Even along the fabled Amalfi Coast, there is still food being grown. Traditional specialty crops, to be sure - the ancient terraces largely support olives and lemons, with vegetables grown occasionally. But it was remarkable to us to see this even in a heavily touristed area; I imagine that the land has been protected in some fashion, to remain agricultural in such a visited area.
In December, the tourist traffic is light indeed, but there's still only enough parking for locals, and we can only imagine the chaos that occurs in summer.
The Amalfi Coast IS beautiful; it's certainly the equal of Highway 1 north of San Francisco, or the area near Carmel, CA, always mentioned in terms of beautiful coastal drives. The Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec is also spectacular, but the Amali Coast is living up to our expectations, even in the winter!
