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Christmas in Italy 2018

December 2018 - January 2019
A 27-day adventure by Laurie Read more
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  • Laurie ReynoldsChristmas in Italy 2018

    Travel Day

    December 19, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    I decided to get up at 3 am and go to the gym before we left for the airport. (Silver Sneakers is the best part of Medicare — all sorts of gyms all over the country are free!). I had also considered going to the Hilton fitness center in O’Hare, since we were supposed to have such a long layover. But our flight to Chicago was delayed for an hour, which made our layover too short for a gym run. So I am glad I chose the nutty option. And I am hoping I will be better able to sleep tonight on the flight to Rome!

    In Chicago, we got to go to the fancy new American lounge since we are flying international. It is really nice, lots of food and drink, so we were able to eat a regular meal. Then a hop to Philadelphia, where we are in the regular old lounge because their fancy one has not yet opened. Really roughing it in PHL :-) (I don’t pay for this btw, I get in for free when I fly international because of my miles)

    So in an hour we will be on our way. Arriving in Roma around 9 am, and then hopping on a bus or train to Naples. All is well!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsChristmas in Italy 2018
    Day 2

    Archaeological Museum -- First stop!

    December 21, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We slept from about 9 till 10 (that’s pm till am) and now seem to be firmly set on Italian time. First stop, Archaeological Museum. If you thought all Roman statues were headless and armless, that’s just because the Italians kept all the good stuff for themselves. Three and a half hours there went fast — tiny figures and vessels, frescoes from Pompeii houses, statuary and mosaics from Herculaneum, it was awesome.

    Lunch in a tiny cafe - the array of vegetables on display attracted us. Then we walked through the oldest part of the city, went several stories down below to Greek and Roman ruins, and then came upon a pretty famous street selling Nativity creches and figures for sale (no longer made inside their 18th century storefronts, now from China, but still fun to walk around).

    This city is chaotic and crazy, run down and gritty. It is full of people gesticulating madly, risking their lives as the cross streets with a million motos, cars, buses, and the occasional ambulance or police car with sirens that gets no respect. I know some people don’t like Naples, but I think it is great.

    Off to the fitness center, while Joe rests. Pizza tonight! After all, Naples is where it all began.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsChristmas in Italy 2018
    Day 2

    First pizza in Naples

    December 21, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Well, I will just slip in a few pictures of the pizza and the Pizzeria Antillo. Great recommendation from our hotel. Totally delicious. Joe had one with squash and mushrooms, I had a special “8 star” pizza with fresh ricotta pockets in each star.

    Feeling totally sated, and totally safe, in Naples. But I did find a little irony in the “Merry Christmas” lights over the piles of garbage.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsChristmas in Italy 2018
    1
    Day 3

    Saturday before Christmas in Naples

    December 22, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Before falling into the moving masses through the old quarter, we decided to get our culture in first. First stop, the Palace (now Art Museum) way up high in Capodimonte. I think I will be fine if I never go through another Bourbon palace (Though the grand piano playing in the ballroom was very pretty), but it was nice to see those familiar Carlos-es who were also king of Spain. Even a couple of Goyas. Carvaggio, Titian, El Greco, Breughel, lots of madonnas and saints. Titian’s portraits of the pope Paul III were probably my favorites, and then way up on the fourth floor hidden away — Andy Warhol’s Vesuvius erupting!

    From there we walked down to the Catacombs of San Gennaro, patron saint of Naples. Even though he was not from Naples, when he made Vesuvius stop erupting, he became their patron. His bones have moved around a bit, but we saw their original 4th century resting place. Graves were from 3rd century onward, till sometime in the middle ages, when a church edict required all bodies to be moved because they were too close to the growing city. San Gennaro’s blood miraculously liquifies three times a year at special masses, but the church has not allowed for scientific examination.

    All cultured out, we walked back down to the historic center, a mad crush of people shopping and eating. Street food is sold at least every ten feet in one stall or another. Joe had a very delicious pistacchio canolo. We visited a couple of elaborate nativity scenes, some mechanical, and all beautiful.

    Dinner tonight will be in a nearby osteria recommended by the hotel, well known for fish.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsChristmas in Italy 2018
    Day 4

    Churches and street food

    December 23, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    So, somehow I deleted this post, but I will try again. Today was a day of churches, including the Duomo (16-18th century cathedral, with its far more interesting 4th century baptistry with its ancient mosaics)), the chapel of San Severo (where a sculptor figured out how to make veils over bodies with one piece of marble, and a visit to the Contemporary Art Museum and its exhibit of Maplethorpe photos (the rest of the installations were the kind of thing unitiatated people like me would say things like —my grandkids could do this!). We walked for miles and miles, eating a lot of street food, and having lunch at a recommended place where people shouted and gesticulated to get what they wanted. As you might imagine, it took us a long time.

    We are thoroughly enjoying Naples, and recommend it to people who are not looking for prettified places to go.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsChristmas in Italy 2018
    Day 5

    On the boat to Ischia

    December 24, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    No churches and no museums today. We took about an hour ferry ride to the island of Ischia, Capri’s poor relation. But it figures prominently in Elena Ferrante’s books, so I wanted to visit. Anyway, we are probably more Ischia types than Capri types. We spent the day walking — on the sand, on a promenade, through the main town. We went a couple of kms to a huge “castle on a rock.” Called the Castelo Aragonés, it has a history going back to 500 BC, but the current buildings are from the 16th -17th century. Nothing much to walk through, but it is a pretty impressive complex from outside.

    One thing I was not prepared for was the mobs of young people out in their finest, drinking and smoking in the street next to the bars. We had to push our way through crowds of kids as we went down the row of restaurants along the port looking for something without blaring music. We finally found one — the restaurant at the very tip was relatively quiet and had space for us. But then we had to push our way back through to get to the dock for our boat home. Everyone was very jolly and celebratory, but I was surprised because I thought Christmas was more of a close family celebration in Italy.

    Home by 7, and happy to see that we had apparently missed a serious rainfall because of all the puddles. There are apparently a few restaurants open along the main drag a few minutes away, so we will cross our fingers and head out.

    Merry Christmas to everyone, it has been great to Facetime with grandkids and hope to do more of that tomorrow!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsChristmas in Italy 2018
    Day 6

    Christmas Day in Napoli

    December 25, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    For the last four days, we have turned left when leaving our hotel, and have explored the Greek, Roman, and medieval part of Naples. Turns out that if your turn right,you will jump ahead a few centuries and find yourself on 19th century promenades along the sea with 12th century castles guarding the harbor. We visited the San Carlos opera house, the fascist looking Piaza dei Plebescito, and then the glorious promenade, with Vescuvius on one side and many happy Neapolitan families on the other, all enjoying the fabulous Christmas Day weather.

    We even took a quick detour to Piazza dei Martiri, the place where Lila’s shoe store is located in the Ferrante books. And guess what, there is a fancy shoe store named Ferrante near the square. I assume that is where the author got her nom de plume, very mysterious.

    We had a fancy Christmas meal in an old hotel along the ocean. Some forced formality, but all in all a delicious meal. Best lasagna I have ever eaten — with porcini mushrooms and truffles; and the desserts were pretty awesome too.

    Sorry to say that we are leaving Naples tomorrow, heading to Sorrento. From all accounts, it is sanitized and tourist-trap-py, but its location makes it a good spot for visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum.

    The receptionist in our hotel tells us that Rick Steves has told people not to go to Naples. I personally think that that one comment, if true, disqualifies him as an “Italy expert.”

    Merry Christmas one and all!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsChristmas in Italy 2018
    Day 7

    To Sorrento

    December 26, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We moved over to Sorrento for the next few days and will visit Pompeii and Herculaneum from here. Much easier and less hectic.

    So by 11, we were in our hotel. The room wouldn’t be ready for a few hours, and since it was a gorgeous day, we hopped on a bus to Positano. It’s the first major town on the Amalfi Coast. Wow wow wow. Just gorgeous. Nothing much to do except walk and eat, and luckily we enjoy both those things.

    Tomorrow Pompeii.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsChristmas in Italy 2018
    Day 8

    Day in Pompeii

    December 27, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Today’s destination was about a half hour from Sorrento on the commuter train, the Circumvesuviana. We were inside the ruins by around10:30 and didn’t leave till the 4:17 return train home. So it was a long day, many miles of walking no doubt, from the foro to the Villa Misteri with its beautiful frescoes of a young girl being inducted into a forbidden cult, to the amphitheater, through temples, baths, bars, markets, we walked and walked and walked! Rick Steves got my admiration again, since we used his podcast walking tour and it was very good, chock full of information, and easy to follow. Only negative was that by the time we were hungry, we were a long way from the only open restaurant (having followed signs to another one that was locked up tight,grrrr.) So our lunch consisted of bananas, oranges, and some old American Airlines cookies I found in the bottom of my pack!

    We will reward outselves with a good dinner in about an hour. Great day, beautiful weather.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsChristmas in Italy 2018
    Day 9

    To Herculaneum

    December 28, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Back on the 9:37 commuter train, this time to Herculaneum. This is a much smaller place than Pompeii, it was basically a residential town for about 20,000 people. This city was covered in lava, not volcanic ash like Pompeii. Lots of small shops, not much grandiosity, lots of homes with their peristyles and frescoed chambers. The saddest thing was the old boat huts down by what used to the beach. Many people rushed to take cover there, and the skeletons are left just as they were found. We enjoyed it very much, and this time had thought to bring fruit and nuts, yoghurt, oranges, and some chocolate (which is what I always carry on the camino, coincidentally!). Of course, wouldn’t you know it, this time there was a little cafe right there, but no way was I going to lug the food back to the hotel.

    Since Herculaneum is so much smaller, we had seen about everything after about 3 1/2 hours and decided to get the 3:15 train back to Sorrento. Clever travelers that we are, we had no idea that more than one line ran on those tracks, and sure enough, we got on the wrong train. I noticed the mistake about three stops later, and learned that we would have to get off and go back. No big deal, except that for some reason, the next train was cancelled, but we finally rolled into Sorrento around 6 pm instead of our hoped-for 4 pm! But hey, it’s not every day that you can stand and wait in dusk with Vesuvius in the background! Luckily, I had my book, Americanah (loving it), to keep me occupied!

    Well, that will just make for a late dinner, and since tomorrow is a “rest day” (another familiar camino technique) we can sleep in and lollygag around Sorrento.    Read more

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