Napoli, the Home of Pizza
Day 11 brought us to the departure from Sorrento, via private bus, for a drive around Naples Bay and into what Rick Steves calls the "Classy, Gritty" city of Napoli, or, to quote Caterina, "Dynamic, Noble Napoli." Either way, we were looking forward to the much heralded city, and wondered how it would meet our expectations.
Naples was our final stop on this excursion into the beautiful and historic land of Italy. To make the most of it we added two days to our stay. First off, we stopped at the Capodimonte Museum and Royal Palace, where we met local guide Pina, who led us on an expansive tour of the huge museum, filled with works by Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio and others. The museum is housed in the 18th century "hunting lodge" of Bourbon King Charles VII, and sits atop Capodimonte Hill, overlooking Naples. |
Following the museum tour we made our way to the Grand Hotel Oriente for check in and our Naples familiarization walk.
On our walking tour we went through the Galleria Umberto I, a fully enclosed shopping mall built in the 1800s. A gorgeous structure with beautiful architecture, it seems little used, but is worth a visit. The walls were undergoing a cleaning process and it was interesting to see the difference in the before and after sections. Our guide arranged a surprise visit to the Tiatro di San Carlo opera house, where we were able to watch an upcoming performance rehersal. That was a nice addition to our agenda. Our final stay was in the Grand Hotel Oriente, a fitting place to spend our last tour days, plus the extra days we had booked to wind down and reminisce on what we had seen in the previous twelve days. A top rated hotel, we were offered an "all you can eat" daily buffet breakfast and comfortable rooms. In an excellent location we had easy access to all we wanted to see in Naples. |
Wandering on our own through the Quartieri Spagnoli, the old Spanish Quarter, an interesting labyrinth of narrow streets and confusing alleys, we came across a friendly and cozy restaurant, Trattoria Speranzella, where we had several savory meals. A very welcoming staff made it easy to return. Located at Via Speranzella 82, it is an easy walk up Vico Berio off Via Toledo, and very close to our hotel, and worth a visit.
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Day 12, was our final full day of our tour, with plenty to do. We walked to the San Severo Chapel where we saw the marble statute of the "Veiled Christ", by Giuseppe Sanmartino. This is an extremely realistic and impressive work of art depicting Christ reposing under a translucent veil; uncannily realistic.
The chapel tour was followed by a tour of the Archeological Museum which housed many artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum, along with numerous works of art including the "Farnese Bull". Many of the Pompeii exhibits were entire walls and floors consisting of thousands of mosaic pieces removed from excavated houses. Our final dinner together was at the excellent I Dduje Scugnizzi. It proved to be a fitting end to our culinary adventure in Naples. |
Getting off the popular tourist paths is the best way to see how the city truly lives. It is fun to walk the neighborhoods and see the shops and cafes where the average resident dwells, works and eats. Most shops welcome the visitor and enjoy the attempts at using the local language. Walk a main street, pick a corner, turn right or left and you enter a different world than seen from the primary, tourist areas. |
We walked to the modern Metro and boarded the Centrale Funicular, in the Spanish Quarter, to San Martino hill where we enjoyed an expansive view of the city of Naples. From the upper end of the funicular to the hilltop fortress is a hilly final walk, but the city has installed numerous escalators to provide a welcome assist.
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Day 13 arrived, at which time we had our final breakfast together in the rooftop bar. Goodbyes were said and hugs were exchanged. Some of us continued on to other parts of Italy, some stayed on in Naples and others headed home. We all have great memories of the sites and experiences we enjoyed, the friends we made and desire to continue our travels.
We hope you have enjoyed our little sojourn to Italy, and that it will kindle within you the desire to see this beautiful country in person, and visit with it's friendly people.
Whether a return trip to Italy is an idea or dream, for us it is just a matter of time before we once again adhere to Rick Steves' advice to "Keep On Traveling."
Grazie e ciao.
We hope you have enjoyed our little sojourn to Italy, and that it will kindle within you the desire to see this beautiful country in person, and visit with it's friendly people.
Whether a return trip to Italy is an idea or dream, for us it is just a matter of time before we once again adhere to Rick Steves' advice to "Keep On Traveling."
Grazie e ciao.