I had to leave Villa Sofia in Nocelle this morning, sad because it was so lovely there & the family was so sweet. Luciana, the host, helped me with my bag-put it on a lift that carried it to the top of the road so I wouldn't have to go up stairs. She also walked me through the upper part of the property & showed me all the produce from their garden, gave me a persimmon to take with me. I took my final bus ride into Positano, but from there took a boat to Salerno. No way was I going to get on a bus packed with tourists to Amalfi, only to have to get on another bus to Salerno. The boat ride was wonderful, barely any other people on it (they must have all been on the bus!) and the views of the coastline from the water are stunning. I had to switch boats in Amalfi, and sat outside at the front of the boat the rest of the way. I think that was my favorite part of my visit to the Amalfi coast, being out on that blue water and getting to see all the towns & buildings nestled in the cliffs. I arrived in Salerno & walked for about 20 minutes along the coast to find my B&B. I've ditched stuff, but my bag feels heavier-I think it's all the small books & pamphlets I've collected along the way, the weight adds up. I passed a restaurant & some Italian guy could tell I was lost, so he offered to help me, and as he was leading me to the Piazza I needed to find he invited me to pizza. "No grazie, non ho fame." So he insisted "un gelato, cafe..." With additional help from a nearby restaurant, I found where I needed to be, & gave the guy a couple euros for his help, & so he would leave me alone. It worked, eventually. Settled into the B&B, the lovely couple that runs it gave me a map and an idea of what places to visit, where to eat, where to get gelato. So where do you think I went first? Gelato! And the place was packed & the gelato was tasty! You can even get a brioche filled with gelato, I wasn't about to splurge that much though. I found a bench to enjoy my gelato & watch the sea & the people, then walked along the lungomare-a promenade that goes along the coast. Then I ventured into the historic part of town, visited the Giardini di Minerva-an old botanical garden with plants that were primarily used for medicinal purposes. Some neat plants and some lovely views. Then I visited the Duomo, which had some beautiful mosaics in the apses and a crypt below. I found the Villa Comunale, a pretty little park, then decided to find food. It's tricky to find a place to eat on a Sunday @ 5pm, but I managed & the place was decent. Then I went for a stroll through all the old little streets and the town came alive after 6pm-shops & restaurants opened, more people were out, there was music. I think tomorrow I will attempt a day trip somewhere.
