Today was a stunning day, with a day-trip to Amalfi (not too surprisingly) on the Amalfi Coast, about 35km south-east of Naples, but on public transport you have to go around the aptly-named Bay of Naples to Sorrento by train, and then take the bus east along the Amalfi Coast; so the total trip is around 80km, and takes around 2 1/2 to 4 hours each way, depending on connections, etc.
So, why was I so stunned? Well for starters it wasn't:
- The glorious sunny blue-sky weather that greeted us to Amalfi.
- The trip itself (although it is spectacular - probably one of the must-do drives in the world); with glorious views, and towns clinging to the sides of cliffs.
- The obvious engineering feats to build this roadway (never mind the houses) along the sides of those cliffs.
- The driving, and the fact that we arrived at our destination, and returned, safely.
- The fact that the bus-driver on the way to Amalfi assured me that the return buses left Amalfi for Sorrento every hour on the hour, only to discover later that they left every couple of hours -
maybe. - The total lack of information about the bus "timetable" - anywhere.
- The fact that the 2pm return bus to Sorrento arrived at Amalfi at about 2:15pm.
- That the driver of the bus then took a break, meaning we left Amalfi at 2:30pm-ish, and
therefore missed the desired return train to Naples. - That on the return train to Naples at one stop the train stopped, waited a while without opening its doors (the service really would be more efficient without all of those pesky passengers, now wouldn't it?) and then headed off again, only to be stopped when one of the passengers somehow alerted the driver with a call-button.
- That the same thing happened at the very next station until someone on the platform started hitting the train.
No - believe it or not, it was none of these things, which by themselves are certainly stunning (although perhaps not necessarily surprising in these parts), and together are almost unbelievable; it was something even more amazing.
In Amalfi, I actually saw an Italian driver (assumed on the basis of Italian number plates on an Alfa Romeo - how Italian can you get?), wait for this - stop and review a parking sign, and realising that he could not park there legally, actually moved off, and then cruised up and down the street looking for a park that he could legally use, and when he couldn't find one moved off to somewhere else. Now that, my dear friends, is mind-bogglingly stunning, and something that I did not expect to see - will wonders never cease?
But, onto the trip. With about 8 hours of travel for a few hours in Amalfi (partly due to public transport scheduling issues - see above), that may not seem particularly good value, but it was. Firstly, the train trip to Sorrento occasionally gives wonderful views back across the Bay of Naples to Naples itself, of course flanked by Mt Vesuvius, Europe's only active volcano. Secondly, Amalfi itself is a lovely little sea-side town, which during the high tourist season would be hot and crowded (so very glad that I was here in winter). Thirdly, the drive from Sorrento to Amalfi is one of those drives that you really just have to do - wonderful scenery, with towns and villages hugging the cliffs (quite literally), a crazy road with curves galore and Italian drivers - and just beautiful.
The train (the Circumvesuviana again) from Naples to Sorrento is around 50km around the Bay of Naples and takes just over an hour; you then transfer to a bus for the trip to Amalfi, which is around 30km along the Bay of Amalfi , and takes about an hour and a half. Of course, you can always get off earlier (Positano is another popular stop), but the bus said "Amalfi" and it is the "Amalfi Coast" so that was good enough for me - Amalfi it was.
Photos taken through the window of a moving bus do not do justice, but here you are (no captions - all parts of the coast road from Sorrento to Amalfi):
In the 1920s and 1930s, Amalfi was a popular holiday destination for the British upper class and aristocracy. Today, it is a popular holiday and tourist destination for just about everybody. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites - but to be honest, it seems like just about everywhere is.
Amalfi itself is picture-perfect, and was well-worth the stroll.