10 Weeks in Europe - Part 3

More Train Experiences & a Bus Ride Along the Very EDGE of the Amalfi Coast!

After Rome we headed south by train to beautiful and charming Sorrento, where we had some great food and wine, stayed in a wonderful small hotel down a tiny cobblestoned alley, took day trips to Pompei and Herculeum, and where I had another interesting train experience.

From Sorrento, I took an afternoon trip to Ercolano to see the ruins at Herculeum, about 30 minutes away via the Circumvesuviana, the local train line. Returning in the late afternoon, I found myself on the green line, instead of the blue line, and ended up in Poggiomarino, a town I’d never heard of before. I calmly got a ticket to backtrack to Trecase, where I knew I could change over to the blue and get to Sorrento. Somehow I ended up all the way back in Napoli, but wasn’t concerned because I knew I could simply take the blue line from Napoli to Sorrento. I asked 3 different people on the platform to make sure I took the right train this time, since there were no signs and no markings on the trains as there were at most stations. I knew I was on the right track, but there was no way to be sure which route I was on until we passed the first “wrong” station. Comfortably settling in with my book, headed home at last, I thought, I suddenly realized we had passed Pompei, which meant I was on the green again. There was nothing to do but stay on it to Poggiomarino, and then start backtracking again. Once back in that station, asking for help in my tiny bit of Italian only helped me to determine that the man at the counter spoke no English. Luckily for me, a very kind man walked up to me and said, “You need to go to Sorrento?” He turned out to be the conductor of the train I needed to take back. He was apparently waiting for his shift to start, and told me that the train I needed to take would be there in 40 minutes. It was now about 8 pm, and of course Gene was back in Sorrento, wondering where I was. I couldn’t call him because, even if I could have figured out the phones, I couldn’t remember the name of our hotel! (And you all thought I was so organized!) The nice conductor watched me and made sure I got on the right train, and then made sure I got off at the right place and knew which train to take from the other side of the track to backtrack to Sorrento! By the time I arrived back at our hotel at about 9:30 at night, Gene said that he was beginning to get a little concerned, and figured that something like that had happened! He hadn't taken it really seriously, knowing that I would figure out what to do. We went out for a wonderful late dinner and had a great time discussing what fabulous new experiences we were racking up. Sorrento is beautiful. It’s charming. The food is great. The people are nice. We loved it. I could live there. Really!
To get to our next town, Salerno, we took a bus for the first time, rather than a train. We wanted to see the Amalfi Coast that we had heard so much about. I guess when I was reading about it and looking at the pictures, I forgot how terrified I am of heights, especially when the road from on high drops right straight down the cliff to the sea, about a mile below! Especially when the winding road is less than six inches wider than the bus! The trip was every bit as awesome as I had been told. And it was absolutely terrifying. I’m sorry to have to confess that my eyes were closed and my breathing stopped for much of the trip. And that’s the truth! We had been talking with a very charming and friendly family from Ireland while waiting for the bus, a couple and their teenaged daughter and son. We didn’t hear much from him during the bus ride, and when we reached the half-way point, in Amalfi, I found out why. He couldn’t talk while holding his breath either! I realized at this point that Gene really doesn't take me seriously. I had just finished telling him that we were taking a boat the rest of the way to Salerno because my heart couldn’t take any more of this ride. I then turned to the Irishman to discuss our heart attack problems. While we talked, Gene strolled off to get bus tickets for the rest of the trip to Salerno! Yes, we took the bus.
When we arrived in Salerno, it was cold and raining. We got off the bus and walked a few blocks to the train station and found the information center next door. A helpful attendant told us which hotels in our price range were close by. We started walking and lucked out again, finding a good place to stay about three blocks away. It was a charming old place with a wee balcony, right on the main pedestrian street and near the old quarter. It even had an elevator! We only stayed a couple of days in Salerno, the weather was wet and cold, and we were both now dealing with colds and sore throats. We didn’t see much there, but we did have some incredible food (of course) and wine. It seemed to be a charming and interesting town with lots of wandering and eating opportunities. We loved the old quarter with its charming narrow streets and hidden away restaurants. Our host at the hotel, like many other innkeepers along the way, was amazingly friendly and helpful, wanting to give us lots of advice to make sure our visit was the best it could be. He was a transplanted New Yorker of Italian descent, and both of us thought that his mannerisms made us think of a character that would be played by Dustin Hoffman as a mafia guy! Our first night there, he directed us to a wonderful restaurant in the old quarter where the locals eat. It was great, the food was wonderful, and we heard nothing but Italian being spoken at the other tables. We got there just before the dinner hour rush, and wished we had gone later, because we would have changed our orders if we had seen what other people were getting first! Lots of great-looking stuff we’d never heard of before. Can’t remember it now. Wish I’d stolen a menu. Will have to return someday. Our second night there, our host walked us to a restaurant owned by a friend and ordered for us, to make sure we got the best fish dishes in the house! Again, it was fabulous. The name of the place was “Pinocchio,” and we were waited on by Signor Pinocchio himself! No kidding! We couldn’t help noticing that the Italian couple at the next table seemed to have some problems. He, an older guy, tried to get friendlier and friendlier. Just an affectionate sort of guy, I guess. She, a much younger woman, in turn, kept backing off and looking more and more annoyed. Finally he apparently just got too darned affectionate. She jumped up, grabbed her purse, and walked out, leaving her coat behind. A few minutes later, he sheepishly paid the bill and left. Some interpersonal relationship issues are international. We couldn’t understand a word they said, but had no problem understanding nevertheless! I kind of would have liked to stay longer in Salerno, if only for the food (!), but we decided to continue south to Sicily, in hopes that the weather would be drier and warmer. We didn’t get to see much of Salerno, but we like it. I could live there. Really!