Mediteranean hikes | Krauss-ing The World

Edge of the EU

Posted on February 6 by krauss-ingtheworld

At first light, after stocking up on pastries for the day, I begin hiking along the coast. The beaches are sandy, the water looks beautiful, and palm trees line the path. Just a bit further along the coastline becomes rocky like a lunar desert, the sun gets hot and my shoes get torn up by the sharp rocks. I persevere through to see the unique rock formations, caves and natural bridges along the coast. I finally make it to a row of sea caves. I climb down inside one, but I don’t risk the rough waters (besides, the sea is too cold for me). I do wade a bit in a rocky lagoon; the water is crystal clear without the brown sandy beaches underneath.

I follow a path through the rocky landscape to the start of a nature trail along the side of a large cliff. It is spectacular for birding, and I see a giant lizard on a rock too. I don’t get too close to the water here, but I can see caverns and canyons from a distance. I go up to the viewpoint for a look at Cape Greco, the easternmost point of the EU, and a great view back from where I hiked. It is tricky to get back down, and I’m tempted to keep circling around the cliff-face with the trail offering fantastic views and a sea breeze. But I continue on towards Cape Greco.

I cross Cape Greco to a particularly blue lagoon, which is only so blue because it is so rocky!

There is a cave just a bit further up the coast and a small church where I rehydrate and even get an oreo ice cream. Hiking along the protected forest trail, looking out over the rocky coastline to see a beautiful beach bay—all while licking an ice cream—has to be my favorite way to hike.

I continue down to the beach and back up along the trail over some more turquoise bays until I reach the “cyclops cave”. This cool cave has nothing to do with The Odyssey, but it’s cool how it connects through the cliff and comes out the other side. At this point, I turn around and take the bus back, watching the sun set over the sea behind the clouds.

In the morning I hike the opposite direction to the beautiful Nissi beach. It rains on and off, and I have to pass through a sandy gulf to continue the path, but it is beautiful when I arrive. The sandy beach and water, even when overcast, still glows turquoise. The little island off the coast is nice too. I find the sand is warmest at the place where the water hits the shore. I dip my feet in the water—and to my surprise the water is warmer than the outside temperature. I warm my feet a little before I walk back under the cover of clouds. Ironically, the sun comes out right as I return only to sit and wait an hour for the bus to my final destination in Cyprus.

Amalfi Coast

Posted on January 31, 2022 by krauss-ingtheworld

The views climbing up Sorrento are spectacular, with Vesuvius, Capri, and several small islands visible along the feet of the cliffs.

I enjoy the scenic road all the way past Positano to Amalfi. This charming town by the sea has a spectacular church and public fountain. Walking through the corridors and stairwells reminds me of Cinque terre.

I take the bus up to Ravello for the amazing view of the mountains and the valley. I enjoy walking around the Moorish ruins of this town, which seems built in and around them.

I walk down hundreds of stairs back to Amalfi, taking in the view and passing several caves along the valleys. There are underground tunnels connecting back to Amalfi so pedestrians don’t have to walk too long on the winding roads with traffic.

I stop for a delicious buffala sandwich, with the best sun dried tomatoes, and explore the town a bit more before hiking. I shelter from the rain in front of the church while eating my sandwich and someone offers me food, which I quickly refuse and try to explain I don’t need it, but he takes off. I guess 2 1/2 weeks without shaving makes me look homeless.

The bus up to the trailhead in Bromino passes a nice valley, and the sun begins to shine on the turquoise waters. I start the Sentiero degli dei (Path of the Gods) past the main square under the large karst cliffs. The views, once I get to them, are backlit by the sun, but it’s still nice. It’s a beautiful trail, and mostly downhill, but it’s not worthy of the name, “Path of the Gods,” I think. I don’t want to say I’m disappointed because it is beautiful, but I think I was expecting too much. While there are many interesting formations, the mountain view from Ravello seems more dynamic, and there are probably nice trails around there as well as Sorrento.

I pass some goats feeding, lots of climbers, and some caves. I approach more lookouts as the sun goes down, and I race down the stairs to make it to Positano for the sunset along the beach. The clouds make for a reddish glow that illuminates the town and surrounding cliffs. Possibly the most picturesque, Positano is quite small and consists mostly of sprawling homes, hotels, and restaurants along the hillside. It’s hard to have a main center when the town is vertical, but there is a charming Main Street down to the beach, decorated by Christmas lights. They even have lights decorating the mountain!

I thoroughly enjoy my hike through the beautiful landscape and brief visits to the charming towns of the Amalfi coast. The culmination of my trip to the region, the Amalfi coast leaves something to be desired, and I hope to return to this area some day in warmer weather to best enjoy the hikes in other scenic parts of the coastline.

Nice

Posted on October 18, 2021 by krauss-ingtheworld

Nice is….nice.
The city is not so exciting except for the historic area, though this is the case for many cities.

The promenade offers a beautiful view of the Mediterranean, but the rocky beaches and steep slopes prevent me from even dipping my feet in the water. The coastline further down is rocky and offers stunning views over the harbor.

I try some socca, delicious chickpea flour bread, which reminds me a bit like latkes except they are a bit lighter and the consistency is a bit creamy even, not dry.

I navigate the old city, enchanted by the displays of local food and stylish buildings. I go down every street up to the hill, with no desire to go up just yet.

I spend the whole afternoon here to my surprise, even though it is raining on and off, and I have some of the best flan (Spanish style, not French). I walk over to a prehistoric cave, with a fascinating light show projecting the many different inhabitants over the millennia. I finally voyage up the hill to see the sun set over the bright turquoise of the ocean.

I end my time in Nice with a decadent raspberry macaronade and a return up the hill to finish exploring the old castle hill and get a proper view on a sunny day. There is a tradition of the cannon going off at noon, but after reading about it I still have a heart attack as the large blast echoes through the valley not 10 minutes later.

Macaronade: Two macarons sandwiching raspberries & creme
On top of the hill
View from the castle
An old tunnel

I take the bus over to the charming town of Villefraunche-sur-mer, a medieval town with a cool underground tunnel.

I absolutely adore the sandy beach here at Mariners. The water is crystal clear, and I can see all the fish swimming around me. It’s actually kind of freaky in the deeper end, as I can just barely make out the shapes on the ocean floor, so I quickly retreat to the shallows. The water is refreshingly cool at 76 degrees, and I enjoy swimming with the fishes, who nibble at the calluses on my ankles.

I walk around the beach to the rockier part, cutting my feet, and decide to stick to sandy beaches from now on.
I walk along the harbor to the old chateau, now the town hall, and happen upon a cabaret pop performance group in the flower garden, looking out over the harbor.

I love cabaret, and Madonna, so I stay for a bit, with many French show tunes I don’t know. It’s relaxing, but I move on as the sun begins to set. I explore as the sun goes down over the turquoise waters and historic harbor, climbing the many flights of stairs on this hilly village. The winding roads circle up and around the hills, under gotchic arches and past restaurants that take up the whole street. A cute fountain and many plants and flowers line the way. Like many parts of France, I wonder if the city incentivizes its residents to keep the flowers healthy.

I enjoy one last French pastry, a goat cheese and tomato quiche, as the sun goes down, turning the few clouds in the sky pink as the nearly full moon ascends.The lights turn on and the city glows, and I notice the old fort on the top of the hill. I am still amazed how the turquoise water remains so blue without sunlight as the rest of the sea darkens.

I haul my suitcase over the stairs of Nice to the night bus and I am off to Italy. Au revoir France!