Cantina del Vesuvio at Trecase 3 - 8 October 2022

We had clean, ironed bedding last night - simple pleasures of life!

Nabbed the washing machine when empty last night, so managed  to get all our bedding washed.

Fell asleep, despite multiple barking dogs! Random music at various times too.

Up at 7am to get the washing - Tintin rigged a washing line from Dave to a tree, and used the bar from the awning to push up high - igneous!

Our wine tasting didn’t start until 11am, so went for a walk around the winery. Saw a lovely looking dog rummaging through the rubbish for food - Stevie, you’ll never know how lucky you are!

The white grapes were harvested about 3 weeks ago, and red grape harvest started on Monday. They are all picked by hand! The wines they produce are organic.

We were checking how to get back in if we’re out later than 6pm, there’s another gate, the Germans next to us ended up lifting their e-bikes over a wall because they couldn’t get their blip key to work. Ours worked, but after our chats with various people today - don’t think we’ll be out late - everyone says we can’t leave our bikes at the train station, or anywhere! They’ll get nicked!

At 11am we started off with a rosé frizzante (€20) whilst we were shown around. Our guide seemed quite an arrogant man! Whilst he spoke English, couldn’t really understand him! One American asked if there were sulphites in the organic wine and was told, yes, of course, don’t worry - they’re in everything you eat! Felt we were being rushed through the process.

Saw where the grapes are crushed, the pipes to the tanks, saw the bottling plant and the big casks for storing the wine.

Bread to start, best yet! - along with their own produced olive oil (was bitter, didn’t like) and the wine vinegar, made with Lacryma Christi (Christ’s tears) - yummy - had to buy some, but €26 for a little bottle!

Then came white wine (€18) rosé (€22) red (€18) then expensive red (€40) then dessert wine (€48)! Starter was antipasto with salami, bread with tomatoes, cold carrots (!), grilled aubergine, goats cheese etc, followed by spaghetti in a fresh tomato sauce, with one meatball each, then an orange ricotta tart. All for €35 each.

Tintin said Rome is supposed to be a romantic city, this was so much better - up on a veranda with the Bay of Naples in front, Mount Vesuvius behind. Apart from feeling rushed, a good experience. We think they start tours every 30 minutes, heaven knows how many people they serve each and every day!

Personally, think the first pink fizz was the nicest - they sell all their wines young, but I don’t know enough about wines to appreciate these! They do, of course, ship worldwide!

After having let lunch go down a bit, and sobered up a little (!), we went for a cycle down the big hill!

Took our bathers in anticipation of the sea! We stopped off at the train station, shame I didn’t take a picture - you’d never know it was there, only Google knew! Graffiti everywhere, just a little entrance. Tintin tried to have a conversation with an elderly Italian lady. The gist was, no, no - you can’t leave bikes here - they’ll get taken! Think we could take bikes on the train, and no where to actually buy tickets - get them on a train? Another lady in a car arrived, they had a conflab, she also said no to leaving bikes!

We got down to the beach - all volcanic black sand - of course!

The sea was a long way out, and could we leave our bikes safely?! Didn’t bother!

At one point we had to wait for the train at the crossing, without exception, people queuing had their phones out, one lit a cigarette - using time wisely!

We both had the sense of ‘it’s not a very nice place’ - lucky enough to be able to leave it behind! Riding up wet streets from all the washing overhead, rubbish overflowing everywhere, very rundown.

Oh, and we got beeped at on our bikes! At a stop sign, traffic coming both ways, plonker behind beeping! Well, he had to wait!

After a couple of hours and over 15 miles, back to Dave. The other two couples were back from Pompeii. The Danish couple have a 1992 little Hymer. It’s broken down twice already - and wouldn’t start. Tintin got his overalls on, and off to help. Another Dutch van arrived, after having reversed into one of the young trees (oops!) - he helped too - eventually they got it working again.

Meanwhile, I cleaned the outside of Dave a little - he’s very dirty!

Helmut is the name of the Danish couple’s cat - he’s only just one, and off exploring everywhere. They’re putting the van on a ferry at Bari soon, and off to Greece. They do leave the cat in the van, but he has a litter tray, food, a water fountain, plus a fan to keep cool. They take him for a walk twice a day, and other times he’s on a long lead and is outside.

We thought long and hard about bringing Millie with us, as she’s very adaptable. However, she is 15 - plus - think I would worry too much if we were out and about for hours and hours. She’s recently been cared for by Sarah and Herc, not sure Stevie dog was too impressed. Now she’s with Phil and Annette, where she’s been previously when we went away in May. Hopefully Millie is giving lots of affection and being appreciative!

So, plans for going to Naples have been scuppered even more. Can’t get there under our own steam. Mini bus doesn’t leave until 11am. So could get taken to train station, then a 45 minute journey in, but last pick up from train station on a Sunday will be 4pm. Will only give us a few hours - but better than nothing!