The Sea Side of Salerno, Salerno, Italy (B)

I will remember Salerno as the place with one of the most beautiful cathedrals I have ever seen and where I ate one of the best pizzas I have ever tasted. I only stayed there for one night on my way from Sorrento to Matera but as my bus did not leave until the afternoon I had to for a walk around the town and I set off from my lodgings on the beach early the next morning.

As I made my way towards the town centre I spotted a local market and diverted to the small piazza where it was being held to have a look around. The stalls were stacked with fresh fruit and vegetables and I was nearly knocked over by a scooter laden with supplies for a local hotel- but I was trying to take a photo at the time and had to skip out of the way.

It was easy to find the medieval heart of this modern city and I was soon strolling along its most famous street, Via de Mercanti, lined with interesting shops on either side and already bustling with locals.

Narrow alleyways lead off this street like tributaries from a river and as I wandered along one of these I looked up and could see above me the Romanesque bell tower of the Cathedral, Duomo di San Matteo. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).