Take Post
Near Pignataro Maggiore and heading north, October 21st.
Up dark and early to have my breakfast before heading out to see Don and EP. A quick walk down to the Hotel Reginna and a couple of hugs later and we’re all on our way…they to go walkabout and me to find the car and head north.
As I was leaving their hotel I noticed a war memorial on the corner. It was mostly i
n Italian but there was a small plaque on the north side that told the story of Darby’s Rangers, a US unit of 3 battalions (about 1,000) men, that made an amphibious landing at Maiori on September 9th, 1943. This was in order to secure the port and the valley entrance, including the subsequent seizure and defense of Chiunzi Pass. This pass was critical because it provided a solid left flank for the attack on Salerno and opened the way to bring mortar, artillery, naval and air fire into the German support lines to Salerno on the other side of the mountains.
Hey…I drove over that pass.
I picked up some supplies on the way back to Due Torri then quickly packed and left. This time I’m taking the coastal road to Salerno and not getting in the way of any Rangers still lurking in the Pass.
It’s amazing how quickly you lose track of days. Turns out its Saturday and on Saturday it would appear that everyone in Italy goes for a bicycle ride along the Amalfi Coast. It’s all very colourful but it seems to me the chance of a collision of either cars and people or cars and cars or cars and walls….well you get the idea….pretty hairy stuff. Oh…its really helpful too that there are some very fast motorcycles on the road. It is a pleasure to hear them and see them twisting and turning…oh nice lean there…but they are not adding to my fun.
Just outside Erchi there’s a cyclist down. One of those tiny Fiat Panda’s is guilty and there are about twenty other cyclists trying to help out by standing around on the road. A couple of clicks on I see the approaching ambulance so I guess the cyclist was hurt…hope he makes it to work on Monday.
Then there’s Cetera, looks like a cute place. There’s a locale police officer standing in the middle of the road which goes right and goes left. Not sure what he’s doing there but it doesn’t help me as I go right…then have to turn around to go left…where I’m supposed to go. I really am amazed though at how calm everyone is with cars buzzing around cyclists and bikers, people walking all over the place. No horns, people just stop and wait…I even got a wave as I made a slow U turn at the edge of the pedestrianized section.
Nice people these Italians.
Ahh…the quiet and peaceful A3 heading north. I pay my 2 euro’s and off I go…into a maelstrom of cars and trucks that also think it’s Saturday. Traffic moves and stops and stops and moves…I miss my turn to the A1 and end up in San Giovanni a Teduccio, a suburb of Naples. But all is well, except for the traffic and time delay, and I’m eventually back on the A1 heading north.
I’m quitting for the day. I need to plan the next couple of days and I haven’t had computer access for two days so all the blogs you are reading I’m doing this afternoon. I’ve come back to the hotel I found after my visit to Cassino, it’s quiet here, clean and they have secure wi-fi…and my blog works.
Tomorow 1st Div and I are heading up the old Route 6 through the Liri Valley to liberate Rome. Wish us luck.
Stand Down