Paestum

Paestum Archaeological Site

Beautiful Salerno

The first day of our cruise, after embarkation day, we docked at Salerno, and we woke up in the morning to this wonderful view. Salerno was a really pretty town and although there was a container ship nearby, the view of Salerno was very attractive. We also saw a highway in the hills above the city with extraordinary bridges.

I also remembered that the previous day, when we embarked, they had just said goodbye to the passengers on the previous cruise, and it must have been a very fast turnaround for the staff.

Our first excursion was to Paestum, the remains of an old Greek city in Italy with an archaeological museum and three wonderfully preserved temples. This is rather an obscure site but it had been on my list for a long time, and the cruise seemed an ideal way to see it. I had investigated getting from Salerno Port to the railway station, then getting the train to Paestum, and then walking to Paestum itself, or using a Get Your Guide trip, but it all seemed too hard and I added this to our subsidised five excursions, figuring out that there would be no trouble getting back to the cruise ship on time. It turned out to be one of our best excursions, and was a great start to the cruise. There were few other people there, unlike many of our excursions, and not many cruise passengers on this particular excursion.

We were due to meet in the Nautica lounge at 8:15 am for an 8:30 departure.  We had breakfast in our room – what a treat! Although the scrambled eggs wasn’t great and the bacon frizzled, American style, the brewed coffee was good. We were coming into beautiful Salerno, and although our view was slightly obscured by a container ship, it was still beautiful with amazing viaduct-like bridges and lots of hills. Apparently Salerno was one of the places where the Allies landed during WW2. It was too breezy to sit on the balcony, but we appreciated the view. One doesn’t always get a great view as the ship comes into port.

Then it was time to shower and dress and get ready for our excursion to Paestum.  There was an envelope of tickets to the shore excursions we’d booked, and they all appeared to be in JD’s name although I had chosen them and negotiated payment.  But for some reason we later found that my tickets were behind his, in the envelope.

By the way, the shower, although tiny, is just great, and it doesn’t leak.  And you can’t fall far once inside it!  The soap and accoutrements are just fine, and there are plenty of towels. It’s very American – the left hand tap controls the temperature, and the right hand one the flow of water.

The cruise ship supplies vacuum flask drinking bottles and fresh water in our room every day, and the fridge in our stateroom is well stocked too. On each excursion we take sunhats we’ve brought with us, and sunscreen and insect repellent, but we do not have to use these. I am very glad of the lightweight jacket I bought in Taipei: it provides a bit of warmth when required, but it protects against sun burn too.

We gather on the Nautica lounge, and although we’re not the first there, we’re certainly not the last. We’re given tickets for our bus, and eventually we leave the ship. This time the gangplank doesn’t have steps. Before leaving the ship, we’re securitized again and our photos are taken – again.

Then we board our bus, and thankfully there are few of us on it, and many of them seem more infirm than us.

The bus drives through Salerno along the seaside part of the way. It’s about an hour’s drive to Paestum.  Salerno seems to have few private houses; there are blocks of apartments about 6-8 stories high, most with verandas; many have washing hanging out to dry, something we hadn’t seen earlier.  

We pass camping grounds along the way, and some new building as the small city expands.  It looks fertile and prosperous here. It’s known for its production of buffalo mozzarella cheese.

Finally we get to the parking area at Paestum: we have 2 hours here. Along the way we’d passed the first temple (to Athena); the other two are further away. We are to go to the mvseo first – it’s a fascist style building, but rather a good one, with rest rooms down a lot of scary marble stairs with no hand rail! Coming up, we use the ascensore (lift)! With relief.

Of course there really isn’t enough time here, but there are amazing tomb paintings, very like the Etruscan art I used to tutor. In fact although this is (or was) a Greek city there is more than a touch of Etruscan art, in the faces and other aspects. Our guide is pretty knowledgeable but wary of going outside his mandated spiel, as they usually are.

After the museum we make our way into the walking area of ancient relics – the amphitheatre, the forum, as well as the three wonderful temples – the two furthest ones thought to be to Hera and Neptune. We can walk inside the temples, although the steps up to them are really uneven. The ruins are quite wonderful, it really is the remains of a town with amphitheatre and forum as well as the 3 temple remains. It reminds me of our visits to Ostia and Pompeii, and again I’m reminded how quite and peaceful remains of towns are.

At the museum’s beautiful gift shop we buy a guide to Paestum and books about Greek myth for our grandson in Taipei.

Eventually we return to the bus for our hour-long drive back to Salerno port. It’s fun and sunny, not too hot but JD and I are rather desperate for coffee and something to eat. The bus seems to take a different route back.

Once back we check in to our stateroom and see about getting lunch. But in the Grand Dining Room lunch is over (it’s now after 1:30 pm), and we’re directed to the buffet in the terrace café.

We choose small bread rolls, cheese and crackers, fruit, and desserts in individual wee glasses of cold creamy rice pudding with a raspberry sauce on top. We find a sheltered table outside, and JD orders a Heineken low-alcohol beer which he shares with me. A kind waiter from Zimbabwe brings us coffee (two double espressos).

Then we go back to our room to organize our first of three lots of complimentery laundry. Unfortunately it’s a maximum of 20 items, which we did not realise, so we take some out. We have to allow three days for it to be returned, but when it comes back, it is beautifully ironed and folded. Actually the laundrette is on our passage way, and JD enjoys doing the laundry, so he chooses to do it after this, and I’m happy to leave him to it, and browse the shop instead! I need some lip balm, that’s my excuse. Actually the shop on board has many reasonably priced items, unlike the jewellery boutiques.

I also get complimentary pressing of one garment, which I use to have my French linen dress pressed, and it’s beautifully done. I bought this dress for the cruise, not realising that French linen crushes badly, but I did wear it several times once pressed. I did change for dinner every night, although I was surprised that people didn’t dress up more on the cruise, especially after Milan, Florence and Rome, where most people were beautifully dressed.

At 6:30 pm (having avoided the Captain’s cocktail party), we go to have dinner in the GDR, and we’re seated by a window.  Again there is delicious bread, this time with butter although JD of course asks for olive oil and vinegar, and they’re brought to him. He orders lobster for his entree (i.e. main course), and I order salmon (with Jasmine rice and beans). Thankfully a delicious sauce is served in a sauce-boat (without a serving spoon). For starters we each had shrimps – three large shrimps on a bed of lettuce with a tomato dipping sauce. They tasted good, although I would have preferred a cocktail sauce to accompany them, as I reflected on the yummy one I used to make from a recipe by Des Britten!  That was so long ago!

Afterwards we had a drink with an Australian couple that we spent some time with. Sadly he did not appreciate archaeological sites (“old rocks”) the way I do! Then we retired to our room and put out our breakfast order. I decide to order a Spanish omelette. Tomorrow Sicily (Marsala) and, Selinunte!

Ngā mihi nui