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.
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| Swordfish in net |
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Swordfish boat. Note long prow in front to spear fish. Lookout up high in crows nest |
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| Water spout Vulcano Island |
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| Stromboli |
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| Rovello |
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| Coloseum Pompeii |
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| Mural Pompeii |
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| Positano |
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| Rocks Capri |
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| Lunch Capri |
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| Fast Food delivery Capri |
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| Capri Marina |
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| Capri |
