Peggy's Excellent Italiano Adventure: It's Italy!

Positano from the beach

The storm finally passed and the broken window glass was cleaned up, but I have no idea if it will be replaced before I leave. Adriana seemed to think this was a big problem to get new glass for the window. It’s Italy! The mold growing on the walls in my hall was a different story. Since I needed to show Adriana the broken window I thought she may as well see the fuzzy mold growing along the floorboards and in patches on the wall. I wasn’t too bothered because I shut my living room doors all the time and didn’t see or smell the mold. She was upset though and claimed it had never happened before. She had to get her sister to come in twice to clean and spray it with bleach, as she is pregnant and can’t handle the chemicals. I now believe I am the renter from hell having broken an ice tray, a handmade ceramic cup, a ceramic baking dish, a window and now encouraged mold to grow.

People relaxing at the bar in Praiano

Speaking of ‘It’s Italy’, I tried to go to Positano three days in a row. I was very excited because the small local bus, which runs inside Praino taking people up and down and then over to Positano was finally running. I had received the schedule when I first arrived and it announced the start date as March 27. I studied the routes in each city and marked down the bus stops. I wrote out my own schedule so I would have a back-up in my purse. I tromped down the stairs with money in my purse and a camera ready the first day just to ride the whole circle so I could see where the bus goes and get a view of the surrounding area. I went to the Tabachi to buy my ticket. The man there doesn’t speak English and I finally realized he was telling me to buy my ticket on the bus. I didn’t like that idea because I didn’t have small bills and I really didn’t want to get screamed at by the bus driver. I headed back to my market because they had a sign saying they sold tickets. I asked Silvio if I needed one or two tickets if I was just going to ride the circle there and back. He was not sure what I meant, but did say I needed two If I didn’t want to spend the night in Postinao. So I bought two. Next I ran into Adriana and I asked her If I could just ride the circle there and back. She didn’t really get this idea either, but finally said the bus stops in Positano and I must get off. So I looked at my schedule and realized that would strand me in Positano for three hours over the riposo and if everything closed I would have to have a three hour lunch by myself. So I decided I would try for the earlier bus tomorrow. I crawled back up the steps.

Next day I was at the bus stop for the earlier bus, which would give me about the right amount of time I wanted to spend in Positano. I waited, and I waited. After over an hour I gave up, went to the Tabacchi, and checked the schedule. Lo and behold, there was now a special new schedule for just the first two weeks. I asked if they had a copy, and the lady said no, take a photo. So I did. This schedule was not on their website either. It’s Italy! The third day I went down at the time posted on the new, temporary schedule and was ready to throw my body in front of any bus going that way. Finally, I saw the local bus coming at the time it was supposed to be going to Positano. I unself-consciously waved it down—I was not missing this baby – and it took me all the way up through Praiano first, which was not the way the schedule said it should go, but the driver did say it was going to Positano. Fine. I sat back and fretted about where I would get off in Positano.

The drive was beautiful and Positano is a giant next to Praiano. We wove around and around and up, then down, and suddenly the driver parked the bus. I knew the stop I wanted was the last one at a Piazza called Mulini. We were at a tiny lot at the end of a road above the main city and the driver was getting off!?! Finally a nice Italian man said I had to get off here and walk down and if I went with him he would show me to the bus stop. So we walked down a lovely curving road and came to all the crass tourist shops that populate Positano. He works at one to help a friend. He pointed to where the bus picks up passengers and where I go to get to the cathedral and the ocean. I heartily thanked him, as I would have been lost otherwise. I went to the so-called bus stop and it had a tiny little schedule and a bench. I would have had no idea it was where to pick up the bus if the man had not taken pity on me. Now I knew why everyone was confused about me wanting to take a circle ride. The bus just stops and the driver goes and has an espresso.

I went straight to the cathedral as I have learned to absolutely schedule my day around riposo. If I cannot find the hours of some attraction ahead of time, I assume it will close between noon and 4:00 PM to be safe. I didn’t realize that this part of Positano was all touristy and nothing closed for riposo, but God comes first anyway. So I did my tour of the great cathedral, said my prayers and lit a candle. Then I walked out to the beach, which gives fantastic views of the town itself. Houses are built on top of houses and you get the feel of a great, multicolored, crooked wedding cake; very charming with two beautiful beaches. But way too populated, busy and ‘discovered’ for me. On the bus in I had passed one of the places I had considered renting and I was greatly relieved I was staying in quiet, unpretentious Praiano. Unfortunately, I managed to find many things to purchase and haul along with me. I finally stopped at a bar and stood while I had a cappuccino then made my way to the bus stop. Staying home in Praiano is much cheaper.

The stores in Praiano are really interesting. Praiano tends to be the town everyone drives through to get to Amalfi or Positano. Even though it has the best position and views of the coast, the other towns are larger and more geared to tourism. At the bottom of my stairs are three stores in a row, then the bank, a taxi and the bar. Except for the bank, the owners are are all related. That was why when one of them died, everything closed. Most of them live right above the stores or across from them. I think I have been introduced to all of them, but I am totally confused on who is married to whom and which old man is the grandpa to which child, and which is an aunt to which girl. I do know who sits in which store. But the best part is what is in the stores here in Praiano. The three stores right below me: one is the food market which also sells booze, one is half ceramics with another wall of old kid’s toys, and women’s bras and female accessories behind the counter, and the third shop is shoes, purses, nail polish, hair and body soaps and some underwear. One of the old men is always in charge of the last shop. I felt a little strange trying to talk about nail polish to an old Italian man in my bad Italian. Down the street is a tiny shop about 8x14 that is half ceramics, some toys, more women’s bras, and hanging from the ceiling is all manners of women’s sweaters and tops. Another small shop sells just these dresses shaped like housecoats in these weird sort of tropical florals that didn’t make the cut somewhere else and another old man is also tending shop. Then there’s the little hole in the wall where the fresh fish are brought and you can go and buy today’s catch. And a beautiful little store with the Limoncello factory connected to it. I had a wonderful quasi conversation with him –he only spoke Italian - about what he makes and he proudly took me into his shipping area and showed me pallets of Limoncello, Strawcello and Meloncello that he said were being shipped to New York and Arizona. The two butchers are the most exciting thing in the world to me because you actually see the meat being cut up for you, ground for you, made into sausage for you. The chicken was so juicy I could make a beautiful wine sauce from a single breast! And the hair salon is across from the man/women’s quick mart. So from the bizarre to the sublime, I have it all in Praiano.

I decided I needed to send a box home because I seem to acquire a few too many trinkets whenever I leave Praiano. So I went to the Post Office even though I was terrified of the screaming women. I even wrote down everything I had to ask so I could just hand it to her and run away if necessary. Luckily the young man was behind the glass and read my question about buying and sending a box. He looked and said they were all out and to come back tomorrow. I came back twice and still no box. The third time he said for sure tomorrow. It’s Italy! Meanwhile I ran into Angelo the man from New York related to everyone at the bottom of the stairs. He told me to ask one of the girls in the ceramic shop about sending a package – that’s the ceramic/toys/bra shop. Well they have gone out of their way to help me find boxes and are going to cover and address and send it UPS for me. I saw a relative of Adraina’s who goes to daily mass with me on the stairs. I haven’t been going lately because it is late at night and my knee has been acting up. I didn’t want the priest to worry, so I asked her to tell him why I wasn’t around. I finally saw the priest today and tried to explain, but he said he had heard and not to worry. Everyone is so nice and helpful.

Of course, nothing is ever simple either. Today I needed some groceries, tape, and a nail file. At home I would have jumped in the car and made one stop. Here I had to stumble down my 127 stairs and walk to four stores for those items: food market, butcher, tabacchi and ceramic/toys/bra store. And, since I was already out I took a stroll below the church first, visited the church said some prayers and lit a candle, and then went to the bar and sat outside with a cappuccino. So I got my exercise, I got my coffee and people watching, and I got to mingle with the town people and feel just a little like an Italian. Life is all about finding the good part of the tough stuff. Mama mia!