Amalfi

Sunday, July 24

Italy travel tip: don’t travel from place to place on a Sunday. Everything is closed and there are fewer options. We wish we had known this when we planned our trip but, alas, we didn’t and our plans were set.

Our plan was to somehow get from Naples to the Amalfi coast, stay there for a couple days, and go back to Naples before heading north again. On any other day there would be buses leaving Naples every hour to go to Amalfi. On Sunday our option was to take a regional train to the town of Castellammare and take the 3pm Sita bus to the coast.

We just missed the time to take the express train so we wound up on the one making local stops around Vesuvius and Pompeii. There were a million tourists also waiting for the slow train but we (stupidly) said, “even if we don’t get a seat, at least it will be air conditioned”. We were wrong.

The train was just like BART. We all squeezed in. I was straddling my bag in an aisle and saw Carl’s head in the chaos by the door. There was no AC but the windows were open so when we finally moved, there was a breeze. At first it seemed insane for us all to be on the local train because it seemed like everyone was going all the way to Sorrento. But, one by one, people did get off and a sizable group got off at Pompeii (and probably baked to death).

Finally we reached Castellammare. We got off and bought tickets for the 3pm bus. We had two hours to kill. We walked to the waterfront which was a lot like the Martinez marina, except with the addition of a big volcano in the background. Then we found a casual cafe to hunker down in. But then they closed so we had to leave.

We ended up sitting on a park bench for a while, watching multiple wedding parties take pictures with the marina water in the background.

Finally the bus came and we piled on with a bunch of random people that had shown up last minute. It was a quick but queasy ride up the hill to Bomerano, where we were staying.

Amalfi coast is really pricey so we opted to stay inland a bit near a hiking trail. We chose a B&B that had good reviews and were really happy with it. The owner, Paul, met us and showed us to our room. About an hour later we spoke with his daughter who told us about the area and took us to the main square to show us where the hike, Path of the Gods, started. They were too nice.

We relaxed in the AC and then went to dinner at a place the daughter had recommended. On our way out the door, the owner, Paul, caught up with us and gave us detailed instructions for our hike the next day. He even sent pictures of certain parts of the trail where we would need to turn or stay straight. It was a lot of information but he was so kind to share so many details with us.

We went to the restaurant, L’Angolo dei Sapori, at about 7, which is early in Italy, and there was almost no one else there. A waiter lead us outside. He was so excited. He asked us if we wanted wine- red or white?!- when we hesitated he brought out both to taste. He started with the white and it was so good so we stuck with it.

We ended up ordering seafood pasta and the fish of the day: Sea Bream. Plus a side of eggplant. It was all so so good. The pasta was homemade and the seafood was fresh and salty. My favorite pasta so far. Even the bread was good. We got a tiramisu because everything else had been so good we knew we could trust it. And it was good.

Paul’s daughter was waiting for us when we got back. She said “good night!” and we went upstairs to sleep.

Monday, July 25

We woke up just before 8 and went downstairs to get breakfast. Paul was surprised when we just asked for espressos instead of big cups of American coffee. He served us yogurt and warm pastries. There was only one other woman in the dining room eating with us but all the tables were set, so we figured there must be others staying there.

We got ready to leave for the hike and Paul ran out with two frozen water bottles. He explained that we could keep filling them along the trail as the ice melted. It ended up melting completely before we were done, but it was such a nice gesture and we ended up needing the extra water.

We set off just as we saw a bus of tourists get off at the hike stop. We had stayed at the place we did so we would be close to the trail but, because we wanted to get our breakfast, we ended up on the trail about the same time as those that woke up early and took the bus.

Still, there weren’t too many people and we quickly found ourselves immersed in nature. The trail was absolutely gorgeous. Right away we had views of the cliffs around us and the ocean glimmering below. About halfway down the trail we saw the coastal town of Positano, with colorful buildings climbing up the cliff side.

We knew the hike wouldn’t be too long but it was even shorter than we thought. We got to the coastal town of Nocelle at about 10am. We decided to try to walk all the way to Positano rather than take any shuttles. There ended up not being a clear trail so we had to walk along the road for a bit.

Then we found Positano and walked around, trying to find the stairs to get down to the water. There were so many dumb tourists and it was so hot and frustrating to try to walk on teeny tiny sidewalks with all of them.

We came upon a casual cafe and decided to lurk long enough to find somewhere to sit and get a bite. We got a table right next to the AC but it only had one chair. So we took turns sitting and got spritzes and a really yummy focaccia sandwich.

The spritz made me just disoriented enough that the beach felt so chaotic. The public beach had black rocks that looked like torture to lay on. There was an area where you could rent chairs and an umbrella but it was 30 euro per person.

We hemmed and hawed and decided to get the eff outta there and see if Amalfi town was any better. We stood in line and got tickets to a ferry that was leaving in 10 minutes. It was perfect timing.

We sat inside the ferry to soak up the AC. The windows were greasy so we enjoyed the view of the cliffs but didn’t take photos. We pulled into Amalfi town and it felt like more of a transit hub.

We walked along the boardwalk to the public beach where a couple of very, very tan, rotund, shirtless men are making a killing from renting out chairs and umbrellas to tourists. It was 25 euro for two chairs and an umbrella and we said “yes please”.

They gave us a spot in the middle of the beach, near the walkway. We took turns hot stepping to the water and floating for a few minutes. There were so many people in the water that it was like pushing through a crowd to get out into the open area.

We got good use out of our lounge chairs until the sun set far enough that the umbrella wasn’t doing much and we decided it was time to go.

Getting a bus back to our B&B was a nightmare. We almost got on the wrong bus twice and then realized we were waiting in the wrong spot (there were absolutely no signs, of course). Finally we thought we found the right bus but it was packed full and left without us.

So we waited until the next bus at 5:30. We still wouldn’t have seen the next bus if it weren’t for a large mob of people yelling “Agerola!” and us pushing in after them. We had to sit all the way in the back (but at least we got a seat!) and they packed people on again. They could’ve packed more, but they left some people behind for the next bus which wasn’t scheduled for another hour.

Then we had the craziest ride of our lives, up and over the mountain via switch backs. Being in the very back gave us the vantage point of how close the back of the bus gets to the cliff and the rocks. We prayed to all the gods. We finally got off at our stop and I nearly kissed the ground.

For dinner we checked out a casual place that had great google reviews. The place is called Crazy Burger but google reviews said they had some of the best pasta and pizza in all of Italy. We got there soon after they opened and could see they were already busier than their staff could handle. Still, they were very nice and the food was some of the best we’ve had.

We sat outside in the front courtyard underneath a terrace covered in grape vines. We got an antipasti plate of cured meats, cheese, olives, and some type of delicious melon. We also ordered the first pasta on the menu. It had ‘bacon’ and tomatoes in it and it was soo good.

We got a bottle of house red wine which they served chilled and it was like drinking really nice apple berry juice. We decided to get tiramisu again which was good, but not as good as the night before. By the time we left just after 8pm, the place was really busy.

Paul’s daughter greeted us again as we walked into the B&B. We said ‘good night and see you tomorrow!’

Tuesday, July 26

We had no set plans for the day so we waited until Paul served us breakfast to ask him what we should do. He suggested taking a bus to the nearby town of Ravello and then to a picturesque beach.

To get to Ravello required two bus rides. One to get from where we were staying in Bomerano down to the coast, to Amalfi town, and then from there another bus going south along the coast a bit before going back up into the hills to Ravello.

The bus from Bomerano was supposed to come at 9:30am. The bus showed up on time but it was already totally packed with people. The bus driver said he could only take 3 more passengers on board. There was probably 15 or more of us waiting at the stop. Some people managed to sneak in the back door but we were not part of the lucky few that made it. So then we had to wait for the next bus at 10:15.

We walked around a bit before finding a seat in the shade to wait. At about 10am an empty bus pulled up. The bus destination sign had said ‘Agerola’ (a mountain stop) but the driver switched it to Amalfi and got out to have a cigarette. So we think she was called in as a special added bus to meet demand.

Everyone climbed aboard and the bus was full. We watched as some people came running up and scrambled to get on (they had expected the bus at 10:15). If she hadn’t stopped we may never have made it out of that town. As we drove toward the coast she picked up a few more people along the way but then it was packed and she had to pass by some very sad looking tourists that were waiting along the road.

There seemed to be more traffic and it felt like it took longer to get down the hill. Finally we arrived in Amalfi and then it was time to get another bus. I nearly started to cry, but we just stuck to our plan to just get to Ravello.

The next bus had fewer people but it was also smaller so it was just as crowded and chaotic. Human behavior really is at its worst when trying to board a packed bus.

Another queasy ride up the hill and we were finally let off just outside the town wall of Ravello. Paul had told us that there was a small city of old buildings to see, but he didn’t tell us there was a fee to get in. We decided it wasn’t worth it and just explored the outer, ‘newer’ (still medieval) town area.

There was a coastal fog that had risen and settled in the mountain valley and it made the whole area about 10 degrees cooler than the coast. The sky was so dark it almost looked like it was going to rain. We enjoyed every second of that cool air.

We found a cute, artsy restaurant and decided to splurge a little bit for a nice lunch. We got bruschetta (toast) with some kind of artichoke paste and a vegetable, white sauce lasagna. The lasagna was somehow kinda sweet and I loved it. We also got two craft beers which we haven’t done in a while. They weren’t our favorite, but it was fun to try something new.

As we sat there the noon church bells rang out. With the dark clouds looming in the mountains over the medieval walled city, it was an ominous scene.

After lunch we walked around a bit and looked at ceramic shops before deciding to walk toward the downhill. There is a garden with great views but it was 9 euro to get it so we skipped it.

Because the bus was so awful we opted to just walk down the walking path (cement stairs) for the approximately 1 mile walk to the coast. We called it the ‘Path of the Mortals’.

It wasn’t as picturesque as the Path of the Gods but it wasn’t as bad as walking on the road. The path led through so many beautiful vegetable gardens and occasionally there was a coastal or mountain view. Walking a mile down cement stairs in flip flops didn’t feel great, but the promise of a cold ocean to jump into at the bottom kept us going.

We were basically the only ones there except for a group of four young Europeans that were hiking up (god knows why) and asked us, with tears in their eyes, how much further. We also passed just one older (British?) couple. They were walking slow and we said, “at least it beats the bus!” and the man growled, “you can say that again!”

Finally we got to the bottom and decided to go to Atrani beach which is just one beach east of Amalfi, where we had sat the day before. We rented two nice chairs and an umbrella and ran to jump into the water. Later I went to the little old bar just under the highway bridge and got some lemon spritzes to go. The very old man put some sort of lemon ice cube in the glass and then filled it up with Prosecco. It was foamy and delicious.

Once the sun started to creep under our umbrella we decided we should head back. We walked back over to Amalfi and got bus tickets in time for the 5pm bus. This time we knew where the bus would leave from.

When an empty bus pulled into the parking lot to turn around we knew it was ours before we even saw the destination name on the front. But, about 30 other people also, somehow, knew it was their bus. So we stampeded to get onto this bus, which was parked right next to another bus.

There was an obscene amount of shoving. Two guys nearly got in a fist fight. At one point the bus next to us wanted to leave but there was still a crowd of us in front of his bus, shoving to get on our own bus, so we ignored him.

Somehow we made it on and were able to stand near the back of the bus. We got our arm workout as we held on while the bus zoomed around each windy corner. We ended up getting off one stop before ours just because we couldn’t wait to get off. At least we never have to ride that bus again.

We showered and then went out to dinner. We decided to go to the same place went the first night, L’Angolo dei Sapori. The charismatic waiter remembered us and welcomed us to sit outside, by ourselves, because we were so early. We got a caprese salad appetizer and then the citrus shrimp risotto because the Amalfians love everything lemon.

Wednesday, July 27

We had a lazy morning of eating breakfast, packing, then checking out. We left out bags at the B&B and went for a walk to the viewpoint that the owner’s daughter had told us about. Even though it was only 930am it was already hot.

When we got to the park and the overlook over the sea we could feel the cool sea breeze coming up and over the cliff. It was like standing in front of an AC unit. We enjoyed the view for a bit and then walked back to get our stuff and say bye to our Bomerano family.

The B&B owner told us we could get the bus back to Naples from the town square but the square sits on a one way street with traffic running toward the coast. This didn’t seem right to us so we asked the man at the Tabbachi (bodega) where we bought the tickets. He drew us a little map and told us to get the bus on the other street, the one going north to Naples (which made sense).

Still, as we stood in the sun next to a bus sign (a rarity in Italy) I had doubts we were going to miss the bus and have to go back to the death trap that was Amalfi to get a boat or something. Heaven sent, the bus came a few minutes late and there was still two seats next to each other, just for us. Another queasy hour later, we were back in Naples.