4 October '05, Tuesday.
I've just added more pictures to the Italy Photo Gallery if you would like to see them.
Another train ride south to Sorrento, then jump off quick to beat everyone that is heading across the street to the Amalfi bus. What a game we play... The famous bus ride along the Amalfi coast is done on a public transit bus, so you are mixing the aggressive tourist wanting to find 2 seats on the right side and the aggressive local that has had to fight to get on "their" bus to get home. I'm sure this ritual has gone on daily for a long time. Louise and I weren't the first in line, but for a short while, the last... Each bus holds 49 people...ya right...that's not counting the 59 more standing. We of course missed the first bus, but that put us within 6 or 8 from the front of the line for the next one. Funny thing happened when the next bus arrived...it stopped about half way back and opened it's doors. Of course we just stood by and let everyone get on...WRONG... the fellow behind us (from Portland) and I went scampering back to put a plug into the doorway stopping the flow of line jumpers. I must say, we were quite successful (my new big umbrella helped). At least John and I were able to get on and get our "rightful" seats at the front and on the right hand side for "the" best views. A little later, the ladies found their way up the stairs and into the wonderful seats that their brave husbands had fought hand to hand for. I forgot to mention, we are still taking the trains, boats and buses on that same 3 day pass, and we are really getting our moneys worth. On this bus ride we are going to see some stunning scenery and a few historic ruins. But, the big draw is the "white knuckle" bus ride that takes you on a very narrow, twisting, treacherous, absolutely beautiful drive along the coast for about one and a half hours. The bus has a horn that would make any man proud to own, and it is constantly blowing as you approach the next corner. You wonder how the driver has enough hands to hit his horn and handle the steering wheel at the same time. There were many times when we had to come to a complete stop and then inch along as we passed on-coming traffic. Twice we had to back up. The loadest horn wins the right-a-way. All along the Amalfi Coast we came upon small villages hanging onto their little piece of very steep cliff. Way down the cliff from the roadway you could see a wonderful little beach that was only accessed by stairs that seemed to appear out of thin air. Most of the beaches are private, and for those that own these very expensive homes or one of the hotels along the way. It was fun to see the Mediterranean twinkle from 500 feet above this great swimming pool, or look back across to the last turn you had just made and see this little village plunging down the hill to meet the beach below. Every once in a while, you would see the village of 10 to 15 homes, their fishing boats pulled up across the sand, waiting for the next tide. It was worth the fight to get "our" seats, but I wish there was some way that the locals could get their lives back, I feel a little guilty... Arriving in Amalfi, the end of the line, we wondered up the hill to find a lite lunch, window shop, and take a few photos before finding the boat ride back to Sorrento. Again using our wonderful ticket, we boarded our boat, headed straight up the stairs to the upper deck, found our "perfect" seats and settled back to see the Amalfi Coast from another perspective. The weather held and the ride both ways was excellent. Back to the train station, train waiting, and head back to "Bumble Bee". Tomorrow...No plans yet...
I've just added more pictures to the Italy Photo Gallery if you would like to see them.
Another train ride south to Sorrento, then jump off quick to beat everyone that is heading across the street to the Amalfi bus. What a game we play... The famous bus ride along the Amalfi coast is done on a public transit bus, so you are mixing the aggressive tourist wanting to find 2 seats on the right side and the aggressive local that has had to fight to get on "their" bus to get home. I'm sure this ritual has gone on daily for a long time. Louise and I weren't the first in line, but for a short while, the last... Each bus holds 49 people...ya right...that's not counting the 59 more standing. We of course missed the first bus, but that put us within 6 or 8 from the front of the line for the next one. Funny thing happened when the next bus arrived...it stopped about half way back and opened it's doors. Of course we just stood by and let everyone get on...WRONG... the fellow behind us (from Portland) and I went scampering back to put a plug into the doorway stopping the flow of line jumpers. I must say, we were quite successful (my new big umbrella helped). At least John and I were able to get on and get our "rightful" seats at the front and on the right hand side for "the" best views. A little later, the ladies found their way up the stairs and into the wonderful seats that their brave husbands had fought hand to hand for. I forgot to mention, we are still taking the trains, boats and buses on that same 3 day pass, and we are really getting our moneys worth. On this bus ride we are going to see some stunning scenery and a few historic ruins. But, the big draw is the "white knuckle" bus ride that takes you on a very narrow, twisting, treacherous, absolutely beautiful drive along the coast for about one and a half hours. The bus has a horn that would make any man proud to own, and it is constantly blowing as you approach the next corner. You wonder how the driver has enough hands to hit his horn and handle the steering wheel at the same time. There were many times when we had to come to a complete stop and then inch along as we passed on-coming traffic. Twice we had to back up. The loadest horn wins the right-a-way. All along the Amalfi Coast we came upon small villages hanging onto their little piece of very steep cliff. Way down the cliff from the roadway you could see a wonderful little beach that was only accessed by stairs that seemed to appear out of thin air. Most of the beaches are private, and for those that own these very expensive homes or one of the hotels along the way. It was fun to see the Mediterranean twinkle from 500 feet above this great swimming pool, or look back across to the last turn you had just made and see this little village plunging down the hill to meet the beach below. Every once in a while, you would see the village of 10 to 15 homes, their fishing boats pulled up across the sand, waiting for the next tide. It was worth the fight to get "our" seats, but I wish there was some way that the locals could get their lives back, I feel a little guilty... Arriving in Amalfi, the end of the line, we wondered up the hill to find a lite lunch, window shop, and take a few photos before finding the boat ride back to Sorrento. Again using our wonderful ticket, we boarded our boat, headed straight up the stairs to the upper deck, found our "perfect" seats and settled back to see the Amalfi Coast from another perspective. The weather held and the ride both ways was excellent. Back to the train station, train waiting, and head back to "Bumble Bee". Tomorrow...No plans yet...