My memories of Praia a Mare will, unfortunately, be coloured by recollections of late trains.

The train from Solerno to Praia a Mare was late, and I wasn't even convinced I was waiting in the correct place for the right train.

Lesson learned: get the train number and as many details as you can about your train if you buy a ticket at the counter. Regional train tickets in Italy don't say much.

Having spent a lovely couple of days in Praia a Mare I am now heading for the tip of the toe of Italy. Tonight, thank goodness, I am only going as far as Villa San Giovanni. My original plan was to go into Sicily but I couldn't get the connection to work. Luckily as I would be missing it.

There is, I read, nothing to do in Villa San Giovanni, but at this stage I may well be arriving in time for bed any way.

I've booked Hotel la Conca for the night and will travel to Messina in the morning and then on to Catania.

Right now I am disappointed that I didn't book the later train, get my luggage looked after at the hotel and spend the day at the beach. It's a gorgeous day and I am spending it at the railway station. So far we have been advised the train will be 105 minutes late. The electronic sign shows it leaving the same platform at the same time as some other train, so that should be interesting. Against my better judgement I am filling in time drinking cool drinks. On the way here there was no way to go to the toilet for 7.30 hours, but that's another story.