I finally tracked down my luggage just before departing to London from Barcelona. So I now have the needed equipment to connect camera to IPad so I can continue my trip report.

26 August 2018

Today I rode the fast train! The Freccia Rosso races along the track at a speed of 300km per hour which seems frightening but it doesn’t feel as if it’s moving any faster than a normal train. Taking this train from Rome to Salerno took just on two hours and the almost €60 was worth every cent. It meant I could get see Filippo who was our Italian guardian angel when The Earl landed up having an emergency double bypass in San Leonardo Hospital two years ago. We could not have survived the ordeal without him.

Arriving in Salerno was almost like coming home. As I stepped off the train and made my way the front of the station everything looked so familiar. How many times hadn’t I walked those streets and explored that beautiful Lungomare. I visited every church, castle, museum, park and garden. Yes – Salerno will forever be stamped on my heart.

Filippo collected me In his zippy orange Fiat and took me on a quick sight seeing drive.

Then we found a lovely place on the Lungomare to have lunch. It was called the Surf Lounge and was supposed to be an American Bar but it was really very Italian. It was a tad windy but still warm enough to sit outdoors and enjoy the ambience and sea views. The lunch area and bar area were separate but the charming waitron made an exception for us and allowed us to sit in the more sheltered area under an umbrella. Umbrellas in the lunch area were not up because of they would blow away.

I enjoyed a delicious calamari salad and Fillipo a seafood platter of prawns, calamari and anchovies. He insisted on sharing some of his with me and those little fried fishies were delicious!

Of course we drank a glass of excellent Italian white wine, toasted each other and promised to do this again very soon. I’m trying to persuade Filippo to let us take him on a safari but he’s not taking the bait just yet.

We finished with an espresso and continued to chat and bond until it was almost time for me to get my return train. Before that though we had to go for a gelato. Chocolate for me and a mix for Filippo,

The Surf Longe

I am proud of myself for finding my way to Roma Termini in the morning and back from there again in the afternoon. Usually I depend on The Child to do all the navigating.

Later that evening she and I found a delightful Italian restaurant called Anniquinquanta. There were no tourists there and the food was excellent. Lolz had the best Margarita she’s ever eaten in Italy and I had bruschetta with all my favourite Italian stuff on it.

It was the perfect ending to a fabulous day.