The Ride of My Life!

We were just visiting my sister and sister-in-law who moved to Italy 2 years ago after living in Taipei for nearly 30 years. The move to Italy came as a surprise, and it was all the more shocking that they bought a house on top of a mountain, built into the side of the hill, on a terrace that is not more than 20 feet wide.

To get to their mountain home you have to drive, up. I had driven to visit them 2 years ago and had not forgotten the drive. So, on this bright sunny morning when we set out from Antibes, France to drive to their house, I didn't even offer to drive. I had told Jeff about the last time I drove there. I am sure he thought I was exagerating. (I inherited the ability to embellish from my mother.) Or maybe he forgot. But either way, I did not remind him. We stopped for gas along the way. I weakly offered to drive. “No, I'm fine to keep driving.” Phew!

We got to the city at the bottom of the mountain and started up. First town- the road was fine. Second town up the mountain, the road got narrower. We stopped for a coffee and stretch. Third town up, the road got narrower still and the white dividing line disappeared, and by the time we got to the fourth town, the road was barely wide enough for two small cars to pass each other. This forth town is perched on the top of the mountain, it is the bus terminus and has a population of 300 (which everyone swears is too high). It is so old, there aren't roads into the village, just covered walkways and tunnels. Cars park in one of two small town parking lots. The residents walk the rest of the way to their homes. 

My sisters live above this village. From the car park, you have to look carefully to find it, but there is a paved cart path leading further up. The “road” hugs the side of the mountain the way that I was hugging the door handle, ready to jump out when the car went over the edge. The hairpin turns were so tight and narrow that Jeff couldn't make some of the turns and had to roll backwards half way through in order to go forward. I offered to get out and walk. In most places, the road did not have a guard rail. There were a few stretches that had them, but you could see huge dents in them! Sometimes the guardrail was an old stone wall about a foot high. There were several gaps in the wall...and there were more than a few memorials erected along the way. 

 

The road climbs up and up and up. Turn after turn after turn. Just as Jeff was asking what to do if a car comes the other way, a car came around the bend. My heart stopped! Luckily, it was a small car like ours, and they hugged the mountain wall while we inched past hoping the road edges would hold. I didn't breathe again until we were safely back in the middle of the road. To think that we might meet a larger vehicle made my feet ache.

It really is a shame that I was so terrified in the passengers seat, and had no desire to be in the driver's seat. Either way I couldn't enjoy the breathtaking views of the mountains and valleys. There weren't any convenient touristy lookout points to pull into. 

We couldn't even drive all the way to my sisters' house! The last turn to go up to their house is straight up and then their driveway is so narrow (jaw dropping drop offs ), and there isn't anywhere to turn around which would mean backing out! So instead, we park in front of a little chapel that is at the foot of their road. Of course in order to do that, you have to pull very close to the drop off to get far enough off the road so as not to block traffic (!). Made me want to light a candle in the chapel!

In the course of the 2 days that we were there, Jeff drove up that hill (and down again!!) 3 times. He drove it like a pro! And was such a sport to not ask me to share the driving until the day we were leaving, and we had descended past the narrowest roads, and I had loosened my death grip on the door handle.  

 Do you know that the sun came back out and the skies turned blue right about the same moment!!?? Are you surprised?