Amalfi to Puglia

Our day started really well with a driver on time to transfer us to the Salerno train station. We left in plenty of time as he wasn't sure of delays on the way. As it turned out we had heaps of time to spare so we found our platform and waited. Eventually our train arrived and then departed again leaving its passengers on the platform. It was all very confusing as a guard had stopped everyone from boarding.There were a number of us standing there in shock wondering what was going on. So we went to the ticket office to learn there wasn't another train to Taranto only a bus which didn't depart until 11.35am. We all insisted that they pay our bus fare which they did when they realised there were a few of us. An hour and a half later we were busing our way to Taranto. It turned out to be an enjoyable comfortable scenic drive.The concern was that we were meeting Lyn & Chris and the other 4 in our tour group at 3.30pm at their pickup point in Bari airport and there was no way we could manage that now. We made contact with Lyn and to save holding the tour group up we took a different route and caught another train after the 4hr bus ride that took us to Martina Franca which was only fifteen minutes from our destination in Puglia. 

Sitting at the Teranto train station with an hour to fill in so we taught ourselves how to use the camera timer on the phone.

After our long adventure it was great to see Lyn waiting at the train station to collect us. We were soon settled into our gorgeous little Trulli and then out to meet the rest of the team for drinks and dinner on the patio.

Inside our Trulli

Last day on the Amalfi Coast

We woke today feeling refreshed and ready to go again so we spent the day on the beach. 

It's a beach that is quite stony so to be comfortable you need a chair and umbrella. We bought our patch on the beach and there we parked ourselves for the rest of the day amongst the locals.

The water lapping at our feet

The water was just divine

And all the way home again

We took a walk into Amalfi for the last time then it was time to organise ourselves for an early start the following day.

Some entertainment that evening from our verandah. An Australian boat anchored below us has a helicopter arriving in to land on its pad.

A better view of our pink apartment from the beach.

This is what the beach looked like in Atrani if we had taken the stairs down from the other side of our apartment and the other beaches along the coast were even bigger. All laid out for tourists.

Sunday a Day of Rest

And a complete rest day it was. We had rain in the morning and then it turned into another beautiful day. So we had a slow start that continued to be that way for the rest of the day. Without realising it I think we have needed this time out. We checked dates and train tickets and refreshed ourselves on the next leg of the trip. It's so easy to get the days and dates all wrong when you live like this so we needed to be sure we had the right day for checking out. Most of the afternoon was spent on our verandah with a book.

Lunch on the deck. Forgot the drinks.

 It's been the perfect place to take a break from all the sightseeing and make the most of our wee apartment.

Every night since we have been here on the Coast there has been an incredible fireworks display around 11.30pm and another lot about midnight.The first night we were at Robertos I thought we were being attacked but have since learned that it's a historical/religious festival celebration that happens at this time of the year. It's no ordinary fireworks and goes on for several minutes. Quite spectacular to see across the water.

Lazy day in Atrani

It was great not to have anything planned for the day and enjoy a sleep in. After brunch we generally pottered about then I spent the rest of the afternoon on our little beach below us.It was just divine and the water is the perfect temperature for cooling off. I must admit I felt a little over dressed in my swimsuit as everyone was wearing a bikini......all shapes sizes and ages.

Our little dining kitchen area. The kitchen folds in behind a cupboard.

Tony spent his afternoon on the verandah with a book.

View from our balcony. My favourite  beach as its small and mostly locals. I also have the choice to walk down the steps on the other side of our apartment and be on the Atrani beach.

At the end of the day we walked into Amalfi where there were zillions of people and picked up some meat etc for our meal. 

The Atrani square or more like a large courtyard.

We didn't get past our little community square without a refreshment before climbing the steps. 

Our evening was mostly spent on our balcony looking out over the beautiful launches anchored up in the bay but we were also entertained by the Saturday night traffic below us. It was unbelievable......you would never get away with it in NZ.

Boating around the Amalfi Coast.

The day we were looking forward to and a real highlight. We were up early and off down all our steps into Atrani to pick up our 40hp Zodiac about five metres long. By 9am we were on the water and away off to explore the Amalfi Coast. It was the best way to see it from the water. Our main stop was Positano where we tied up and took a walk through. This would be the largest of the villages/town but teaming with tourists all walking the shops. I must say they did have some lovely shops. After walking to the top and back again and buying our lunch at the supermarket we then paid for our park and we were delivered back to our mooring. We continued further on to the very end of the peninsula and there infront of us was Capri, so off we motored across to Capri. We could also see Vesuvius again from here. Once arriving in the main harbour of Capri we took in the sights from the boat rather than pushing our way through hundreds of tourists and no doubt more shops and restaurants. Then we cruised around the island a bit further and found some beautiful coast with such interesting little grottoes, nooks & crannies and great rock formations. We anchored up and ate our lunch while taking in the views of the rich and famous homes and beautiful big boats anchored around us.

Then it was time to motor on back and explore the far end of the coast just past where we are staying. By 5pm it was time to return to Amalfi to fuel up and then return our boat back to Atrani. What a great day out on the water in our own space not having to dodge people. We saved ourselves a lot of time doing it this way rather than having to catch ferries with crowds of others and we saw it all in one day.

View looking down into Positano

Driving through a long tunnel/hole in the rock.

Looking back on our rock tunnel.

Enjoying the ride.

Little grottos everywhere.

On our way back to find our staircase to the gods we walk through the central square of Atrani and the temptation to stop for a small beer was too great so we stopped off for a quick refreshment. It's a great little place to stay in Atrani as its not teaming with tourists in fact it seemed as though we had more locals around us than anyone else. Good choice again Discover Travel. It's their favourite place to stay on this Coast along with the apartment they have us in.

Now off to climb those steps for a well deserved drink on the terrace.

Second day on the Amalfi Coast

Today was when we move down the hill nearer the beach but we are almost right below Robertos house at a tiny place called Castiglione which joins to Atrani then a 10 minute walk into Amalfi. We planned our last five nights here to be self contained. Roberto was so helpful and even dropped us and our luggage at our apartment mid morning along with a bag of lemons from his garden. We were welcomed by a couple of very nice ladies who showed us where everything was how the place worked. It took 4 keys for 4 different doors as we made our way through this maze before we reached our apartment and I'm thinking how are we going to remember these directions. They also had lemons in the fridge for us so now we have plenty. I must say I still haven't seen or tasted a lemon like a French Farm lemon. The apartment is just lovely with everything we need. It was great to have a washing machine so the first thing was to do a load of washing.

Tony doing his domestics with our new view.

We then took ourselves into Amalfi, but first we had to find our way out through this maze of steps and tunnels between and under people's homes leading in all directions and hoped the keys were in the right doors. We finally made it to the bottom and after a couple of climbs back up we have almost got it right. After finding a boat hire in Atrani and booking for the following day we walked into Amalfi had a snack for lunch then searched out a supermarket. By then it was siesta time which we had forgotten about so we filled in time around the maze of shops and heaps of people until the supermarket opened again at 4.30. Finally we packed up our backpacks with food and walked on back to enjoy the sea views from our patio. 

View of Atrani from the boat and we are staying next to the Santa Maria Maddalena Church.

Our apartment is the building with the pink frontage on the far right underneath the cliff face with 2 doors that open out onto the verandah and a balustrade along the front.

Amalfi Coast

Our first night here at Robertos was great up here on the hill amongst his terraced garden full of vegetables, fruit trees, citrus, grapes and so peaceful with amazing sea views.

One of the many views of the terraced hillsides.

After being entertained by Roberto over breakfast on his big verandah we caught the bus to Ravello further up the hill. 

Very expressive these Italians.

Ravello is located high up on the hilltop above Atrani and Amalfi with such great  views of the Amalfi Coast. We took a walk through Villa Rufolo with its famous gardens and where the stage was set up for their evening summer concerts. 

Part of the stage ready for another show.

The theme on this coast is definitely lemons with heaps of shops full of ceramics painted with lemons.After spending a good part of our day up there we caught the bus back down into Amalfi then bused around the coast a little further and returned to the peace of Robertos garden. They are very family orientated with his mother living there and brother on the adjoining property with cousins close by. Just a few metres down the road from Robertos was his cousin that made Limoncello. He gave me a few tips and showed me how to get the correct peel for processing which seems to be the secret to a good brew.

Our bus experience for the day was an interesting exercise and I can now see why they call it the White Knuckle drive. The bus drivers here are incredibly skilful  the way they manoeuvre their buses on these narrow roads around the edges of the cliff faces with plenty of tight corners. It doesn't pay to sit near the front.....best not to see.

We finished our day with a pizza that was delivered to the gate and a bottle of wine on the verandah overlooking the Mediterranean. Perfect temperatures for sitting outside until all hours.

Pompei to Amalfi

We had half a day to fill in here before our transfer to Amalfi. It was an interesting morning just taking in the sights of Pompei as we walked around the town. They have such a nice central square with a big fountain,trees a huge bell tower and  Bacillica church but it's so unkept with long grass and weeds all going to seed. It was the same everywhere here. Everything looks so unloved even their cars. As we walked along the pavement we tried to find a parked car that didn't have a scratch or a dent and they were hard to find.We could see why when we saw this parked car. I don't think I'd want to have a rental car here.

We watched them park...the gap was tiny but they still manoeuvred their way in.

It was soon time to meet our driver back at the hotel for our transfer to Amalfi.

 The trip took about forty minutes and the landscape changed into lush countryside with all its citrus, fruit & veg. growing on the steep terraced hillsides around their homes. It feels good to be amongst lemons again. After this great scenic drive we arrived at the gates of Punta Cavita B&B where Roberto (the owner) was waiting to welcome us. He filled us in on his B&B, local buses, boat hires and eateries. His wife welcomed us with a delicious limoncello from her freezer. This B& B is in Ravello well up the hill from the beach in Atrani and was recommended by Chris & Lyn from the Gables.....a great recommendation. Just 2 nights here then we move into an apartment down by the beach in Atrani for 5 nights. It will be great to be self contained for awhile.

View from our private patio looking through the Bougainvillea.

We took a walk down the 100s of steps into Atrani to familiarise ourselves with the area then caught the bus back up to our B&B. Time to eat again so we found a place that Roberto had recommended. It was great to sleep all night with the patio doors wide open to the sea views. We are noticing how crisp and clear NZ scenery is compared to over here. We commented about the haze to some English tourists in the North of Italy and they hadn't noticed, however I guess they don't know any different. We are so lucky to breath such clean air in NZ, let's hope it stays that way.

Moving on to Pompei

After an early breakfast our driver arrived to transfer us to the Milan Linate airport which was about an hours drive. He could speak English quite well so we learned a few things on the way there. We arrived with plenty of time to spare and certainly a much more user friendly airport than Gatwick. By lunchtime we had landed in Naples where another driver was waiting for us. From there It was just a twenty minute drive and we were in Pompei at Hotel Diana. Thank goodness it's only a stopover as our room stinks of cigarettes but again a great location as we can walk into the centre and to the ruins from here.

What a huge change from the North....a dirty run down looking city with rubbish everywhere. 

Once we had checked in we were off into the centre, found a quick bite to eat then walked to the ruins. We hired an audio and followed the numbered route around the old city. The history of the old city dates back to the 6th century BC. In 62AD a violent earthquake struck then 17yrs later Mt Vesuvius blew it's top in 79AD and buried Pompei under rock and ash. This wasn't rediscovered until the 16th century but exploration didn't begin until 1748. The area of the city was 66 hectares but they have only uncovered 45 hectares. It was quite a shock to come across a display of many  bodies that had been found and they'd plastered around their remains still in the position they were found. I can't imagine how this must have been for them.

This man was found by his donkey and cart. The jars and urns were all found.

The Great Theatre can hold 5,000 spectators and still in good condition.

Looking down over Naples with Mt Vesuvius in the background.

They were so ahead of their time with their civic structures, arts, Roman baths with incredible heating & cooling systems along with the glam & socialising that went with it. Also a brothel, meat markets, a road to the port, hot food shops, temples, central square with shops etc.

Suddenly it was 7pm and we needed to find our way out of this place before they locked us in.

Day three in Cannero

Our plan for today was to head off into the Swiss Alps on the Lake Maggiore Express Panoramic train....electrical railway. We had an early breakfast so as to be ready to board the 7.30am ferry at the front door. Once on board we zigzaged our way up the lake dropping off and picking up other passengers. We crossed the border near Brissago and arrived in Locarno two and a half hours after departing from Cannero. It was a great way to view the rest of the lake villages from the water. This took us to the most northern point on Lake Maggiore. From here we picked up the train that took us through the southern part of the Swiss Alps. A lot of the views were blocked by vegetation so we only had quick glimpses of anything worth seeing. I can imagine how picturesque this would be in their winter. After a couple of hours we arrived in Domodossola where we boarded another train and in half an hour we were back in Stresa where we had stayed earlier in the week. The next boat back to Cannero was at 3.30pm so we picked up some lunch and managed to fill in 2hrs quite easily.

The ferry terminal with our hotel behind.

Looking back into Cannero.

One of the sights in Switzerland  I managed to photograph through the train window with the reflection of Tony's hat below.

It looked better than this from the train

A small Swiss Cottage with its little vineyard.

All in all it was a worthwhile round day trip and during our week here in the Northern lakes I think we have seen most of Lake Maggiore. Our 3 hotels up here have been excellent choices all family run with great locations and every place had something different to offer.

 Once arriving back at our hotel we began to organise our departure for the next morning.

In and around Cannero.

What a magic spot this is. After breakfast we took ourselves on a walk around the Lake and up around the back of the village.

View around the lake in front of the hotel  with it's neatly trimmed magnolias along the lake edge looking back towards our hotel.

 There are plenty of English holidaying here along with others from  neighbouring countries but there are no crowds.It's the perfect place to come for some relaxation and enjoy swimming in the lake. Cannero consists of a P.O, small supermarket and gelato of course, plenty of bars and restaurants tucked away in corners that don't come to life until the evening. Other than that there are no shops which makes a nice change and gives quite a different feel to the place.

A lazy afternoon by the pool.

After exploring during the morning we took the afternoon off to relax by the pool and swim.....a bit warmer than the lake.It was just what we needed. Another enjoyable day.

Cannero

After breakfast we sent our luggage on ahead to Cannero and spent a bit more time around Stresa. They had their Friday market so we took a wander through and envied all the delicious looking cheeses, cured meats and dried fruits that we couldn't buy. It was quite a large market with bags and shoes everywhere. 

After  seeing a few more of the sights around the area we had lunch then said our goodbyes to the hotel owners who made it like a home to their guests, then off we set to catch the 3.30pm boat to Cannero which is a little further north on Lake Maggiore.

View of Cannero. 

By 5pm we had arrived at our destination.We had no idea how far we were going to have to walk to the hotel. 

After checking out the map on the jetty to work out which direction we should be walking a woman crossed the road to greet us and there before us was our hotel right on the Cannero Riviera. 

Looking out from the hotel steps with the jetty on the right where we disembarked  and the hotel dining to the left.

It all looks very glam however our room is a back standard room with no Lake view and perfectly adequate for us. We still have the use of all the great facilities which is all that matters. I have never sat on such a high toilet, I can actually swing my short legs. 

Breakfast and dinner were prepaid here so we had a quiet drink beforehand then went on down to eat at the lakeside verandah which was just divine. Our waiter amused us when we asked if they had any Gewurztraminer and his reply was "Ohhh no no no dat is German don't mention da war" He was quite a character.

It's still very pleasant sitting out until dark. So far the temperatures have been a comfortable 25-26 deg. 

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Stresa

The plan today was to visit the three Borromeo islands on the Lake which is a day on its own but only a ten minute boat ride from Stresa.

First of the Islands was Isola Bella with it's Palace & garden.

This island took the longest to explore. It was teaming with lovely shops through all its narrow alleyways. On approaching the island you could see this amazing looking garden but of course you couldn't reach the garden without buying a ticket which we purchased  and found that it lead you through a famous Palace going back to Napoleons days. It was loaded with huge dark original artworks, furnishings, tapestrys & theatres. All very overwhelming to think that one family could be so wealthy away back then. The Borromeo family still own the three islands. We finally reached the garden outside with its ten terraces an open air theatre & statues.

The second island was Pescatori where we took a walk around and had a quick snack. I found a pair of copy Birkenstock sandals..... not quite as comfortable as the real thing however they will take me through the trip. 

The third Island Madre. Home to a very elegant villa which to me was like another Palace and surrounded by extensive botanic gardens which all began from rock. It had a great selection of azaleas,rhodys, camellias, magnolias and ancient wisteria and have all exceeded their maximum height. 

By the time we had finished exploring these three islands and took the boat back to Stresa we were ready for some relaxation & refreshment before heading out for our dinner.

Lake Orta to Stresa on Lake Maggiore

Today we move on to Stresa only half an hours drive from Orta. The countryside changed as we were driven across to the next lake. The drive was shortened by a very long tunnel and once we'd reached the other side I felt as though I was back in NZ with these rugged mountains appearing before us.......the Swiss Alps. We arrived in Stresa just before lunch at a little family run hotel which was once a family home. It seems to be the place of huge chandeliers including this little hotel.  The hotel is perfectly located and only a short walk down the hill into the central square and Lake. 

Hotel du Parc

We were caught out.

A lovely old Englishman came walking along and saw a lineup of us eating our delicious gelato ice cream and commented that it would make a great photo. Unfortunately a couple of them were a bit camera shy and moved.

We took a walk through this maze of narrow cobbled streets with all it's gorgeous little shops cafes and restaurants. On the hour every hour of the day all the churches or church, we can't quite work it out, ring their bells but there is a different tune with each one of them and it sounds amazing echoing through the village.

It was time to call it a day so we walked back to our hotel and joined an English couple for a cuppa then went and found something for dinner.

Lake Orta (Northern Lakes of Italy)

We woke to sunshine but a stormy looking sky with thunderstorms predicted. After a delicious breakfast we took a ten minute boat ride across to Saint Giulio Island which consisted of The Basilica that dates back to 390AD ,the Bishop's Palace, and the Abbey where a community of nuns live today.This area has been or still is a hugely spiritual /catholic place but very peaceful. When the church bells ring on the hour they sound so amazing echoing through the village.

Unfortunately we were held up by a huge thunderstorm passing through and had to wait around for awhile for it to ease off. After the worst of the storm was over we set off in the rain and followed the Sacred Hill walk which takes you to the top of the hill above the village where there are 20 very small chapels built during the 1500-1600s and all centred around St Francis. The chapels are very small and full of sculptures with the interiors and ceilings completely covered in artwork. They are all gated off and viewed through big iron gates until reaching the 20th chapel that was a working church. On a lovely clear day the views from the top would be amazing.

Saint Giullio Island. View from Sacred Hill unfortunately looking a bit grey in the rain.

 A typical scene of what the chapels look like inside all with a different story. Amazing to look at but hard to understand how their minds worked in those days with their way out stories.

Arriving back into the village after our walk and it's still raining.

Once arriving back into the village we took a walk along the long narrow street with its tiny little shops hidden away in all sorts of little corners and alleyways. The perfume of jasmine wafts out from all corners of the village....just divine.

It was time to call it a day so we put our feet up for awhile and then found a place to eat. The worst part about this is you never know what you will have served on your plate even though it is translated into English but it has worked out so far.

A little deli full of wine,cheese,dried mushrooms and cured meats etc.