Corfu then Italy ......

We’re currently in Positano on the Amalfi Coast of Italy – I’m taking far too many photos as per usual – it seems that everywhere I look I visualise another possible painting, so there’s no stopping me! I have managed to make some time for sketches amidst the touring and talking and hope to load some onto my Picasa photosite soon. Tomorrow we head up to Cinque Terre for 3nights, so it will be more of the same....... walking, eating, drinking, clicking........

My last blog was from Athens and then we spent a few days back in Koroni, showing Rita and Suzanne the local sights – not too much there really except for the beautiful blue waters and the monastery! We then headed north and spent the night in Antikira, a little fishing village on the edge of the Gulf of Corinth so we were close to Delphi for a visit next morning. I sat under a tree and sketched whilst Peter gave the girls the ‘guided tour’! So after a pleasant few hours staring at details of ancient Greek columns (for me at least!) and trying out my new pens, we headed off north to Meteora. This is the place where the monastaries are perched on top of the huge rocks – as seen in one of the James Bond movies!

The next day after visiting yet more monastaries we headed towards Igoumenitsa, just south of the Albania border to catch the ferry to Corfu, but we had a lovely lunchtime stop at Ioaninna – famous for silver making, which of course, could translate to jewellery...... sighhh – far too much to take in, but we did manage a few purchases.

Corfu was our next stop and although I’d been there a couple of time before, I was incredibly impressed – very beautiful, lots of shops, and oh so many bars and cafes – each and every one bursting with people – both tourists and locals – what recession?! My highlight was a climb up the ‘New Fort’ (1670’s!) and gazing down at the rooftops – blue sea, blue skies and terracotta rooftops – heaven to me – paintings on the way soon no doubt!

Now, here we are in Positano, after a rather breaktaking and heart stopping (partly scenery, and partly the oncoming traffic) drive along the Amalfi Coast from Salerno. Positano is as beautiful as ever but amazingly crowded even now at the end of September. Total chaos on the little road down into the town which is at least, one way but still has to manage local traffic, and the smaller shuttle buses. I swear we were 1cm from swiping some very expensive looking platters off the wall outside a shop when in the little shuttle bus ‘Positano Interno’ today! Lots of tooting of horns is mandatory, of course and we’re serenaded daily with the almost musical horns as buses creep around the winding road above the town. Fortunately this is mixed in with the bells from the numerous churches, so its quite bearable.

So, tomorrow, we move on to Cinque Terre and I’m sure a lot more photos and hopefully sketches. I will be adding some photos to this blog soon, but if you feel the need for more visuals, check ou my Picasa Web Album
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/jackiesinfrance.