Another lovely day dawns as we sail our way along the coast of mainland Italy and into the port of Salerno with the Castello di Arechi perched high up above us on the cliffs.
Today we have another hinterlands adventure, this time up into the mountains in search of Lago Laceno, a resort area where we figure we can hike and have lunch. It is an easy 20 minute or so walk to Enterprise, where we pick up our car, which is stuffed into a tight parking spot on the really narrow little road. I had to wait until traffic passed to open my door. Oy. Returning this will be interesting if there aren’t any spots, maybe even if there are spots! At any rate, we are on the road pretty quickly and out of the city, into the hills and valleys heading north through the countryside. The views are just spectacular. Lush green farmland that runs right up against the tree covered slopes of the Picentini mountains. Little farmhouses dot the landscape as we skirt around the mountain range and start to climb higher into the hills.
Passing through the outskirts of Bagnoli Irpino, our drive starts to climb dramatically, providing incredible views down the mountains and into Irpino below. An overlook pull out by a memorial statue gives a fabulous panoramic view of the valley, the town and all the way out to the other side of the Picentini range. Utterly gorgeous.
Cresting the mountain top, we descend down into Lago Laceno, only to find it virtually deserted. Hmmm….another ghost town, perhaps? Nah, just a resort village in between seasons – we’re past the summer and fall season and too early for the ski season, thus….not a thing is open and we’ve not seen another person or car forever now. Just wide open roads through the flat farmlands and out into the hillsides.
Arriving at the lake – which is more like a pond – we find the area, as in chained up and fence locked. We haven’t seen a hiking trail anywhere around, and still not a creature is stirring…..Okie dokie then.
Plan B! Which is, well, turning back to see if we can find somewhere to eat and, maybe, some hiking trails. Heading back through the lake area, past the Lacenolandia amusement park (oh yeah, totally summer resort!), past the shuttered restaurants we had researched (yeah, well, again, don’t go by anything on the internet!), and past the only living residents we have seen here – a huge herd of sheep and their trusty sheepdog minder (who reminds us of our sweet sheepdog buddy from our Biltmore hikes), but nothing else. Just pretty little houses perched up on a little rise overlooking the bucolic lake/pond Laceno.
Following our trusty (ha!) Google Maps, we work our way over to the road that will circle back out of the valley, passing an abandoned hotel. Yes! A Ghost-Hotel! We can find a Ghost-whatever anywhere! Residence Camini has seen better days, for sure, but even though many of the windows are broken and everything is in disrepair, there is still one unit with drapes, shades and even flowers and stuffed animals in the window. Is someone really living here? Totally bizarre.
Turning off the “main” road right past the Ghost-hotel, we head off into the mountains on what is signposted as the only road out of Laceno when it snows. Really? The condition of this road is, well, in a word, bad. Just bad. Rutted, potholed, cracked. With twists and turns everywhere as we rise up and over the mountain. No way would we want to be on this road in the snow – even if it is “the” road you have to use to get out of Laceno. Still, it is a beautiful drive, but only because the weather is clear and the only thing on the road are the fall leaves.
At the apex of the mountain, there is some sort of public area and building – all gated and locked up – with a sign that indicates there are picnic areas and gardens here. Obviously for summertime use. And further down the leaf covered road, after magnificent views across the valleys and along the leaf strewn road, we also find a few vacation homes, one of which is an A-Frame, totally dilapidated and overgrown, that looks like it is built into the ground. Strange.
Soon after, we are out of the mountains and back on more main roads, roads with multiple lanes and actual guardrails. Stopping for fuel, we decide to grab at least something to eat, even though it is much later than we’d like, especially as Azamazing Evening is tonight and we have to eat early. Inside the little convenience store/deli we end up with this calzone type thing filled with meat and cheese, heated in their little salamander-like oven. Not to bad for a quick roadside meal, honestly, and at least something in our stomachs to tide us over.
It is far too early to go back to the ship, given that it is only a little past 1pm, so we decided to go up to the Castello di Arechi, which have seen up on the cliffs multiple times, but never visited. Since we have the car, it is an easy decision to drive all the way up to the very top of the mountain cliff overlooking Salerno and the Amalfi coast.
At almost 1,000 feet above sea level, the 6th Century A.D. medieval castle is in the perfect position to defend its position from below. Sweeping views to the south down the coastline and across the Tyrrhenian Sea as well as vies directly down to the harbor (there’s our Journey!) and up the Amalfi coast make it a prime location for a castle – as the Byzantine Empire obviously found, and succeeding reigning rulers, including Lombard prince Arechi II, who expanded the walls encircling the town, and for whom the castle is named.
The spectacular views and fun ancient architecture make for a very enjoyable 30- or 45-minute stroll around the complex. We’re happy outside, exploring the nooks and crannies of the defensive walls and the lookout areas. A nice little interlude to spend a bit more time out here in the beautiful crisp weather.
Eschewing the museum, we return to our car and find a woman standing in the parking lot looking lost and perplexed. She approaches us and asks if we can give her a ride down to the seafront as she just missed the bus and the next one will be in an hour. She seemed nice (and harmless) enough, so of course we saved her! And in process had a wonderful conversation on the way down from the castle. She is Israeli and comes here often because, as she told us, it is a cheap, short flight from Tel Aviv. She said it was cheaper to fly here and have a meal than just stay home and eat at a restaurant in Tel Aviv! Wow!
Dropping her off at the marina, we make the wide circle around the block to drop our car at Enterprise, totally lucking into a spot right in front of the office. Wow. That worked out great! Add to that a lovely walk back to the ship along the seafront promenade, and it turned out to be a great day. Shorter than our usual, but still wonderful.
Much later, after grabbing a quick bite in Windows, we dutifully head down to the Den to wait to be called for departure to the Azamazing Evening event being held in the port building right next to the ship. We had been warned to get there as early as we are allowed (everyone departs by deck) and since we are on Deck 8 this time, we are the first deck called (after the special suite people). Trooping off the ship, we wander down the pier (sadly with no one there to tell us where to go), get turned around trying to go into the building where we did in the morning, only to find we have to walk around to the front door – where stilt walking “policewomen” are waiting to direct us inside.
Once inside we are greeted by dancers and a strumming guitarist, then begin to meander through the building stopping here and there for gelato (unfortunately incorrectly placed at the beginning of the event), fresh mozzarella (being made right there by the table), mixed olives (in a huge cone), fried octopus or some sort of seafood on a stick, wine, limoncello shots and then up a long sloping walkway to the 2nd floor where there are fortune telling displays (at the crook of the turn on the walkway – which creates a bit of a bottleneck), caricature artists and more fortune telling booths. All the while the guitarist strums, the dancers dance, and the stilt people cavort below us in the open-air lobby area.
There are precious few tables, but we manage to snag one upstairs where we have a pretty good view of the entire place. It is far easier to stand here and put our drinks and remaining food down while we eat than try to juggle everything while walking. Hanging out for a bit, we just watch the traffic flow and the people wandering around. After snagging some taralli from the station at the end of the hallway, we eventually head back downstairs, ready to leave. There are long lines for the fortune tellers, long lines for the sketch artists and quite frankly, it was fun, but we’re ready to head back.
As we head for the exit, we see Jose and Rafael who tell us we can’t leave, the main show is just about the start. Ok – we’ll stay for a bit, walking over to the little open area downstairs they are using as a stage to watch the singers and dancers for a bit. They’re good, singing traditional songs accompanied by the guitarist and tambourine. We have been told the main act is a guy throwing pizzas, and, well, we’re not waiting around for that, so at the end of a couple songs, we wander back to the ship – passing what is arguably one of the coolest things of the evening – Azamazing evening being projected on the side of the ship. Nice touch!
Settling back aboard, we freshen up then hit the Living Room, hanging out long enough to grab some snacks from a nice spread of late night nibbles – Ed is helping Julio check out the set up! Then back to the cabin and balcony for the evening to enjoy gazing up at the wonderfully lit Castello di Arechi.
A great day, a decent Azamazing evening – the food was quite good, the venue not so much and the lack of any direction or “guides,” so to speak, to show you what to do and where to go were a bit of a downer, but otherwise, an enjoyable event – and a beautiful end, sitting on the balcony in the lovely cool fall weather.
Andiamo 