Riding the Amalfi Coast Road

For the last 4 days/nights we have stopped at Camping Salerno (N40°37’39” E14° 21’27”), a small family run campsite right by the sea, next to the Amalfi Coast. 

Our plot - we chose shade over a plot overlooking the sea with no shade, as it is now reaching mid 30°C during the day!

Before leaving the Bay of Naples to head for the Amalfi coast, we took the train into Naples so Mel could have his pizza, in the place it was invented!

As hard as Mel and I tried we couldn’t fall in love with Naples, it is everything we had read about – very run down, filthy and crime-ridden.  That said the people were friendly and we enjoyed a stroll around some of the old parts of the city and we didn’t get mugged!

Via San Gregorio Armeno is a lovely street, lined with places specializing in the making of Christmas cribs – an old Neapolitan tradition.

Via San Gregorio Armeno

When we got to the Duomo (cathedral) a wedding was about to take place, which looked like a Mafia wedding as everyone was dressed in black!

Napoli Duomo

The Duomo is a lovely early 13^th century Gothic building, with ornate chapels full of wonderful frescoes and treasures.

Napoli Duomo - treasures

Mel enjoying his pizza – baked in a hot wood-fired oven.

Mel enjoying his pizza in old Napoli

I ordered a Fried pizza with Ricotta Cheese and ham, popular in Naples but not anywhere else, and at around 1,000 calories a mouthful I am not surprised!

Fried Pizza in Napoli, surprisingly yummy!

Unfortunately, we ended up getting on the wrong train coming back.  It said to Portisci but we didn’t realise that there are 2 stations and both at different ends of the town.  It was only a 3km walk but when we got off the train at about 8pm the heavens opened and an almighty thunderstorm ensued! It was great to see rain and to get a little bit wet, as it was still about 28° and we did think about walking.  However, stupidly we had left the roof vents up on the motorhome and needed to get back quickly before our little house on wheels got flooded.  So, we jumped in a taxi that cost us a whopping €20 just to go 3km!

As much as we didn’t like Naples, we adore the Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana).  It is said that it is Europe’s most beautiful stretch of coast and we agree!  We took the scooter around the roads and the scenery is breath-taking as the narrow road winds around the sheer cliffs. Motorhomes are prohibited from going around these tiny roads (and rightly so, as it would be too dangerous) but ironically tour buses and coaches are allowed and we saw quite a few near misses with cars, as in typical Italian style they all go at quite a speed!

Amalfi - St Andrew’s Cathedral, with its beautifully decorated façade.

St Andrew’s Cathedral, Amalfi

We rode up high in the cliff to Ravello, 5kms above Amalfi, where you get some great views of the coast and where they have some enormous lemons, that appear to have nipples!  A variety known as Sfusato Lemon.

There is plenty of Limoncello and ceramics covered with lemons as well

Positano

Sorrento

Tonight is our last night before moving further south, towards getting the ferry to Sicily.  We sat on the beach and watched the sunset on the longest day of the year - summer solstice.

Sitting on the campsite's private beach watching the sunset.

Sally x