The lines were too long to go into the Louvre and climb the Eiffel Tower, so we didn't do that. We still had fun observing the architecture of the outside of the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower from below.
We had lunch and my burger came with an egg on it which made me laugh. Before dinner I did Tim's hair. Then, for dinner, we had yummy kebobs. And for dessert, pastries :) Mmmmmm! Oh and creme brulee for lunch's dessert ;)
Last night we had a nice dinner. I had the French version of a Caeser salad which had romaine hearts, a piece of bacon, tomatoes (I asked them to skip those, but git them anyway which is fine because I just ate around them), sardines (luckily they did exlude these when i asked them too), a horseradishy dressing, and a whole chicken breast. It was pretty good though. We had fantastic creme brulee for dessert then walked to a crepe place where I got a nutella and banana crepe. It was delicious! Mom and Tim got a jam and banana one that they didn't like as much. They were going to get a fruit and cheese one, but the guy laughed and said it woukdn't be good which it apparently wasn't anyway. The jam WITH the bananas was still a Mom and Tim concoction lol.
I have been a little shy with my French though I have asked multiple times for directions. The only issue is that people's responses aren't within my vocabulary limits. It's a good thig that pointing is universal! Everyone is very nice contrary to Tim's previous beliefs. They help and three women have even asked to helped or helped without us asking them.
Off to Amsterdam tomorrow. But, for now, nighty night from Paris :)
Monday, April 2, 2012
Last Days In Italy (a little late though...)
Sorry this is late, but better late than never :)
We drove to Rome/Tivoli after the Amalfi Coast. Our place in Tivoli was beautiful and looked medieval. The woodwork was gorgeous and the roof had an awesome view of the city.
The apartment was within walking distance to Villa d'Este which is a palace and gardens of the medieval Borgias family. It was absolutely gorgeous. The idea was that it was supposed to be like nature, so there were big, spectacular fountains. One depicted the personified Mother Nature and it was fascinating to see how the artist viewed her.
Roma, or Rome, was also very cool, but also very crowded an urban. I loved seeing the Colosseo/Coloseum because of how old it is and the extraordinary history that it has. Unfortunately, the line was very long and a tour was very expensive, so we didn't get to see the inside. Though, I'm still awed that I touched something with 2,000 years of history.
We saw the Spanish steps from afar, the Fountain de Trevi, and the Vatican from the outside. The architecture was stunning. All the sculptures and details amaze me still. Again, lines, crowds and prices detoure us from seeing the insides.
We went to a street with all the expencive stores and were told not to take pictures. There were guys guarding the doors who obviously didn't want us to go in. It was fun! :). But, I don't understand how you could pay those prices, rich or not. That's just my opinion though.
Also in Roma, we came upon a breathtaking chruch. The inside jad these beautifully painted ceilings and archways. An organ was playing and the whole thing was just unbelievably wonderful. The interior was so ornate and just plain amazing
Roma was nice, but possibly a little too metropolitan. It was kind of like somebody took these beautiful things and stuck them in the middle of streets, cars, and houses. It didn't have an overall "wow" feel like Venice did. It was just the certain places. Although, there were pretty houses alnog the streets and it was a great experience either way.
We drove to Rome/Tivoli after the Amalfi Coast. Our place in Tivoli was beautiful and looked medieval. The woodwork was gorgeous and the roof had an awesome view of the city.
The apartment was within walking distance to Villa d'Este which is a palace and gardens of the medieval Borgias family. It was absolutely gorgeous. The idea was that it was supposed to be like nature, so there were big, spectacular fountains. One depicted the personified Mother Nature and it was fascinating to see how the artist viewed her.
Roma, or Rome, was also very cool, but also very crowded an urban. I loved seeing the Colosseo/Coloseum because of how old it is and the extraordinary history that it has. Unfortunately, the line was very long and a tour was very expensive, so we didn't get to see the inside. Though, I'm still awed that I touched something with 2,000 years of history.
We saw the Spanish steps from afar, the Fountain de Trevi, and the Vatican from the outside. The architecture was stunning. All the sculptures and details amaze me still. Again, lines, crowds and prices detoure us from seeing the insides.
We went to a street with all the expencive stores and were told not to take pictures. There were guys guarding the doors who obviously didn't want us to go in. It was fun! :). But, I don't understand how you could pay those prices, rich or not. That's just my opinion though.
Also in Roma, we came upon a breathtaking chruch. The inside jad these beautifully painted ceilings and archways. An organ was playing and the whole thing was just unbelievably wonderful. The interior was so ornate and just plain amazing
Roma was nice, but possibly a little too metropolitan. It was kind of like somebody took these beautiful things and stuck them in the middle of streets, cars, and houses. It didn't have an overall "wow" feel like Venice did. It was just the certain places. Although, there were pretty houses alnog the streets and it was a great experience either way.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Goodbye Gelato, Hello Croissants
We flew to Paris last night. It took about two hours, so it wasn't too bad. We saw the Alps from high up and they were beautiful and snow-capped. The landing was a little rough and they slammed on the brakes, but it was fun :) Our apartment was obviously not cleaned before we got here and we believe that the landlord lives here considering his razor and toothbrush are in the bathroom. The toilet room smells like smoke and so does the hallway of the building. O well. It's just another experience.
We went to the Champs-Elysees where all the high-falooting stores are. Mom went into a bathroom that cost two euros to use, but had somebody clean the toilet after each use. She also said that the stall had wallpaper that was stacks of books as in "going to the library." Well, that's how we interperated it :)
Next, we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe where I happily translated the words here, we, and are. It was beautiful with all the details.
The Eiffel Tower was our final destination of the day. It was a lot bigger than I thought it was and the color wasn't what I had expected it to be. It was brownish, but I guess I thought it would be bronzish. It was awesome either way. We were going to climb the steps, but both mom and I had to pee and they closed the bathrooms until later. We might climb it tomorrow though.
We are sitting in our apartment now waiting to go to dinner. Apparantly, nothing opens until 1930. I want to try real French escargot!
More tomorrow after our trip to the Louvre tomorrow!
-Gabi
We went to the Champs-Elysees where all the high-falooting stores are. Mom went into a bathroom that cost two euros to use, but had somebody clean the toilet after each use. She also said that the stall had wallpaper that was stacks of books as in "going to the library." Well, that's how we interperated it :)
Next, we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe where I happily translated the words here, we, and are. It was beautiful with all the details.
The Eiffel Tower was our final destination of the day. It was a lot bigger than I thought it was and the color wasn't what I had expected it to be. It was brownish, but I guess I thought it would be bronzish. It was awesome either way. We were going to climb the steps, but both mom and I had to pee and they closed the bathrooms until later. We might climb it tomorrow though.
We are sitting in our apartment now waiting to go to dinner. Apparantly, nothing opens until 1930. I want to try real French escargot!
More tomorrow after our trip to the Louvre tomorrow!
-Gabi
Paris Day 1
4/1/12
We got into Paris late last night - the flight from Rome was only 2 hours and we had a gorgeous view of the Alps with the sun setting over them from the plane. We took an hour long shuttle from the airport followed by a 10 minute taxi ride to the bar around the corner from our apartment where the bartender gave us the key. We were soooo tired by the time we got to the apartment! We walked in and it took us only a minute or two to realize that the guy we rented this from actually lives here! It's as if he went away for the weekend so we could stay here. And, he definitely didn't clean for the occasion! The place is filthy, so we aren't too thrilled to say the least. Part of the rental fee was a special "cleaning fee." He obviously didn't collect it from the last people who stayed here because it wasn't clean!
We took the metro to Champs-Elysees which is a ritzy shopping area. From there we walked around and made it to the Arc de Triomphe, where we saw the eternal flame of the unknown soldier and many other war memorials. Then we went to the Eiffel Tower, which is much, much larger in real life! It's huge! We were going to go at least to the 2nd level, but long lines, empty tummy's and small bladders won out, so we took the metro back to our apartment which is where we are now, waiting until 7:30 for the restaurants to open. Apparently restaurants close then reopen at dinner time.
Paris is very pretty. The museum buildings are gorgeous and very ornate. The river Seine is beautiful. I'm not sure what we're doing tomorrow. Gab wants to see the Mona Lisa. Tim wants to see Notre Dame. I want to sleep in.
:)
We got into Paris late last night - the flight from Rome was only 2 hours and we had a gorgeous view of the Alps with the sun setting over them from the plane. We took an hour long shuttle from the airport followed by a 10 minute taxi ride to the bar around the corner from our apartment where the bartender gave us the key. We were soooo tired by the time we got to the apartment! We walked in and it took us only a minute or two to realize that the guy we rented this from actually lives here! It's as if he went away for the weekend so we could stay here. And, he definitely didn't clean for the occasion! The place is filthy, so we aren't too thrilled to say the least. Part of the rental fee was a special "cleaning fee." He obviously didn't collect it from the last people who stayed here because it wasn't clean!
We took the metro to Champs-Elysees which is a ritzy shopping area. From there we walked around and made it to the Arc de Triomphe, where we saw the eternal flame of the unknown soldier and many other war memorials. Then we went to the Eiffel Tower, which is much, much larger in real life! It's huge! We were going to go at least to the 2nd level, but long lines, empty tummy's and small bladders won out, so we took the metro back to our apartment which is where we are now, waiting until 7:30 for the restaurants to open. Apparently restaurants close then reopen at dinner time.
Paris is very pretty. The museum buildings are gorgeous and very ornate. The river Seine is beautiful. I'm not sure what we're doing tomorrow. Gab wants to see the Mona Lisa. Tim wants to see Notre Dame. I want to sleep in.
:)
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Tivoli and Rome 3/28 - 3/31
3/28/12
Today we drove 2 ½ hours from Salerno to Tivoli. It was an easy drive, no getting lost and no
issues. Tivoli is this beautiful little
town - cobblestone streets, old buildings, very charming. The apartment is great – 2 bedrooms, a large
bathroom and a large dining/living room/kitchen area. From the outside the building looks old and
worn down, as do most of them. But I
don’t mean old and worn down in the crappy sense, more like
historical/old. The architecture is
beautiful and unlike Salerno, there’s no garbage on the streets, which is what
keeps the neighborhood looking charming instead of slummy. The big surprise is how nice the actual
apartment is – very unexpected in a building that looks the way this one does
on the outside. Tim says this is typical
of Italy – old, old structures with gorgeous insides.
Once we put our stuff away, we took off on foot to the Villa
d’ Este, which is breathtaking! After
that we found a good restaurant where I had my 5th pizza and 123rd
glass of wine. I’ve decided that I don’t
like the pizza, so my 5th was my last. Then we tried to get back to the
apartment….this took us about an hour because we got lost. The little streets are unmarked and all look
the same in the dark. We finally made
it! We were exhausted by then, and
achey. The Walk of the Gods and those
1500 stairs had all three of us literally limping Wednesday, yesterday, and
still today.
3/29/12
Today we walked a mile or so to the train station, rode the
train for 50 mins, then got off and hiked to the Colosseo (Coloseum). We didn’t go inside (there was a huge line
and long wait), but walked the perimeter for a while. It’s impressive, but almost feels like it’s
too surrounded by what felt a lot like just a regular metropolitan area. The streets were packed with students and tourists
– I guess it’s spring break time because it was hard to move with so many
people. This definitely detracted from
the Rome experience (in my opinion).
It’s beautiful, but it was just too crowded. It kind of reminded me of NYC at Christmas
time. But I think I like NYC
better! Another thing that detracted
from the Rome experience was being extorted at every turn. We went into a gelateria to have gelato # 312
and the next thing we knew, we had been charged 21 euros for 2 ice cream
cones!!!! Apparently lots of the
ristorantes and bars, particularly the ones surrounding any touristy areas,
have different prices for “stupid Americans.”
Lesson learned. We limped around
Rome some more, then went back home to Tivoli.
On the metro ride to the train station (yes, it was a metro ride AND a
train ride), we were packed in like sardines.
Tim got a chance to flex his 6’4” muscle at some guy who was shoving him
in the back…Gab and I suddenly heard Tim yell something in Italian and push
this guy back. Gab was laughing so hard
– it was pretty funny. After we got off
the metro, a girl who had obviously witnessed the whole thing, overheard Gab
and I wondering what the heck Tim had yelled at the guy, because he couldn’t
even remember. She told us that he had
yelled, “stop!” Just to be clear, it
wasn’t like Tim was trying to pick a fight, nor would it have ever escalated,
but it was very entertaining! J
3/30/12
Today we went back to Rome to see the Vatican. It was pretty cool, but also too
crowded. We called it an early day, or
so we thought. We got a little turned
around in the train station and missed our train, so we wasted a good 2 hours
trying to get home. Then we made
ourselves a nice dinner and drank an excellent 2 euro bottle of wine. We walked to a restaurant that was supposed
to have Internet service…as it turned out, then didn’t have Wifi in the
traditional sense. It took us almost an
hour just to get online! Then home to
collapse, where we could use the bathroom without having either buy 2
capuccino’s or just pay to get in!!!
3/31/12
We’re currently sitting on a bench in front of the
restaurant where we finally got Internet last night. If we sit inside we’ll have to buy a bunch of
stuff, so screw it, the bench is just fine!
Next we’re going back to where our car is parked to redistribute the
weight in our luggage…as it turns out, we will get horribly clipped at the
airport in Rome the way we’ve packed.
So, rather than pay 20 euros a kilo, which at the moment would cost us
an extra $100+ us dollars, we’re just gonna wear a couple of pairs of pants and
some extra jackets – lol! Not really,
but we do have to shuffle things around a bit.
We’ll get into Paris at about 9:00 tonight and should make it to our
flat by about 11:00, assuming we don’t get lost….we’ll see. Gab will have a chance to use her French and
we’re counting on her to get us around.
Tim is finally off the hook – we truly couldn’t have done half of what
we did in Italy without Tim’s knowledge of the country and the language; unless
of course we had actually taken the time to plan our trip, like normal people.
We will post pictures once we get to Paris and we have
tons. At last count, Gabi had taken
about 1800 of them, but don’t worry, we’ll only post one or two!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Bobo and the Bluffs
Today was great. We walked the trail properly name the "Walk of the Gods." We got packed into a bus like a can of sardines on our way to Agerola from Amalfi and I never sat down because I so kindly let Tim sit down instead of me ;) When we first started, we metbour little tour guide, Bobo, that walked the entire way with us. When wr first met him, he nearly got hit by a car. He moved just in the knick of time, although I think it brushed him. He was the sweetest looking little dog with a curly tail that you could ever see. We thought his owner called him, but she could have been talking to another dog. Either way, Bobo, who had that name woven into his collar so it could have been a brand name, followed us.
We saw the most beautiful cliffs and contrasts of the mountains and water. At one point, we saw about thirty goats with a herder dog. Bobo was very interested. At that point, I was in front and I turned the corner to find all these goats with bells around their necks. It was awesome! There was a goat that ran the other direction and got separated from the pack. We heard them do what we thought was calling to find eachother. I felt bad for it, but it should have followed the rules ;)
It was so cool to be so high up. Now when I think back, I understan how the trail got its name. It truely was like you were a God looking through the heavens at the world below. It was about 5-6 miles of pure beauty. I loved it even though I got a farmer's burn.
There were these lizards all over and Bobo kept chasing them. It was so cute. We passed some other people and one couple even had a dog, that Bobo sniffed but it didn't seem to like him, that he could have gone with, but he stuck with us. Sometimes, he would walk away from the path and we would try to leave him stealthily so he would go back home. Just when we thought we had lost him, he popped into sight and took his position as the guide in the front. He marked his trail, probably so that he could go back home, if you know what I mean.
Tim decided that he wanted a certain picture so he went off the trail onto some rocks that mom told me not to go on. If he made one wrong move, it would bye bye Tim forever. Needless to say, mom wasn't very amused and refused to take a video of it.
When we came to the 1,500 stairs, that we thought were all the stairs on the entire trail combined, it was like it wouldn't end. I found it easier to go quickly because if the momentum. When I stopped, I could feel my legs shaking. Mom and I left Tim in the dust. Poor Tim! When we got to the bottom, I realized it was the end. I had thought it was only the halfway point! Boy was I wrong!
We waited for about an hour for the bus that seemed like it would never come. Bobo was still with us. While waiting, I took the cutest pictures of him. When the bus came, Bobo put a paw on the steps (I don't remember seeing it but mom told me) as if he wanted to come. Tim said that the driver made a joke saying that Bobo couldn't get on because he didn't have a ticket. When the doors closed, Bobo gave us a look saying "Why won't you take me?". I felt so bad!!! I wish we could have taken him, but I guess he has a mommy out their somewhere. And, he walked the trails like he ha done it before. Anytime we say Bobo or call our dogs that, which we do, I will think of our little tour guide and wonder if he got home safely.
We saw the most beautiful cliffs and contrasts of the mountains and water. At one point, we saw about thirty goats with a herder dog. Bobo was very interested. At that point, I was in front and I turned the corner to find all these goats with bells around their necks. It was awesome! There was a goat that ran the other direction and got separated from the pack. We heard them do what we thought was calling to find eachother. I felt bad for it, but it should have followed the rules ;)
It was so cool to be so high up. Now when I think back, I understan how the trail got its name. It truely was like you were a God looking through the heavens at the world below. It was about 5-6 miles of pure beauty. I loved it even though I got a farmer's burn.
There were these lizards all over and Bobo kept chasing them. It was so cute. We passed some other people and one couple even had a dog, that Bobo sniffed but it didn't seem to like him, that he could have gone with, but he stuck with us. Sometimes, he would walk away from the path and we would try to leave him stealthily so he would go back home. Just when we thought we had lost him, he popped into sight and took his position as the guide in the front. He marked his trail, probably so that he could go back home, if you know what I mean.
Tim decided that he wanted a certain picture so he went off the trail onto some rocks that mom told me not to go on. If he made one wrong move, it would bye bye Tim forever. Needless to say, mom wasn't very amused and refused to take a video of it.
When we came to the 1,500 stairs, that we thought were all the stairs on the entire trail combined, it was like it wouldn't end. I found it easier to go quickly because if the momentum. When I stopped, I could feel my legs shaking. Mom and I left Tim in the dust. Poor Tim! When we got to the bottom, I realized it was the end. I had thought it was only the halfway point! Boy was I wrong!
We waited for about an hour for the bus that seemed like it would never come. Bobo was still with us. While waiting, I took the cutest pictures of him. When the bus came, Bobo put a paw on the steps (I don't remember seeing it but mom told me) as if he wanted to come. Tim said that the driver made a joke saying that Bobo couldn't get on because he didn't have a ticket. When the doors closed, Bobo gave us a look saying "Why won't you take me?". I felt so bad!!! I wish we could have taken him, but I guess he has a mommy out their somewhere. And, he walked the trails like he ha done it before. Anytime we say Bobo or call our dogs that, which we do, I will think of our little tour guide and wonder if he got home safely.
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| Cappuccino number 67. |
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| Beach in Maiori. |
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| Skipping rocks on the Gulf of Napoli. |
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| Maiori |
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| Maiori |
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| Mom and Gab in Maiori |
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| Bobo, our little buddy - miss him already! |
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| Gab and Tim on the Walk of the Gods |
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| Walk of the Gods |
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| View from the hike - Walk of the Gods |
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| Bobo hiking |
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| Bobo spotted the goats first! |
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| Bobo, the goat-herder, and the goats |
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| This one got away from the herd. |
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| View from the hike. |
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| View from the hike. |
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| View from the hike. |
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| Beginning of the hike. |
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| Gab and Bobo ready to start! |
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| Pooped already! |
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| Add caption |
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| The goats. |
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| Stand off - Bobo vs. the goat-herder! |
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| The lizard that got away! |
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| Island viewed from the hike. |
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| Only 1103 more stairs to go!!! |
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| View of Positano from the bus stop at the end of the hike. |
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| Bobo taking a siesta after the hike. |
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| Positano. |
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| Positano. |
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| More Positano. |
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| And more... |
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| Sunset from Salerno. |
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| Gab's farmer's burn. |
Boats, Buses, and Bobo
3/27
Today was a great day! We got up at a reasonable hour, showered, got dressed, and headed out for the Walk of the Gods. We walked a mile to the inlet so we could take a boat to Amalfi, then a bus to Agerola, where the walk begins. The boats weren't running, so we took an hour long bus ride to Amalfi. The bus experience was entirely different than the driving one. The buses can't make all the sharp curves in the road, so they constantly blow their air horns to let drivers know they're lurking around the bend. The bus drivers are talented, constantly coming within inches of other cars, buses, trucks, barrier walls, and the sides of the mountains. It's a wonder there aren't more accidents. Needless to say, I got carsick - again. The bus from Amalfi to Agerola was about 40 minutes and there was standing room only. We stood for almost the entire time, gripping the seat backs and overhead poles to keep from falling. I was nauseous again.
When the bus finally stopped in Agerola, we got off with a young guy from New York who was also doing the Walk of the Gods and kind of just stood there, not sure what to do next. We noticed a cute little dog that looked like a miniature long-haired German Shepherd. We watched him almost get hit by a car. We asked a nice man where to go and he pointed us in the right direction. We started on what basically looked like any old sidewalk...followed by this little dog and the guy from New York. The guy wasn't interested in having company, so he lagged behind pretty shortly after we set off. The dog was very interested in company, and not that of who we thought was his owner who (we think) called after him and he ignored. After walking for about the equivalent of 2 city blocks, we turned to the right and bye-bye concrete. This was the most beautiful hike ever! It was somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 or 6 miles and we walked on the edge of mountains (small ones, but very high up), up and down dirt and rock trails, with views of the Gulf of Naples and the towns below - gorgeous!
The dog walked with us. He chased little lizards, which were everywhere and ran ahead or lagged behind, but he didn't let us out of his sight for long. We passed only 2 other sets of hikers and he had no interest in them. He was our little tour guide, even posing in pictures with us. He had a collar on that had the name "Bobo" on it. So, Bobo, our little buddy, hiked along with us. About halfway along, we suddenly ran into a herd of goats! There were about 30 goats with tags on their ears and bells around their neck, being herded by a large white dog - no person around, just the dog. He had a little interest in Bobo, but he wouldn't be distracted from his job of keeping those goats in line. It was so cool to see these goats out of nowhere! Though they were pretty weary of us, we still got within a couple of feet of them.
Bobo wasn't too distracted by the goats. He was just happy scampering around chasing bugs and lizards.
We were wondering where the 1500 stairs were...where? Well, we found them! At the very end of the hike when we were reaching our limits, there they were. We had to walk down 1500 stairs. They were different heights and widths, criss-crossing back and forth down the mountain. Gab and I ran down most of them, with Bobo by our side. Tim's toe was hurting, so he took his time. When we got to the bottom of the stairs, that was it. We had made it to Positano. The hike ended rather abruptly, leaving us on one of those curvy mountain roads. Thankfully the bus stop for the bus back to Amalfi was right in front of us. Bobo waited with us for the bus - which took about a half hour to get there. Then it arrived and we got on. As we looked down the stairs to the bus, Bobo had put one of his paws on the bottom stair, wanting to board the bus with us. The driver said, "Sensa bigliatto." Jack Nicholson said, "No ticky, no laundry." Same thing. Bobo couldn't come with us. So after following us for the better part of an afternoon, through mountains, around more bends than we could count, and down 1500 stairs, we had to just leave him there. It broke our hearts. We only hope that he's made that trek many times before and is home safely by now. He was great, our little buddy.
Then we had to hike the mile back from the bus stop to our apartment - we're beat!!! But, we did stop for gelato, of course. We weren't THAT beat! And tomorrow, off to Tivoli/Rome!!!
Today was a great day! We got up at a reasonable hour, showered, got dressed, and headed out for the Walk of the Gods. We walked a mile to the inlet so we could take a boat to Amalfi, then a bus to Agerola, where the walk begins. The boats weren't running, so we took an hour long bus ride to Amalfi. The bus experience was entirely different than the driving one. The buses can't make all the sharp curves in the road, so they constantly blow their air horns to let drivers know they're lurking around the bend. The bus drivers are talented, constantly coming within inches of other cars, buses, trucks, barrier walls, and the sides of the mountains. It's a wonder there aren't more accidents. Needless to say, I got carsick - again. The bus from Amalfi to Agerola was about 40 minutes and there was standing room only. We stood for almost the entire time, gripping the seat backs and overhead poles to keep from falling. I was nauseous again.
When the bus finally stopped in Agerola, we got off with a young guy from New York who was also doing the Walk of the Gods and kind of just stood there, not sure what to do next. We noticed a cute little dog that looked like a miniature long-haired German Shepherd. We watched him almost get hit by a car. We asked a nice man where to go and he pointed us in the right direction. We started on what basically looked like any old sidewalk...followed by this little dog and the guy from New York. The guy wasn't interested in having company, so he lagged behind pretty shortly after we set off. The dog was very interested in company, and not that of who we thought was his owner who (we think) called after him and he ignored. After walking for about the equivalent of 2 city blocks, we turned to the right and bye-bye concrete. This was the most beautiful hike ever! It was somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 or 6 miles and we walked on the edge of mountains (small ones, but very high up), up and down dirt and rock trails, with views of the Gulf of Naples and the towns below - gorgeous!
The dog walked with us. He chased little lizards, which were everywhere and ran ahead or lagged behind, but he didn't let us out of his sight for long. We passed only 2 other sets of hikers and he had no interest in them. He was our little tour guide, even posing in pictures with us. He had a collar on that had the name "Bobo" on it. So, Bobo, our little buddy, hiked along with us. About halfway along, we suddenly ran into a herd of goats! There were about 30 goats with tags on their ears and bells around their neck, being herded by a large white dog - no person around, just the dog. He had a little interest in Bobo, but he wouldn't be distracted from his job of keeping those goats in line. It was so cool to see these goats out of nowhere! Though they were pretty weary of us, we still got within a couple of feet of them.
Bobo wasn't too distracted by the goats. He was just happy scampering around chasing bugs and lizards.
We were wondering where the 1500 stairs were...where? Well, we found them! At the very end of the hike when we were reaching our limits, there they were. We had to walk down 1500 stairs. They were different heights and widths, criss-crossing back and forth down the mountain. Gab and I ran down most of them, with Bobo by our side. Tim's toe was hurting, so he took his time. When we got to the bottom of the stairs, that was it. We had made it to Positano. The hike ended rather abruptly, leaving us on one of those curvy mountain roads. Thankfully the bus stop for the bus back to Amalfi was right in front of us. Bobo waited with us for the bus - which took about a half hour to get there. Then it arrived and we got on. As we looked down the stairs to the bus, Bobo had put one of his paws on the bottom stair, wanting to board the bus with us. The driver said, "Sensa bigliatto." Jack Nicholson said, "No ticky, no laundry." Same thing. Bobo couldn't come with us. So after following us for the better part of an afternoon, through mountains, around more bends than we could count, and down 1500 stairs, we had to just leave him there. It broke our hearts. We only hope that he's made that trek many times before and is home safely by now. He was great, our little buddy.
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