"No Sorrento" - Amalfi

1.6.09 – Amalfi Coast (just past Naples) - Tuesday

OK, Roma is done – now its off to the Amalfi Coast for a few days. On the way, we stop off at Cassino which is the scene of an important battle during WWII. Stan, Mum's neighbour fought for the British in the war and is after some detailed maps of where the battles took place. We search the town for the Tourist Info and finally find it – but of course it is closed – siesta time. We ring the telephone number to see what time it reopens but no response. We wait around for a while and then head off to War Museum that we spot down the road. We speak with a very friendly Polish girl at the Museum and she explains that it is a National Holiday in Italy – so the Tourist Info wont open until tomorrow – bugger! They dont have any maps in the War Museum but we buy a book for Stan that has some interesting info on the battles.

It is a beautiful drive into the Amalfi Coast but it is along a narrow, windy road running along the coastline. You wouldnt believe it but it is pouring with rain the afternoon that we arrive and driving around the coastline is a little nailbiting – but Bob does a great job with Frankie and neither Frankie nor any other vehicle we pass is damaged – phew. Of course, we miss the very tight turn into the campsite and have to travel another 20km up the windy road, with Kenny the GPS almost yelling by this stage “turn around when possible”!! - but there is no way you can turn around on those roads.

The campsite is a little scrappy but the campsite manager is quite friendly and helpful – so we book in. It is a great spot in that the campsite is right on a little boat harbour. Each morning and evening we could go down and watch the old men in their colourful fishing boats, coming and going with their fishing nets. There was also a lovely view across the bay to Naples on the other side. Like a lot of the villages on the Coast, the closest village, Vico Equense is up a very steep hill. The bus ride from our campsite into the village is up the narrow, windy road in a little tiny bus where again, speed racing is the favourite pastime of the bus drivers! As the bus nears the corner (of which there are many) he honks his horn to let oncoming traffic know he is coming around the corner – and get out of the way because there is no way he will stop!

Wednesday – Pompei

Bob says he would like to see Pompeii – I breath a sigh thinking “not another day looking at some old ruins”. Bob senses my displeasure and puts on a bit of turn - I have flashes of me having to do my own cooking so I quckly recant my position and think a day at Pompeii wont be so bad.

When we reach Pompeii we are bombarded by an Italian tour guide wanting to take us on a tour of Pompeii – he is €10 and the audio guide is €5.50 – will we or wont we?. The tour guide, Raphael is very convincing and oozes Italian charm so we, with another 6 or so English speaking people book in with him. Well, what a surprise Pompeii is – just amazing. Raphael explains to us, in a very thick Italian accent, all the nuances of daily life of the Pompeians, the layout of the town and who did what to whom and when. We were very impressed and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. In case you are not quite aware, the story of Pompeii is that in about 79 AD, the nearby Mt Vesuvius erupted and buried Pomeii in thick ash, about 20 metres of ash. Almost all the town's people perished from being asphicsiated by the ash. The lava from the volcano flowed in another direction. It wasnt until the 16^th centrury that the town was re-discovered under the ash. Most of the town was still in tact under the ash – with people still in the position they were when the volcano exploded. You can still make out the little shops, eg bakery, take away soup and wine, the luxury houses in one area and the peasants houses in another. Quite a number of the colourful frescos are still in tact because wax was incorporated in the paint used. All the cobble stoned streets are laid out as they were in 79AD and many of them still have furrows inlaid in the stone from the cart wheels. There is even a brothel with small frescos on the wall depicting the various positions the gentlemen could choose – all with varying prices. Bob of course takes photos of all of the positions – he is such a boy sometimes!!

After we get back into the village we decide not to take the nailbiting, horn blowing ride home in the bus but to walk down the mountain. It is a lovely evening and the walk is quite nice. On the walk home, we meet some people along the way. We each say “buorngiorno” and then immediately look at each other – that “buorngiorno” had a distinct Australian accent. Yes, it is Laurie and Veronika from Adelaide (the only other Australian's we have met since Bridget and Tor from Darwin in Toledo, Spain!). We have a long chat to Laurie and Veronika – a very interesting couple and then bid them fare well.

On our walk home we also have to make way for a 3 wheeled truck – he is reversing up the laneway because there is no way he can turn around. Every tradesperson worth there salt in Italy has one of these little 3 wheeled vehicles – they are just great, can travel any where, any time.

That night we decide to have dinner in the cafe at the campsite – it advertises home cooked Italian meals - we're in! We sit down to a glass of red first up and who pops in but Laurie and Veronika. They are in the campsite next door but the cafe at our campsite is open to the public. Laurie and Veronika join us for dinner and we hear their story and they hear ours – they are a very down to earth couple who have travelled extensively. Since 2004, they have travelled for about 6 months of each year – although this is their first time in a campervan. They have a business in Adelaide that is run by a younger partner of Laurie's. The partner is enthusiastic about the business and is gradually buying Laurie out. He sends the account information with details of the profit etc to Laurie each month – so Laurie doesnt have to do anything but sit back and take the money. Both he and his partner prefer it that way!

Thursday:

Today we decide to catch the boat to Amalfi. The boat stop is at the jetty just outside our campsite so nice and handy. When we get down there, we see Laurie and Veronika with another Aussie couple and friend staying at their campsite. We cant believe it, we only meet one Australian couple in two months (Ingrid and Thor) but then meet two more couples in one day! The other Aussies, Bevan and Kerry with their friend Brenda are all from Gladstone. Bevan and Kerry have just sold their cafe at Gladstone Airport and catering business which they owned for 25 years and are on a 7 month holiday around Europe. Brenda is on long service leave (Qld Health – home care worker) and has joined Bevan and Kerry for a few months. We are told to be at the jetty for the 9am boat. By 9.30am the boat hasnt arrived and we wonder what is going on – Bob said he saw a boat wizz by at around 9am but it doesnt stop at our stop? Eventually a little Italian guy comes running up to the people waiting (which are about 20 all up) and says another boat will be coming in about ½ hour – apparently the boat forgot to stop at our jetty and they are sending another one! Oh well – the boat finally turns up at about 10am and the 20 of us get on and off we go.

It is a nice boat ride to Amalfi and we hear all sorts of stories from Bevan and Kerry – Kerry is a real card and doesnt stop talking the entire trip! There is a far bit of rivalry between the Queenslanders and the South Australians, but all good fun. The coastline and water are beautiful.

We finally arrive in Amalfi. The Adelaideans and us decide to catch a local bus up to the little village above Amalfi called Ravallo. The others head off to investigate Amalfi. The local bus ride to the top is another “hold onto to your hats and grandmother” type of experience. Driving like crazy up narrow, windy, steep roads where the driver honks his horn around tight corners! We make it to the top in one piece to a gorgeous little town. It is so quaint and peaceful – not so many tourists around. It has tiny cobble stoned laneways, little cafes and shops selling hand painted ceramics. Bob and I both agree that this is one of the nicest little villages in Italy so far. After a work around, we grab some lunch at a local butchers. Papa slices some cured ham and cheese whileMama maka tha rolla – all in front of us – as fresh as can be. Bob and I sit in one of the cobble stoned streets eating our lunch - “cant get any better than this, Darl” says Bob, and I agree!

After Ravallo, and another ride in the bus down the mountain, we reach Amalfi and investigate it. Another lovely little town right on the coast although quite touristy. For some unknown reason we decide to subject ourselves to a bus ride home rather than the boat ride. The bus will take us back to Sorrento through some beautiful coastline, some lovely villages and countryside. We check with one of the bus drivers standing around which bus we should take and he indicates a particular bus. We both hop on and wait for the bus driver to arrive. The bus driver eventually hops on and Bob asks him if he is going to Sorrento. “No Sorrento” he replies - Bob says “No Sorrento?”and the driver repeats “No Sorrento”. So Bob jumps off the bus and races over to some other bus drivers standing around. I can see Bob waving his hands around and so were the bus drivers – but all for a better understanding of what Bob was trying to convey. I am still in the bus watching all this go on when the driver starts the bus and pulls out. Bob is oblivious to the fact that the bus is pulling out but I go running up to the bus driver asking him in my best Italian to “stop the bus”, “let me off”. I point to Bob over the road and the driver repeats “No Sorrento”. So I jump off and Bob comes running over to the bus with another bus driver following him. Our bus driver again says to Bob “No Sorrento” but the other driver behind Bob says, “No Sorrento, but Meta”. “Ah Meta” our driver says. So Bob and I jump back on the bus and Bob explains that the bus doesnt go to Sorrento but goes to Meta where we can catch a train back to the campsite.

Well, by this stage, our bus is late so I think our driver tries to make up time. Any previous experience on the buses along tiny, coastline roads was a piece of cake compared to this ride. This is a large bus with around 40 sitting passengers and 15 standing passengers that drives full speed around tight, narrow, windy roads that sit right on the coast ie steep mountain wall on one side and steep mountain cliff to the ocean on the other side. The driver does at least honk his horn on the tighter corners, but, my goodness, what a ride! The view along the coastline, through tiny villages and beautiful countryside is spectacular – it is a pity we had one eye closed and one open all the way home.

And the story doesnt end there – about half way home, our luggage compartment door (below where I am sitting) flys open. Before I can open my mouth to say any Italian word I can think of (I only know a few), the door slices into a parked car and is pulled off its hinges. The driver pulls over, races back to get the door and then throws it into the open luggage compartment. He takes half the luggage out and that goes into the bus with all the passengers. He drives off but then pulls over about 10 minutes later to report the incident to his boss, arms waving about as he explains the tragedy.. Then he drives off again, but pulls over 10 minutes later to get the door out of the compartment and put it inside the bus, with the passengers. The passengers have to hold onto the door while we travel home! By this time, we are really, really late and he speeds up to make up time. He again stops to get the rest of the luggage out of the compartment and also puts it in with the passengers – now the passengers are holding onto everything as we hurtle around the corners. The bus driver is now able to go as fast as he wants down the mountain without the luggage flying out of the open luggage compartment!!

The trip took about 2 hours and we finally make it Meta to catch the train to our village. As we disembark the bus, we both make a last minute conversion to Catholism and a say few “Hail Marys”. Once in our village I say to Bob that I dont think I could handle another little bus ride to our campsite – but we brave it anyway and our little bus honks its way around the tiny bends back to the campsite. As soon as we hit our van, we have a drink poured. What a ride!!