Amalfi Coast
We all packed up early and caught the bus to Campino airport to pick up the car which we had arranged on the internet for a bargain price - particularly when split four ways. It turned out to be a very nice brand new station wagon which fitted all four of us and our luggage quite comfortably. It is approximately 250km to Amalfi and I drove the first leg. It is the first time that I have ever driven a car on the wrong side of the road, sitting on the left with the gear lever on my right. I did very well for a novice, managing not to stall it or kangaroo hop down the road and I only drifted out of my lane once or twice. After about a hundred kilometres I handed the driving over to Stuart and we completed our journey in good time.
Tip # 14. Do not whinge about the price of tolls in Australia. The Rome to Naples road cost us 10 euros ($17).
The last half hour from Salerno to Amalfi was on extremely narrow tight windy roads with thousands of buses cars and motorcycles out for a Sunday drive. The road is barely two cars wide and then the locals park all along the cliff side, leaving barely enough space for a car to pass - much less a bus. I'm very surprised that Stuart didn't have a coronary having faced several tour buses on blind corners. When we finally reached Amalfi it was full to overflowing with Italian joy riders and day trippers. Negotiating the traffic in the main square was a total nightmare. The owner of the apartment we had booked met us on her scooter and led us through the historic part of town, which was mostly a pedestrian walkway, to our accommodation for the next five days. The Boys and the BOSS took our bags up to the apartment while I waited with the car. Shouts of glee could be heard from the square below when the Boys and the BOSS discovered just how wonderfully decadent our apartment was.
We had been lucky to score this accommodation. I had been looking online at dozens of hotels and apartments and the owners of this one offered us a bargain price as our stay fitted perfectly in the middle of two other bookings. The three bedroom apartment was extremely modern, equipped with spa bath, leather furniture, full kitchen, washing machine, dishwasher, and satellite TV. We were getting this five star accommodation for 25 euros each per night - same rate as a dorm room in a youth hostel.
Amalfi is a fantastic old town with windy cobbled streets and interesting shops. We all went to explore the town, beach and the waterfront. We had fabulous divine seafood pizzas over looking the water as the sun set. Life does not get much better than this.
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