Exploring Naples In The Morning
As i said here, I got back into Naples without difficulty on the free bus and explored the city in the few hours I had before my train left for Rome and Genoa, where I would spend the night.
I didn’t have to carry my bag, as there was a good left luggage office in the station. It was probably best, as last time, I visited the city I was mugged. The story is here. Two pictures refer to this incident.
the only problem I had was getting back to the station, as the Metro had stopped. I even got an honest taxi driver, who said it would be much cheaper to take the Metro as it was only a short journey. As it was it cost me only a few euros, but I made the train with a few minutes to spare.
If I go back to Naples, I’ll explore the city differently by taking the Metro to Cavour and then walking down the hill to the station. That way the Metro won’t be able to let you down.
A Big Mistake In Naples
I know Naples well and I like the city a lot, but I still made a big mistake, by not getting a hotel right in the middle and preferably by the station.
I choose to stay at the Holiday Inn and it all went well getting there as the taxi was just ten euros.
I then needed to get back into the city to have something to eat. I wanted to get to Umberto’s restaurant, which is one I’ve used before that is very celiachia-friendly.
I thought there would be a bus, as coming in, I’d noticed the stop on the other side. But the guy at reception said that the only way to get back to the city centre was to take a taxi and he would call one. Like an idiot I believed him.
The taxi driver appeared about twenty minutes later and insisted I wanted to go to Pompeii. I ignored him and felt that perhaps the best thing to do was take an early night. He then called the receptionist and as I was hungry, I negotiated a trip to Umberto. I didn’t get the direct route and it cost me twenty euros to return.
But at least the meal was worth eating, even if I was a bit stressed. I finished the meal off with this ice cream.
Ice Cream at Umberto’s
It tasted as good as it looked. But then I trust Umberto’s, as everything gluten-free is clearly marked GF. And they even do gluten-free pizza!
Coming back, they sorted the taxi for me and I got back to the hotel for fourteen euros. As they said, I should have got a hotel in the centre.
The room in the Holiday Inn was actually quite comfortable and good value.
In the morning though, when asking another receptionist (female) how to get to the city centre, she gave me the timetable of their free shuttle bus. And of course, one would have been convenient to have used in the evening.
I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere near a Holiday Inn again. Especially in Italy!
Up The Coast To Naples
This wasn’t the most interesting of train rides. I can’t even find a picture worth putting in this post. The train didn’t even stop at a station, that was worth an overnight stay until Salerno.
The journey was enlivened though by two things.
I shared the compartment with a Dutch couple and we discussed a lot of things about our lives.
There was also an Italian gentleman of a certain age, who I think had a hearing problem. He had the speaker on his mobile phone switched on and pointed to his ear, whilst he shouted into the other end. If I’d known some Italian, it might have been a better experience.
The Dutch couple got out at Salerno, as they were going to Pompeii and Herculaneum, before carrying on to Naples after a couple of days.
On the other hand, except for a banana kindly given by the Dutch couple, I was hungry by the time I got to Naples.
Crossing The Strait Of Messina
The Strait of Messina is the strip of water between Sicily and the Italian mainland. you don’t change trains, but they shunted it into a ferry for the crossing.
Unlike the crossing from Denmark to Germany, I took in my return from Stockholm, you can stay in the train if you like.
Along The Coast To Messina
The train didn’t get up great speed as it made its way to the port of Messina, where it would cross to the Italian mainland.
I was surprised that we could actually see the Aeolian Islands and at one point, I thought I made out the distinctive double-peaked shape of Salina, where the salt for my supper came from.
Would I Go Back To Palermo?
That is a stupid question to ask, as there is only one answer.
Yes!
I’d also try to get a good deal at the Palazzo Sitano and have supper at Gagini again.
The only thing that would improve Palermo, would be to go with a classy lady.
One thing that Palermo does seem to have is quite a few clocks. Could it be, that because of its unwarranted reputation, few people wear a watch in the city.
My Train From Palermo
My train from Palermo to Naples was an old-fashioned corridor train, the like of which we haven’t seen for years in the UK, as since the development of the Mk 3 coach in the early 1970s, we’ve not built any of this type.
The class E565 is unusual compared to the UK as it is an articulated electric locomotive. Usually this type of locomotive is used, where there are a lot of tight curves or they need to run large locomotives on regular lines.
Incidentally, there doesn’t seem to be many passenger trains left these days, which are effectively single-ended like this one. In the UK, we do have trains with an engine at one end only, but there is usually a cab from which the train can be driven at the other end. The one exception is the long-distance sleeper trains, like those that go from London to Scotland.
Leaving Palermo
I left Palermo by train just after ten for my trip to Naples, which was scheduled to take a few minutes over nine hours.
Palermo station is a typical Italian edifice, but it does have a chapel.
The catering facilities were basic, with no signs of anything gluten-free, that I could eat, but then I’d had a large breakfast in the hotel.
The cappucino was just €1.50, so I couldn’t complain about the price. It wasn’t too bad either!
Do Italians Talk With Their Hands?
I only have a few words of Italian, but at least I can pronounce celiachai, which is Italian for coeliac well enough to get served gluten-free food.
On the other hand, I find Italians easy to understand, as they seem to use their hands more for emplasis, than other nationalities.
I must learn some more Italian!
At least I know most of the words for food, although at lunchtime one day in Carluccio’s I wasn’t sure what rapa was. But then there was a translation.
Supper In Palermo
The hotel recommended a restaurant round the corner called Gagini.
The food, staff and atmosphere were all excellent and of course gluten-free.
The starter was particularly good as it was three types of seafood blended with salt from Trapani on Salina and spices. I’ve actually been to that island in the Aoelian Islands.
The Anonymous Widower 