Sailing with Moondance : Amalfi Coast Capri and beyond

Leaving Stromboli, we headed for the mainland arriving at Cetaro where we anchored outside the marina and had a good nights sleep. The following day we made our way north past the town of Diamante. I am sure there is a reason for the name and it looked like an interesting place. We ended up at a sheltered beach resort where we anchored for the night amongst moored craft and just off a beach laden down with rent deck chairs and umbrellas. Thankfully there was no beach disco.

Acciaroli was our next stop and again we anchored outside the town quay and went ashore for supplies. First on the list was a drink at a trattoria. A very pleasant bar where we had a drink accompanied by complimentary olives and bread bites tasting of aniseed. We followed that with a course of bruschetta and another round of drinks. Again the bruschetta was complimentary – or at least we were not charged for it. The bruschetta included bufalo mozzarella – an acquired taste and has a poached eff round shape. Following the drinks we refreshed our supplies from a supermarket, panateria (baker) and the butcher.
We then went in search of a restaurant. Seeing a likely empty restaurant with a reasonable menu we selected a table inside for two. On being seated, we were advised that no table was available as “we were busy”. We approached 3 more empty restaurants with the same results. Thinking that we must have some obvious leprosy, or were underdressed, or the backpack defined us as tourists and no one could be bothered with tourists, we made one last gallant effort and were shown to a table for six. Again we were the only patrons. By the time we had ordered our meal, the restaurant was half full and a queue was forming at the door. During the time it took to eat our meal there was a long queue with people waiting for tables – and the restaurant was capable of seating in excess of 100 people. I had ordered hamburger and chips. Raewyn had Gnocci. The hamburger came with no bun. Just 200g of hamburger meat, a little bit of lettuce and tomato, with a slab of grilled mozzarella. Nothing like a double whopper with cheese. On our way home we checked the other restaurants. They were all full and some had a large screen with football showing.

We headed for Amalfi arriving mid afternoon. Anchoring on our own we had a bit of a dinghy ride in to the town and left the dinghy at the marina. The town is mostly waterfront with lots of narrow streets, stairs, walkways, alleys. Everywhere a Kodak moment. We caught the tourist hop on/hop off bus to Ravello, walked around the interesting town and caught the bus back. What a ripoff. Local bus would have done the same thing but without the earplugs for music and brief commentary about lemons and terrace gardens.

Feeling adventurous we caught a tourist bus to Sorrento where we had lunch and a walk around the town with views over Naples Bay and the town marina way below. Again we opted for a local bus for the return ride although by this time we had qualified for a discount on the tourist bus. The roads are narrow, winding and with large drop offs and many tunnels. The driver had been practicing and thought he was at Monte Carlo with a formula 1 car. One guy was sick and one lady loudly proclaimed that she wished to live another day. We were too scared to speak as we rushed past Positano and were very pleased to exit the bus back in Amalfi. It was the bus trip that contributed to alcoholic drinks costing more than our meal at a very pleasant outdoor café in Amalfi.

Back down the coast to Salerno (a short trip) to fill with diesel and check in to the marina for two nights. We needed supplies and wanted to visit Pompeii. Vodafone to top up the modem – of course we had to wait 2 hours until 4.30, so had a good look around the shopping district which was also closed. No one on the streets until about 4.00 when the place slowly became alive.

Found a supermarket and butcher on our way back to Moondance. Filled a shopping trolley and pushed it 3 kilometres back to the marina, then returned it to the Carrefour Express from whence it came.
Next day we headed to the train station to catch a train to Pompeii. I needed to post four cards so detoured in to the Post Italiane. It took 4 people to look at the cards and postcards. One to weigh them, look up on a computer the charges to NZ, put them through a cancellede stamp machine and charge me 2Euro more than the stamps I had purchased at Amalfi.

In the meantime Raewyn had found a bus to Pompeii leaving from outside the Post Office so we climbed aboard. We were supposed to have purchased tickets but the driver did not mind and drove off with us in the local bus to Pompeii. It is about 40k from Salerno and went through every back street between Salerno, Naples and Pompeii to arrive a short distance from the archaeological site.

A day at Pompeii.

Pompeii is a large site and we started off at the Theatre (every Roman/Greek ancient site has one) then walked down excavated streets past what were the remains of houses – many with kitchens intact, and some with frescos and wall paintings. It was obvious some of the wealthy of Pompeii lived very well. We caught quite a few guided groups and heard the stories of the houses. Continuing on, we reached the Coliseum and information centre. The day was hot, roads and houses were all stone which accentuated the heat. We walked past what had been bakeries and trading houses to the far end of the site where we exited after viewing plaster casts of people caught in the eruption of Vesuvius - formed by the cavities in the lava.

From the exit we found the train station, however it was the train station to Sorrento. Helped by a friendly bus driver, we got a ride the 2k to the train station to Salerno, purchased and validated tickets then returned to Salerno. About 40 minutes instead of 2 hours by bus.

Raewyn’s fitbit recorded 19,457 steps that day – and it was hot most of the time.

8 June we booked Moondance out of Italy with the Guardia Costeria and headed for Capri at the end of the Amalfi peninsula. We anchored amongst tripper boats who were passing the famous rocks of Capri and coming to view rock caves nearby. In the evening we had the bay to ourselves although it was a bit rolly. Next day we motored around the island and anchored outside Marina Grande. Fast ferries and tripper boats made conditions rolly. We got the dinghy and outboard launched and went in to the marina.

A day in Capri

Queuing for the short funicular ride from the marina/ferry terminal to the town took a while. Thousands of people visit Capri by ferry each day. We reached the end of the ride and queued again for a bus to Anacapri where we had pizza for lunch then visited the Villa San Michelle. An interesting house and grounds built in the early 20th century.

Arriving back in the main town we had a good look around the shops and included nearby gardens.

The dinghy trip back to Moondance was interesting dodging large fast ferries but was accomplished with no drama except for having to clamber on to a pitching yacht.

We escaped without injury or incident and went back to our anchorage on the other side of the island and anchored among the many super yachts. A calm anchorage in which we stayed and relaxed for the next day. A catamaran with one yacht either side and charter guests ashore anchored too close but we sorted that out again just inconvenience, no drama.