Travel Day Rome to Praiano

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I was awake early hours of today with such an excitement I was off to the Amalfi Coast a place I’ve wanted to experience for quite some years. Some thoughts of home started to enter my mind…something that hasn’t happened for the entire trip. Quickly switching those off I dozed on and off until it was time to get up and close my suitcase once again.

The thought of dragging our suitcases to the Termini didn’t excite us at all so we cabbed it…and it was raining lightly. Of course our platform number wasn’t displayed yet so off to the Café for cornetti’s and cafés. We discussed that we’d like to catch a boat from Napoli to Positano or Praiano and would find out when we called the guy where we were staying. We both agreed we probably wouldn’t be happy catching a bus as we’d heard it was a pretty scary ride. Had an interesting time standing drinking my cappuccino but more on that when I return for those that are interested.

I called the guy where we were staying to find out the easiest way to reach Praiano and was told Catch the train to Sorrento and then bus to Amalfi…cool at least we now knew how to get there.

We easily stamped our tickets, found our car, heaved our suitcases onto the train, found a place for them and found our seats. Settled in quickly (old hats at this now) and I was set to finish the novel I was reading which I managed before we reached Napoli. I also had a chance to saw a little off the length of my nails and was ready for a nap. However, we had reached Napoli sooner than expected so we were off again. I had asked R (remember she is the ticket girl) what time we would reach Napoli? I was told about 10 past 1 so around a 5 hour trip, I commented that I thought it was only around 2 hours….oh well. It turned out that R was reading the date 13.09 not the arrival time and it only took 1 and half hours! Cool we now had more time up our sleeves…bonus!
Off the train and down to the locale network (metro) substantial difference from travelling 1st class on the fast trains to a local metro! Was about an hour’s trip to Sorrento where we boarded a bus to Amalfi just near Praiano where we were staying. It’s only about 24km’s but took over an hour!

Now my Mum (Hi Mum!) and Hells (Hi Love!) have said what a trip this is (hair raising!)…starts off with a mundane trip through suburban Sorrento then climbs out of the city up a steep mountain range back towards Naples. I knew at some stage it would have to head the other way down the coast towards Amalfi. I have a few theories about the bus drivers of the Amalfi Coast 1) They were Kamikaze pilots in a previous life and 2) They have a record which is kept a secret from anyone outside The Secret Bus Drivers Club that they try to break every time they drive any part of the coast. They also win extra points when their mobile rings and they answer it leaving only one hand free to change gears and drive the bus (as ours did!) I filmed the entire trip and there were a couple of stages where I had to look away as if felt like I was out in thin air with no road beneath me. I’m not (normally) scared of heights and had to remind myself I was not the first person to ride on a bus on the Coast and survive, so I would be OK! When we reached Amalfi I didn’t know whether to kiss the road or the bus driver I didn’t do either as my attention was diverted to my suitcase that now had the pull up handle broken. Some bits have come off it and so I can’t pull the handle up to wheel it (Should be an interesting trip home!).

Raffaele came to pick us up and take us to our home for the next week. It is set high in the hills of Praiano about 10km’s from Positano and is the next point on the coast. The villa has 3 levels, 1st level is the entry and a big (unused old) kitchen with a bathroom which houses…yep R’s favourite thing she is missing on this trip a washing machine. 2nd level is a bedroom and ensuite with a tiny window. 3rd level, bedroom, bathroom, dining, kitchen leading out and up to a sun area with lounges and a terrace garden with lemon trees (everywhere here), vegies and other fruit trees. We have a beautiful view down the coast to the rest of Praiano, Amalfi and onto Solerno too, it looks as magical at night with all the lights as it does during the day with the stunning scenery.

After a look around we headed down to the local shops for something to eat as it had been along time since brekkie at Rome’s station…there is a bunnings and a coles about 2 minutes walk away…well the Praiano version anyway. They of course were closed for siesta so we walked further down some hills to the main coast road where there was a local bar/pizzeria open and grabbed a bite. We also had a look around a local grocers but decided to support the one nearest us up on the hill, which by the time we had climbed back up the hill were open. The tiny store is mainly a butcher and carries odd bits and pieces such as cereal, milk, bread, etc. We bought some essentials and carried them the sort way up to the villa. After a snooze we sampled the pancetta and cheese we had bought along with the white wine. All good…yum!
Time to hit the road and check out Positano and by the time we walked out the door it was 9pm. Walked down the hill to the bar and enquired about hiring a cab. A few yells out the door and an old bloke appeared saying he would take us. We agreed on a price and hopped into his Mercedes (pretty common for private taxi’s here). Of course he would love to come and pick us up and gave us his card. R asked how long he’d been driving the coast…52years!

We wandered down the hill and towards the beach. It started to rain and R said “We’ll have to find a restaurant soon as it’s starting to rain”. “Like this one” I said as we walked across the entrance. Yep we were both in agreeance so in we went. R had spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and I had seafood risotto. R’s was good she reported and mine was devine, packed with seafood of all sorts with clams and mussels in shells as well. A nice bottle of Pinot Grigio and when we were done R asked me to ask one of the waiters about the music and yep where we could go for a dance when she went to the bathroom. The music was coming from a piano bar about 10 meters away so off we went. Music a bit slow at the piano bar and older crowd so we decided to walk the town anyway to explore. A couple of cheeky waiters yelled out to us on our way and told us of a nightclub on the beach so off we went. It was nearly open when we arrived at 10 to 12, opens at midnight and as we found out closes at 4am so a dance turned into a few! When we left it was raining so we were drenched fairly quickly and of course had no umbrellas and had to find our way home. We came across some taxi’s and was charged double the amount to go home!

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