Yes the blog has been a bit ratty lately.
Ahh. That sweet sorento moon. well it would have been if we could see it for the clouds...
Train from rome to naples
Creepy graffiti looking place as we arrived at station. Nothing open for information so caught local train out to sorento but no map. Followed signs to camping ground with views over the stunning cliffs and ocean so turned out nicely. Camping ground a little tired but location made up for it.
Walk down to beach from caravan park then along cliffs to sorento. Area seemed fortified with impressive walls. Lots of old stone buildings and walls. Pictures of a religious festival with people wearing white gowns and hoods on notice board which were gone next day.
Pizza for dinner. The original regional Margarita of course. How do they make such a simple pizza so tasty? Good ingredients and the basil goes on just as the pizza is taken from the oven. Time for the Australian pizza makers to get back to basics as this one was really good and for 4 euro quite cheap.
Day 2
Pompii ruins. Good luck for us as it was free due to italy wide cultural week. The day started with rain so we had our bags in garbage bags as we walked around so must have looked like hobos again. Planned for a couple of hour tour but ended up staying for the day. Raining so had garbage bags on our packs. Lunch near well preserved gladiator stadium. Amazing ruins and so well preserved due to the volcanic activity in 78AD. It would have been nice to see how the ruins looked before the objects and best frescos and mosaics were removed for preservation by the archaeologists. Even still many of the frescos remain and many of the buildings have painted walls. The streets were cobbled and the wheel ruts from the carts were clearly visible. The plaster casts of victims were creepy as the faces could be seen on some.
This was a significant ruin as it was a snapshot of a roman town in the golden years of the empire before the Byzantine period so paganism was still alive.
Had to give up after only looking at about 70 percent of the areas of significance in pompii and a small section of the overall town. All worn out.
Pizza for dinner again. Same but not so good and washed down with some not so good red wine from a carton.
Day 3
Caught bus out along amarfi coast to amarfi. Lemons everywhere on terraces on cliffs. Stunning views and impossibly skinny roads with cars parked illegally. Scooters riders taking risks. Amarfi to big town selarno didn’t stay long as raining. Catch the bus back to amarfi then onto sorento. Bus to bus pass in the narrow streets was a highlight. Very tight squeeze which too a long time and got a bravo for the driver from the predominately tourist filled bus.
This is one of the worlds classic coastal drives.
Pizza for dinner again. Nice but not as good as first.
Day 4
Intended to catch bus to positano for walking but bus not for couple of hours. Go to naples instead to the archeological museum via the impressive cathedral. Pompei mosaics, statues and frescos are wonderful. Mosaics with lots of detail. Even a backroom with erotic art from pompei supposedly from a brothel. Find out that have missed an important fresco in pompei so drop in on the way back to sorento while Vanessa heads off to positano. Quick look at fresco then back to sorento and find Vanessa on bus and off to positano for look. Had a delicious lemon grenada on way down. Over touristy and ask tourism girl what there was to do around positano and she responded nothing. Not good advertising also hiking map was 6 euro so double negative didn’t buy. Caught bus back to sorento late afternoon but no seats and packed in like sardines. Hang on for the ride as we get thrown from side to side with the cornering!
Decided that Naples has a lot to offer so have added it to the list of places that need more investigation in a future trip.
Cooked pasta dish for tea and also had pizza. Burner playing up as clogging due to poor fuel. Had to strip it down and clean properly.
Day 5
Off to amarfi coast to go walking. Stop at amarfi then walk back towards positano. Dangerous on the road walking with narrow roads with minimal or no footpath and Italian ‘racing’ drivers in cars or on scooters. Follow a path and some steps down to pebble beach with natural rock arch out in water leading to ruins on a small island. Large Cave in cliff at the back of rocks contains boats and sheds. Nice place for pasta lunch which needed mending with some fresh basil.
Back up steps and kept walking along towards but rain started again so decided to catch the bus back to sorento. Have found that it is necessary to take an umbrella each as the weather is so unstable and it was often necessary.
The mountains literally rise out of the ocean and the road is partially cut into the rock or tunnelled or rock structures traverse sections. There are norman castles on many points close to the ocean and old buildings also perched on the smallest ledges on cliffs through which the road winds. More often than not the properties have lemon groves with rich crops in terraces covered with black shade cloth. Remarkable.
Didn’t make it to the walking tracks so will have to return one day for a closer look. The area is so green and well wooded combined with the steep mountains and deep gorges dropping to the sea makes for breathtaking scenery. Time is the enemy.
Heavy rain in evening and a bit of flooding around edges but tent alright. Still having trouble with the burner so have to change the fuel filter and give deeper servicing. Seems to have worked but expecting more clogging due to the soot from the fuel burn.
Day 6
Time to move as we have been enchanted by sorento and the amarfi coast and the days could turn into weeks or months.
Aim to catch boat to Greece but have only a little info from internet from night before so plan is catch train to naples then onto , then onto , then buy ferry tickets and be on board for the 630pm ferry to Igoumenitsa
The execution.What could possibly go wrong?
Early start. 5am. No rain luckily but packing up in the dark.
Walk to train station at sorento.
Catch local train from sorento to naples. Get lucky as only waited for 10min.
Catch train from naples to benvento
ticket person gives me ticket for eurostar direct to ferry town. Have to explain that I want the cheap tickets. So we needed to catch a local train to … then a train to … and another train to … the ferry port. Train leaves in 20 minutes from a distant terminal. On train. Is this italy or Africa? Train doesn’t quite reach destination and drops us one station short. Confusion and we have to walk to central. Staff tells us 10 min walk but really 30 min. poor form and exhausting. Arrive with 30min to spare but not much money. Autoteller rejects card so still not much money but have to catch train so give up.
Catch train from Benevento to bari
Train is 20 min late and we had a 5 minute window to the train at brindisi. Nice scenery with lots of old olive groves and ruins. Green green everywhere. Looks like they have had lots of rain. Train arrives late and we miss our connection.
Catch train from bari to ferry town Brindisi.
Station information tell us to catch a train to Lecce and it is about to arrive on platform 1. We rush out and catch the train. Nice trip with more olive groves and ruins along the way and ugly concrete towns.
Ferry tickets.
Arrive with 2hrs to spare before ferry but no idea where information is, no map or any idea how to get tickets. Head towards the water following information signs but did not find info. A shark in a suit and gold rings on his fingers offers to arrange a ticket for us but we decline having been down a similar road before. Found a shipping agent and booked tickets for seats and found out about a free bus to ferry. Got some snacks and then had to wait until 530pm for the bus on a corner with old drunken men with loud mouths. Eventually bus turned up and we were on the ferry after checking in by 6pm. Phew.
So many links in the transport chain but this time it all worked out….
Bye,
David and Vanessa
