April 17, 2008 3:25pm Sitting on a sea wall with back against brick and stone wall. Tyrrhenian Sea crashing all around.
Using part intuition and part Amalfi walk book by Julian Tippett, we picked our way like a couple of old mountain goats over many steps, under, through, and between houses all the way to where we sit now: Atrani, lovely village by the sea.
Must have been 1000 steps up and down until our legs vibrated with wild spasms. I went much further than I thought I could with no ill effects so far. (crosses fingers does sign of cross) The views along the way were of sunlight glinting on sea water the color of aquamarine lit from the inside. Further out one hundred shades of blue ranging from silver to navy.
But the sea is only the backdrop to scene after scene opening in front of our eyes. Narrow stone footpaths shared with donkeys and only a few people,
but not in the country – HERE in a village with people living, eating, breathing, cooking behind every beautiful doorway.
Here mounds of pink bee balm or butterfly bush, there a small perfect geranium with partially opened flower, dandelion boquets sprouting from ancient walls. And across the village the dome of the tiled basillica. Green and yellow tiles shining in the sun.
Fig trees framed in blue. Mountainous coastline spread out below. A living postcard.
I do not travel to see monuments or museums or to shop. I came here to see THIS. To be HERE on this path walking from one village to the next. Breathless, wonderous, alive.
Some random glimpses into my travel journal. Thank you for the enthusiastic welcome home! The comments have been very dear. Today I began to slowly add photos into the trip log. Bigger rings are needed!
OMG, Mary Ann…you’ve had the trip I’ve dreamt of taking for years (and probably never will). What a treat to savor a mini-expedition with my Saturday morning caffe! If you and Sister ever opt to return with likeminded traveling companions in tow, call ME. I SO get your travel philosophy. Glad to see you’re to be published in some upcoming books. Congrats! TFS!
This is already one amazing journal!!
m.a. – just catching up on your voyage. i spent a chunk of my afternoon looking over the days worth of posts that recount a trip of a lifetime! swoooooon! so happy for you and sister….and that we got to come along. the journal rocks too.
I am staying here forever – your tales and pics are treasures – oh oh oh Mary Ann!!!!!!!!!!!!
xox – eb.
hope you had a great trip. sure seems like it from the journal. great pictures. feel like i am there. so wish i was there!LOL
Wow. Thank you so much for taking us along on this amazing journey. I feel like I can almost taste the fog, smell the geraniums, feel my legs aching from all the stairs……….
What a treat this morning when I came by to “visit!” Your trip looks wonderful and makes me want to go to Italy!!! Can’t wait to see more of your pictures!
That’s IT!
Traveling for the sake of LIVING there.
I love the handwriting in your journals. Mine looks like 7th grade…no, wait….5th grade loopy, crap where you expect to see a heart over the small letter “I’s”….shudder.
More Please.
(sitting with arms crossed waiting patiently).
Lisa H.
How wonderful to bring my cup of coffee to my computer and to be whisked away to Italy where I can climb and descend staircases with breathtaking views without a single twinge of the calf muscles. Thank you for taking all of us with you. Every photograph is filled with deliciousness.
On the day of my island travel, this journalism of yours is so inspiring! And your pictures of the little village reminded me, for some reason, of John Fowles’s The Magus. Thanks for showing those beyootiful journal pages.
Your travel journal is lovely. I’m so glad you are sharing it with us. I love the idea of a 3 ring binder for a journal. LOVE it! I’m constantly wishing I could move pages around in my journals because I’m forever skipping pages, for some weird reason. This would be perfect for me!!
Such gorgeousness! I can’t wait to read and see the rest. The journal is just amazing!
Beautiful! Love how your travel journal looks…how you are putting it together…and Jamie (comment above) already beat me as a reader quoting their favorite line from the post. I agree. ( I haven’t done Sat. at 5:00 AM since the kids left Toddlerhood). More, please.
Do they make rings THAT big??? You are heading toward a furniture sized journal now – what a treasure!
Oh yeah, (and there’s more!) I love the way you cut out the picture perfect postcard photo and put it back into frame. That says a lot.
“I do not travel to see monuments or museums or to shop. I came here to see THIS. To be HERE on this path walking from one village to the next. Breathless, wonderous, alive.”
There it is, another one of the many reasons why I feel such a strong connection to you. I get it – I totally get it.
Your journal looks great. I never could figure out how to add photos to my travel journals. The rings to add photos once you are home is the answer. You’re a smart cookie.
Mmmmm, that tiled basilica. I just want to reach out (into the photo) and feel the warm sun and the texture of the tiles. Beautiful. And another thing while I’m gushing, I love how you put the time on the photo. It gives me something else to dream about…like, you had probably already eaten lunch, or people in their homes were doing their afternoon chores. Women hanging out rugs, maybe old men taking afternoon naps…I don’t know…it’s just a cool touch. I like.