| SORRENTO
-- Napoli, Sorrento,
Paestum, Capri |
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Sun May 18, 2:53pm, Naples Airport bus stop Just returned the car at Napoli Aeroporto. Phase Two Complete! No accidents, no breakdowns, Uli and I didn't get in a fistfight (but I threatened him), no speeding tickets (but one parking ticket in Pisa), and I got to the return counter just in time. Either that or the counter lady was exceedingly nice. She said I won't be charged for an extra day, but we'll see. And I'm not sure how to pay the parking ticket, either. Perhaps I just won't. I was smart enough to ask for directions from a tourist counter at a gas station/autostrada turn-off. I had planned to to cut through the middle of the country, but she informed me that I'd be going through mountains, and I really didn't want to repeat that kind of thing two days in a row. So I got off the toll road at Civittavechhio, only to discover to my pleasant surprise that there weren't any people manning the booths. Later I had to pay 9,60 toll between the outskirts of Roma and Napoli. Oh, and 1,50 just to go near Roma. But that's okay. As long as I'm not charged the extra day for the rental. They're "not allowed" to print receipts. Please. Napoli so far is a shitty place, especially the roads. I'll stop writing now. Sun May 18, 7:41pm, Camp Santa Fortunata, Sorrento Hello Phase Three! One week to go and I'm sitting pretty, literally. The camp takes up the majority of a hillside, with winding paths leading to a mercato e ristorante to camper caravans, like the one I'm staying in, to bungalows, cabins, a swimming pool and a craggy beach where I've gone to write this. I'm sitting on the rocks, having hiked as far... north? (towards Sorrento proper) as I could. The sunset is getting prettier and prettier, though the actual sun is hidden behind an outcrop of coast. The waves are bloop-bloop-blooping into the rocks below me, 15-20 feet down and out. There's a kelp bed poking out from the water a little ways out, and plastic containers have been rigged as buoys here and there.
Some American girls two trailers over informed me of where the bathrooms are, and also told me that the restaurant is really good. I'll have to see for myself. I'm liking the set up with the caravans, but am a little afraid of how the mosquitoes might be. They said [the girls, not the mosquitoes] they hadn't had a bite, but something tells me they're lucky and that late Summer here is unbearable. Although there are excursions to all the local attractions offered through the camp, their prices seem pretty high to me. So tonight after dinner I think I'll take the bus to town, stroll a bit, locate the tren stazione and see how their fares fare. 9:46pm, lying in bed, caravan 12B I've got a little attack of the lonelies. Nothing serious. I contemplated calling Megan, and I'd like to call Dennis back but I didn't bring my phone numbers. Hmm, perhaps I should call Suranjan! Nah, he just arrived today, and I need to find out some train info before calling him. Instead of taking the bus back to town I walked in the other direction, to try and find the source of the horrible singing that was filling the camp. Turned out it was a party in either a private home overlooking the camp or a rental. They had a karaoke machine with songs in Italian. There was an 80s song with translated Italian lyrics they were singing but now I can't remember what it was. On my way back I waved, faintly hoping they'd invite me up. Perhaps I should have invited myself. It has been my dream to sing karaoke in Europe (for some reason). But my voice is still weak from my cold. Past the party villa I went looking for a restaurant alternative to the camp's, even though I was wearing shorts. I went down an alley, past a very modern church, and found a sign pointing towards Roman ruins. Since I was also in search of a better vantage point for sunset, I went down the cobblestone pathway that had stone walls on either side, making my footsteps warble and echo. At the end of this sloping path, two men were working on a lonely light pole -- one on a ladder, the other holding it steady. Just beyond them lay the hilltop where a Roman villa once stood. They chose a real nice place, what with the private grotto on one side and the incredible view. I ended up going to the camp ristorante, where for 5,70 I had a large bottle of beer and a medium Mediterranean pizza with green olives, anchovies and Tabasco (yum!). I wanted the Inferno, but they were out of pepperoncinis, to which the proprietress joked in Italian that for me, "No Inferno -- Paradiso!" And then she laughed loudly. While eating I asked a waiter if he knew the weather for the week. "I think good," he said. "The television said, but ... I don't trust television." I'm sleepy and dirty.
Mon May 19, 11:54am, Sorrento train platform I went to bed without hiking up to the bathroom, figuring I had facial wipes, so it's time to use them up. It took me a horrifyingly long time to get going this morning. I slept a good 10 hours, only opening my eyes once at dawn. But between showering, washing and hanging clothes, and organizing my things for the next week I didn't get out of my camper until 11:20am. I don't know why it took me 3 hours of valuable tourist time, but hopefully tomorrow I'll do better. So the plan was to go to Paestum today, and that's what I'm doing, but I'm aggravated tat the Paestum train goes through Pompeii. It just means I'll be going right back there tomorrow or the next day. And maybe I would have gone to the ruins of Pompeii today, but I left the Pompeii guidebook and map behind. These kinds of things irritate me. The mosquitoes here are indeed bad. I got about 4 bites on my legs while washing clothes this morning. But for some reason they don't seem to be around the caravans. I just got told again not to put my feet on the train seat. But this time it was a smiling train engineer. Mon May 19, 4:56pm, Paestum Getting here was a bit of a hassle. I had to switch not only trains but train companies. The cost for transportation is still better than what the camp was offering, but one bus would have been far easier. But then I would have been stuck with a busload of people. Listen to me -- last night I was complaining of loneliness, now I want nothing to do with people. So go the many moods of Ryan. With an hour to kill in Pompei (spelled with one 'I' here), I walked to the Duomo, where I was escorted out. It seems they were just about to close for siesta. I ended up going up a staircase by mistake in search of a bathroom, but discovered a marvelous view of the campanile. I wish I had had more time in the Duomo. It was surprisingly grand considering the crappy town it resides in. The difference between Northern and Southern Italy is quite dramatic. Less friendly in terms of tone, but not so much the people. I'm still meeting very helpful Italians. But the poverty here seems to overwhelm the tourist spots. The graffiti(scrito) is not the political phrases of Venice and Florence. Now there's NYC-style train coverings. And the roaming packs of wild dogs! Hasn't Pompei heard of dog catchers? (later...) We can add wild kids on trains to the list, too. So after the Sorrento to Pompei train, which stops across from the entrance to the scavi (ruins), I had to walk to the bus stop, which was right in the middle of tourist hell. Much of Pompei is devoted to tourism. Souvenir stalls, crap hotels, tour buses careening around. I thought I was in Tijuana. The English-speaking ticket agent at Station 1 said Station 2 was a half hour walk, so after waiting for the bus for 20 minutes, I walked, and we arrived at about the same time. But no matter since there hadn't been a train to Paestum for 2 hours and mine wasn't for an hour (Oh, and it was late by half and hour, but that's to be expected). I got off in Paestum and after some guess work found the sign pointing to the ruins (the road goes straight west from the station through an arch). Along the way I took a piss, narrowly missing having a group of 4 Brit women come up on me. I ended up talking to them, learning that the museum was closed Mondays [it's normally free with admission to the ruins], and they gave me a poorly translated guidebook on Paestum. At the end of the road there was a large amount of tourist stalls but not a lot of tourists. I mean, I was the only one to come by train, at least on my train. As I was wondering where the ruins were, I took 50 paces to the left and BOOM, there they were.
I went through the gate, read the map, and walked around the bathroom, hoping to avoid having to pay. Which I did, for three minutes. Then a toothless little man with a fucked-up nose came running after me, screaming, "Ticket!" I asked where the ticket booth was, acting incredulous, and after some huffing and puffing he pointed up the way, muttering to himself under his breath. For a minute I was actually considering taking some video from the outside and just leaving. But I'm glad I came in. I'm practically alone here, sitting under a tree on an ancient stone bench, fending off my perch from the ants. A ristorante/bar called Nettuno just outside the southwestern entrance was lightly staffed. [At first I thought it was called The Souvenir, but unfortunately that's not the case.] I had to ask for assistance, and had trouble communicating that I wanted the frozen juice. The bartender in the outdoor patio took down a glass. I asked for a cup, the cups were much smaller. I asked for 2, and got half lemon, half strawberry in one, mint in the other. Looking up at the hard stuff in a glass case, I ate an inch off the top of the mint, then asked the bartender, "Parla Inglese?" He answered, "Deutsch." I asked, "Que liqueur con menta?" He poured some black stuff in, no charge. It went very well, but I don't know what it was. [It was Fernet Branca, a 'marro' (?).] After finally getting back from Paestum I had a choice -- food or transportation back to the campsite. I chose food. I was almost sure the camp ristorante would have been closed when I got back, but eating in Sorrento proper meant missing the last bus back, and the climb -- after walks to and from the Paestum station to the scavi, all over the scavi, back and forth between the two Pompei train stations -- well, after all that the climb was a rough one. Near the end I was having trouble walking without drifting out into the paths of oncoming cars. But even though I was exhausted, I still took a shower last night so as to not have a repeat of yesterday's slow start. As it was, Megan called early and we spoke for an hour, having much to catch up on. The connection was poor, which was odd considering our good connections when I was in the middle of the Tuscan countryside.
Thur May 20, 1:10pm, the island of Capri If my goal was to avoid tourists then coming to Capri [pronounced CAH-PREE] was an awful choice. I got a ferry that left immediately, but not knowing what there was to do here, it took me an hour to get to Anacapri -- the top. Pay another 5 euros and you can take a chair lift to the very top. That might have been worth it but I wasn't in the mood. So now I'm waiting for another bus to take me down to the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra). Hope it's worth it. If the bus doesn't stop for me I'll take the chairlift up then maybe the Phoenician stairs down. There was a very nice sunny church that I saw from the doorway, but since I changed into shorts I didn't want to go in. May 20, 2:55pm The Blue Grotto is the same bullshit as the gondolas in Venice, bigger scam. They charge 8,10 practically demanding a tip. I had a picnic lunch on the steps leading down to the grotto, soaking up the scene. I had the usual <i>pane, pecorino, salami seco e polmodori</i> (bread, pecorino cheese, dry salami and tomatoes). First a dog came out of nowhere to beg, but was polite enough to scat when I growled 'No!' Then a cat came and did <u>not</u> give up, even after I swatted it repeatedly with my socks. It was rewarded with the rind of the cheese. Only after I gave it to the cat did I realize there was probably plastic on it. But if they can cough up hairballs....
So after I was done with lunch I went down to get in one of the rowboats that take you into the Grotto. An American said it was great, and that their guide even let them go for a swim, even though a sign says it's not allowed. But then they tipped him 5 euros on top of the 8,10. So I was prepared to give 11 or 12 for just me. But the fucking guides didn't want me! I was standing by the edge of the water, waiting for someone to notice me. One of the boaters had come back from break and was waiting with me. I gave him a look like, "What the fuck?" and he gave me a blank stare. After all, we're just meat with money to them. A boater came up and after a minute and said he'd let me on when some more people came. Two Americans came down and I asked if I could join, and they said sure. But the boater made me wait. Then a Brazilian couple came and, again, they made me wait. So I said, 'Fuck this, I'm not giving them my money,' and left.
My advice to others is to take one of the boats from the marina. Then you don't have to deal with the bullshit bus system. If you do take the bus and you're alone, wait up on the stairs and ask some people if you can join them then. That way you look like you're part of a group. So having missed out on the Grotto Azzurra, I walked over to the "free beach" 150 meters away. There was no sand, but there were some ladders going into the water -- a good thing when the waves are pushing you into the rocks. I took some video of myself gingerly lowering myself into the cool (but not cold) water, and after putting the camera away, went back and sat in the water while on the ladder, taking a piss in my shorts while I was at it. I'm reminded of Pisa, where the only bathrooms were pay, to which Uli said, "Then Pisa must suffer!" And so must Ca-pree. I had good timing with the buses from Grotta Azzurra to Anacapri and then Anacapri down, but unlike the way up they make you take another bus again to get to il porto. I bought a ticket and then changed my mind, asking for a refunda. I then asked a helpful woman at a gelateria for directions to the marina, and started going that way, but I then realized there were two marinas -- Grande e Piccola -- and I turned around. But not before watching the seagulls swoop around the best viewpoint on the island (that I saw) -- a parco with lovely flowers and observation platforms.
Finally I took the funiculare, which was another poorly run mess of tourist hell. Everyone was squeezing and pushing to get on, and so was I. I wanted off of that hellhole of an island. Finally I had more good timing, with a boat leaving immediately for Sorrento. Of course, now I've been
sitting here waiting for the bus back up to Fortunata for a half hour.
Might be time to walk up again. 7:39pm, on SITA Bus to Nerano via Marciano After walking 3 blocks I
suddenly realized I needed to find a WIND cell phone shop. My phone
suddenly wouldn't let me make any calls two days ago. 9:46pm, Fortunata, Caravan 12B So after getting my cell phone situation fixed, what do I do? Lose the fucking cell phone! I was sweating so much on that SITA bus, pouring through the contents of my bag, looking for it. I should have gotten off and went back to the WIND office, but I'll be there tomorrow morning on my way to Pompei (again), and I'll just drop by then. I mean, where else could it be? I'm surprised the nice lady at the WIND shop didn't leave a message for me at the Campogaio office. I wish she had, for then I'd know for sure where the phone was. I just hope Megan doesn't call too early. I hope to be at the WIND shop at 9 before she calls. God, I hope the phone is there. So after finally finding an alternative to the fucking Line A bus, I stripped down to shorts and headed for the swimming pool. Of course the gate was locked, but damnit, I was going swimming! So I hopped the fence and went in for 20 seconds -- all of 5 doggie paddle strokes. Then I dried myself a bit, waited for some Germans to clear the area, hopped back over, went to my camper, changed, went to the ristorante, ordered the Campogaio Pizza -- ponno fish and onions -- plus a bottle of chilled Lacrima Christi del Vesuvio wine (which I'm still in the process of finishing), ate at the best table in the house, overlooking the harbor as it turned from dusk to night, moved to the TV where Roma was playing Milan, then left at halftime.
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(Check
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email:
ryan[at]monkeyduck[dot]com
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Sorrento Villaggio Campeggio Santa Fortunata Campogaio Sorrento is definitely a playground for the well-to-do. So if you're into budget accommodations, your options are extremely limited. According to this website, the only hostel in town isn't much fun to stay at, but it is convenient. I had a great time at Fortunata, but I wasn't there in High Season, so I don't know how it is when there's more people, heat and bugs. Reservations are probably very necessary then. You don't need a tent to stay there (but if you have one its like 6 euros a night). For 10 euros a night you stay in a camper/caravan. Some of the caravans are split down the middle, some aren't. Mine was split, with 2 beds in my side. It was surprisingly peaceful and comfortable. But since the walls are paper thin, it may not be so peaceful during the High Season. The restaurant was incredibly cheap, the view is astounding and the food was excellent. There's also a market where you can buy stuff for breakfast and lunch. I seem to recall the bathrooms not having toilet paper at times. So you may need to buy some at the market.
Transportation Naples to Sorrento Going to Sorrento I took the ferry. Going to Napoli from Sorrento I took the train. The ferry is faster, affords a better view -- especially of Mt. Vesuvius -- and is more fun than the train. The train is filled with commuters bored out of their skulls, and it can get quite crowded and hot. Plus, it's a private railroad, for which your Eurail pass will not work. I believe the train from end to end was 4,20 while the ferry was around 10 euros. It was well worth it, especially since I had no interest in spending more time in downtown Naples than humanly possible.
Within Sorrento There's two bus systems in Sorrento, and neither one is very reliable. If you're staying up in the hills (such as at Fortunata), be prepared to wait long periods of time for a bus, or to do a lot of uphill walking. From Piazza Lauro (the main square) take the orange bus going to Via Capo, this bus stops directly in front of Fortunata. From Sorrento train station take the Blue SITA bus traveling to Sant’Agata Via Massalubrense, or the one to Nerano via Marciano. SITA buses also stop at the campsite. My advice is to always go to the train station to catch the SITA buses. Unfortunately, the station isn't all that centrally located. Don't forget to
buy your bus tickets at the Tabacchi shop.
Sorrento to Pompei Getting to the entrance of the Pompei ruins (scavi) is incredibly easy. From the Sorrento train station there's only one direction the train goes, since Sorrento is the end of the Napoli-Sorrento line. There's only one Pompei station on the line, and the main entrance to the ruins is directly across from the station.
Sorrento to Paestum This was a total drag. In order to catch the state-run train to Paestum, you first have to find your way to the bus stop from the Pompei stop of the Napoli-Sorrento line, which is down the hill from the station towards the hotels, then take a bus. I ended up waiting 20 minutes for the city bus while tour buses careened around the place, narrowly avoiding the wild dogs and souvenir carts that are everywhere. I got fed up and walked to the other station, and of course the bus passed me, but only when I was two minutes from the station. The next train to Paestum was in an hour, and then it didn't come for an hour and a half. Once you get to the Paestum station, you have to walk about a mile and a half to the entrance of the scavi. If where you're staying offers a tour bus ride to Paestum, it's worth your time to take it.
Eating
Out: Master Hosts Ristorante, which is a pizzeria/rosticeria On the main drag, next to the popular Banana Split Bar, across from Hotel Zi Teresa. Order the mixed fried appetizers (not on the menu). Delicioso!
Limoncello: I
Giardini di Cataldo Throughout Italy you'll be able to find the lemon liqueur called limoncello. For instance, in Siena I had some Limoncello di Siena. But the true home of limoncello is Sorrento. And in the middle of Sorrento, behind a large rock wall on the main drag, there's this lemon grove. A lemon grove! Taking up valuable land in an opulent resort town on the Mediterreanean coast! And it's great! You walk up some stairs and you wander around looking at the lemon trees, wondering where the shop is. There is no shop! Finally you'll come to a couple of little tables set up under a hanging garden, and there you'll find some samples and some bottles for sale. And manning the table the day I was there was a very nice young woman who was fluent in English. When I told her I had first had limoncello made in Siena, she was positively irate. "Real limoncello comes from Sorrento!" Now I know the error of my ways. Besides limoncello they also sell mandarin and licorce liqueur. I bought the mandarin because I knew I'd be able to find limoncello back at home (and indeed, they sell it at Trader Joe's), but I knew mandarin would be hard to find. Oh, by the way -- limoncello is generally about 35% alcohol. That's 70 proof. And it doesn't taste like it at all. So look out!
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