No doubt this was due to the region’s history of ancient Roman, Greek, and Byzantine inhabitants, who decorated their houses, walls, and floors with elaborate and colorful ceramic mosaics. Souvenir shopping is not my thing, but it is for others in the group. I’m content with bringing back just memories, photos, and a slightly expanded waistline. Some of my fellow riders purchased ceramic souvenirs, however, and I hope their purchases survive the trip home.

And returning home was beginning to enter our minds now, accompanied by the bittersweet emotions that come with knowing that we had just four more days left in our trip.

Day 11: Tropea to Maratea, 335 Km

Several riders, myself included, characterized this day’s ride as the most exhausting yet, but also the most enjoyable. We rode 335 kilometers, only about 60 kilometers of which was on a divided motorway.

On the way to Maratea.

We rode through La Sila, a mountainous plateau in Calabria, the “toe” of the Italian boot. More than 90 percent of Calabria is classified as either mountainous or hilly, so we had plenty of twisties to occupy us. Only the last stretch leading to Maratea was on the coastline. As we approached our evening’s destination, we took a late-afternoon detour to wind through narrow, barely two-lane roads up to the summit of Monte San Biagio.

The view of Calabria.

Here, a large stone statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooks the sea, and it is an impressive sight. At 22 meters tall, it is just 8 meters shorter than the more well-known Redeemer statue towering over Rio de Janeiro.

Christ the Redeemer - an impressive sight.

Riding up to the statue was a unique experience: 11 back-to-back hairpin turns, not carved out of the hills, but on elevated stilts not unlike the tall pillars supporting soaring suspension bridges.

Hairpins on the way up.

At dinner that night, several of us (but not me) dined on roasted wild boar, a specialty of the region. I’m sure it was tasty, as it was free-range boar, which we knew about from the many “Caution: boars in road” signs we saw that day.

Day 12: Maratea to Amalfi, 192 Km

If yesterday’s ride was exhausting due to its long distance, today’s ride was equally exhausting because of the unique features of the roads along the Amalfi coast. But before we get to experience the challenges of the Amalfi coast, we stop mid-day for a lunch in Paestum and tour the ancient ruins there.

Paestum.

The ruins of Paestum are famous for their three ancient Greek temples (two to Hera and one to Athena) dating from about 550 to 450 BC that are among the best-preserved ancient Greek temples in the world.

The site is also is renowned for its painted tombs, including the famous Tomb of the Diver. It is named after the enigmatic scene, depicted on the underside of the covering slab, of a young man diving into a stream of water.

In mid-afternoon, we used motorways to bypass the large city of Salerno, and approached the infamous Amalfi coast. As most everyone knows, the roads there are a combination of challenging driving conditions, heavy traffic, and the sheer drop-offs along the cliffs. All of which make the Amalfi Coast a difficult place to navigate, even for the most experienced drivers.

Cliff-hugging roads of Amalfi Coast.

Because we were on two wheels, we had an advantage when maneuvering the narrow, cliff-hugging roads. Still, several of us had close calls when oncoming traffic — including large tour buses — skirted the center line around curves. Sadly, this meant that we could not relax and enjoy the stunning views while on the road, but we would get the chance to do that after we arrived at Minori, in the heart of the Amalfi coastline and our evening’s destination.

Famous Positano on the Amalfi Coast.

Day 13: Rest day in Amalfi (Minori), tour of Pompeii

All riders selected to take the optional trip to visit the ruins at Pompeii on this rest day in Minori. Our guides arranged for a van to transport us to this site of a violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius that offers a unique snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the moment it was buried by volcanic ash and pumice in 79 A.D. This was a good choice by AMT, as it allowed us to leave our riding gear at the hotel and wear more comfortable shoes and clothes during our 2-3 hour visit under the hot Italian sun.

The group & the guide at Pompeii.

Maryana was our excellent tour guide, hired by AMT, who gave us an excellent account of that fateful day. She delivered a compelling and reverent account of the human bodies interred in the ash and a comprehensive picture of the lives they led in this ancient Roman city before their tragic and abrupt deaths.

Day 14: Amalfi to Frascati, 313 Km

Our last riding day started with steep climbs leaving the Amalfi coast and heading inland, where we turned northwest through the mountainous region of Campania.

Stunning Amalfi Coast.

Agriculture and tourism drive the region’s economy, and its farmers raise and breed buffalos. The distinctive milk is used to produce mozzarella di bufala, the soft white cheese used in my favorite Italian salad, inslalata Caprese.

Insalata Caprese.

After enjoying Campania’s curved roads taking us along the edges of deep gorges, we descended to the seashore city of Gaeta.Gaeta’s defensive walls date to Roman times and were extended and strengthened in the 15th century. The city is now a fishing and oil seaport and a renowned tourist resort. NATO maintains a naval base at Gaeta, and we ate a lunch at a seaside restaurant next to a docked warship. 

After finishing our lunch in Gaeta, we still had about 110 kilometers to ride before we reached Frascati, and we made quick time getting there by going on high-speed motorways. It made sense to arrive back to our base earlier than usual, because most of us had to pack and get organized for early morning departures. 

Toast at the end of the tour.

But before that work began, we toasted to the successful completion of an amazing trip by raising flutes of sparkling white wine set out for us when we pulled into the hotel’s parking area. We congratulated ourselves for finishing a memorable tour that challenged our mental faculties and physical abilities on more than one occasion.

And of course, we toasted our guides, who did an amazing job managing their official duties while also being friendly, welcoming, and outgoing — all of which adds an extra bit of fun to such an endeavor.

We said our goodbyes to our new riding friends while lingering over a final dinner together, and wished each other safe travels.

Relaxing by the pool at Frascati hotel. 

I extended my trip more than most, as I stayed two nights at the hotel, and spent one uninterrupted day sunning myself beside the hotel’s very pleasant poolside. But it was work too; I was wrapping up my writing for these AMT blog entries and when my daydreaming mind wandered, I pondered which of the many intriguing AMT motorcycle tours I will take next summer.

15-day South of Rome and Italy Tour.