Italy--Day Six. Tuesday August 31

At our hotel, we were on a plan called "half board." That means you get breakfast and either 1) lunch, or 2) dinner. Mostly we did the dinner thing. They like to know what they have to prepare, so at breakfast they give you the menu of the day, both lunch and dinner. Then you tell them what you want.

According to B, dinner goes like this in Italy: First anti-pasta, which means "before the pasta."  In our hotel, this was a selection of cooked vegetables----eggplant, zucchini, etc. along with uncooked stuff like tomatoes and lemon wedges, etc., served buffet style. (I used to think if anti-pasta and pasta touched, it would result in a cataclysmic explosion, but I've since learned that's some mixed-up thinking.)

Then comes the next course, which you choose from the menu at breakfast. There are three different things to choose from...soup or pasta. Then the main course---they give you two choices here. The menu was pretty varied and I liked everything I ate, and the waiters took good care of everyone. Very professional. And at dinner, Heinrich always ordered a bottle or two of the house wine, along with some carbonated mineral water.

----

After breakfast, we drove to Agropoli again, just to look around and also so B could get a battery for her watch.

We found a place to park---just €1 an hour, quite reasonable. Walking along, Heinrich stopped at an intersection to talk to a couple of guys standing there. Not sure why, or about what, but that's H. He's a very gregarious man. The rest of us crossed the street and waited for the conference to end. I never did find out what it was about.

We split up, B and I going our own way. Found a watch shop. There were two guys behind the counter, an old man and a younger guy who might have been his son. Both were friendly and spoke softly and quietly, with smiles. The younger guy went in the back, found a battery for the watch, put it in, set the watch to the right time (!) and handed it over with a smile. Cost: €4. B thought she'd have to pay at least €10.

Then we walked, and saw the following:

Half a swordfish at the fishmonger's.

The old part of Agropoli. You walk up these steep steps...

...and you come to this gate...

...and you get this view of the harbor.

Part of old Agropoli.

Two princes of Agropoli.

I wish this was my front door.

This guy loaded his painting atop the white car in the background.

Will the buildings in OKC last this long, or ever be this beautiful?

Speaks for itself.

No cars, no scooters, no noise.

From the harbor, looking up at where we'd just been.

Sunset back at the hotel. The sun is setting behind the famed island of Capri.

Absolutely non-retouched or Photoshopped.