This runs all the way from Reggio Calabria in the south, up to Salerno & the Bay of Naples & beyond, a distance of at least 350 km. With the sea on one side & the cliffs & craggy foothills of the mountains on the other, this stretch of coastal lowland is only a few hundred metres wide for most of its journey north.

The road & the track run together, side by side, with the latter built on an embankment. At regular intervals minor roads veer through narrow, really narrow, tunnels under the tracks to reach the crowded holiday strip on the coast. Here clubs & bars, beach clubs, cheap hotels & low apartments are cluttered together, randomly placed to provide holiday pleasures along the entire route.

On the land side, the gods have sprinkled a stardust of recently built or renovated farmhouses, villas, homes, factories, barns, low apartments, amongst the contours of the green, surrounding foothills. A strip of a hamlet follows a bending lane, an odd steeple stands out in a clay-tiled cluster of a village, a shiny barn adds a further element to distant, neat rows of vines or olives.

Small towns & villages with any historic interest occupy high positions on a crag or a cliff edge, imposing power & importance over the low plain that borders the coastline below. It is a helter-skelter ride up to the cherry on the top with more climbing to & from any available parking & around the town or village….but well worth the effort. Most have an ancient, medieval centre if you have the patience & the legs to keep searching for it.

Cetraro & Belvedere di Marittino are two such towns with similar roots but very different in character. Both are high in the foothills above the coastal strip & require a steep walk from the car. Both have fascinating back streets, full of character & history & are rich in buildings dating back to medieval times.

The steep slalom up to Cetraro enters the market place which, despite a wonderful panorama front the redeveloped square is crazy with cars. Cafes are confined to pavements & groups of men hover in doorways or sit outside at tables talking ‘business?’. There are few women to soften the scene. It all feels a bit menacing. The old streets are tall & gloomy where no light can penetrate & the sun is an old enemy.

Bellvedere di Marittino also has a square but this is light & bright. Three town policia are present all the time, moving cars on & offering local advise. The cafe offers seats at tables on a small terrace & the surrounding buildings are attractive with ornamental trees & potted greenery to provide colous & diversity. The medieval back streets are clean & wide with grand houses incl four palaces & castle walls & a tower creating a very different atmosphere

It is good to see the different faces of Calabria.