Again, more Sorrento

Im writing this pst from Stuttgart, Gemany 25 Feb, but I am going to catch up with what we have done so far: Sat 13 Feb A simple uncomplicated day, but interesting nonetheless. After breakfast, Sheila and I headed straight for Mimis, a local pastery shop and coffee house. We tried one of Dominico`s doughnuts Very different in texture and sweetness than the American equivalent. We ad a beautiful sunny day one of the few we`ve had since arriving in Italy. We were looking forward to the trip to Salerno down the Amalfi coast argueably one of the most picturesque coaslines in the world. We waited for the SITA bus, and met a couple from San Diego going part way with us. There seem to be alot of Americans in Italy. That`s good because we can keep the Japanese company. They`re in plentiful supply too. The ride down the Amalfi coast is a thrill not so much because of the view but because of the ride. This is a one lane road most of the way. There is no way a bus can negotiate this road, but some how they do. The bus must honk to warn oncoming drivers on blind curves of impending doom. Often drivers ours included must brake sharply to avoid collision. Inching by oncoming traffic, passing by trucks with fractions of centimeters to spare, motorscooters, sportcars passing us to get ahead, all happens while clinging to a cliff 500 feet above the Mediterranian Sea. It was hair raising, and I loved it. The Amalfi coast is beautiful, but no moreso than our oun Northern California coast. What makes Amalfi so popular are the villages and homes that cling to the hillsides.It is truely spectacular. It is a long ride however. Three hours each way from Solerno and back of course takes all day on a bus. What it cost us was the ability to see Paestum south of Salerno. Paestum is the site of some of the best ancient Greek ruins in the world. I wa disappointed to have missed it. Were I to do this trip again, I would take the bus to the town of Amalfi, go back to Sorrento, only a couple of hours. Then I wold take the autostrada to Paesum enabeling us to see both sights. Travel is about learning and making choices about what you want to see. this issue will coe up again as I cintinue this narrative. When we got back to the hostel well after dark. Thr driver for some reason dropped us off before the schedule stop. He just said, Sorrento? OK, here, and he opened the door. One other person, Sheila and I had to get off. Sheila and I didn`t know where we were. We wandered around finally getting oriented. We came back into town to a town full of people out walking, vendors installs selling everything from tee shirts to sausages, leatherwear, hats seemingly everything, and none of this stuff was here when we left this morning. We found our way through the throng, and we stopped at the local market for dinner: wine, tuna stuffed peppers abot the siz of a silver dollar, olives, proscuito, artichokes-a meal fit for Ulysses himself. I brought the tabe in from the terrace, and we had dinner in the room and talked over the day past and the day to come. We leave tomorrow for another adventure. I hope all is well. It certaily is here. Love to youall.