Snakes & Ladders

Mt Vesuvius looking rather calm...just the way we like it!

Torre del Greco, Italy

Torre del Greco sits right under Mt Vesuvius, well known for its violent temper.  We made for the marina and decided to stay for a few nights to cover prime tourist spots, Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples.  In the port, we shared our berth with mostly small motor boats, the odd big power boat, everyday fishing boats, boat builders and a huge retaining wall, popular with locals out for an evening stroll, daily exercise or just to watch boats and dream. 

View of colourful houses of the Port - Torre del Greco

The port itself sits at the bottom of the slopes of Vesuvius and the train we needed left from a station, located a 20 minute heart pounding climb – 2 sets of stairs (almost 50 in the first and 78 in the second set) and a meandering track – all uphill.  We consoled ourselves in the knowledge that it’s all downhill on the way home.  Except that we needed to stop at the supermarket which required yet another set of stairs.  Traversing this town felt like one giant game of snakes and ladders.

Quite a decent sea wall protected us from the elements. The wall is popular
with locals for their evening stroll or to take exercise - without the stairs!

Although this is very much a working town, the locals were most obliging despite our lack of language skills.  We felt as if we had seen, away from tourist hotspots, a little of the real Italy.  The train, the Circumvesuviana Line between Naples and Sorrento, is a bit of a rickety number, well covered in graffiti, though it took us directly and quite quickly, to the ruins and Naples.  Although we never did quite get the hang of the timetable - there are some things in life that just defy logic!

During our stay we were treated to explosions of fireworks and church bells ringing (for ages – the Cap’n counted 110 peals several times) at all hours, day and night.  One morning we woke to an early dose of this religious devotion at dawn.  Later, a parade of townsfolk holding banners aloft made their way to a nearby church whilst cars tooted with much enthusiasm.  They had dispersed before we could even think about dashing round the port to find out what was going on but our kind ormeggiatori (marina staff) told us it was in celebration of St Anna.  Like the Greeks, the Italians celebrate Name Days (Saint names of course!) instead of birthdays and St Anna is important to Torre del Greco.  Obviously this was quite the community event and so nice to see such cooperation and support. 

Just so you don't miss us, WJ3 has the large white mast & beige awning;
facing out from the dock in the foreground. A perfect spot to keep an eye
on that now slumbering, volcano.