Village at Furore

October 14th.

My overseas adventures during this last 18months have never been a walk in the park for me and this morning is like most starts to new days for me while in foreign country's: 1 part fear, 1 part apprehension, a pinch of overwhelm, throw in a sprig of self doubt and bind it all together with a good serving of faith.   I naturally tend to keep pretty much to myself and only appear extroverted when I've established comfortable relationships with people and spaces around me, so being a lone foreign traveler in  new unfamiliar places always challenges my Virgo Rabbit personality traits. This morning I woke early, packed myself a  hearty sandwich, through on my old trusty and very worn "duel Camino" backpack and headed out the door. Anyone that knows me knows that I can get lost in Burleigh Heads if you spin me around so the thought of leaving my little Villa and walking off up or down the myriad of winding roads that cover these hills is somewhat daunting for me. Anyway I came here to experience this place so I centre myself do a little cleanse as per usual when I walk and head off in the direction of Praiano. Hugging the "far to low"! stone walls that stop cars from careering over the edge and into the sea below, I make my way along the main road and turn off into mountains at "Furore". This beautiful picture postcard  village was the site of 1948 Italian movie "Costa Diva" with Roberto Rossellini and Federico Fellini. Im shocked at how quickly my Camino fitness has dropped and after 4000 odd vertical  single lunge size steps the relationship between my Brain and my Gluteus Maximus is no longer simpatico! I reach the top and the trail becomes a winding ancient rocky path snaking its way through the terraced hills that overlook the aqua blue Mediterranean far below. These hills are blanketed with Olive trees and Agave Cactus with its pink-orange fruit and the air is heavy with the  pungent smell caused by the fruit salad of these true locals that liter the ground under foot.

After roads,paths, steps, twists and turns,I'm not quit sure if I'm heading in the right direction at any point, however my constant internal companion whispers my mantra" trust the flow". I reach some Villa's and then more elaborate paths, where i ask directions from what I think is a local man out walking his dog.

It turns out that James and Rocket the dog are from Santa Barbara California and he has been coming to Italy and the coast for 12 years or so.

So as per usual when you trust the flow and face the illusion of fear, in comes the magic. After some forthright conversation that encompasses everything from much needed local knowledge to meta physics and the meaning of life, I realize that James is a kindred spirit and just the bloke I needed to meet. He runs an advent management business in the States and he and his partner are doing up a villa in the outskirts of Praiano. After years in Italy he knows the ins and outs of the coast and is happy to show me around as he has some days that have become free.  So armed with a mud map and directions to continue my hike and visit an amazingly beautiful austere chapel higher up the mountain and the knowledge that yet again the universe has delivered, I head off with a real sense of well being. I'm ringing wet and breathing heavy as I labour up the steep steps that lead to the Chapel of San Dominico, however what awaits me at the top was well worth the effort.

Sacred Jewels