Atrani on the Amalfi Coast.

The train ride from Taormina to Salerno was long, over 6 hours, but we like train travel in Europe and this trip had the added interest of a ferry ride across the Straits of Messina. After the train pulled onto the ferry, we could leave the train car and go up onto the decks, where we watched our progress over the water. I thought the trip was an easy one, with the ferry ride and some glimpses of the sea as we made our way up the coast. Before we knew it, we were pulling into the Salerno station and Pina, a friend of the woman who owned the apartment we were renting in Atrani, was there waiting for us. A charming, attractive young woman, she shepherded us to her car and off we went for what should have been a 40 minute drive to Atrani and the apartment.

Pina was fun and full of information about what we were seeing on our way, and we were enjoying the drive. But then things began to go wrong. It was not her fault, but that long holiday weekend we had already dealt with in Taormina was now impacting the traffic on the Amalfi Coast. Two hours later, we were still kilometers away from Atrani in stop and go traffic, and Pina was in the midst of a crisis. Her 7 year old daughter, who was at dance class, would soon be waiting for her mother to pick her up. Pina, stalled as she was on the roadway with us in tow, would never be able to get there on time. Phone in hand, she finally found someone who would pick up her daughter and take her home. Then, as we inched along, she phoned another friend who agreed to open a space in front of his house on the roadway, allowing her to park there, a kilometer away from Atrani. Once parked, we could walk on the road to the village, dragging our suitcases and wearing our backpacks, which is what we did. Traffic was basically stopped dead, so being in the road was not as scary as it could have been, and we scampered between cars following the lovely Pina who was deftly dodging the vehicles in her way. Finally, we reached the steps of Atrani and left the road to run up 85 steps. (We counted them later.) Pina had my suitcase, which she had insisted on carrying, and she hauled it up those stairs like it was empty. Steve and I were having a little more trouble but tried not to slow down too much. As we rounded each corner and more steps loomed in front of us, slowing down didn't seem like an option. Finally, a narrow flight of 20 some steps with a door at the top came into view. Beyond the door was our new home for the next 4 nights. All was well when Pina opened the door and we walked over to the big floor to ceiling windows and looked down on Atrani below and the sea beyond. Gorgeous.

Candace, how big was the train? I am having trouble visualizing a train on a ferry. :-)
I probably sound ignorant, but doesn't the train have to be on tracks?

Dayle, I agree 100 percent. The Sicilian people are a really big part of the reason Sicily is such a wonderful place to visit. And I can imagine your whistler provided a special moment for you to remember.

Karen, the train, when it gets to the ferry, is split into two sections, then loaded onto the tracks that run along the bottom section of the ferry. After the ferry docks, the two pieces of the train are unloaded, then coupled back together and off it goes. Pretty neat!

The Amalfi Coast/ Atrani Continued.

So we began our 4 night stay on the Amalfi Coast. The first order of business was to find a place to buy groceries. It was past 6:00 and we needed to stock up. We said goodbye to Pina who assured us that there were shops in town where we could find basic supplies. We soon found it was two hundred and five steps from the apartment down to Atrani's little piazza and the small shops she spoke of. Two hundred and five steps down meant two hundred and five steps up, of course, but we had no choice. In the first tiny store we entered we couldn't find much to cook for dinner except hotdogs. Beer, wine, and milk was available but no bread or produce. Thankfully, there was another slightly larger shop further down the street where the owner was putting together some chicken, pork, and sausage skewers with his own special marinade. He held out a glass jar of the marinade for us to sniff. Smelled wonderful. So hotdogs were off the menu for dinner that night. However, we needed bread and the only bread left in this shop was hamburger buns, complete with red, white, and blue plastic bags. Turned out we loved these buns which were slightly sweet and made great toast in the morning. So our first meal in Atrani wasn't half bad after all. And trudging up and down 205 steps sure helped our appetite.

I had done a lot of research prior to our trip, trying to find an apartment in Amalfi or Atrani that could be accessed without too many stairs. This apartment had seemed like a good choice as it was only 50 plus steps up from the piazza in front of Atrani's main church. What I hadn't realized was that the churchyard was halfway up the hill from the main part of town. The beach, the restaurants and shops were all the way down at the bottom, as was the pedestrian path that led from Atrani to Amalfi. But we got used to the steps and ultimately appreciated the exercise. Also, we enjoyed staying in Atrani, Amalfi's little neighbor, with its more laid back vibe. The walk to Amalfi, with its bustling shops, and all the bus and ferry connections, was easy. But we were always happy to leave the hub bub behind and head home to Atrani.

We ended up walking from Atrani to Amalfi everyday, either along the coastal road or through the pedestrian tunnel, in order to catch the ferry or the bus, or to do some shopping. Amalfi on the first day was mobbed with holiday visitors, which based on the traffic the day before, we had some indication might be the case. We did a little shopping, had pizza for lunch in the main piazza, and then happily escaped back to the relative peace of Atrani for the rest of the afternoon.

Tomorrow, beautiful Capri!

This apartment had seemed like a good choice as it was only 50 plus steps up from the piazza in front of Atrani's main church. What I hadn't realized was that the churchyard was halfway up the hill from the main part of town.>>

i'm sure that you're not the first not to realise how hilly these Amalfi towns are, Candace, or where their accommodation is in relation to the ups and downs, but I'm glad it worked out ok for you in the end. And certainly staying somewhere quiet but in easy reach of Amalfi itself sounds like a big plus.

i was pondering hotdogs in Italy....

Yes. There is something wrong about hotdogs in Italy.

Annhig, you are right. I certainly underestimated how absolutely vertical those Amalfi Coast towns are, even after reading so many trip reports and reviews. But that verticality is what makes them all so dramatic and so absolutely worth all the stair climbing.

Bilboburgler and Dayle, I know. Hotdogs, imagine. Actually, they were some sort of smooth skinny sausages that looked a lot like hotdogs. Because they were the only protein available, besides eggs, in that tiny shop, we bought them, chuckling at the heresy of eating hotdogs in Italy. A few nights later, remembering how much we had enjoyed curry wurst in Germany years ago, Steve created a curry sauce for these "wursts" and although not Italian, our meal was pretty good.

Really nice report and makes me want to spend time in Sicily, was only there for a day many moons ago.

On our first trip to Italy we ended up in Positano for a few days, leaving the Friday of the Liberation Day weekend, the traffic was stand-still from Naples..fortunately, we were heading the other way...but with no reservation or definite destination (just needed to be in Rome the following day)....it was a lesson to learn to always check the European holidays....the Italians love to travel, especially to the beach! We tried to stay at a seaside town near Rome, no room at any inn, and ended up in a walled City- Palestrina, felt like we were the only ones left in town :)

Traveler1256, I had carefully noted Easter and May Day, but Liberation Day was not on my radar for some reason. Big mistake, as you learned yourself. We were in Italy several years ago on Election Day, which also turned out to be an unexpected holiday, resulting in some unexpected closures and limited hours we hadn't planned on.

Capri for the Day.

We researched the ferry schedules while we were in Amalfi the day before and had decided to head to Capri the next morning. It was a sunny day, but windy. We were glad to have warmer hooded jackets for the ferry ride, which took about 1.5 hours. The ferry stopped briefly to pick up passengers in Positano, which gave us a great opportunity to view the town from the water. The wind made for choppy going and we knew the Blue Grotto would probably not be accessible. We planned instead to take the bus to Anacapri, explore that town, then ride the chairlift up Mt. Solaro.

Even though the holiday was officially over, Capri was packed full of people. There was quite a line for the funicular up to Capri town, and then we jumped onto a really crowded, standing room only, jam packed bus for the ride up the winding hairpin turns ( with few guard rails) to Anacapri. The bus ride was not a fun experience, as the bus was going fast and every curve sent me flying as I struggled to hang on to the nearest grab bar, and poor Steve. I was glad to get off that bus at the top and we soon found our way to the chairlift. Now this ride was more fun. The lift was made up of single chairs and the ride took about 15 minutes one way, so it was possible to just relax and take in those incredible views that Capri is so famous for. Right beneath the chairlift, little hidden garden plots, neat as a pin, were an unexpected delight. I found myself imagining those gardens were the secret homes of garden elves who only came to life when prying eyes aren't looking. At the top of the lift there is a nice facility with coffee and restrooms, and a number of spectacular viewing areas. Up there it feels like the top of the world, with gulls wheeling below. Too bad the ride back on the chairlift couldn't take us all the way down to Capri town. Now that would be a ride.

Anacapri was much less crowded than Capri town, and it was pleasant to stroll around, with some pretty little lanes to wander down. We found a restaurant for lunch where we could sit outside and watch the passersby. Which is what we were doing when suddenly Steve said, "Isn't that Rick Steves?" Sure enough, the creator of the PBS travel show and the author of several European guide books was ambling down the street in front of the restaurant where we were sitting. Steve called out, "Hi, Rick!" And Steves turned and waved, with a friendly "Ciao", and continued on his way. "Gee!", I said, "We have his guidebook in your backpack. It would be great if we could have him sign it for us." But too late. Rick disappeared down the street and we didn't want to chase him down.

We finished lunch, an eggplant parmigiana sandwich for me and a tomato, ham and cheese sandwich for Steve. We then explored the town some more before we went searching for the bus stop where we could catch the bus for the ride back down the mountain. Again, not a fun experience. By the time the bus appeared, the line of potential passengers was way too large for the small bus to accommodate. We had been waiting quite a while, and we were toward the front of the line, but when the bus door opened, the crowd started pushing and shoving forward. I started to think we weren't going to make it onto the bus and would have another long wait for the next one. Somehow, we were among the last people to climb on, and then had another harrowing bus ride, standing and hanging on tight, til we made it down to Capri town. Very unpleasant. I can't imagine what the bus situation must be like in the summer if it is this bad now. I think if we were ever to return, we would bite the bullet and shell out for a taxi.

Back in Capri town, we had some time to kill before the ferry left the dock. We did a little window shopping, which is not Steve's thing, but those high end shops had some elegant displays of the pricey merchandise inside. Then, back on the Main Street near the bus stop, we saw Rick Steves again, stopped near the corner. Quickly, we dug out his guide book. Steve approached him and asked him to sign it. He was very gracious, asked where we were from, and introduced us to the woman he was with, who was one of his Italian tour guides. They were working on updating his guidebook on Naples and the Amalfi Coast, which was the same book we were using. Rick Steves couldn't have been nicer and we were happy to meet him. We have watched his PBS show and taken advice from his guidebooks for years. We have found that he has good practical advice for logistics and the best way to access sites and attractions. We were glad to meet him in person.

The ferry ride back to Amalfi was even rougher than the trip over had been. Spray blew up over the bow and some of the people on the upper deck got wet, gave it up, and went down below. We stuck it out with some other hardy souls. We had good rain jackets, plus I thought I would get seasick in that enclosed space below.

Back to Atrani, up the stairs to our apartment, we cooked those Italian "hotdogs" for dinner. Then, sitting by the big apartment windows, we watched the lights of Atrani blink on. The wind was stronger still, and when we went to bed we could hear the waves pounding on the shore so far below us.

Wow, quite a day, and a celebrity thrown in for good measure. Good that he turned out to be a nice guy too.

Candace, thanks for describing for me how you take a train on the ferry! Wow! I never knew there were train tracks on a ferry. You learn something new every day! What fun!

And I love your day in Capri! I wouldn't like the bus ride either. And a nice story about Rick Steeves!

I, too, rode the train on the ferry between the mainland and Sicily although in the other direction. I think there used to be more of these trains than there are now. A couple of years back I did ride EC33 which runs between Hamburg and Copenhagen (I boarded in Lubeck) and includes a similar ferry crossing. It was grey and gloomy that day, though. And there is a privately run night train between Berlin and Malmo that has a much longer ferry crossing, but it only runs three times a week in summer (that info from seat61.com, photo here under Option 3: https://www.seat61.com/international...#Berlin-Sweden ). Would be very interested to know if there are any others.

The buses on Capri were also packed when I was there in early 2009. The Villa San Michele (great views) and the Chiesa San Michele (fabulous floor) are worth seeing in Anacapri, but I most enjoyed walking partway round the island.

Just got back to this. Have just visited Palermo with you, Candace, and am so glad you saw Monreale and the Pallatine (sp?) mosaics. I agree that the latter colors seemed more vivid--more blue colors-lapis-if memory serves. Does everyone stand and watch the traffic scene in Italy and/or Sicily? LOL. DH and I decided that not stopping is the goal of all. And, that a 3-lane change, if required, is acceptable!

On to Scopello.

Annhig, Rick Steves was a nice guy and we appreciated his civility.

Karen and Thursdaysd, ferry trains are pretty ingenious, although I don't know if I would want travel at night on one, if I had to be below decks. That might be a little claustrophobic for me.

T Dudette, the traffic scene in Palermo was just crazy. Then we went to Naples where the traffic was even crazier. Our taxi rides to and from the train station in Naples were downright scary. It was every man for himself, and the rules of the road didn't seem to matter much to anyone who was behind the wheel of a vehicle in that city. Absolutely hair raising.

candace, I haven't driven in Naples, and my experience of the traffic is limited to one half day trip there a few years ago, but driving in Sicily was enough for us, the only rule being "there are no rules". It would never occur to me to drive in Palermo, Catania or Naples, and it would take quite a lot for me to drive a car anywhere else in Sicily again too.

Hot dogs in Italy: little hot dogs, like Vienna sausages, are very popular in Italy. They're usually used as a base for appetizers or as a topping for pizza. They're called by the Austrian name, würstel. I don't much care for them, myself, although the ones I've tasted are better than American hot dogs, which I don't care for at all.

Candace and Annhig,

I can't help but think that the driving issue depends completely on what you are accustomed to and where you learned to drive. Driving in Sicily didn't wasn't even a blip on the radar for me. However, I wouldn't try to drive solo in Palermo just because it would be far too difficult to watch for turns and traffic at the same time!
My own taxi ride from the Naples station to my hotel during the Friday evening rush hour was entertaining. I just sat back and marveled. Same with my taxi ride around the Arc d'Triumph in Paris!

Maybe when I finally make it to New Zealand, I should go ahead and bungee jump! What do you think??

Loving your TR Candace!

Annhig, I suppose, like Dayle says, some people are comfortable with hectic, fast paced, big city driving because that is what they have always experienced behind the wheel. If you first learned to drive in Los Angeles, then the back roads of Sicily must seem pretty tame. Everything is relative, I guess.

Dayle, I definitely think you should try bungee jumping in New Zealand. You certainly seem to have an adventurous spirit!

bvlenci, the sausages you describe sound very similar to the sausages we used to make curry wurst. They tasted more like a German frank than an American hotdog.