The ferry from Palmero was to leave at 10.30am, the internet site that I booked my seat on says you need to be at the terminal to collect your ticket at 8.30am. No drama. The taxi picked me up from my B & B at 8am, then off we go to the Port. Silly silly silly me, assumed (can't believe I assumed - I am the first to say Never Assume!!) the taxi driver would know where the ticket office is on the port. Nope. We drove around for ages until I got him to just drop me off and I will find it. 8.15 by this stage, still plenty of time, I am not worried. Long story short, I found where I needed to be by 8.30. It was a fenced off area on the pier. That was locked with no people, ferry, boat or dinghy in site. 10 minutes later a car pulls up and the guy tells me the ferry is an hour late, and the office doesnt open until 9. Ok, I go across the road to the cafe and have coffee and sit and wait. 9.10 another car pulls up, not the office person and she can't help me, I just have to wait.
9.45 the office opens. The ferry is an hour late, so the office opened an hour late. After being in Italy for almost two months you would think I would have figured that out by now! I get my ticket, and wait. And wait. And wait.
The ferry is going to be 2 hours late so I wait, and wait, and wait.
I am the only person there.
The ferry is going to be 3 hours late.
Another lady turns up. Thank goodness Anna (think of the mother on The Golden Girls) speaks Italian and English.
We wait together. And wait, and wait, and wait.
F I V E hours later, we get on the ferry. There were about 200 other people on board. All men. Coming from Tunisia. Anna and I stuck together like siamese twins! Thank god we were there for each other!!
me and everyone else waiting to get on board the ferry!
the ferry to Salerno
my leaving Siclia behind meAnna is about 2 feet tall, and Italian nonna who doesn't muck around. She told the guy who touched me on the bum "Hey!! wadda you doin wid your hands!!! Keep your dirty hands to yourself or I kick you in the arse!" and the guy who slithered up beside me and asked if I was dutch "wadda ya wanna know that for? leave uz alown". Word soon spread around the men not to come near us - she was absolutely brilliant!
We spent a lot of the 10 hour trip talking about 'stuff' and laughing and laughing and laughing alot. She was fantastic company.
Ferry docks and we have to line up at a container they are using for a customs office. But we got on in Palermo so Anna says to the caribinieri 'wadda we gotta be here for? We were in Italia wen we gotton the boat!" They eventually let the two of us go through.
We have to get the bus to the gate of the port (20 metres). I ask the cop before I get on the bus where I can get a taxi. Outside the port gates. He says to the bus driver that I want a taxi. Plenty outside the port gates. We get to the port gates, not a fricken taxi in sight. Anna's friends are there they have been waiting 5 hours for her. I went to another cop, and asked about a taxi. He rattled of some number and i just looked at him. He says 'phone', so I gave him my mobile, he dialed the number and went to give me the phone. I just looked at him pleeeeeeeaaaadingly. He spoke to them and 10 minutes later, there is my taxi.
My hotel is NOT in the centre as advertised. 9 kms outside of the centre. I can get a bus. OK no drama I am a busaholic by now. My room is heaven and light and bright and clean and fabulous - and HOT. Like a freaking sauna.
The air conditioning isn't working.
I ring downstairs and ask someone to come up and show me how to turn it down (it is 1am by this stage). The jerkoff comes up and fiddles around with the control, then unlocks my window and says the air conditioning goes off at midnight, it will be back on in the morning and the window can stay open.
By this stage all I want to do is sleep, so in my tiredness I just say ok.
But, it is too hot to sleep.
7am, I ring downstairs and asked jerkoff what time the air con comes on (have you heard anything more ridiculous!!). This morning madam. Yes, but WHEN this morning.
I will send my colleague up to check your air conditioning. You can move to another room if you like.
Yes please
But that room will be hotter
Why will that room be hotter
Because it gets the sun
Just send someone up
10 minutes later a young 'boy' comes up, puts his hand up to the grill and says 'No'
Whhellllllllll DUH!!!
Long story short - I have since moved rooms, the receptionist told me they turn off the air conditioning at night because in October it is usually cold at night. Usually. Anyway, I have figured out the air conditioning is not on at all, just the fan. Better than neinte.
the view from my first hotel roomYesterday I caught the bus in to la citta and wandered around for a while amongst the shops - a bit ho-hum but had looked at the mappa (don't know what for!) and decided to walk along the main street until it ran out then go down to the beach and walk along the esplanade.
BUT!!! At the end of the main street is "Old Salerno", the old old streets and laneways that I love!!!!! I wandered around and got lost for hours, just soaking up the atmosphere and breathing the air and loving being amongst it all.
Main street of Salerno
"Old Salerno" - these are the streets I love!I found an osteria and sat and had some spaghetti caribinara, insalada mista, pane, vino and finito con limoncello - phew!! During lunch I put my bag on the chair next to me and pushed off to the floor a bottle of moscato I had bought - it smashed - oh well.
my lunch at Osteria Nonna Maria'sAfter lunch I wandered around Old Salerno some more, bought some smelly cheese and pane and another bottle of vino to bring back to my room to munch on later, then went for a stroll along The Esplanade in the sunshine. But, I didnt see the puddle that I slipped in and fell flat on my backside - one minute I'm admiring the view, next thing I'm on the ground. Thank goodness I didnt break my 2nd bottle of vino - but I think I might have broken my thumb - hurts like hell and is a tad swollen.
On The EsplanadeI pick myself up and have a sit for a while to gather myself then off I go again, across the busy street, up through town to the train station to get the number 5 or number 9 bus back to the motel. Number 9 bus comes first so I hop on. The bus went along the beach (opposite direction but I figure it is doing a loop), through the mountains, the most beautiful countryside and old churches and buildings and views!
90 minutes later, the bus stops, I turn around, I am the only one on the bus. Wrong bus. The bus driver tells me number 5 bus and from the terminal at the beach. (I must tell the receptionist here!!). I ask, and he says he is going back to the train station but in 20 minutes. OK, I will wait (what else am I going to do!!!). While waiting, I sit at the top of the hill and watch the local soccer game going on. Italy and Australia are not that different on a Saturday afternoon, people go to their local footy game and cheer on their side. It sounded just like a local footy game at Leopold.
Saturday afternoon football in Salerno
On the bus - Italian's feel a breeze and they rug up - meanwhile I was sweating!!Back on the bus, back through the lovely scenery, back to Salerno and the bus stops at the beach terminal. By this stage, my head is throbbing, my thumb is swelling and I've already decided another hour on another bus is not going to be fun and I will get a taxi from the train station back to the hotel. Not a taxi or number 5 bus in site, so I walk the couple of blocks to the train station, get a taxi and am home in bed after taking some panadol for my headache, a huge drink of water because I'm sure I am dehydrated by now, with a swollen throbbing thumb and a huge lump on my arm by 8.30. I'm in heaven !
I have just woken up at 6.30am, and thought about my last couple of days. Usually, if I was at home, those days would have been so dramatic for me!!!! I have taken everything in my stride and not cracked 'em once. Life is so different when you are on holidays!
I have decided to go to Pompei today. I will get a taxi to the train station (It is Sunday and the buses only run every couple of hours), train to Pompei and wander around for a while, let's see what happens today!!
I just love your blog Robyn, so professional and very interesting! First opportunity I've had to comment as I forgot to take your blog details with me to Canada......don't say it! I know, what a dork! You should think about writing I think, you have a gift....it's like being there with you. Italy sounds like South America....only sometimes the planes don't turn up at airports when they are supposed to!
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