Monday, April 27, 2009

Just a mundane walk to the shops.

Walk with me on my daily shop at Positano.

I no longer go to the Deli nearby for personal reasons, but prefer to shop at the mini market right at the very top of Positano. The walk is a trek up steep stairs but they're preferable to darting in between parked cars to avoid being hit by buses and vans on the narrow road.
There are no sidewalks in Positano, not real ones.


I start off by going downhill in Via Lepanto in a twisting lane that follows the curve of the road. I am always horrified at the rubble and rubbish dumped into the stream here as it ends up directly on the beach. This is where your beach glass and tiles originates from. On my way up to the road, I find that a local has dumped their computer, the screen and the printer in a niche next to a cactus plant. What would it have taken them to bring it the extra few metres to the road and have the council pick it up?



My first flight of stairs has me panting at the finish, but I cross the road and attack the next lot with determination. If I stop, I'm likely not to want to continue!






Legs-a-wobbling, we are finally in the air conditioning of the mini-market. The whole store is probably smaller than my kitchen with tiny trolleys in its four baby isles of goods. If things are not on the shelves they are likely to have them at the back because of lack of storage space. I am only a seasonal shopper there, but they always remember me and my address down to the number, for delivery.


Stepping outside the shop, two orange specks on the mountainside attract my attention.
Are they rock climbers?





But no! On closer look, there's not two but four...and they're tying chicken wire to the cliff-face to prevent rock slides.

After a stop at the bar and fruit shop, its downhill all the way.

I can't help taking a peek through ironwork into enchanting courtyards.

But other than that, I have to watch my steps and hold on to bannister's in some places. Those stairwells are vertical !

A cactus and lemon courtyard.

As I hit Via Lepanto again, a white Pekingese dog wandering in the lane follows me all the way back to our neighbourhood. A lady is sitting on the step just outside our gate. She doesn't move on our approach. Imagining that she is probably a tourist, I ask if I can help her.

'I'm fine', she answers in a English accent. 'I was just admiring your view.'

14 comments:

erin said...

thank you for a lovely journey to the shop with you...it was a great getaway from my morning :)

Lucia said...

I was tired with you...lol!
That was great!

Saretta said...

I don't envy you those stairs, but I do envy the view!

LaDue & Crew said...

The views you have are absolute gifts from above! I am so envious. Thank you for taking us on a walk with you!

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Thank you for the lovely walk, I am now exhusted :-) I remember my walk similar to that on our holidays in Lake Como..to get our fresh bread everyday..the first time back up was a killer, but I soon got used to it!!

Fantastic views, just looking at the postcard you sent me, which will be on my blog very soon ;-)

Annika said...

I just keep thinking how genious it is, from a health perspective, to live in a place like Positano. You can't take the car everywhere, it's impossible when there are no roads, so you are forced to walk and climb your way through. There's no escaping the daily cardio workout. Genious, I tell you.

Laura said...

Ciao Scintilla! What a lovely post ... thank you for taking us along on your walk! One of my favorite parts of the day is my walk to the nearby shops. I agree with Annika that it is great exercise, and I love the interaction with people.

And I second your concern and frustration with trash here. It is really a shame to see such beautiful places littered with trash. I walk by a similar place every time I go shopping, too. While the recycling programs are admirable here on the coast, the mentality on many people regarding trash leaves much to be desired.

Anonymous said...

Well KUDOS to you for taking the steepest staircase there is to go to the minimarket! I do that to go to the gym so I get there warmed up already, lol.
Dollyna

The Food Hunter said...

What a lovely little trip to the market. At least the stairs will help you work off whatever you bought.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

I enjoyed the walk and felt I was with you. I'm not sure I'd have made it up those steps!

joe@italyville said...

Great walk.. I'm so tired.
I so hate the rubbish people dump in beautiful places. It's awful!

Proud Italian Cook said...

What a workout, you must be in great shape, I think I would be stopping quite a bit along the way. Enjoyed the journey very much!

molly said...

You must be in great shape to tackle those stairs! I just loved Positano - although I only passed through - hoping to visit for longer next time. Although I am near the waters of Lake Michigan, which can seem like the sea because of it's size, it is much flatter terrain!

Phivos Nicolaides said...

This is a nice journey and a good blog!