Amalfi
Today we had to decide what to do before catching the ferry from Positano to Naples. After much debate we choose to take the bus to Amalfi. Like the last couple of days the weather looked changeable and so none of us really wanted to spend much time in Positano.
We caught the 9:20 bus at 9:35 and trundled along the coast. It’s only 21 km to Amalfi but the journey there took 45 minutes. The bus follows the narrow winding coastal road with cars other buses trying to squeeze past in the other direction.
We arrived and discovered almost immediately the bad news. The ferry company had cancelled all ferries for the day because of potential bad weather. We sat down to have a coffee and decided on a plan. We would immediately return to Positano by bus. The next bus left at 11 am. In the meantime Matt clicked on the taxi firm he had used already and booked a cab to take us from Positano to our Airbnb in Naples.
The journey back by bus took even longer than the way out. More traffic on such windy roads really slows the coach down. I hate to think what travelling in the summer is like. It probably takes a couple of hours to go from Positano to Amalfi. We returned to the hotel, having bought sandwiched on the way and waited for our lift.
The taxi arrived and because of the road system in Positano there is a one-way route that passes through the town. I sat in the back and looked out at the town of Positano and thought how tourists had destroyed the place. The town is packed with visitors. Everywhere and everyone caters for the incoming crowd. Nothing resembles a home where families and old people could live on a permanent basis. It felt as if the tourists have sucked the life out of the place. Moderation is needed but Positano is an example of the extreme tourist town.
Naples
The taxi dropped us off at Piazza Nolana and our Airbnb. The apartment sits behind a very large door. You need to step through a narrow entrance which is cut into a massive door that leads to the block of flats . Behind the door lies a huge hallway that looks like a distressed gallery from the Tate Britain.
Upstairs on the 1st floor we found a door and behind the 4 further doors. Apparently one door is the home or Airbnb for a French family. The other 3 doors are our home for the next two nights. The rooms have all been recently refurbished and are comfortable.
We left the apartment and had a short walk around we ended up buying some crisps and wine at a local store and then having a terrible drink at the nearest bar to the department.
In the evening we walked around the corner and had a very nice low cost meal in a local restaurant. Mark and Matt both had pizzas and claimed they were the best pizzas they had ever eaten.
When we walked back Maggi and I watched an episode of Slow Horses.