Author Archives: Miss Penny Black

Sorrento, Italy

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We were very glad to have chosen Sorrento for our base to explore the Amalfi Coast, even if it wasn’t actually on it.

Sorrento is a large town with wider streets, less stairs, and more shops than any of the smaller and perhaps more picturesque towns that make up the Amalfi Coast. It’s closer to Naples too, so when we had to get to the airport on our last day we hired a driver for 90 euros and left at 7:30am rather than having to leave an hour earlier from Positano or even earlier from Amalfi.

Sorrento’s main walking area. Everyone comes out in the evening to wander up and down.

While Sorrento has a number of galleries, churches and other things to do we had miscounted the number of days we thought we’d have there and ended up missing out on doing much cultural stuff. We did fit in time to relax though!

On our first day we had a wander around then decided to eat dinner at Azz! Restaurant because I wanted a break from pizza and the TripAdvisor responses from the manager to critical reviews were hilarious.

One of many similar responses. Other reviewers got into the spirit, claiming they loved Azz! And were certainly not ragamuffins.

We enjoyed the food but were disappointed that no dramas occurred while we were there – other reviewer had made comparisons to Fawlty Towers.

Our best eating experience in Sorrento was kind of accidental. We were walking home from the pool and passed an old building that was set back from the road and surrounded by lemon trees and high walls. Out the front was a chalkboard with a message guaranteed to attract my interest.

I love working gardens so we walked down the driveway to have a look and it turned out that it was a BnB with a large garden that did small set menus three or four nights a week. We booked in for that night and then went for a walk until they were ready.

There were about eight tables under cover in the middle of a lovely garden and the only other people there were an older English pair with whom we chatted after dessert.

The waiter, Roberto, had excellent English and had previously lived in Cambridge, coincidentally. We had four courses in all and all the vegetables were grown in the garden, which we got to wander through before we ate.

Mozzarella baked with citrus zest – delicious!

After the bustle of Rome, Naples, the buses, and hectic foot traffic of Sorrento, the garden was quite a lovely oasis and a very pleasant way to spend an evening. At nearly 100 euro for two of us it wasn’t cheap but it was certainly worth it.

Of course we did have some pizza to – at a restaurant recommended by one of my workmates (thanks Chiara!).

Luke will never understand why I like plates of lettuce and I will never understand how his bowels function properly on a diet of cheese and bread.

And a lovely lunch at Mo!Mo!, just around the corner from our Airbnb.

A deep fried zucchini flower on my pasta.

Hrm… this post does seem to have become very food-heavy, but that’s Italy for you!

The only other thing I did was take and early morning walk down to the fishing village that sits on the western side of Sorrento and I planned to go back for a swim at some stage but didn’t manage it.

All in all, we enjoyed Sorrento but probably didn’t really make the most of it, which just leave more things to see if we return.

This gorge will be familiar to anyone who has visited Sorrento as it is right in the middle of town.

Luke loves having his photo taken.

People gather along the cliff tops each evening to enjoy the view and cool breezes.

Sunset with Vesuvius behind us.

Catching the Bus Along the Amalfi Coast, Italy.

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We had booked four full days in Sorrento with the thought that we would use it as a base to see the Amalfi Coast.

Sorrento is not actually on the Amalfi Coast, it sits on the northern side of the peninsula and the AC runs along the south side. On the map below you can see Naples in the north, Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii in the middle and then the route the bus takes from Sorrento to Amalfi. To go from Sorrento all the way to Salerno to see the whole Amalfi Coast takes two buses and about 3.5 hours – you have to change at Amalfi. Amalfi is also where the buses leave to climb up into the hills to reach Ravello.

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Although it is not far in a straight line from Sorrento to Amalfi or onwards to Salerno, the route is incredibly twisty-turny and the road hugs the cliffs. On our second day in Sorrento we bought the ten euro day pass and caught the 6:30am bus to Amalfi where we stopped for a hearty and not-at-all-Italian breakfast.

Then we continued on to Salerno and then back, stopping in Amalfi for lunch. While the first bus was less than half full when we set off at 6:30, it was standing room only before it got to Amalfi and every bus thereafter was full to the absolute limit, often turning away customers.

Just being on the buses along the route is an experience. The buses have a very loud and distinctive horn that they blast before all the sharp bends in the (often vain) hope that people will stop in an appropriate place so the bus can make it around the turn without having to stop. Usually people either don’t know what to do or don’t care and come on anyway, which means that they then have to reverse back around a corner. Traffic builds up so quickly that it sometimes takes quite a while for people to make enough space for the bus to move forwards and clear the road.

Frequently people have parked along the side of the narrow road, making the bus driver’s job even harder. There are tow-away signs all over but no-one seems to care.

People also seem to dump rubbish, either in bags or just in pieces, along the road and it’s kind of infuriating that Italians (and tourists I guess?) don’t seem to respect the unbelievable heritage and natural beauty they’ve been given – and on the other hand, if you’ve been elsewhere in Italy you just have to shrug and acknowledge that it could be so much worse.

The coastline is stunning. Easily one of the world’s most dramatic and beautiful and enhanced by the ancient towers that dot the promontories, built over a thousand years ago to watch out for Saracen and Turkish raiders. The houses and hotels lean vertiginously over cliff edges and lemon and olive groves cascade down mountainsides.

Positano is the most steep, the oldest, and possibly most picturesque of the seaside towns.  We didn’t get off the bus in Positano but it is easy to admire from the road.

We spent some time looking around Amalfi and particularly at the cathedral, which is very grand for such a small place – this is because Amalfi was once a maritime hub, so powerful it minted its own coins. It was devastated by a tsunami and plague centuries ago but signs of its past wealth remain.

In all the towns along the coast beaches are divided into sections. The largest is for the people who rent loungers for the day and a much smaller part is sectioned off for people who just want to lay a towel down. I find this process offensive – beaches should be for everybody, not a select few, but at least in Amalfi people can put their towels down even between the loungers if there’s space.

Admittedly Luke and I didn’t swim at any of the beaches. Apart from the beaches consisting of boiling hot grey pebbles or grit, it is hard to enjoy a beach when there are only two of you. There’s no way we’d leave our bags unattended which means only one of us could get in the water at a time.

Fortunately Luke did some research and found that were at least three hotels in Sorrento that would let non guests use their pools for a fee. We found the Hotel Central was cheapest and enjoyed several cocktails and a peaceful swim in their small and quiet pool. Happy days!

Luke loves the blue drinks!

Also check out the little awning on the beach chairs here! You’ve probably all seen this before but I thought it was nifty. More useful if the chair is actually in the sun but you get the idea.

So, we spent one of our days in Sorrento travelling the length of the coast, then our last full day saw us head back to Amalfi, again on the 6:30am bus, to catch the next bus to Ravello. Obviously the next Ravello bus departed just as our bus pulled in (because Italy) so we waited for half an hour then managed to grab a seat. The ride up to Ravello is perhaps less hair-raising than the drive along the cliffs but the road is even narrower in places (at one point it is only one car wide) and the hairpin bends are even more tight.

Ravello town square.

We had breakfast and a wander around Ravello, looking at the Cymbrone Gardens (where parts of Wonderwoman were filmed) and admiring the views of the hills from higher up before heading back to the bus.

There was a huge crowd waiting to catch the bus back and Luke made it on before the bus driver cut everyone off. I called out ‘my husband!’ and pointed to Luke and the driver kindly let me board last. This meant I had to sit right next to the bus door with my back pressed against the front window and leaning against it so the driver could see his mirrors.

Going through a tunnel backwards in a bus.

Going through a tunnel backwards in a bus.

It was kind of fun in a white-knuckled way and an older lady in the front seat kept smiling and grimacing understandingly at me when we sped up or turned a tight bend. When people got up to get off towards the end of the route everyone was very courteous about making space and letting older people sit down, as well as letting the driver know what was going on at the back door of the bus.

By the time we got back to Amalfi to catch our last bus to Sorrento there was a huuuuuge group of people waiting in the bus bay and so I went off to investigate other options and we ended up deciding to pay an extra ten euro to buy a seat on the private ‘city explorer’ bus (you know those red ones you see in major cities) that only sold enough tickets to fill the seats. No standing room and better aircon. Totally worth it!

Catching the buses along the Amalfi Coast is quite an experience and can be exhausting. There are big scrums, people push and shove a bit and it’s frustrating if you don’t know precisely where the bus stop is. Staying in Sorrento worked out well as we were at the beginning of the line and therefore always got a seat in the mornings – important when the ride is nearly two hours long.

If you’re thinking of visiting the area and catching buses my advice would be to go out of season. Of course if you enjoy combat sports and the smell of sweaty strangers and bus exhaust fumes then by all means go in Summer!

The lady with the red bag kept my spirits up;-)

The driver who let me ride shotgun. He looks so relaxed!

Perfectly suited to a full size bus.

Naples to Sorrento Via Pompeii

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Due to our Airbnb host getting back to us rather late on the morning we left, we were not able to take an early train to Pompeii.

We arrived at the main station in Naples at about 10am to find the platform rammed with people waiting for the notorious Circumvesuviana, the private train that runs around Mount Vesuvius from Naples to Sorrento, stopping at Pompeii Scavi (scavi means ‘ruins’) and about 30 other stops along the way.

It is an old dirty train and it was PACKED. We were standing up the whole way and it was hard to avoid knocking into other people as the train sped up and slowed down to stop at places where hardly anyone got on or off.

At Pompeii the train pretty much emptied and we’d read that the entrance to Pompeii was about 500 metres up the road. This wasn’t true – it was almost opposite the station. Super handy, as were the free bag lockers that were, quite miraculously, mostly empty. We’d brought along all our luggage and were a tiny bit concerned that our bags wouldn’t fit but they did, plus there was an office for super large bags near the ticket windows.

We put our bags in then sat at one of the two open air restaurants opposite the entrance to the site and had a sandwich and a drink. Even at such a touristy location the prices weren’t awful – we could have food and a drink from about ten euros each. The restaurant also had quite an interesting display of labeled herbs and fruit trees spread around the tables. Here’s some lemons that were on display. Huge!

Eventually we sucked up our courage (it was a very hot day) and ventured out. The ticket queue was long but moved at a reasonable speed and we downloaded a Rick Steves audio tour of Pompeii while we waited.

Eventually we got in and wandered around, stopping in shady spots (there aren’t many) to listen to the podcast tour. If you haven’t heard of Rick Steves and you like travel, he’s worth investigating. My friend Jess’ mother, Wendy, recommended him to us. He’s an American who runs tours and writes and makes travel videos about Europe. He talks to locals, promotes sustainable and low cost travel and has quite a nice accent and enthusiastic manner. We listened to quite a few of his podcasts and watched his videos before we left.

The audio tour was quite informative and we also listened in to a few bits of guided tours that happened around us. It did seem that a few of the major buildings were closed while we were there and so we didn’t see the public baths and a few houses.

We stayed for about two hours but eventually the heat defeated us. There are taps on many of the street corners and so I did what I do at summer music festivals and soaked a cotton scarf and wrapped it around my head and shoulders. It helped somewhat but the reflected heat from all the dirt and stone was intense.

I think my favourite part of the city was the mosaic of Alexander the Great – someone I studied in high school and found fascinating. The mosaic (a replica, the original is in Naples) depicts a battle between Alexander and Darius, who led the Persian army. The guide who was talking near us was asking his group if they knew about Bucephalus (Alexander’s horse – a legend in itself) and various other things and I wanted to butt in and show off but managed to restrain myself with great difficulty.

We left knowing we hadn’t seen it all and probably wouldn’t come back. I did enjoy getting a feel for the layout of the city and the technology and everyday life of people who lived so long ago. I would love to see parts of the city restored more fully – we didn’t see any actual work going on while we were there and weeds seemed to be taking over many of the central buildings, with ancient frescos open to the elements. Considering what a tourist draw and money spinner  the place is, it’s hard to believe there isn’t money or interest in looking after it better.

We collected our bags and walked back to the station to find a sign being displayed at the kiosk saying that for the princely sum of four euros (rather than the regular price of two) we could buy a ticket on the express train to Sorrento. Yes please! When the train pulled up there were staff in the doorway making sure only the people who’d paid extra got on the express, which meant that we and perhaps another ten people got to enjoy a slightly newer and cooler train for the rest of our journey.

Why they didn’t offer this service (or perhaps didn’t advertise it) for the rush-hour period to get there I couldn’t say. That’s Italy for you.

Anyhow, we arrived in Sorrento to find that our next Airbnb was three flights up in a building right in the middle of the old town. One of those places that is an apartment block with a central atrium full of plants and laundry.

Our apartment had windows on three sides, a rooftop deck and a shower with disco lighting.

We celebrated our arrival with cool showers and then enjoyed wearing nothing but our undies and drinking some ice cold limoncello on the roof.

Saluti!

Last Days in Naples

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If you’ve been to Naples you probably have strong opinions about it. It’s a city that stands out in ways that are both good and bad and slaps you in the face from almost the moment of arrival.

Although there are many downsides to the city it would be very fair to say it wears them on its sleeve. There’s no avoiding the rubbish, the traffic, the dirt or the noise, and I don’t blame anyone who finds it all too much – I certainly wouldn’t want to live there.

However I can honestly say it’s been my favourite city since Luke and I left the UK a few weeks back.

I like the ‘realness’ of it. Despite the fact that we stayed only a few blocks away from the main tourist area we never felt that it was a tourist town. Locals spend their lives on the streets and in the evenings everyone is out playing soccer, bringing out plastic chairs and chatting (or shouting), shopping and making out. When you walk along the narrow footpaths doors are open onto living rooms and even bedrooms. This is the most densely populated city in Europe and it feels like it.

People hanging out near the funicular station in the evening and using their scooters to sit on.

The street art in Naples is often in a more simple style than that in cities such as  Melbourne, Belfast or Berlin but that gives it a charm of its own and it is far more prolific than Rome. Several of the Metro station are famous ‘art stations’ and we saw a few interesting and large artworks at Dante, our local stop. Many doorways throughout the city seem to provide frames for work.

Of course it helped that we met up with friends not once but twice – pure good fortune that Rui and Lauren were also on a trip to Europe and in Naples for one of the nights we were there, and also our friend Joni, who is working on chartered yachts as a chef. What a life!

Of course we went to pizza places to meet up. To Trianon de Ciro with Rui and Lauren first. It began as a bit of a funny experience as the staff directed us up to the third floor and we were the only people there for a while. The pizzas were good though and the conversation even better!

With Joni, as she had more limited time, we met at 50 Kalo, a slightly swankier restaurant on the harbour. She brought her crew mates, Pam and Owen. Pam was Irish and Owen was from Sydney and it was lovely to meet some new people and hear what it’s like to crew a yacht that sails the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

When we left the restaurant that night we didn’t realise the trains finished running quite early in the evening and ended up catching a taxi the 20 minutes back to our Airbnb. That was quite the experience with the driver smoking and checking his phone while zipping in and out of traffic and beeping anyone who got in his way. He did ask if we minded him smoking and we said no – the least of our worries!

One of our last experiences in Naples was a trip to L’ Antica Da Michele, one of the most famous pizzerias. Although we got there early we still needed to queue. Thankfully they had a numbered ticket system rather than the ‘crowd around and shout the loudest’ system that Sorbillo’s uses. Once again, excellent pizza but just a tiny bit shy of Starita. I think we were in and out in 20 minutes. It had almost a school canteen vibe. So loud and rushed!

We did nearly everything we wanted to do in Naples but I wouldn’t have minded a couple more days and some cooler weather for wandering around. We had planned to visit a cathedral but arrived at 2pm, right in the middle of the 12-4pm closing time. It’s always worth, in Mediterranean countries particularly, checking opening times for attractions. Things can be closed when you think they’d be open and vice versa.

To finish off, here’s a few photos of things I enjoyed about the city!

Granita saved my life several times;-) We also loved the complimentary bowls of snacks that came with drinks.

A bookstore and bar in one. 

Along a public wall were sudoku and maths puzzles – no idea why. 

Impressive!

These bins sat outside our apartment and were empties every day. Look how sparklingly clean the street is once the bin men have been. 

The fruit and veg shops are an artwork. I loved them!

Naples: Pizza #3 at Di Matteo

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Round three of pizza this morning. Our first stop was Di Matteo’s, which was less than a kilometre from our accommodation. We got there so early that it hadn’t actually opened so we stopped at a cafe for a rather expensive cappuccino (Luke) and lemon granita (me).

I absolutely hate queuing for things and so I like to arrive, if at all possible, when an attraction or restaurant opens. We keep watching docos or seeing pictures of pizza places here that are swamped with people but so far we haven’t had to wait for a thing.

Di Matteo only have a serving window so we bought one Margherita then walked down the road to a church and sat on the steps. When they hand you the pizza here it is in a sheet of paper and they fold the pizza in half then quarters to make it easier to take away. It cost all of €1.50.

We took photos and video before we ate, which isn’t as annoying as it sounds because it takes a couple of minutes for the pizza to cool down to eating temperature. I had brought along my trusty scissors and cut the pizza in half. Luke thought it would drip everywhere but using scissors worked well and I’ve been glad to have them on me.

We both liked the pizza a lot – Di Matteo has an excellent reputation. The sauce was piquant and the crust had a good texture and char but I think I prefer my pizza served flat. Folding means the topping and crust get squished. Plus serving on paper means the oil does inevitably start to drip and you have to watch out or it gets on your clothes.

After the pizza we took the funicular up to the Castel san Elmo and admired the view. There’s not actually a whole lot to do there apart from a small modern art gallery in the centre but the view from the ramparts is 360 degrees and positively stunning.

Tonight we’re going to another restaurant so I look forward to eating my pizza on a plate and maybe having another Aperol Spritz. I think it is a drink that will now always remind me of Italy, much as peach iced tea now reminds me of Turkey.

Lovely!