Driving Amalfi Coast, Basing In Positano, October
Sep 23rd 2005, 10:37 am
#91
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Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
On Fri, 23 Sep 2005 08:40:44 -0700, "Mimi" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>"Derek McBryde" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Luxury! You want to try Cornwall in UK. When I drove down the
>> road to St Keyne last week my wing mirrors ( VW Passat) were in the
>> vegetation on either side. Had anything come the other way I was
>> done for - there was no way I was reversing back up that hill.
>Hey, vegetation is luxury. I remember narrow roads in Cornwall with stone
>walls on either side.
It was probably a de luxe road. The vegetation covered very high
stone walls - the main reason why I wasn't reversing anywhere.
Derek
wrote:
>"Derek McBryde" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Luxury! You want to try Cornwall in UK. When I drove down the
>> road to St Keyne last week my wing mirrors ( VW Passat) were in the
>> vegetation on either side. Had anything come the other way I was
>> done for - there was no way I was reversing back up that hill.
>Hey, vegetation is luxury. I remember narrow roads in Cornwall with stone
>walls on either side.
It was probably a de luxe road. The vegetation covered very high
stone walls - the main reason why I wasn't reversing anywhere.
Derek
Sep 23rd 2005, 10:39 am
#92
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Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
On Fri, 23 Sep 2005 17:55:04 +0100, The Reids
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Following up to Mimi
>>> Luxury! You want to try Cornwall in UK. When I drove down the
>>> road to St Keyne last week my wing mirrors ( VW Passat) were in the
>>> vegetation on either side. Had anything come the other way I was
>>> done for - there was no way I was reversing back up that hill.
>>Hey, vegetation is luxury. I remember narrow roads in Cornwall with stone
>>walls on either side.
>Stone? Sheer Luxury. I drove a road down there lined with
>whirling steel blades in a car made out of cardboard. And you
>tell youngsters today and they don't believe you.
Drove? Luxury! In our days we had to cut holes in the floor and run.
Derek
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Following up to Mimi
>>> Luxury! You want to try Cornwall in UK. When I drove down the
>>> road to St Keyne last week my wing mirrors ( VW Passat) were in the
>>> vegetation on either side. Had anything come the other way I was
>>> done for - there was no way I was reversing back up that hill.
>>Hey, vegetation is luxury. I remember narrow roads in Cornwall with stone
>>walls on either side.
>Stone? Sheer Luxury. I drove a road down there lined with
>whirling steel blades in a car made out of cardboard. And you
>tell youngsters today and they don't believe you.
Drove? Luxury! In our days we had to cut holes in the floor and run.
Derek
Sep 23rd 2005, 10:50 am
#93
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Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
On Fri, 23 Sep 2005 17:25:06 +0100, The Reids
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Following up to Derek McBryde
>>Luxury! You want to try Cornwall in UK. When I drove down the
>>road to St Keyne last week my wing mirrors ( VW Passat) were in the
>>vegetation on either side. Had anything come the other way I was
>>done for - there was no way I was reversing back up that hill.
>and there's no chance of getting off the road or seeing what's
>ahead because of the vegetation filled dry stone walls reaching
>up to the sky on both sides and the grass in the middle of the
>road is above the bonnet, then a tractor comes the other way.
Be fair. This was a proper road, signposted and all. Yes,
vegetation filled dry stone walls reaching up to the sky on both
sides, but no grass in the middle. I think if a tractor had
appeared, I would have sat in the middle of the road for the rest of
the day rather than reverse.
Derek
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Following up to Derek McBryde
>>Luxury! You want to try Cornwall in UK. When I drove down the
>>road to St Keyne last week my wing mirrors ( VW Passat) were in the
>>vegetation on either side. Had anything come the other way I was
>>done for - there was no way I was reversing back up that hill.
>and there's no chance of getting off the road or seeing what's
>ahead because of the vegetation filled dry stone walls reaching
>up to the sky on both sides and the grass in the middle of the
>road is above the bonnet, then a tractor comes the other way.
Be fair. This was a proper road, signposted and all. Yes,
vegetation filled dry stone walls reaching up to the sky on both
sides, but no grass in the middle. I think if a tractor had
appeared, I would have sat in the middle of the road for the rest of
the day rather than reverse.
Derek
Sep 23rd 2005, 10:52 am
#94
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
On Fri, 23 Sep 2005 19:26:18 +0200, B Vaughan<[email protected]> wrote:
>On Fri, 23 Sep 2005 17:55:04 +0100, The Reids
><[email protected]> wrote:
>>Following up to Mimi
>>>> Luxury! You want to try Cornwall in UK. When I drove down the
>>>> road to St Keyne last week my wing mirrors ( VW Passat) were in the
>>>> vegetation on either side. Had anything come the other way I was
>>>> done for - there was no way I was reversing back up that hill.
>>>Hey, vegetation is luxury. I remember narrow roads in Cornwall with stone
>>>walls on either side.
>>Stone? Sheer Luxury. I drove a road down there lined with
>>whirling steel blades in a car made out of cardboard. And you
>>tell youngsters today and they don't believe you.
>And you arrived at your destination butt naked?
Oh you are naughty!
Derek
>On Fri, 23 Sep 2005 17:55:04 +0100, The Reids
><[email protected]> wrote:
>>Following up to Mimi
>>>> Luxury! You want to try Cornwall in UK. When I drove down the
>>>> road to St Keyne last week my wing mirrors ( VW Passat) were in the
>>>> vegetation on either side. Had anything come the other way I was
>>>> done for - there was no way I was reversing back up that hill.
>>>Hey, vegetation is luxury. I remember narrow roads in Cornwall with stone
>>>walls on either side.
>>Stone? Sheer Luxury. I drove a road down there lined with
>>whirling steel blades in a car made out of cardboard. And you
>>tell youngsters today and they don't believe you.
>And you arrived at your destination butt naked?
Oh you are naughty!
Derek
Sep 23rd 2005, 11:00 am
#95
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
>Sure there's not four of you..lookshery, lookshery...next
>we'll be on bicycles on gravel sheep's tracks as we cycle
>home from t'pits..:-)
>Cheers, Alan, Australia
Bicycles? Luxury. We had to take turns to carry each other on
our backs.
Derek
>we'll be on bicycles on gravel sheep's tracks as we cycle
>home from t'pits..:-)
>Cheers, Alan, Australia
Bicycles? Luxury. We had to take turns to carry each other on
our backs.
Derek
Sep 23rd 2005, 1:58 pm
#96
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Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (The Reids) wrote:
> *From:* The Reids <[email protected]>
> *Date:* Fri, 23 Sep 2005 18:39:37 +0100
>
> Following up to B Vaughan
>
> >>Stone? Sheer Luxury. I drove a road down there lined with
> >>whirling steel blades in a car made out of cardboard. And you
> >>tell youngsters today and they don't believe you.
> >
> >And you arrived at your destination butt naked?
>
> naked? sheer luxury! Covered in cuts from head to foot, aye, it
> were a close shave, lass. With nowt but cardboard box for shelter
> and coal for supper when we arrived two hours after we had to set
> off again.
Coal? You had it easy, boy. In my day we got a sniff of methane for tea if
we were lucky, and we had to share it between six, or twenty-eight if
Padraig's family was lodging with us, having not been able to pay the
rent, and what with the smallest ones crying for the hunger, it was no tea
at all. And that was before the nuns came for me dad...
(c) Frank McCourt
----------------------------------------------
The poster formerly known as [email protected].
[email protected] (The Reids) wrote:
> *From:* The Reids <[email protected]>
> *Date:* Fri, 23 Sep 2005 18:39:37 +0100
>
> Following up to B Vaughan
>
> >>Stone? Sheer Luxury. I drove a road down there lined with
> >>whirling steel blades in a car made out of cardboard. And you
> >>tell youngsters today and they don't believe you.
> >
> >And you arrived at your destination butt naked?
>
> naked? sheer luxury! Covered in cuts from head to foot, aye, it
> were a close shave, lass. With nowt but cardboard box for shelter
> and coal for supper when we arrived two hours after we had to set
> off again.
Coal? You had it easy, boy. In my day we got a sniff of methane for tea if
we were lucky, and we had to share it between six, or twenty-eight if
Padraig's family was lodging with us, having not been able to pay the
rent, and what with the smallest ones crying for the hunger, it was no tea
at all. And that was before the nuns came for me dad...
(c) Frank McCourt
----------------------------------------------
The poster formerly known as [email protected].
Sep 23rd 2005, 11:03 pm
#97
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Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
Frank wrote:
> I'm 37 and have traveled all over the US and have never come across a
> road as narrow, curvy, or as dangerous as the Amalfi Coast road
I don't know that particular road but we have many thousands of miles of
very narrow and sinuous roads; the one you're most likely to know is the
Cabrillo Highway through Big Sur, 'tween Carmel and Morro Bay.
There are many similar sections of California's Sierra foothills'
Highway 49 as well as, through the Sierra, Highway 4 from Markleeville
to Angels Camp and Highway 108 from Fales Hot Springs to Sonora as good
examples and Highway 9 in Santa Clara County, several in Mendocino
County, and others throughout the USA, particularly in mountainous
states such as California, Colorado, Utah, and South Dakota.
My favorite is the Kleinschmidt Grade on the Idaho side of the Snake
River Canyon that the California State Automobile Association describes
as "A one track road with turnouts; not for the timid driver". I took a
picture of the driver side of my car, door open, with a deadly drop
below. The friend for whom I took it could hardly look at it.
Another is the Burr Trail in Utah. Locals told me to not take it in my
ordinary 4-door sedan but I did and I'm glad. I believe it's paved now.
Derek McBryde wrote:
> I bottled out and totally refused to drive in Rome. My colleague
> drove (imagine demented maniac thinking he was on the dodgems and
> loving every minute of it).
An excerpt from "Driving in Italy" of what she said
<http://geocities.com/Articles/ItalDRIVE.html> at the site at Right in
the sig:
<< I'll never forget the look on his face when we joined Rome's
rush-hour traffic: child-like OhBoy glee. I was so petrified, jaw agape,
that I wanted to hide under the floor mat. >>
__________________________________________________ _________________
A San Franciscan who's visited 49 of 50 US states.
< http://geocities.com/dancefest/ >-< http://geocities.com/iconoc/ >
ICQ: < http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 > ---> IClast at SFbay Net
> I'm 37 and have traveled all over the US and have never come across a
> road as narrow, curvy, or as dangerous as the Amalfi Coast road
I don't know that particular road but we have many thousands of miles of
very narrow and sinuous roads; the one you're most likely to know is the
Cabrillo Highway through Big Sur, 'tween Carmel and Morro Bay.
There are many similar sections of California's Sierra foothills'
Highway 49 as well as, through the Sierra, Highway 4 from Markleeville
to Angels Camp and Highway 108 from Fales Hot Springs to Sonora as good
examples and Highway 9 in Santa Clara County, several in Mendocino
County, and others throughout the USA, particularly in mountainous
states such as California, Colorado, Utah, and South Dakota.
My favorite is the Kleinschmidt Grade on the Idaho side of the Snake
River Canyon that the California State Automobile Association describes
as "A one track road with turnouts; not for the timid driver". I took a
picture of the driver side of my car, door open, with a deadly drop
below. The friend for whom I took it could hardly look at it.
Another is the Burr Trail in Utah. Locals told me to not take it in my
ordinary 4-door sedan but I did and I'm glad. I believe it's paved now.
Derek McBryde wrote:
> I bottled out and totally refused to drive in Rome. My colleague
> drove (imagine demented maniac thinking he was on the dodgems and
> loving every minute of it).
An excerpt from "Driving in Italy" of what she said
<http://geocities.com/Articles/ItalDRIVE.html> at the site at Right in
the sig:
<< I'll never forget the look on his face when we joined Rome's
rush-hour traffic: child-like OhBoy glee. I was so petrified, jaw agape,
that I wanted to hide under the floor mat. >>
__________________________________________________ _________________
A San Franciscan who's visited 49 of 50 US states.
< http://geocities.com/dancefest/ >-< http://geocities.com/iconoc/ >
ICQ: < http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 > ---> IClast at SFbay Net
Sep 24th 2005, 3:18 am
#98
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
"Icono Clast" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1127560187.b451f174c24781a9880417baee74148e@t eranews...
> Frank wrote:
>> I'm 37 and have traveled all over the US and have never come across a
>> road as narrow, curvy, or as dangerous as the Amalfi Coast road
> I don't know that particular road but we have many thousands of miles of
> very narrow and sinuous roads; the one you're most likely to know is the
> Cabrillo Highway through Big Sur, 'tween Carmel and Morro Bay.
> There are many similar sections of California's Sierra foothills'
> Highway 49 as well as, through the Sierra, Highway 4 from Markleeville
> to Angels Camp and Highway 108 from Fales Hot Springs to Sonora as good
> examples and Highway 9 in Santa Clara County, several in Mendocino
> County, and others throughout the USA, particularly in mountainous
> states such as California, Colorado, Utah, and South Dakota.
Of the roads you mentioned I only know Highway 9 and the Cabrillo Highway.
Yes, they are curvy and narrow -- for California, where people assume
superhighways to all destinations are their right. But in curviness and
narrowness neither are anything, repeat anything, like the Amalfi Coast
road. It would never occur to me not to drive those roads. Though I'd
probably prefer not to so as to better enjoy the scenery. (That's the
problem with my driving; I sneak looks at the scenery anyway. Fortunately
I'm a very good navigator.)
Marianne
news:1127560187.b451f174c24781a9880417baee74148e@t eranews...
> Frank wrote:
>> I'm 37 and have traveled all over the US and have never come across a
>> road as narrow, curvy, or as dangerous as the Amalfi Coast road
> I don't know that particular road but we have many thousands of miles of
> very narrow and sinuous roads; the one you're most likely to know is the
> Cabrillo Highway through Big Sur, 'tween Carmel and Morro Bay.
> There are many similar sections of California's Sierra foothills'
> Highway 49 as well as, through the Sierra, Highway 4 from Markleeville
> to Angels Camp and Highway 108 from Fales Hot Springs to Sonora as good
> examples and Highway 9 in Santa Clara County, several in Mendocino
> County, and others throughout the USA, particularly in mountainous
> states such as California, Colorado, Utah, and South Dakota.
Of the roads you mentioned I only know Highway 9 and the Cabrillo Highway.
Yes, they are curvy and narrow -- for California, where people assume
superhighways to all destinations are their right. But in curviness and
narrowness neither are anything, repeat anything, like the Amalfi Coast
road. It would never occur to me not to drive those roads. Though I'd
probably prefer not to so as to better enjoy the scenery. (That's the
problem with my driving; I sneak looks at the scenery anyway. Fortunately
I'm a very good navigator.)
Marianne
Sep 25th 2005, 8:56 pm
#99
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
Following up to [email protected]
>Coal? You had it easy, boy. In my day we got a sniff of methane for tea if
>we were lucky, and we had to share it between six, or twenty-eight if
>Padraig's family was lodging with us, having not been able to pay the
>rent, and what with the smallest ones crying for the hunger, it was no tea
>at all. And that was before the nuns came for me dad...
Nuns? Methane? Sheer opulence! We couldn't afford nuns round our
way since pits closed. All sold to white slavers years ago and
every Sunday we drew lots for who would have to have an arm
amputated for t'roast. We were poor but 'appy in those days.
>(c) Frank McCourt
(c) hmmmm
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"
>Coal? You had it easy, boy. In my day we got a sniff of methane for tea if
>we were lucky, and we had to share it between six, or twenty-eight if
>Padraig's family was lodging with us, having not been able to pay the
>rent, and what with the smallest ones crying for the hunger, it was no tea
>at all. And that was before the nuns came for me dad...
Nuns? Methane? Sheer opulence! We couldn't afford nuns round our
way since pits closed. All sold to white slavers years ago and
every Sunday we drew lots for who would have to have an arm
amputated for t'roast. We were poor but 'appy in those days.
>(c) Frank McCourt
(c) hmmmm
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"
Sep 25th 2005, 8:56 pm
#100
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
Following up to Derek McBryde
>Be fair. This was a proper road, signposted and all.
Signposts? Sheer luxury...............
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"
>Be fair. This was a proper road, signposted and all.
Signposts? Sheer luxury...............
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"
Sep 26th 2005, 9:52 am
#101
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
The Reids wrote:
> Following up to Frank
>
>
>>Seriously, give me a break. I'm 37 and have traveled all over the US and
>>have never come across a road as narrow, curvy, or as dangerous as the
>>Amalfi Coast road,
>
>
> Well, this is odd, some seem to say there are narrow windy roads
> in the US while others say they are all wide and straight, its a
> big place I suppose and most have not been everywhere.
>
> I think if you traveled a bit in rural Spain, the English Lake
> District (hill roads) and Western Scotland the Amalfi coast would
> not seem so exceptional.
>
>
There certainly are more difficult roads both in the US & Europe -- no
switch backs on Amalfi for example. However, the more difficult roads I
can remember do not carry anywhere near the traffic of the Amalfi coast
road. And the driving behavior is interesting. In any case since I
would like to see the scenery there is no way that I would drive.
And if I drove it I certainly would not pass on a blind curve. No
matter how pissed the following drivers got.
>>excluding crazy drivers like myself (so I have been
>>called on this newsgroup). There's no comparison to a paved US mountain
>>road. Nothing! Even if there was, there isn't the same kind of driving
>>pressure here as in Italy.
>
>
> There isn't any pressure. If people want to overtake, let them.
> If you're happy to drive at local speeds, enjoy it. It is
> difficult to avoid being tailgated, so leave a bigger gap ahead,
> same goes for Spain. On motorways, if tailgated badly by a truck,
> I slow and then speed up, then repeat when they do it again
> (which they will, they think your stopping gap indicates you
> don't want to overtake). In fog, get off the motorway.
> In towns either let them get on with it or join in the fun, but
> only if you see it as a game, if you get angry, pull over. (They
> don't seem to get angry).
> Its also worth trying to get a powerful car with decent
> roadholding, not one of these "people carrier/MPV" vans disguised
> as a car monstrosities.
> Following up to Frank
>
>
>>Seriously, give me a break. I'm 37 and have traveled all over the US and
>>have never come across a road as narrow, curvy, or as dangerous as the
>>Amalfi Coast road,
>
>
> Well, this is odd, some seem to say there are narrow windy roads
> in the US while others say they are all wide and straight, its a
> big place I suppose and most have not been everywhere.
>
> I think if you traveled a bit in rural Spain, the English Lake
> District (hill roads) and Western Scotland the Amalfi coast would
> not seem so exceptional.
>
>
There certainly are more difficult roads both in the US & Europe -- no
switch backs on Amalfi for example. However, the more difficult roads I
can remember do not carry anywhere near the traffic of the Amalfi coast
road. And the driving behavior is interesting. In any case since I
would like to see the scenery there is no way that I would drive.
And if I drove it I certainly would not pass on a blind curve. No
matter how pissed the following drivers got.
>>excluding crazy drivers like myself (so I have been
>>called on this newsgroup). There's no comparison to a paved US mountain
>>road. Nothing! Even if there was, there isn't the same kind of driving
>>pressure here as in Italy.
>
>
> There isn't any pressure. If people want to overtake, let them.
> If you're happy to drive at local speeds, enjoy it. It is
> difficult to avoid being tailgated, so leave a bigger gap ahead,
> same goes for Spain. On motorways, if tailgated badly by a truck,
> I slow and then speed up, then repeat when they do it again
> (which they will, they think your stopping gap indicates you
> don't want to overtake). In fog, get off the motorway.
> In towns either let them get on with it or join in the fun, but
> only if you see it as a game, if you get angry, pull over. (They
> don't seem to get angry).
> Its also worth trying to get a powerful car with decent
> roadholding, not one of these "people carrier/MPV" vans disguised
> as a car monstrosities.
Sep 26th 2005, 8:29 pm
#102
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Drive it and Pray
Following up to Frank F. Matthews
>And the driving behavior is interesting.
this is true!
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"
>And the driving behavior is interesting.
this is true!
--
Mike Reid
Walk-eat-UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Walk-eat-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos of both "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"
