Day 5 and 6 (Agropoli and Caserta)

We are the Pilgrims , Master , we shall go
Always a little further. It may be
Beyond the last blue mountain barred with snow.
Across that angry or that glimmering sea
White on a throne, or guarded in a cave
There lives a prophet who can understand
Why men were born: but surely we are brave
Who take  the Golden Road to Samarkand

Thanks to Peter Darcy for introducing me to this - although Samarkand is not (to my knowledge ) on our route!
Yesterday (Thursday?) I started early pre-breakfast accompanied by Michael -  off at 0715 and by coffee-and-cornetto (croissant)-time we had done 20 miles.  By 1100 we had done 900 metres of ascent- on a croissant and a banana! We celebrated with a big ice cream , had lunch on a lovely piazza where the bigger group caught up with us. The rest of the day was hard work - hills heat and hard effort required. We had beer and lots of buffalo mozzarella at Jack and Anna's place just outside Agropoli, our destination for the day 87 miles or so., almost 2000 metres of hills. I was TIRED!!
Today two more "pilgrims" (Guy and Mark) had seen the (morning) light and we headed off at 0815 after collazione (breakfast). The route led us past Paestum with the magnificent Greek temple ruins from 500BC. They certainly built to last in those days!! Onwards  through Salerno - not a pretty sight but it is actually quite entertaining winding your way on a bike through the heavy traffic. The Garmin tells us where to go but the Italian drivers are not incorporated in the plan so a plan B,C,D etc must be created on the move. The process is a bit like surgery: you start off with a plan and all the appropriate  equipment But sometimes things turn out differently and alternatives need to be considered - quickly! So the alternatives been thought through  at the team briefing - so you don't end up with an "Italian Job" ( no offence to Italian surgeons!).
We followed the beautiful Amalfi coast ( probably best enjoyed from the sea) until cutting across some rather big lumps of rock/ mountains to get to the northern side  - the reward at the top of the climb (temp> 35*C ) was a great lunch with Tuborg beer and several Espressos. By then Mark had had so many punctures that he had to be rescued by the van (M earns a living importing (car) tires !). From the top a very bumpy (British quality tarmac?) descent (past the town Angri!) and a further 30 miles or so past Mount Vesuvius to our rather impressive hotel,  Golden Tulip. Now why does that make me think of bacon?
Tomorrow we expect to pass the half-way mark!
"We are the Pilgrims, Master, we shall go always a little further....."