23 March 2008

Post #49:  Amalfi to Messina

The drive from Amalfi to southern Italy was beautiful. Having to leave Amalfi, without time to do more wandering around there, was a bit heart-breaking. It is such a stunning place, with villages set on cliffs along the coast. The water, a rich emerald color near the shore, is reminiscent of the “Emerald Coast” of Florida. I couldn't help snapping one photo after another as we wound along that coastline. I just wanted to capture its beauty so badly. But the photos simply do not do it justice.

South of Salerno, the autostrade moves away from the coast. The terrain is a succession of rolling hills like that of Tuscany, but they are interrupted by sharp peaks and rocky ridges seen from a distance when traveling the highway.  There were amazing valleys with quaint villages spattered in the lowlands and on hills.  The green fields of south central Italy were brilliant in the spring sunshine.  Like I had seen in Sicily, when there with my parents, there were numerous vineyards and orchards along the way.

With a goal to get to Messina in time to have a nice dinner, we made very few stops on this stretch. Not sure how many miles we covered today, but it was a lot. I tried to get into a book, along the way, but the scenery just kept drawing my attention from it. I spent a little time blogging, because I can type a lot without having to really look down at my hands much.

We arrived in Messina as the sun was setting over Italy. You can see the shots I managed to get in the dim light on the web album. I was amazed they'd come out so well. Especially the ones from the ferry.

We checked into our hotel, and again, Dave learned that “wifi in the room” meant there was a port, but you had to have your own local service provider. Who has a “local” service provider while traveling and staying in hotels?? Note to self: avoid Best Westerns next time! We headed out to find a restaurant, and hoped to find an internet connection, as we still had to arrange for our return to Malta.

 We drove south from the hotel and found a nice, family restaurant. The owner greeted us, and the waiters were very pleasant and accommodating. So much so, they brought us pillows to set under and behind Bobby, as they didn't have high chairs, so we had to use a belt to strap him into a chair. This is how we've been sitting him at the table during this trip, and it works fine. He seems to enjoy being such a “big boy,” sitting at the table with us.The food was excellent, and we enjoyed the opportunity to sit and have uninterupted conversation, a unique treat for parents of six little ones.

When we returned to the hotel, we had to kindly ask a group of boys to allow us use of the computer in the lobby. It had internet access. The boys were sweet and stepped aside without hesitation. Then they enjoyed playing with Bobby, who was showing off his tripod skills. He's working on learning to walk, but we're not going to encourage it until after we're off the airplanes!

I called my mother, using Skype, to wish her a happy 75^th birthday.  We passed along a Happy Easter wish, as well, to my family while we had them on the line. My sister planned a surprise birthday party for Mom, and most of the gang made it, since it was Easter Sunday, and they'd planned to be together anyway. Sorry we missed the party, but sure glad we could call!

As I was on the phone, a crowd gathered around Bobby, as he continued to charm the passersby. He sure has potential to be an incredible diplomat. He just makes fast friends wherever we go.

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