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Sorrento, Italy

Our travel days end up taking longer than anticipated – partly due to us getting up a bit later (because we end up in bed so late) and partly due to getting the various connections. This is merely an observation and pointer for planning – for example if total travel time is 4 hours, but you have three connections then you may kiss goodbye to about 7 hours!

The travel time is not lost time however, as I try and catch up on blogs not done due to lack of sleep or view the interesting countryside that is all so new to us. It also gives a little down time so we can kind of half recharge.

We got farewelled from Rome by our charming host David, with invites to visit from both sides. Both Vernon and I are loving the B and B or Pension (small 10 room hotel, family owned) style of accommodation. Its so much more personal and they give you a fast track to local life and the ins and outs. Of course I am a 5 star girl at heart, but there are plenty 5 star experiences to be had with less bells and whistles. I especially like having a local guide and helper aspect rather than an impersonal concierge.

Easy connection to the main train station where we were adept enough to book on a machine – a gypsy scammer interrupted us and tried to help – (of course in order to get some money) but we efficiently got rid of her too. We could have got a bullet train to Naples, but it was about 100 euros each compared to 24 for the regional 2nd class. It also meant than instead of a 1 hr rocket trip we would have more stops and a journey of 2hrs.

In our language that equates to a good dinner or two out so we chose budget and had an hour to spare before it left. As it was lunch time we checked out one of the train station eateries and like the one in Spain it was excellent and cheap. We had a pasta dish (eggplant, tuna, olives, courgettes in tomato), a pork chop with ratatouille side, water, and a bread roll all for 10.90 euro. This was a one person meal but more than enough for the two of us AND we got a free toilet pass – also very useful as you have to pay for most here – grrr.

Our host in Rome had given us a welcome gift of two bottles of wine, a red and a white which we had not been able to finish during our stay so I had put the balance of the red in my stainless water bottle (packed the white). This proved very handy to wash down my lunch …. Vernon thinks I have turned into a right lush.

The train was pretty packed but we managed a seat in cattle class with our bags above us on a rack. Here I would like to note that the Italians in general do not seem familiar with deodorant. The further south you go the worse it is. I had to eat lollies at one stage to get some scented air up my nostrils. That said another thing not refined enough for me was the toilet on the train which Vernon informed me went directly to the track complete with a warning that I would not like to go to it. Fine I can hold. Many toilets here are unisex too which I find a bit uncomfortable ie., in one room you may have two cubicles – one for each gender. Talk about toilet performance anxiety!

The countryside between Rome and Naples is not as scenic as we saw in Tuscany from train and bus. Flatter areas, some horticulture a few large ranges occasionally and a continued absence of livestock. The pasture is not as lush or healthy looking either.

Arriving in Napoli it was a relief to get off the budget train, and we proceeded to the information stand to a very helpful staff – man that wanted to steal me as Vernon puts it. He went out of his way to find out my lineage, where I came from and where I was going and then provided us with good transfer information along with his personal email and list of his favourite gelato shops and eateries in Sorrento. Clearly I must look as though I need fattening up or maybe that I like my food?

We had read lots of warnings (roughest train in Italy with notorious thieves and pickpockets) about the commuter line called the “Circumservio” that goes from Napoli to Sorrento, but the other options required either getting to the port for a boat, or bus to the airport then airport bus to Sorrento. There is no train to the airport so either of those options required taxis and the connections are not as frequent. So feeling brave we went across the way to the commuter line.

OMG we had entered ghetto-ville. Only 2 platforms, no maps on walls or schedules, screens not working, dark, dank, rubbish laying around and lots of people. The 70 minute trip only cost 4.10 euro each which is cheap but you even wondered about that. The trains coming through we’re old, had hard plastic seats and looked as though they had come from a wreckers yard. Some had graffiti all over, others missing paint and all had a grubby demeanour.

A gypsy woman with about a 1 yr old in a front sling breast feeding with breast totally exposed was begging up and down the platform with the required pained and miserable face. I really do try to find understanding and compassion but struggle feeling only contempt and mild anger for their scavenging lifestyle (no problem with discrete breastfeeding either – did it with my two of course, however this was ‘out -there’ and kind of unnecessary – if would definitely make a few people uncomfortable).

David our Rome host said that they are scammers as the government give them big payouts due to the Romani people being disadvantaged over time etc. much like a treaty agreement. I made comment on how I disliked them grooming their children from birth to the same life style for example a 7 year old by himself doing accordion on the trains with a paper cup stapled to the strap and little girls even younger walking ahead of the wailing and moaning mother with a cup and the misery face, and I queried on why they would be allowed to use children this way who should be in school. He explained that they did try to do something but various initiatives had failed and at the end of the day they did not want to work and change their lifestyle. I also asked about human trafficking and he said yes, of course they do not respect human life and the old story of be careful the gypsies will steal your children show this sort of thing goes way back.

After a 20 minute wait it looked as though our train was coming and a lot of people were getting reading to push onto it. There were quite a few other bewildered and a little anxious looking tourists like ourselves and we had a brief friendly exchange with one couple from San Diego.

Anyway we joined the crush and there was no way we could fit on the carriage we were lined up for. We raced down to the next one and got in, only to be waved off by a lady along with a European man. We were going to ignore her but someone else said “no Sorrento”. Oh ****, quickly we managed to get off just in time and realised we had broken the rule of double check, however in our defence it was the right platform, the right time, and the screens which weren’t working were now working and our train was next.

Then on the mostly empty platform we thought of all the other poor tourists who had got on the wrong train and looked for the San Diego couple who like us were heading to Sorrento and were nowhere to be seen. These trains do not have the screens or announcements of next stop inside so unless you are familiar with the line and read the stations it could take ages to cotton on you were on the wrong line. Another issue is there are no intersects on the circum line so you would have to come back to start at Naples to get on the right line.

Ok, next train was just as full, we ran from carriage entrance to carriage entrance down the platform with our heavy bags to no success as the trained squeezed its doors shut and with a whistle off it went. Pooh! When was the next train? Only another 40 minutes waiting in the dungeon!

We prepared ourselves to rugby scrum our way on the next train and managed ok and even got a seat. The trip was mainly through unkempt, graffiti filled neighbourhoods until near Sorrento wher
e there were hills and little plots of grapes and lemons.

Our trusty GPS navigated us a short 10 minute walk to our hotel where the hostess was very welcoming. After a little walk around and obligatory gelato testing we had pizza from a place next door recommended by our hostess. They had two sizes, a single you see pictured and a family which was about 30cm wide by 60 long. The flavour we chose was courgette, cream, prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella and basil on a tomato base. NOM. It was a very popular local place away from tourist centre and it was something to see them churning the pizza out at a rate of knots, very hot hard work and all by hand.

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