Salerno, Pompeii and Amalfi - Italy Part 3

Salerno Harbour

After Rome we took the high speed train to Salerno.  It only takes 1.5 hrs versus regular train 3 hours or driving 3-5 hours depending on traffic.  It is nonstop and definitely worth it.  We had planned an early morning train departing between 8-9 am so that in case of strike it likely would be one of the few trains still going  Fortunately, there were no rail strikes while we were in Italy.  It was raining for the most of our first day there which we had scheduled for a relaxation/meandering day.  We checked into our AirBNB early as had been in communication with our host and no one had stayed the night prior so they were open to early checkin.  Again, we were very lucky with apartments.  We chose to stay in old town Salerno which has narrow alleyways that cars are not able to fit down.  Only one block over you could drive so our cab was able to let us off and although he didn't speak much English through gesturing told us where to go.  Fortunately just as we began to wander down the alley our host showed up and asked if were were his guests.  The only part about this apartment that I didn't realize is that it was almost on the 3rd floor of a winding stone very very steep staircase.  Other than getting the luggage up initially we didn't have any issues with that.  It clearly states no elevators in the listing but could be a little clearer on that staircase lol.  Either way we loved this apartment too - and so much cheaper than staying anywhere near Sorrento, Amalfi or Positano which make up the Amalfi Coast.  Salerno is a port city.  It has excellent rail service and really good ferry service to the Amalfi Coast which is primarily why we stayed there.  An added bonus was a total lack of tourists, yes we saw a couple but mostly just Italians going about their day to day business.  Port cities can be dirty, and Salerno has some areas that attract a darker element as in all cities but overall we really enjoyed our stay and felt completely safe at all times.  It is also very walkable and has lovely pedestrian only shopping and restaurant areas.  Our apartment was a 15 minute walk to the train station to get to Pompeii and also just in front of that train station were the ferries.

Monument near train station

Pedestrian shopping street in Salerno

Hubby and I took that day as a day of rest while the boys went exploring - it was soon raining pretty hard but they managed to get some shopping done and ended up in a restaurant drinking beer.  Keep in mind, they are both in their early 20s so nice to ditch the parents once in a while.

The next day we woke up to heavy rain - it was the day we were supposed to make our way by train to Pompeii for a guided tour.  We walked to the train station and waited...and waited.  Our local commuter train which regularly makes the run between Salerno and Naples with lots of stops in between was at first late then nothing...fortunately when you buy a ticket on those type of trains you can take any one to that destination so we ended up catching the next one and barely made it to our tour on time.  Note to self - always make sure there are at least 2 trains before your tour starts in case one never comes.

 I booked a tour with Sharedtours.com.   This was the best tour - also one of the cheapest!  I simply had to reserve online holding spots with my credit card but paid cash when we arrived - the tours are not guaranteed until they have at least 6 people and because we were four our tour was almost instantly confirmed once another couple signed up.  You can hire your own guide for around 150 Euro but why do that when you can join a small group like this.  There ended up being 11 of us - versus other tour groups trying to bring 25 people around for far more money.  Our 30 year old archeologist guide was excellent.  Due to the rain the crowds were light at Pompeii - and as soon as the tour started it quit raining!  We were so fortunate.  We loved the tour, so informative.  The only downside was that we couldn't see the top of Mount Vesuvious due to clouds.

Chariot street in Pompeii - there are actual grooves from the wheels

Painting in a brothel, a menu item for your choosing

Water fountain

Phallic symbol marking the way to the nearest brothel on the street (for real!)

 One of the coolest things about Pompeii is that it is so large and that most of it still remains buried under the new town of Pompeii.  Also that archeologists realized that there were air pockets near the bones and so in order to fully realize what the individuals looked like they poured plaster into the holes to adhere to the bones.  Once the ash was removed they got a clear picture.  Below is the cast of a dog lying on his back that had been chained at the time the gas and ash had arrived from the eruption.  Very sad.

Plaster cast of dog as it was found

A Pompeii citizen realizing his fate

Another adult struck down

 Only a few of the casts and items are on display at the Pompeii site due to lack of facility to house them.  Most of them are actually in the Archeological museum in Naples.  That is the only thing we missed on this trip that I wish we had time for.  Maybe next time!

Rich man's courtyard - looks almost exactly as it would have 

Mt Vesuvius covered in cloud - we never got to see the top of it!

Our final day in Salerno we were thinking of cancelling our plans as had wanted to take the ferry to Amalfi which was a half an hour ride away.  The forecast was not good - but morning came and it was much nicer than predicted.  In fact it didn't rain at all on us that day.  

The company that runs ferry service between Salerno, Amalfi, Positano and a couple smaller towns is called Travelmar.  For 8 Euro per person each way we had a very pleasant ride along the coast.  The scenery is wonderful, I highly recommend doing this on your own over taking a tour.  Advance tickets are only required at the peak of summertime or on long weekends.  Otherwise, you walk up, get your ticket and climb onboard.  We chose to ride on the very top for best views.  

Our Ferry getting ready to dock and unload the prior passengers

view of Amalfi arriving by ferry

I am really glad we chose to only visit one Amalfi Coast town - Amalfi is the largest.  We relaxed, wandered, had lunch, shopped, visited the 9th Century Cathedral, then bought our return tickets at leisure and had a drink while waiting for the return ferry.  These are very much tourist towns and not regular Italian life towns though.  Prices for hotels and meals reflect that.  Don't think you can rent a car and visit either, there was zero parking, only for a couple of tour buses.  Renting vehicles in this area is not for the faint of heart - this road is a bit crazy full of cliffs and switchbacks.  If you have a car and driver they normally drop you off and meet you later.  Ferry really is one of the best ways to visit.

Cathedral at Amalfi

Another unique Italian fountain

Hubby and I at cocktail hour!

My next post will be about our journey onward to Paris and our three nights there.  I have a zillion more pictures though - I will make sure to sprinkle even more Italy pictures in future posts.

Happy weekend everyone!