Amalfi Coast
Trip Start
May 25, 2008
1
26
54
Trip End
May 25, 2009
Sorrento,
Italy
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The man won't look at us, and is looking into space somewhere. I try 'Buongiorno, may I buy a pastry?'. No response. I try again 'Buongiorno..'. 'Ask those ladies!!' he snaps, and points to two girls whispering together at the counter, immediately next to him. I walk up to them 'Buongiorno, I would like to buy some pastries'. They look at each other, one rolls her eyes and says 'You have to ask this man' and pointed at the one I was just talking to.
I just want to buy a pastry. There are three of you at the counter, all apparently doing nothing, how hard is it to lift one from the case, and I give you some money in exchange? Bloody hell, I don't want your left kidney!!
After that attempt, we head to exchange some money
Bodies at Pompeii
. The man at the counter delightfully broadcasts on a microphone for the whole of Capodocino airport to hear, that my father just exchanged $1000, certainly not the world's safest place to broadcast such news.Feeling quite unsafe, we step outside to wait for the Cureri bus to take us to Sant Agnello. I ask the driver in broken Italian if this is the next bus leaving for Sant Agnello. No response. A Scottish man next to us tells us that he asked the same thing a minute ago, but the driver is reading a newspaper and doesn't wish to be disturbed. An Italian lady walks up and asks the same thing, only to be given an answer of 'Si'. One rule for locals, one for tourists. Even when you're really trying to speak the local language..annoying.
Finally we arrive in Sant Agnello and go to our hotel...which is actually a convent run by nuns. They are lovely and make us feel really welcome and at home. We have an amazing view over the Bay of Naples out of our window, and a terrace we can go and sit at any time. We spend the evening exploring Sant Agnello, and out for dinner to Crawfords, where I have the most amazing ravoili with a creamy tomato and basil sauce.
The next day we get up at a leisurely time and catch a bus down the Amalfi Coast to check out the scenery. We sit on the right-hand side of the bus (as recommended by friends) and get dramatic views over the cliff edges...not for the faint of heart!! We stop in Amalfi town for a few hours to have an ice-cream and head to the beach. The beaches here are disgusting, the beach in Amalfi even comes complete with raw sewerage and bits of toilet paper and unidentified floating objects
On the bus, Amalfi coast
. Disgusting!! We are a bit over it and head back early. We head to Speedy Gonzalez Pizza (horrible name, most amazing food in town) and mum and dad have the owner's famous roast chicken with hand-cut chips (dad claims it to be the best roast chicken he has ever had), and I have spaghetti napolitana. The owner brings out a basket of vegetables and asks if they are ok for the sauce..he is making it from scratch!! As it took a little while, he made up a plain pizza (Pizza base with olive oil and seasalt - the most delicious one I've ever had) for me so I wasn't hungry...so thoughtful.
The next day we head to Pompeii. Catch the train to Pompeii Scavi, and the entrance is only 50mt away so it is very easy to find. I buy a guidebook so we can make more sense of these ruins - after all, they are just walls and stones without any explanation - and we head off on a route that appeals to us. We are there for the entire day, just walking around and viewing the various wall paintings, murals, tiled floors, theatres, arenas, canteens, and even a brothel, before catching the train back to Sant Agnello. We head to our friend's restaurant again tonight for dinner and we order a rocket salad, and mum and I share a pizza of cherry tomato, buffalo mozarella and shavings of fresh parmesan. Head back to the hotel where we watch the sunset on our terrace over the Bay of Naples, a fantastic end to our time on the Amalfi Coast.
