Tuesday
14th October, 2014…….Bonassola……and a fine morning……I feel like two
sheets in the breeze but one has to keep going……took the train to Corniglia…..oh
boy, this train station is at sea level but the village is up on the mountain
and so we climbed many steps to the village…..both of us can’t remember this
village so perhaps we didn’t come here in 2005 as we certainly didn’t remember
climbing all the steps to the village……a small village and not so touristy
here, but quaint never the less….we strolled the streets and then walked back
to the train station via the road which gave us a different perspective of the
place, passing through the rural area of Corniglia… then we took the train to
Vernazza where the village is at sea level……lots of sand bags around still from
the storm yesterday as it obviously floods badly here…..and so another climb
this time to what they call the Castello Doria which obviously was an old look
out fort……we remembered having a beer in Vernazza after one of our tramps in
2005….very touristy here but pleasurable never the less…..then we took the
train to Monterrosso….a village that is in two areas….the sea promenade then
you walk through a tunnel and to the
village square and the alley ways with shops and restaurants…..Monterrosso is
probably one of the most popular spots of the five villages….and so back to
Bonassola for our final dinner and getting ready for our big journey in the
morning……we were surprised at the number of trampers in the Cinque Terre this
time, perhaps it is becoming more known for the tramping here and we can
confirm that as we really enjoyed our tramping here in 2005…..and something
that I couldn’t help noticing was that all the trampers had two walking sticks,
even the younger folk!!!! All the trains were so busy and this is October but
everyone is saying it is unusually hot for October…..regardless of the rain and
the tourist walking tracks being closed, we still managed to walk around quite
a lot of the cliff faces and we wonder
if some of the tracks will ever be reopened as there just isn’t the money
here……we wonder about the sewerage maintenance and such things as you often got
a whiff that wasn’t very pleasant, maintenance is just not being done here as
there isn’t the money….quite a few beggars in the Cinque Terre area this time
which really saddened me and I don’t remember that being the situation in
2005……M & F
Wednesday
15th October, 2015……Bonassola and sad to leave our hotel Delle
Rose……it was 20 degrees at 7 am…..caught the 7.30 am train to La Spetzia
and then took a taxi to the Euro Car depot….only 4 kms and the taxi quoted 15
Euros which we choked on but we had no choice…..in effect it cost more than
that getting caught in the morning traffic we presume, but the taxi drive
honoured the 15 Euros he had quoted us….Euro cars weren’t open but we wanted to
be first in the queue…paperwork done and ready to go and it poured with
rain…the car was in another building so we had to wait, so much for us trying
to get an early start but we would have been soaked to begin our long
journey…..eventually at 9.30 am we began
to make our way out of La Spetzia all in the morning traffic still….what a
nightmare trying to find our way out as the GPS was a bit slow giving us the
instructions sometimes…..having covered a few extra kms and been through some
rural areas we made it to the motorway…..one thing the Italians do know how to
do is to build tunnels and roads over valleys…..they literally build roads over
valleys (roads built on pillars/pylons) which we have seen, before but when you actually drive over these
motorways yourself you have a real appreciation for the engineering that goes
into such a structure……what a drive, one mountain village after another….it
seems like another mountain and they have to build a village there……not to
mention getting water, power and sewerage there……it must be an open speed limit
on the motorways as we could never see any signs and I sat on 130 km per hour
most of the time as when I went to 140 km per hour the GPS would say I was over
the speed limit but cars were passing me when I was doing 130 km per
hour…….luckily we went from one motorway to the other in that we didn’t have a
toll gate at the end of each motorway…..I hate those toll gates…..and so we
reckon we went on about 6 motorways and came off with only about 35 kms to go
to our destination in San Giovani….the motorway toll was 57 Euros 10 cents but
I had driven 770 kms with two 15 minute breaks in the motorway service
areas…..I don’t really know how I did it but it gave me a real appreciation for
racing car drivers that drive for hours at high speeds and the concentration
needed……Michael just fed me some chocolate and water but I knew I had to do it
even though my body is saying enough, please take me home!!!! We drove through so many regions of Italy
today, Tuscany, Umbria then more I can’t remember until we came to Puglia where
San Marco in Lamis is situated….Came off the motorway and then drove to San
Marco in Lamis but we came in from a different angle this time and so it all
seemed very foreign….really rural with lots of cultivation and paddocks, yes
literally paddocks of solar panels and Michael’s reli’s say the solar panels
are privately owned so someone is making real money here selling to the
national grid!!!! We don’t remember San
Marco in Lamis being so busy, chaos, but again we got caught in the going home
traffic and so to San Giovani and our accommodation……Michael phoned the reli’s
and arranged tomorrow and then we just collapsed, it had been a stressful
day!!! I had problems being allowed to drive again today as they wanted my NZ
drivers licence but eventually I talked my way into it but they stressed it was
at my risk….Michael is the better navigator and I like to think I have the
driving sussed!!!! At one point in the day there was police vehicle after
police vehicle but they were going in the opposite direction….we later learned
they were on their way to Milan as 50 heads of state were meeting there…..Euro
cars in La Spetzia said if the police stopped me it would be up to the police
officer how he handled me not having my NZ licence….the International drivers
licence I have is just for the police, not a driving licence but I have never
carried my NZ licence before as the International licence has always done the
job!!!!...... M & F
Thursday
16th October, 2014……San Giovani….Michael’s cousin, Luigi, was at our
hotel at 9 am to take us touring…..first we went to the big new modern
church/cathedral in San Giovani….oh boy have they spent some money since we
were last here but this whole area is all about churches, monasteries,
basilicas, pilgrimages, it’s what they do here….they live from one festival to
another…..here they worship Padre Pio who is dead now but we’re told he raised
all the money for the hospital here and the new church….we asked Luigi if the
Pope had been here and he said oh no that the Pope would question all the money
that has been spent whilst people can’t afford to put food on the table!!!!
This part of Italy is very rural and very poor……then back to our hotel and got
our car and followed Luigi back to San Marco in Lamis to pick up his wife and 2
daughters and then we drove into the country for another hour, following Luigi
on such rural roads….we were back on the African roads again…..and so Angelines
(Michael’s cousin) for lunch and other cousins joined us there….it was hot,
hot, hot and here we were in the middle of nowhere and I just wanted to lay
down but we had taken some of the reli’s with us so I had to join in the
celebration of family getting together…..Angeline has a farmlet with some pigs,
guinea fowls etc…..she and her husband have not long been there and intend
getting more animals, planting trees etc but at the moment it is so exposed and
it was such a hot day I felt like I was going to pass out!! And so back to San Severno to Leonardo
(Michael’s cousin) and eventually back to San Marco in Lamis to meet up with
another cousin on Michael’s mother’s side…all the cousins today have been on
his father’s side…..as I said it’s hard work here and for Michael who has to
speak Italian all the time as they don’t speak a word of English!! Back to our hotel in San Giovani
buggered!! M & F
Friday
17th October, 2014……San Giovani…Luigi came by bus to our hotel this
morning and the 3 of us went in our car
up into the mountains….Michael did all the driving whilst in the reli’s area as
we felt I was more likely to get pulled up by police in these parts than on the
motorways……and so up to Mt Saint Michele, more churches but a quaint village
and shops and great views…..then we drove on yet a narrower road to Abbazia Di Santa
Maria ...everything in Italian so I will have to Google it when we get home but
a very old monastery on a mountain with magnificient views…..all these places
deserted today but Luigi said in the weekends you can’t move here for the
crowds…..going back on the same road to Saint Michele cows on the road with
enormous horns and cow bells on their neck…everything roams free here, no such
thing as a fence in this part of the world!!
Then to the monastery in San Marco in Lamis…..we came here in
2005…..this time when Luigi introduced his cousins from NZ the priest blessed
us with holy water….And so back to Luigi’s place for lunch and more
food!!!! Luigi’s wife put little mussels
in the pasta…. we have seen these little mussels everywhere here and feel it is
criminal to harvest them whilst they are so tiny but it was interesting to try
them as they really were very tasty and sweet so they must be a different
variety to our big mussels….then it was on to Pauline’s place for afternoon
tea……all this sitting whilst everyone talks Italian and I just want to lay
down!!!! Back to San Giovani in day
light as we have another drive tomorrow so some R & R before we hit the
road again!! M & F
Saturday
18th October, 2014…..San Giovani….On the road at 7 am for our drive
to Salerno on the Amalfi Coast….drove through quite a rural area before we got
to the motorway…..just one motorway that cost 6 Euros 50 cents……lots of tunnels
as always and of course the GPS always announces that the GPS signal is lost
going through the tunnels….getting to Salerno was an easy drive although a
couple of times the GPS went to sleep on us, it seemed to lose satellite
connection even though we were in the wide open spaces and we knew we had turns
coming up so it was a bit nerve racking….BUT…..Salerno was a nightmare…..there
must have been a lot of changes with the streets and the GPS just gave up on
us, thus I was driving around in circles as I had to keep moving with the
traffic….at one point I pulled into a car park as I just had to stop going
around in circles for a couple of minutes…..we tried to find a taxi stand to
lead us to Euro cars but when you want a taxi there is never one there….I kept
driving moving into another part of Salerno and then Michael said I think the
GPS is picking something up, we were so near yet so far when we found where we
had to go and as always these car depots have no parking so I just double
parked at their door and told them to take the car to wherever they wanted it
to go, I was done with driving in Italy and France!!!!!! Then we didn’t know how we would get to
Amalfi and the girl at Euro Cars said she didn’t know and we could keep the
car….no way….the train/bus station was across the road…..the info there was so
helpful and told us we could go by boat or bus…….we chose the bus, much more
exciting by road and so we got the 11 am
bus from Salerno to Amalfi……what a ride that was…the driver drove like a cowboy
to the point that a guy yelled something at the driver…Michael translated for
me and said this guy was telling the driver to slow down…..this is Italy!!!! And with Michael’s good directions we got off
the bus and walked about 100 metres to our hotel!! A hot day and we were able to check into our
hotel (next door to the hotel we stayed in last time) and we overlook the ocean
again….and so we went walking the streets of Amalfi again, so much Lemoncello
which of course we had to taste…..dinner in a local café, in fact one we ate at
in 2005….then back to our hotel for coffee and more Lemoncello!!!!! M & F
Sunday
19th October, 2014…..Amalfi….Walked to Atrani en route to
Ravello…..Atrani was celebrating their patron saint, Saint Madelena for their
winter festival…..(we were told they do it all again in July for their summer
festival)…..any excuse for a procession/festival in Italy!!!! We got caught up in the procession…..canons
were fired, fireworks on the beach, processions, band playing and church bells
ringing nonstop….it was deafening……eventually we got ourselves out of Atrani
and proceeded on our climb to Ravello which we did in 2005…..oh boy, I had forgotten
how many steps, we climbed and climbed and it was so hot and in parts where
there was pipe railing to hold on to, you couldn’t hold on as the pipe was too
hot!!!! We wandered the streets of Ravello and had a beer in a café as water
wasn’t quenching our thirst!!!! And so
we took the road and steps down……we reckon it was over 2,000 steps today……so
many people here, we are amazed at the tourists but everyone keeps saying how
hot it is for October…..walking back to Amalfi we stopped at another cliff edge
café for a beer….just couldn’t get enough liquid today……15 Euros for 2 beers…we
felt we got ripped off but the view was good!!
Dinner at another café in Amalfi….back to our hotel for coffee and
Lemoncello……they really do make a good brew here and it is so cheap……M & F
Monday
20th October, 2014……Amalfi…..Another hot day and when we woke a
cruise liner was parked out in the bay….luckily we had decided to take the bus
to Sorrento today….we took the 9 am bus from Amalfi….35 kms to Sorrento and the
journey takes 1 hour 40 minutes…..we have done the Amalfi Coast a few times now
but it never fails to excite and certainly not a road to travel if you have a
weak heart!!!! Unfortunately on the bus
you couldn’t really get photos but the memory will always be there….these
people are mad where they build things not to mention the rock that is often
above the building….I would be terrified the rock was going to come
down…Michael commented he wondered how many of these places had engineering
reports…it would be an engineer’s nightmare here!!!! Sorrento, historically famous and frequently
visited by many famous people such as sovereigns, actors, artists and
poets…Roman emperors built many Villas here along the coast….the Turks came
here in 1558, sacked and destroyed it carrying away many inhabitants as
slaves…..influenced along the ages by many cultures, Greek, Roman Bizantine,
Norman and later by the French and Spanish under which Sorrento lived for a
very prolific period…..at the beginning of the 18th century Sorrento
had a period of cultural, economical and social rebirth reaching its peak in
the 19th century when noblemen came from Europe embarking on
cultural trips helped Sorrento to become famous and appreciated as an ideal
place for tourism and an inspiration for artists and poets…..Keats, Scott,
Byron, Dickens, they all came to Sorrento…..and today Sorrento still lives
exclusively on tourism!!!! Very little of the ancient town has
survived…….excavations in the past have revealed the existence of important
archeological artefacts…Sorrento was surrounded by walls of the local volcanic
tufa rock…..we wandered the streets of the historical old part of Sorrento and
got talking to Americans who were off a cruise ship in Naples so people, people
everywhere…..Sorrento today just shops, people and tourism…..not much
historical value left here now…..back on the bus to Amalfi and we seemed to be
on the bus with the Italian teenagers, we would think those going to Uni or
Tech and talk about arrogant, noisey and no respect…..we thought our kids in NZ
didn’t always have the best of manners but these kids were atrocious…..take
away pizza in our hotel with Lemoncello…we’re buggered…….M & F
Tuesday
21st October, 2014……Amalfi….Hot day again and the streets of Amalfi
so busy…..we’re having a lazy day just savouring the sights, sounds, smells of
Amalfi…this really is a great spot on the Amalfi Coast and we have been spoiled
with the marvellous weather we are having…..behind our hotel is Amalfi’s
Cathedral…the Duomo di Amalfi…….I climbed the steps to look inside again but a
3 Euro entrance fee this time which we don’t recall paying last time we were
here…..the bells on the cathedral ring at any time and for any length of
time…we never managed to work it out, and you certainly couldn’t get the
correct time listening to these bells….dinner at another restaurant in the
cathedral square and as always amongst all the other tourists……M & F
Wednesday
22nd October, 2014……Amalfi…Rain in the night and it is raining this
morning but we have a day of travel ahead of us….we have had our French doors
wide open every night at the hotel but the downside is the noise as we have a
traffic hub below our balcony and it goes 24/7…..Michael took a video of it
last time we were here and the chaos has increased….cars, trucks, buses and
people just walk out into the traffic and what’s more have a conversation in
the middle of the road….and so the rain last night quietened things down a
little so that was a bonus!! We took the
bus back to Salerno for our last exciting ride on the Amalfi Coast road, the
rain had cleared and as always the ride didn’t fail to excite!!!! From Salerno we took the train to Rome and
then the Metro to near our hotel…….eventually we found our hotel which was
close to the Metro station and finally checked in around 4 pm…then our usual
visit to the local supermarket to get a few supplies and then bunk down for the
night….I have been struggling for a few days health wise, so it has been
decided I will have to see a doctor in Rome in the morning…..M & F
Thursday
23rd October, 2014…..Rome…..Michael checked with reception who
arranged for a Doctor to visit me in the hotel at 10 am…..he came and even
though Michael requested an English speaking doctor, you guessed it, he didn’t
speak English but the reception lady was so helpful and translated
everything….the long and short of it is I am on medication and have to rest for
a couple of days……Michael went out and bought some take away food for dinner
(I’m only allowed certain food so that was a bit of a challenge for
him)…….luckily we have a few days in Rome but I didn’t plan to spend it in a
hotel room!!! M & F
Friday
24th October, 20014……Rome…Feeling a little better but still on bed
rest…..22 degrees here today…Michael has been out a couple of times and said it
is a pleasant day out there….tomorrow we hope to go and see the sites of Rome
again……M & F
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| The steps from Corniglia Station up to Corniglia village....unfortunately this photo doesn't show the steepness and number of steps.... |
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| Vernazza...Cinque Terre..... |
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| Corniglia...Cinque Tere..... |
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| Corniglia Station and Corniglia Village on the hilltop.....steps showing above the tunnel..... |
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| Vernazza....Cinque Terre..... |
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| As above..... |
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| As above...the large orange umbrella in the background, we had a beer under after one of our tramping days on our last visit here...... |
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| Vernazza....view from the Castello Doria Tower...... |
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| Monterosso Statiion....Cinque Terre.... |
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| Monterosso Beach.... |
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| As above..... |
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| As above....note the statue of a man carved out of the rock...... |
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| Michael couldn't resist this pic...the dog playing dead to the music!!!! |
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| Monterosso....Cinque Terre..... |
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| As above..... |
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| As above.... |
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| From our balcony in Bonassola......and the bells on this clock tower were so accurate...nothing like the bells in Amalfi!! |
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| The view to the ocean from our balcony in Bonassola....... |
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| The new cathedral/church in San Giovanni....Puglia....Italy |
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| Inside the church.....all the murals a small tiles and so much gold...... |
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| As above..... |
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| As above.... |
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| As above..... |
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| As above..... |
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| Outside the church..... |
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| Mother Teresa mural in the old church in San Giovanni...again all done with small tiles....... |
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| Streets of San Marco in Lamis in the evening...Puglia...Italy..... |
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| The streets of St Michele.......Puglia...Italy.... |
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| As above.... |
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| The church/cathedral at St Michele.... |
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| The streets of St Michele..... |
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| St Michele..... |
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| Santa Maria di Pulsano......Puglia...Italy |
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| The view from the above showing the old road....... |
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| Inside the above church..... |
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| The grounds around the church..... |
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| As above..... |
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| The view from the church grounds..... |
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| The church grounds.... |
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| The mosaic inside the monastery of St Matthew in San Marco in Lamis...again all done with small tiles..... |
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| Looking down into San Marco in Lamis from the monastery..... |
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| A picture of the monastery in 1920..... |
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| From our balcony in Amalfi...a quiet moment with no traffic...... |
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| As above......the washing out and the plastic glass for the wine!!!! |
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| The view from the rear of our hotel...the Cathedral Duomo di Amalfi...... |
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| As above..... |
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| As above..... |
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| Walking to Atrani village looking back to Amalfi.... |
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| The St Madalena procession in Atrani...... |
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| As above.....note the St Madalena medallion a lot of them are wearing..... |
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| As above..... |
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| If we had read the sign we would have noted that this procession was going to be on the 19th October..... |
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| How about this hotel built on the cliff edge, swimming pool below and the road at their front door..... |
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| Atrani beach..... |
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| Atrani Square..... |
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| Streets of Atrani..... |
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| The church bells from this church were ringing continually...note where it is built.....these people are mad!!!! |
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| As above but note the little white church in the centre of the pic near the top of the pic....we actually climbed higher than that little white church walking to Ravello..... |
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| Fireworks on the beach in Atrani...... |
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| Atrani |
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| The church in Atrani.....amazing marble work in the pillars..... |
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| The roads of Amalfi....red bus on corner has to stop and wait for cars to pass but often they had to back up..... |
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| Our little white church on a perch on the left of the pic.....and we're still climbing..... |
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| Still climbing the steps to Ravello..... |
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| Ravello Square..... |
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| As above..... |
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| Michael had to take this pic in Ravello...... |
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| Amalfi Coast from Ravello.... |
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| Having a beer en route back to Amalfi...where it cost 15 Euro for 2 beers.....everyone seemed to have a jug of Lemoncello so perhaps Lemoncello was cheaper here than the beer!! |
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| Looking back to where we had our beer..... |
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| Evening in the streets of Amalfi..... |
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| Early morning and a cruise ship in Amalfi....... |
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| The shops in Amalfi..... |
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| The streets of Sorrento.... |
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| Lemoncello shop in Amalfi.... |
