03 Oct

What stands between a mountain and the sea?

I have now seen places where the mountain and the sea touch; they are friends and maintain a special relationship.  They are no longer in a conflict between their landscapes.  My previous experiences have kept me thinking that they are two separate places, the mountains to the east, the sea to the west.  Snow in the mountains, sand at the beach; it has always been pretty defined.  608 steps, one very long, narrow, continuous road, hundreds of houses, and thousands of people later, I am confused and my legs hurt.  Positano nestles its way between and around the mountains and the sea.  Along with Terracina and Capri, these places fall right on the mountains, which land on the sea.  It all seems to work; even though there is barely any separation, only houses, landmarks, and families fall in between.  There is a history and story that come along with these towns; it is much more than the landscapes that keep them connected.  It is all about the relationships, between the landscapes, the houses, and people.  Everyone seems perfectly happy to have both so close, even is it means climbing up and down a ridiculous amount of stairs and hills.