The Amalfi coast

Monday 16th September

The Bay of Naples from our campsite.

 A short drive south took us past Naples and to the famous Amalfi coast. We stopped for 3 days at a nice little campsite on a hillside olive grove just outside Sorrento. What a beautiful setting this was! It's easy to see why travellers have raved about the Bay of Naples! The sky, the sea and the cliffs, the vegatation (& the balmy climate) all combine to create a quite wonderful landscape. Our pitch was in an olive grove (and the trees were loaded) at the furthest point from the camp entrance, so we were kept fit walking uphill daily to the camp shop and the pool (such hardship).

Piazzo Tasso in Sorrento.

Sorrento is a lovely little town but it's packed with visitors.  My most memorable moment there was observing the movement of traffic on the main square. The place is jammed with scooters and motorbikes of all kinds. They flow in and around the cars in a way unthinkable in England. For all the world it reminded me of the movement of bumper cars at the fair - although fortunately without the bumps.

Sea bream grilled to perfection . . .

I was in search of a fishmonger's that day (not easy - I had to ask an old lady who kindly accompanied me to the door of the fish shop that was located in a very narrow side street). There I bought some fresh shrimps and a couple of beautiful sea bream. So that evening we had our first full fish meal: pan-fried shrimps in garlic and oil followed by grilled bream and aubergines, with potatoes and salad. All served with a chilled white Vermentino (from Sardinia - again). Lovely!

On the day we were leaving we discovered a colony of tiny, tiny ants was trying to establish itself in the camper! Hurriedly we applied some insect powder and set to cleaning them out. Fortunately they hadn't got too much of a hold yet and soon we were (mostly) insect-free.