Day 10 Amalfi Coast and Paestum...arrivederci Italia

Our last full day and it rained (heavy) for about twenty minutes and so we stepped across Italian puddles for the first time...briefly only as the sun re-emerged not long after. We have been so blessed to have had such gorgeous weather during our stay.

The road along the Amalfi coast is spectacular, both in terms of scenery (amazingly beautiful), and road use. Some of the overtaking witnessed is extraordinary, a unique blend of audacity and undying faith in St Christopher. At other times our bus has to negotiate an oncoming truck or fellow bus with barely a cigarette paper width to spare, yet momentum seems to flow through some kind of strange and confusing (to the non-Italian) blend of horns and graciousness. The views are (again) unbelievably scenic and the bus happily stops along the way (irrespective of the chaos behind) for us to alight and soak in the beauty.

The village of Amalfi itself is a delight and is home to the magnificent Cathedral of Amalfi dating back to the 12th century but spectacularly remodelled and redecorated through the ages up to the 18th century. The crypt, containing the remains of St Andrew, includes a visually arresting (though slightly gaudy) frescoed ceiling, a reminder of the decorative opulence of the Baroque period. The whole Amalfi coastline is famed for its nativity scenes and they appear regularly as we travel.

The Greek and Roman ruins at Paestum are a revelation. Confronting these colossal Greek temples up close (three are still standing) is an awe-inspiring experience. The fact that they have stood untouched by restorative hands for over 2500 years only serves to heighten their majesty. These are truly epic ruins. Surrounding and interwoven with the temples is the equally compelling remains of the Roman city that followed the Greek occupation (thankfully the Romans equally respected the sacred temples and they were not substantially altered in antiquity). The Roman remains are perhaps what Pompeii may have looked like today were it not miraculously and tragically encased in volcanic material. Here at Paestum the remnant walls are low enough to step over, though the layout of the city is easily discernible and it a rare pleasure to step freely among the ruins and attempt to decipher the archaeology.

Tomorrow we say arrivederci Italia (with some more shopping in Sorrento first). It has been a truly wondrous experience. I say thank you to our wonderful tour guide Simona, who has been right there for us every step of the way. To Estelle Lazer for being so generous in her knowledge and so humble and giving in her time to the students. To Barb K especially for without her enthusiasm, effort and organisational nous this fantastic excursion would never have happened...thanks BK you're the best! To our amazing hosts in Italy, so gracious and accommodating. And finally, to our wonderful wonderful students who have learned and experienced so much in such a short time, whose abundant joy and cameraderie has been so sweet, who have represented their school(s) impeccably and, above all, have just been a fabulous group of young adults. It has been a pleasure to travel in your company.

That's it for the blog, hope you have enjoyed (sorry, I know I've gone on a bit at times) and have been able to share a little in our wonderful experience.

Ciao
BB