Leaving Amalfi & Day 1 in Sorrento - Monday 16 September

This morning we were picked up at 8:30 am by Nicola of Drive Amalfi, for our transfer to Sorrento. The journey took about one hour and 20 minutes because he stopped a couple of times along the way so we could get some great photos. We got a great view back towards Amalfi, and another of the tiny settlement at Furore (in a small cleft in the cliffs).

The tourist traffic was just beginning to pour into the Amalfi coast area, but we had a good time being entertained by Nicola; he was very funny, though I don't think he liked it later when I mentioned how we liked the new Pope (perhaps he thinks he should be an Italian...)?

The traffic in Sorrento was crazy, and we had to manoeuvre through some very narrow alleyways to get to our hotel (Hotel Regina). At one point it was so narrow that, Nicola knocked a wing mirror on our car. We notice that everyone is very patient with other drivers, and let people get in. Also, people let you cross at a crossing, but instead of stopping completely, they often steer around you. Many people ride small motorbikes, and there are some unusual 3-wheeled vehicles for delivering goods around steep, narrow roads.

We were able to check into our hotel by 10:30 am, which was amazing (normally 1 pm check-in). Our room is 205 'Positano', on the second floor, with great views over the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius.

Once again, our hotel has free wifi, and I was able to confirm a last minute booking for a tour to Capri tomorrow with Tours of Capri (top-rated on Trip Advisor).

Next, we all headed out for a walk around central Sorrento. It was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel, with some great look-out points for views over the harbour and bay along the way, and also the older part of the town with narrow alleyways for streets. We followed some of Rick Steves' suggestions of what to look at, and also took the 'City Train' (like a 'Noddy Train') to see a bit more.

 

 

Next stop was the Trip Advisor recommended Cafe Fauno for a light lunch. They are right in the central hub of the city, at Piazza Torquato Tasso, a great place to sit and watch people passing by. I wanted to go there because they have a separate gluten free menu, and David and I shared a GF pizza.

We wandered around a bit more, then relaxed in the afternoon. I was keen to go back to Cafe Fauno for a dinner of GF ravioli, so David and I headed back there. We ordered our dinner, and some drinks, and... never saw our waiter again for 50 minutes! David had to grab another waiter to give him a glass to share the wine with me, and we had to ask for water, but no meal came.... Others around us had their meals within 10 minutes! Finally, another waiter looked my way, and started talking to the two gentleman who seemed to be in charge and who were ushering people into the restaurant, and I could see some serious discussion going on, and we were told that two meals were on the way (no explanation). Eventually our meals arrived with an apology, but still no explanation. The food was luke warm, and the vegetables were soggy. So much for my GF ravioli treat! The bill arrived, still no explanation. I wouldn't let David just hand over the credit card, so we went to the till to pay, where one of the men in charge asked what we wanted and I silently pointed at the credit card to indicate we were paying. Then he asked if everything was alright and if the food was ok. I said "No, not really", and then he realised we were the table that hadn't been served and began begging us to give them another chance, and he tore up our E48 bill! He probably knew he was up for a very bad Trip Advisor review! Everything around here seems to have a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence on display... Tearing up the bill saved me an hour or two writing up what I think, but we won't go back as I had originally hoped.

Anyway, after that really disappointing meal experience, we had a pleasant walk back to our hotel. It was a very mild, still evening, and lots of folk were out walking. And we had a great sleep!

Day 4 in Amalfi - Sunday 15 September

Today we had a more leisurely start to the day, even taking an hour over breakfast. The last two days I've enjoyed some gluten free bread at breakfast, which has been nice.

We had planned to catch the public buses to the towns of Minori and Maiori, not far along the coast, but as I left to head over to the information centre and to organise tickets, I noticed the Hop On Hop Off Bus ready to leave in a circuit between these towns and Amalfi. It became a mad rush as the bus operators kindly waited for all of us and left a little late as a result. We were grateful, because this ended up being a cheaper option for the day, and much more comfortable - being on the open-topped bus, enjoying the fresh air and the chance to get photos without a window in the way.

It was another glorious day, and we enjoyed the trip along the coast for 15 minutes - the views were spectacular, and the narrow roads crazy! We were soon in the larger town of Maiori - this had a lot of more modern buildings, an absolutely lovely esplanade area and pier, and a lovely big promenade area up the centre of the town for quite some way. It had a lovely area in the middle which also appeared to serve as a channel for a stream and flooding. It was very nicely done.

The town was very quiet to start with, most people probably being at church (we could hear the singing as we walked past one). We wandered through the centre of town, and decided to climb up to the castello (15th century Castle of San Nicola)) for great views over the town. On our way, we heard more and more booms, like canons, and looked back to see the puffs of smoke from what were probably fireworks in the air - we think it was more festival celebrations for Santa Maria.

The climb was hot work, and after 361 steps, the others reckoned we were lucky to be half to three quarters of the way up. Reluctantly, I pulled out and started the careful climb back down. The others continued and were rewarded with great views. It was fascinating though, to think that people live in the homes along the alleyways with all these steps, and must walk them every day, in all weathers. I don't know what happens if you break a leg, or get too old or have arthritis and can't get up and down them any more! David could feel the tight pull on his calf muscles afterwards, and Jan reported the 'shivery' leg experience that I reported earlier in the week after a steep climb.

Next, we found our way into the main church (Abbey of S. Maria de Olearia); it was lovely. As we were coming down the many steps from there, some more even bigger booms started, and the church bells rang out - more festival celebrations.

By the time we got back down to the main promenade there were a lot more people about, especially families socialising and enjoying lunch together. The others grabbed some local bread delicacies for lunch and I wasn't really hungry, so just had a gluten free muesli bar from home.

We wandered along the beautiful esplanade soaking up the atmosphere, the warm temperature, and the views, and were also intrigued by the way the policeman was directing the traffic so that pedestrians could cross the busy road.

After a couple of hours in Maiori we were soon back on the bus, and heading to Minori, a much smaller town, and quieter. We spent only an hour here, in which time we wandered around the town centre, and visited the Villa Romana Marittima (an ancient Roman villa unearthed from the 1st century AD). Here, as in Rome, newer buildings have been built on top of the old, and uncovered centuries later.

We got back to Amalfi around 2:15 pm, and headed straight to our favourite cafe/bar where they were getting to know us. The main person working there (who understood gluten free, and remembered who had ordered what at all the tables) was obviously pregnant, but still,on her feet and working in the heat for long hours. She said her baby was due in 10 days... The others ordered cold drinks, and I ordered a small risotto to help me last till dinner time.

Next, we headed across the piazza to the Cathedral of Amalfi - St Andrew's - the bones of St Andrew himself, are laid here, along with the relics of other Saints. The Cathedral has a beautiful exterior, with a large, broad stairway that is used for concerts. It has several beautiful sections - the Cloister of Paradise (13th Century cemetery for the noblemen of Amalfi built in a Moorish style), the Basilica of the Crucifix (once the Cathedral Church, dating back to 596 AD, and now a Museum), the Crypt (here are preserved the head and other bones of Jesus' first disciple, Saint Andrew), and then the Cathedral itself (Baroque style). We were so glad we visited this beautiful site.

  

David and I bought some limoncello in one of the shops, and an Amalfi tea towel - we don't have much room for souvenirs!

It was soon time for our 7 pm dinner at the Marina Grande restaurant where we'd had that amazing lunch on the first day. The service was excellent and we enjoyed some lovely fish dishes. The others loved the different fresh breads that come out before the meal. I was even able to have a dessert - creme brûlée and peach sorbet!

Then it was back to the hotel to get packed and ready for our transfer to Sorrento the next morning.

Day 3 in Amalfi - Saturday 14 September

After breakfast today, I had to call Salvatore of Drive Amalfi about the error I'd noted with our transfer coming up on Wednesday. I also arranged a transfer from Amalfi to Sorrento on Monday, with brief photo stops along the way. It was good to actually speak with the person I've emailed and arranged trips with for this tour, as well as back in 2009.

At 9:30 am we caught the ferry to Positano. We had good seats in the fresh air on top of the boat for the scenic 25 minute trip along the coast. It was amazing watching the houses perched precariously on the steep, rocky cliffs and hill tops.

We could also see the three small islands situated a few hundred metres offshore, the legendary haunt of the Sirens who tempted Ulysses and his men.

It was incredibly busy in Positano, with 'tidal waves' of tourists sweeping down the maze of streets and alleyways towards us and into the town.

We had a look in the main church, Santa Maria Assunta with its characteristic cupola in colored majolica, and wandered gradually upwards along a main alleyway, sitting for a while to wait for Jan and Steve, and happening to be near a guide talking to a group of tourists. We listened to some of what she was telling them, but our ears pricked up when she mentioned an earthquake in the town around 30 years ago that had left cracks that you could still see in another church, and she assured the tourists that although the town was on a fault line, they only had small earthquakes... We soon walked past that church, and had a look inside. Sure enough...

David and I headed up and along the narrow one-way roads to get some lovely views down onto the town. By the time we got down again it seemed to have got much hotter and busier (seemed much hotter than the forecast 29C), and we were starting to wilt. We met up again with the Barrows, and Steve and I kept a shady seat while Jan and David headed off to find some paninis for lunch. I had a fruit smoothy, VERY refreshing!

Three hours was plenty of time in this town and we purchased tickets back to Amalfi on the 1:30 pm ferry sailing - we couldn't wait to escape the heat and crowds. We wandered around for another 30 minutes while we waited for the ferry to arrive, visited the Tourist Information centre and Steve bought his second new pair of shoes.

Back in Amalfi, we felt like we'd arrived 'home', and staggered into the cafe/bar that has become our haunt. After some refreshments we headed back to our rooms to blob out, and have an afternoon nap.

The temperature was a little cooler, with a slight sea breeze as we headed out for dinner at 6:30 pm, finding a nice little family taverna where we enjoyed a good meal.

Day 2 in Amalfi - Friday 13 September

I had a pretty good sleep last night, but everyone else was complaining about the hardness of the beds, and thinking they may as well have been sleeping on hard planks! Breakfast on the Terrace of the Hotel Residence was magic - overlooking the beach, warm temperatures, gorgeous fruit salad and great company. We did finish in a bit of a rush though, as we decided to hurry to catch the local bus along the coast to Atrani, and then up the steep winding road to Ravello.

As we reached Atrani, a big downpour of rain came out of nowhere (and we'd left our jackets behind because of the sunny outlook and forecast). Onwards and upwards, BUT half way up the hill, on the wet, slippery, narrow road, the bus suddenly skidded to a dramatic stop, with gasps from all the passengers on the left side. A motor cyclist had been coming downhill and around the corner, he slipped on the wet road, skidded along the side of the bus, and MIRACULOUSLY ended up just past the bus and in the middle of the road. The bus driver rushed out and helped him up. The rider rubbed his elbow but seemed unscathed, picked up his bike, and moved to the side of the road. And without further ado, the bus continued straight on up the hill! I looked back and could see the rider was being talked to by a following van driver, and I'd say he would go into shock after that experience, even if physically uninjured (having seen a similar event outside Burnside High a few years ago and calling an ambulance). Certainly these roads are very narrow and treacherous at the best of times!

We're not sure where we went wrong, but the bus went past the turnoff to Ravello, and ended up further up in Scala. We got off, then attempted to ask the bus driver what we needed to do. He didn't understand English and even though we'd literally just stepped off, he wouldn't let us back on without new tickets, and it turned out he WAS going to Ravello on the way down, but no luck for us without rushing off to buy new tickets. I really didn't want to spend time wandering around in Scala, when I knew the main things I wanted to do on the Amalfi Coast, if nothing else, was to visit the Villa Rufolo Gardens, and the Villa Cimbrone Gardens, as well as revisiting the beautiful Piazza in Ravello. Jan asked a shuttle driver if he understood English, and he had seen the problem and offered to drop us there, slightly out of his way back down the road, and it was just another E$4.80 for all of us. So, a few minutes later, we were in Ravello and strolling into the beautiful Piazza Duomo that I remembered and loved from our 2009 visit. Time for a photo stop and reminiscing... Bliss!

We had a quick look in the Cathedral (every town here seems to have one), and then popped into the Tourist Information office for maps of the area and how to get to the Villas Rufolo and Cimbrane. Villa Rufolo's entrance was right on the Piazza, and I took lots of photos because at every turn there was an amazing sight, whether it be architectural (Moorish, Sicilian and Norman influences), scenic, historic, or horticultural - a fascinating and beautiful place. It was amazing to see the venue here for annual concerts playing Wagner's music, with the coastline as a backdrop - stunning and inspirational to so many who have visited this place for around 800 years.

Next, we followed the varied and beautiful pathways/passageways meandering past churches, villas, gardens, schools, hotels, and cafes. Before long we were at the Villa Cimbrone. This area was known in late Roman times as an enormous estate of luxurious vegetation which produced fine timber for naval use. It eventually fell into disrepair until discovered and purchased by an English Lord in the early 1900s. He had it restored, employing a Ravello resident (and former waiter) to take charge and follow his heart with the design, and the gardens were brought to life. The stunning (and vertigo-inducing) views of the coastline from the Terrace of Infinity were amazing, and a main reason for visiting the Villa.
















We returned to the Piazza for lunch (rolls or paninis for the others, and a salad for me), and then David headed off with Jan and Steve to walk a track across to Pontone, then up and along the hills before the steep descent back down the Valley and into the upper reaches of Amalfi (approximately 2 and a half hours of very steep walking). They had well-deserved cool drinks after that!

In the meantime, I hunted out the bus stop and caught the bus back down to Amalfi. I visited the Tourist Information Centre, strolled along the esplanade, and walked out along a pier to get photos looking back at Amalfi. I booked dinner for Sunday night at the same restaurant as we lunched at yesterday, then went and sat at the same wine bar/cafe as yesterday, to await the arrival of the others. Sadly, every place I ask in Amalfi tells me that none of the gelato is gluten free, so the diet continues! I worked on this blog post, and read a book with information about the Amalfi Coast. After I'd had a cappuccino and a long glass of orange juice, the walkers arrived.

We had a break to freshen up, before heading out to dinner at the same restaurant as last night. The waitresses are real characters, and very helpful. I dined on steak with grilled vegetables, while David ordered Fish of the Day, which turned out to be a whole sea bass, served with a lovely dressing.

Before returning to our hotel we all strolled along the waterfront and esplanade, and looked at the sights along the way. It was a glorious, balmy evening and families were out together, children playing, couples strolling. Steve was intrigued with the many buildings perched right on the edges of the rocky cliffs. The view back towards Amalfi, with all the lights on, was very memorable.