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Napoli
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  • Jan and Andrew

Napoli

A few days away with Charlie and Sue. An excursion on their trip from Aus Read more
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    Jan and AndrewNapoliTraveler

    Home to Blighty

    May 7, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We rose reasonably early after another noisy night. Charlie and Sue with Andrew took a taxi to Napoli Airport for EasyJet flight to Gatwick. All on time and pleasant flight. We were out of the airport in record time, picking up the car inside 45 mins from landing and in 30 deg! I took C&S to Sue’s parents and stayed for a pub lunch in Cuckfield.
    Meanwhile Janet took the train from Napoli to Roma for a few days yoga in the Italian countryside with home cooked vegetarian food which she described as delicious.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewNapoliTraveler

    Procida

    May 6, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    After a busy day and noisy night we decided on a little ferry crossing to Procida which is on the way to Ischia. Guide book called it a hidden gem and not far off. We landed at 11.45 just right for a short stroll through town and over to Marino Correcello. Beers in Bar Piazzetta by the church overlooking the bay in the sunshine refreshed us. Then we descended and found a little restaurant for bruschetta and fresh cooked sea bass along with local white wine. We finished with caffe and Amaro de Copa which our neighbouring table recommended - they were from Perth - small world!
    Return on the four o’clock ferry and no procession today on our way back to our apartment.
    A beautiful day to end our stay.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewNapoliTraveler
    At the crater edgeCardinal leading procession

    Too rough in Positano

    May 5, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We were up early to catch the Circumvesuviana express to Sorrento. This worked really well and we had time for caffe in the town square before descending to the Porto to catch our boat to Amalfi. Unfortunately the weather was not good enough in Positano to run the trip. So we retraced our steps, many of them, caught the train back to Erculo Scavi. Here we took the Vesuvius Express up the mountain, which took 30 mins. From here it was a further half hour to the top at 1285m. Sadly it was cloudy and cool at that height but at least we climbed it and didn’t get erupted on. We had some lunch there too!
    Back down in the town it was warm and sunny and a short walk to Herculaneum, another victim of the eruption in 79AD. The site is smaller than Pompeii, right by the coast then and buried deeply by the ash flow. Only a certain part has been excavated and much lies under modern buildings. What you can see is impressive and includes some reconstruction of upper stories , also wood widow frames and a screen. At the end of our visit there were several cells by the old waterside filled with skeletons of those who tried to escape and failed.
    When we got back to Napoli, we had to join the procession of San Genaro as it passed our door on the way to San Chiara for the translation of hi blood. Fascinating spectacle.
    We did dodge round the back and found graffiti Artists decorating the walls behind our apartment.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewNapoliTraveler
    Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo, Napoli

    Underground and skulls

    May 4, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Showers today dictated indoors. Firstly we arrived at San Lorenzo Maggiore which featured a museum while we awaited guided tour of the underground roman market built over an earlier Greek building. It was buried by a mudslide caused by rain and a Vesuvius eruption in 479AD. We definitely dodged some of the showers and enjoyed a very interesting tour.
    After coffee on the Via Duomo we visited the cathedral, dedicated to SAN Genaro where they are busy preparing for the procession celebrating the liquidisation of the saint’s preserved blood tomorrow. On the way back we found the ‘purgatory ‘ church, built by a benefactor to provide somewhere for poor souls who could not afford a proper burial to wait for admission to heaven. Up top was a normal church, below on similar footprint, a church with some niches containing skulls and a closed pit for bones of the deceased. At the back behind the altar, more skulls and bones, another pit and some earth burials. One might have expected to feel a bit spooky but musty was more like it.
    Janet acquired her Neapolitan earrings on the way back to base for lunch.
    A quiet afternoon we visited two very local churches, both large, one extremely finely decorated baroque, the other plain, Franciscan and with a wedding going on. There was some artisan chocolate for tasting on a stall at the gate- good too!    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewNapoliTraveler

    Museum and sea

    May 3, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Forecast not too promising so decided to visit Archaeological Museum where many original artefacts from Pompeii are housed. There was a bit of a queue to get in and it rained on us there a bit. Once inside we started with mosaics including many from the Villa of the Faun, with exquisite details and tiny pieces to form the images. Coffee this time from a machine, quite acceptable and only 60 cents!
    Next frescos, some of them from Herculaneum and many depicting architecture and figures, from which it is possible to see what the houses, temples and people looked like some two thousand years ago.
    We rounded off our visit in the Farnese collection where there are amazing marble statues from antiquity.
    We found Sorbillo for lunch, but the queue was far too long, so we found pizza opposite and had lunch back at the flat, with a reviving beers.
    The afternoon weather was a little more favourable so we set off towards the port and Castel d’ovo. It did rain a bit on the way, though it proved a fine way to see another part of Napoli and the seaside. The view of Vesuvius just materialised from cloud at the Castel viewpoint. We headed back up pedestrian shopping streets that were thronging with people in search of a fish shop. We found a street corner stall and purchased three Orate which we had filleted (looked like Dorado we thought so didn’t want too much). Another supermarket dash and back to cook another gourmet feast.
    20,000 steps and another fascinating day.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewNapoliTraveler
    Entrance mosaic
    Amfiteatro

    Pompeii

    May 2, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    After a good night with only small need for ear plugs, we set off for Garibaldi Station to catch the train to Pompeii. We caught the 10.07 and enjoyed coastal views. Arriving at Pompeii we took the shuttle to the archaeological site. After €5 a cup Cafes we entered the old ruined city and were blown away by the scale, not only of the size of the whole site but the scale of the buildings and state of preservation. The whole place was truly amazing.
    We entered by the teatro which also housed the gladiators accommodation, the teatro had a roof originally to improve acoustics. There is roman grafitti in the plaster walls as you leave. Then we were on to well-worn Roman streets on a neat grid system, the surface made of large fitted stones of lava and you could also see tracks worn by carts and there are stepping stone to aid pedestrian crossing. There are countless grand villas, with entrances ways decorated with mosaics, atria with pool beneath, tables, beautiful decorated walls and gardens to the rear. There is a laundry and several fast-food outlets. A vineyard, orchard and huge enclosed training ground. At the far end is the 20,000 seat amfiteatro, the first ever and half sunk in the ground, so you go down through a tunnel to enter.
    Lunch was of local cheeses and salad on stone seats. Then we crossed the city towards the Forum and central temples. The city was famously enveloped by pyroclastic ash and gas cloud in 79 AD. This killed the occupants who were taken by surprise, and buried buildings for nearly 2,000 years, preserving many things as they were.
    The scale and sophistication defy description.
    Our journey back was by the Cicumvesuvium line, which was much more crowded and basic than going. Quick supermarket sweep and we dined on chicken and chips with local Fiano and Malvasia Nera wine.
    The day was not done as we found a small bar for post dinner drinks, grappa, beer and watery carafe of wine. Liverpool just scraped past Roma into the final of the Champions League.
    The locals outside the bar opposite get louder as the evening progressed and were still going strong at 3am, making the ear plugs provided an essential.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewNapoliTraveler

    Napoli with Charlie and Sue

    May 1, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Up to depart Ruislip before 3.00!! No exit onto M23 south so small detour via Redhill and ignoring postcode to find our parking. Through security in time for a quick breakfast in Garfunkel’s then a long bus trip from the gate round to the plane parked furthest away and nearest the car park. Take off to the west. Smooth flight and on time arrival. Picked up and transported to our Palazzo.
    Our taxi dropped us in a square some 100 m along a pedestrian street already busy at 10.00. We were plucked from the throng by our hostess, Maria Teresa and brought into a haven of peace. They kindly gave us a brief on the city sights and looked after our cases while our apartment was cleaned.
    We headed out into May Day celebrations with band for a recce of the supermarket then on to the funicular railway which took us up to the view point below Castel St Elmo. On the way back we did supermarket sweep part one for lunch picking up a fine selection of cheeses and cool beers.
    We then retired briefly for a snooze before further shopping activity to provide for home cooked pasta with local Campi Flegrei Piedirosso wine.
    An excellent first day in Napoli.    Read more

  • Trip start
    May 1, 2018
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