Before leaving Morano Calabro, we drove up to the Norman Castle at the very top of the town. We were on many of the same "streets" where we'd walked yesterday afternoon; I'd been relieved then that we didn't have the car, yet today here we were! Nevertheless, Tom navigated to the top without incident and we had great views of the town and countryside. Even so, we were very happy to discover a "back road" down the mountain and out of town. Little did we know what lay ahead...
Knowing that the autostrada would be fast but boring, we opted for a drive that would take us through the western part of the National Park of the Pollina and another day of beautiful mountain scenery. It was, indeed, lovely, and all was going swimmingly until our GPS exhorted us to go the wrong way through the little town of San Severino Lucano. At my insistence, Tom dutifully backed out and chose the only other option available, which took us up a hill we didn't want to climb. More backing down and around and we were back where we began. Tom opted to drive through town on another "street" heading in the general direction the GPS had indicated. The streets got narrower and narrower, the rear view mirrors came in, and we found ourselves once again at a 90-degree turn, bounded on all sides by walls and houses that just would not move to give Tom enough room to make the turn. With our usual division of labor, I was outside, trying to guide Tom through the offending unbending angles; suffice it to say, we almost made it. If our black Volvo were white, the scratches on the front passenger side bumper wouldn't be quite so noticeable! We're comforted by the fact that it could have been much worse (there's still time for that!) and by the knowledge that it actually has been much worse on a couple of other trips. Now, our car looks a bit more like most of the others we see wearing the battle scars of life in Italy's cities and towns!
Once out of San Severino, we started looking for signs toward the autostrada (boring has its place!) and had an uneventful trip to our base for four nights. We're in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, not far from Naples, in the region of Campania. Our apartment here is smaller than others we've had, but we're comfortable and our backyard borders -- wait for it -- a Roman Amphitheater! We'll be just fine here for the next few days!
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