Being carless now we have to join the thousands of people who rely on the train networks of France to get them to and from their destination. So far our experiences of trains in France had been limited to a trip from Lyon to Dijon which went to time. However Sheree had alerted us to the fact that all was not sweet with trains having been held up for an hour in the middle of nowhere on her way to Albi from Lyon. However we were feeling positive that a night train from Rome from Paris across country boundaries would surely run to time. WRONG!!!
Waiting in Dijon Gare we see the train is to be an HOUR late. Not too bad as we find a comfortable seat in the Gare coffee shop and read and eat. But then the lights dim as to alert us to the fact that they are about to close. So it is onto the hard seating with the other people waiting for this train that is now expected to come in at quarter to 11 at night. It does arrive and we stumble onto this train with our luggage into rooms that already have sleeping people who had set off in Paris. We finally get ourselves settled for the night and let our fellow travellers get back to an uninterrupted sleep until our first stop in Italy – Milan.
I woke up for a loo stop at some ungodly hour but first had to negotiate a ladder from my top bunk. Doing this in the dark without waking everybody up was a real challenge. As it happened the train was slowing for a station and it was Lausanne – I had no ideas we were going through Switzerland but that was interesting. This might be why we were singled out by the guard for our passports which he held for the entire trip.
By the time I woke we were in Bologna but things were not good. We were now two hours behind schedule. We were to finally get to Rome two and a half hours late. Then it was onto a train again for two and a half hours to Naples – not air-conditioned. By the time we arrived we were so pleased we had booked a hotel before we left France so we could flop into air-conditioned bliss.
This bliss was about to be challenged when we got outside because although we had found heat and sunshine we had also found Naples. It is chaotic, filthy, drab and unkempt, reminiscent of a third world city. We did roam through the underfoot rubbish to see if there were any parts of Naples which had that edge that we thought Naples should have. We came across some interesting buildings, a huge waterfront and an interesting metro which had funiculars (lovely way to negotiate the hills in Naples) and underground metro (although this was filthy, tagged in a less than salubrious underground) that got us there and back.
The traffic was another challenge. We were so pleased that we weren’t driving here as there seems to be no rules and people beeped their horns all the time. Crossing the road is a real adrenaline rush – like playing chicken. You actually just claim the road and go – he who hesitates will be left waiting for ever. Once in the middle of the road, the cars and motorbikes simply swerve and adapt speed to avoid you. We are now confident road runners.
The morning we prepared to leave we encountered a large market. What we were surprised to see people selling cheap imitations of clothes, handbags and shoes, pirated DVDs and we even got offered a laptop for 150 euro(yeah right). We felt that we could have been back in Bali or Thailand with the traffic and markets and rubbish lined streets.
From Naples we were off to the Amalfi coast where we had booked four days R & R before heading back to Roma for 2 days and then home. The boutique hotel we booked called LA PERGOLA was set on a hillside amongst lemon groves and when we arrived were pleasantly surprised to be upgraded to a huge room and our own patio – not bad really. Our own loungers and outside area at a private end of the hotel; what a great way to finish off the trip.
Amalfi coast is not unlike the Cinque terra except that the villages are spread over a larger area of coast. This is a pretty coast with houses and fences draped in bougainvillea and roadsides lined with cream and pink oleander. Here the terraced hills do not have grape wines instead lemon trees are hung up on pergolas on the terraces. They grow incredible lemons here (both in size and flavour) and are exquisitely used to make a wicked liqueur called Limoncello; a must have at the end of an evening meal.
Having no car means we are reliant on public transport now and this means we have to think about what we are doing and plan more. First thing is that we need to catch a bus from our Hotel to go anywhere but the stop is right at the door. Second thing is to sus out connections that may be needed after that. First day was a 1 hr 40 min trip by bus to Sorrento, a lovely place to roam around but very touristy beach spot. With no natural beaches of its own it has made them by putting a load of rocks out from the lands edge and connecting these with a platform that is then lined with seats and umbrellas(which you have to pay to use). You go for a swim by climbing down a ladder from the platform into the sea.
Then we caught the train to Pompei. Pompei is a truly amazing find. We felt that archeologists must have thought it a sacrilege to have people walking round their precious find but nevertheless like all things it probably comes down to money for upkeep and restoration work. A find like this showing civilisation 2000 years back is really interesting. Mark and I enjoyed wandering around and looking at the architecture, paintings and tiling patterns of the time as well as the primitive plumbing. We endured 30 plus degree heat to do this but promised ourselves a huge beer at the end.
The bus trips along the Amalfi coast road are an adrenalin rush on their own. Apart from the amazing scenery as these towns and roads are built on the hillsides high above the sea, we watch our extremely skilful drivers negotiate our large bus down a two laned road that is barely more than one lane in size and has incredibly tight corners. The buses make an incredible racket as at each corner they sound their air horns to let approaching coming vehicles know they are coming.
Next day Mark was determined to have a swim. Now this is not a short trot down to the beach. But instead there were 372 steps to be negotiated before getting to a tiny rocky and stoney beach. Once there the water was beautifully clean and blue but the chore of climbing back up meant that you were sweating harder when you got back. But a quiet day was intended and under the huge heat of mid-day we cowered in shady places checking out more local beers, pastas and pizza for a long and leisurely lunch in Amalfi itself.
Amalfi is a lovely town, once again full of tourist shops and eating places but quaintly nested between rock and sea with an amazing cathedral at its centre as well as the obligatory fountain where people took water for drinking and washed themselves to cooloff. Amalfi has the privilege of going from beach level up so it has a readily accessible beach if you can find it under the umbrellas.
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