It’s another early start for our Pompeii / Amalfi Coast excursion. We skip breakfast and head to the Royal Theatre at 7:45. We look at the tickets, they say meet at 7:30. Shiiiiit. We’re just in time for group 15 to set off. We follow our guide Francesco to the coach.
I’ve been using coach time to make the final amendments to the blog but Francesco is a great guide and feeds information continually. And it’s interesting. And he’s right in front of us so it’d be rude to ignore. He points out Vesuvius, amongst other things. We arrive in Pompeii and he explains that we have some free time until he buys the tickets. We have these little walkie talkies to stay in touch for the visit. First we have to watch some craft, and go to a shop.We walk around the market and I finish yesterday’s blog.
Our group is mostly if not all Americans. It’s ok, they seem cool. We start the tour and Francesco leads, guiding us with his paddle and walkie talkies. There’s a fair bit of shade and the heat is manageable.
Pompeii is large and we see a house with frescoes. We see the open sewers and stepping stones to get across. There’s a whorehouse with a pictorial menu of what the patrons got for their dosh. There’s cock markers to guide the sailors to the quim.
We exit via the museum and see the plaster bodies. The bones are showing through on some, and teeth on one which is freaky.
Then we go for lunch. It’s 11:30. We are taken through to a dining room which is laid out with white tablecloths and looks ok. Tables are laid out for 6 per table. We swerve one table, and opt for one with two ladies. They are friends; Alisa is from Arizona and Maria is from Bulgaria but with an American accent. We’re served gnocci (Lisa chooses bread) and chicken, potatoes & salad. A bottle of red and white too. We all get on ok, but only Lisa is drinking the white and smashes through 4 glasses. A man appears with a guitar and busts out Volare and then Felice Navidad, walking around tables. It is cringey. One of the waiters is visibly embarrassed. A €5 note is wedged at the top of the fretboard.
We get back on the church and head to the Amalfi coast. We stop at a Limonchello factory en route. Some of the Americans love this. Then we carry on to Amalfi, for what seems like ages. The roads are winding and treacherous. At one point we have a stand off with another coach, and Francesco runs down the road and marshals traffic so that the other coach can reverse. Our driver Gianaro is gesticulating and cursing at the other coach driver, whose face dues not flinch or react in any way. We win, he reverses and we carry on.
Francesco doesn’t stop. Mermaids, Ulysses, tectonic plates, pyroclastic flows, diesel prices, Capri, Napoli, pizza, Maradonna, etc. We hit traffic, and he’s on the phone coordinating the boat out of Amalfi.
We reach Amalfi and we only have 45 mins there due to the traffic. The town is rammed and it’s mid thirties again. Lisa’s feet are swollen and needs to get them in the sea. We do this, then go to the square to find a place to slash. There’s a swanky looking bar so I queue for a coke while Lisa uses bog. I wait ages so just leave and wait by fountain, filling up a bottle. A free piss and free water, cheers Amalfi. We shop and then rendezvous.
The exit by boat is lovely, we’re on top deck at back, and the views are stunning. The boat motors along the coast to Salerno, where we meet up with the coach once more. It’s motorway all the way, and Francesco is motormouth all the way until a point when he realises everyone is trying to sleep. He manages to keep quiet for about 20 minutes.
Back on boat we freshen up, head to Wind Jammer for dinner, then go to the aqua as show InTENSio which is a predominantly female cast of divers, acrobats and dancers doing some crazy shit to music in and around a pool. They are fearless and impressive. Best show on the boat.
From there we head to the Casino, and spend a while figuring out how we’re going to spend the $12.50 dollars. We figure it out and with the Platty Jubes balloon drop approaching we try to burn the last $3 quickly. We win and get back to $12.50, you’ll never hear two people so disappointed to win. We cash out and we’ll be back tomorrow.
Balloon drop is actually quite fun, free champers and a disco. Cruise Director Michaele is compere, Captain Henrik gives a speech. The fake Beatles carry on the party, and we leave.
We’re at sea tomorrow, so you maybe getting this late because I have no data at sea 🚢. Day after that is journey home – I did put in a bid to get business class for the first flight, £55pp. My thinking was that we could get into a lounge at El Prat which will help if we’re hanging about. It was the lowest bid with the lowest chance. Anyway it was accepted 😲 so hope it’s worth it.
Note: I will add some more pics but at the moment am restricted to Lisa’s phone and the photos I uploaded yesterday when I had network. Ciao ciao for now.
Here’s the pics that got left off:
Cargill Travel Blog 
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