They told me the roads would be bad

This morning I awoke with some apprehension and.... worry. Streets of Naples were calling and our rental car pickup was due.

Talking to other travellers they told me I was crazy about renting a car and driving in southern Italy. When we mentioned this to the tour guides Raphel and Noemi they both (separately) advised: "you're game".

Comments like this didn't help at all but what else could I do? The trip has been preplanned, accommodation booked and we are also meeting with family later on. There was nothing I could do other than "Stick to the plan".

So for the last three days, I have been watching the Naples traffic from the balcony of our accommodation. It is like a game of Tetris on these roads, but unlike driving in Australia I have realised that the drivers are in fact less aggressive, and more considerate. Most share their lane, share their road, actually, that is the difference. In Australia, we treat it as our lane, and our road. However here, in Italy they share, they are all the same as each other, trying to get from point A to B, in the shortest time but they know there is a need to fight for your place, you will get there, as well everyone else.

I know this may sound strange as Italian drivers are normally tagged as aggressive and manic on the roads, but if you change your way of thinking, it works.  It isn't your road, it isn't your lane, in fact, it isn't your side of the road. If there is space, it is anyone's, yours and theirs.

So after collecting the rental, I drove on the streets of Naples with this new thought process and for me, it worked. I drove to Paestum through the city, down the freeway and across the paddocks with buffaloes grazing.

Paestum has been on my list for a very long time, where else can you see layers of civilisation going back at least 2600 years? We pre-booked a tour with a local guide, Roberto from Salerno.  He is a Freelance Archaeologist and I doubt there wasn't a thing he didn't know about with regards to these ruins.

Katie and I were both in awe of this place, we were told we had come to some of the best Greek temples in all of the Greek empire. Walking the archaeological area we could recognise items that we had seen before in Pompei and Herculaneum, like water catchment ponds in executive homes, courtyards and groves that were ground into the paths by the wheels of trollies.

Taking advise from Roberto we went to a Buffalo Mozzarella farm for lunch. It is very hard to describe the Mozzarella that is made specifically in this area, but I will try. Firstly, it is NOTHING like Mozzarella at home. It is made and consumed normally the same day or within 2. It is transported in a liquid, like a brine (but it isn't salty).  It is not refrigerated. It is soft and when cut into the buffalo milk oozes out. It is rich to taste. It is oooooh, so good.

We, of course, had a tasting plate of Buffalo cheeses, Ricotta, Smoked Mozzarella and unsmoked, all just amazing. Then we moved on with Katie having ricotta-stuffed ravioli and I had buffalo sirloin steak on a rocket salad. Both meals were fabulous.

After this, we checked out the 'ladies' (as Katie calls them).

Then it was back on the road, taking about 60 minutes to drive to Agriturismo Villa Vea. We have checked in and then ducked out to a town close by to get some essentials, like peanuts, potato chips, beer and wine.

On our return, we passed through Roscigno Vecchio, a town that was abandoned in the early 20th century due to a landslide. Now with only one resident.  We walked the town square and it was pleasant to walk these olde streets to see architecture that has not had any modern or technical changes applied to it.

In returning to our car we were greeted by the only resident of the town, he spoke basically no English, and as always thought we were American. When he found out we were Australian he invited us back to his little two-room apartment.  It too hasn't changed for 100 years, with a small kitchen and a living room that was full of newspaper clippings about his village, himself and what happened to cause the desertion.  The walls also had at least 20 picture of this gentleman, with his white beard, white hair and a smoking pipe. It was a true pleasure to be invited to his home for a short visit. (sorry no photos of this gent, we prefer to respect his privacy)



This evening we will be having dinner at the restaurant that is part of the Agriturismo and soon I will stop, head out to the balcony with Katie and finish my wine, whilst looking at this lovely view and highly anticipated sunset.

What a great day.