We left Manarola on the 7:17 in the frickin morning train. It all had to do with connections. The quickest most direct train route from Cinque Terre to Naples, which was our termination train station for Amalfi, was through Rome. Where I believe all roads lead, right? Anyway high speed train connections through Rome dictated that we leave Manarola so early, 7 minutes to connect in La Spezia, then almost 3 hours on the fast train to Rome. About 40 minutes to connect in Rome, then 45 minutes fast train from Rome to Naples.
All connections were met. Some excitement in Rome. We were transferring from the state run Trenitalia fast train to a new private competitor fast train called Italo. When we got into Rome, they had not posted the track assignment for our next train. We spent about 20 minutes waiting, asking questions from some the least helpful and grouchy workers we have met in our travels and about that time the fast train cappuccino kicked in. Joel needed to find a men’s room in the worst way. The worst way turns out to be looking for toilet signs in Rome’s Termini station. We had 15 minutes when I started my quest, I left Bonnie standing looking at the big track assignment board with all the luggage near where we thought the train would be assigned. I hightailed it out of the train loading area and I swear covered nearly the whole station to find a men’s room where I paid my 1 Euro to enter, did my business and hauled it back to the tracks. The train was scheduled to leave the station at 11:15, it was 11:13 when I met a very worried (panicked) Bonnie. We grabbed the bags, ran the 10 tracks to the train, boarded at the front car, even though our assigned seats where in the last car, and walked our bags back through 6 train cars to stick them in the luggage storage area and find out seats. Another Roman drama! Bonnie was not amused.
The lack of amusement continued after we detrained (Bonnie says that’s a real word) in Naples we were met by our driver for the last leg of our trip to Amalfi. Luigi (swear that’s his real name), who spoke almost no English, had a sign with our names and grabbed Bonnie’s luggage and started walking, no it was way too fast to call walking, through the Naples station to his fabulous Mercedes sedan in the parking lot. Once I caught up, we climbed aboard and ground to a halting stop and go through horrible traffic around the station. It looked like Bangalore, India. Finally we broke free and this is when we found out that fast walking was just a sample of how Luigi rolls. We hit the highway and Bonnie just about hit the roof. I noticed that on Luigi’s cell phone, which he referenced more than once in traffic, his photo showed him in a cool red and white fireproof race driver suit and helmet standing in front of a bright red racing car. Yep, our Luigi was a part-time race car driver….and he liked to practice on the road. Weaving through traffic at 130 KPH riding the ass of every car that wouldn’t get out of his way, one time passing 5 cars at once, in a frickin tunnel with no passing signs. With no xanex available, Bonnie almost broke out the Tortola Trance (anybody unfamiliar with that story should really hear it from Bonnie, please ask about our trip across Tortola to make the ferry to St. John). I was trying to catch a nap, but really couldn’t due to the noises coming from the passenger next to me. But we made it. Literally stopped the car in the middle of the road and got our bags out, showed us the gate to our B&B, took his money and lit out of there. With this we arrived at Ercole diAmalfi.
We were met at the gate at the top of a seriously hilly drive way by Valentina. The driveway was so steep that the bags almost made it down before we did. Checked into a lovely room, enquired as to the best way to get to town. Learned that it was the bus. Bus stops are less defined than most areas. Locals know where to stand and when the bus is supposed to come by. We lucked out, Valentina was headed to town, had two extra bus tickets, because of course you had to buy them in town, and she sheparded us to the first “bus stop”. I would say it was a wide spot in the road, but there are no wide spots. Anyway, 10 minutes after the bus was supposed to pass by, Valentina guessed they got held up in traffic, one way in one way out kind of place. So we walked about a half mile up to the next intersection and hung out there until the “other” bus came along. More success at the second stop. We got the bus, made it to town, got instructions on how to obtain return tickets, which bus we needed and where to pick it up in town. And we were on our own.
Fortunately this was not our first time in Amalfi. After a quick bite to eat, we headed to our first and only destination in the village of Amalfi. The ceramics shop where in 2011 Bonnie had designed a few pieces for our house and was now on the hunt to acquire more. We liked the place last time because they use great local artists and like to collaborate with artsy customers to do bespoke designs….plus they ship to the US!
Bonnie had taken pictures of the previous work and had to use that as proof that this was the right shop. We recognized it straight away upon seeing the doorway to her shop. The owner, Maria, didn’t think it was her work right away, then once she started talking with Bonnie she said she remembered her, not for the work, but for her personality. Maria was soooo pleased to have someone appreciate her work enough to come back and to have a like-minded artist to collaborate with, that sparks flew. About an hour later they had the design nailed, the pieces selected and Bonnie has a birthday present that will only be a few months late. A set of custom designed plates, bowls and mugs. Expect to be eating off of them before the end of summer. Some action photos of the design process.
We waited for the 5pm bus, climbed aboard, got standing room only spots in the aisle. With buses few and far between and tourists aplenty and cab rates starting at 30 Euros a trip, space on the bus is at a premium. It took awhile to get to our stop, took a bit of maneuvering to get out the bus door at our stop, but we made it back in time to rest a bit before dinner.
The restaurant we had selected provided a shuttle ride, the gent picking us up that evening was the youngest brother of four that run the family business.
Stephano, explained that his father’s family had started this buisness and now his father runs the farm up on the hills of Scula, where they grow 90% of the produce used at the restaurant. He and his brothers serve as GM, Matre d’, Sommelier and Chef. There Mom still comes down the mountain to make desserts every day. Great way to close out a very long day. Wine recommended by brother Giuseppe (the oldest) clams and mussels with pasta, anchovy pasta for Bonnie, mixed fried fish for Bonnie and sea bass for me and a pear ricotta cake from Mama. Finished with the house limoncello and meloncello (or melon creme if you will). No pasta photos available, sorry, am getting those recipes from Stephano though.
Stephano drove us home, we could actually see the restaurant from our B&B but due to the winding roads it was a 10 minute drive, and a no f’ng way walk, and we walked like mountain goats down the driveway to sleep.