The two most important industries on the Amalfi coast are tourism and lemons. We were doing our part with the first and the locals have been busy for a millennium with the second. Every possible square meter of the steep hillsides are terraced for lemon trees. The heavy yellow fruit hands gleaming under the bright sun. Whole orchards are netted with black fabric to protect the fruit. This is big business. Besides the huge amount of export, the lemons make a big contribution to the local cuisine, which sports lemon sauced fish, lemon chocolate, lemon you name it. The majority of these lemon orchards are accessible only by means of ancient stairways that are steep enough to induce nosebleeds. I know whereof I speak because we have spent the last two days tramping over literally thousands and thousands of stairs as we hiked the paradise of the hills above the coast. More on that in a detailed future entry.
Looking south down the coast one can see the town of Salerno in the distance. Below is on of the first villages along the coast.
Whew! Finally, I have been able to at least get the blog moved along to the location that we are currently in. More about hiking the coast when the blood returns to my fingers. Now I need to relax on the balcony and watch the motto parade. Well fed and relaxed after a long steep day of hiking, I have to rest up a bit for our excursion to Pompeii on the morrow. Ciao for Now!
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