and lots of Italians discussing the fires in a very un-Italian, relaxed way - if I were them, I would certainly worry a bit about my house now the fire is so close. On a more quiet spot I make pictures of the fire, the fire looks very threatening, large red flames growing in the dark.

It is half past ten when we return on the camping. Luckily people in the South of Italy eat very late, so we can enjoy a pizza on the terrace of our camping, high above the sea with a perfect view on the little lights of Sorrento. This has been some expedition!

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