Viva L'Italia! Part Four: South Western Italy
(Naples, Mt. Vesuvius, Capri Island, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast)
Region: Campania
* Please scroll to the bottom to find links to my other blogs related to this trip.
Day 26: Naples
Although the original plan saw us visiting the "toe" and "soccer ball" of Italy, many factors
kept this from unfolding, including being overwhelmed at all of the planning. Instead, we traveled directly to Naples from Lecce, saying a fond farewell to gallant Nino at the train station. A 5 hour train ride cut through the scenic countryside, depositing us into a place that left me speechless and culture shocked, even though the Italian blood runs dramatically through my veins. Naples is the place where anything goes! And now I understand why the guide book started with, "If you are brave enough to add Naples to your itinerary..." Decidedly, I hailed a cab, as my courage to conquer the public transportation dwindled and faded, drowned out by the loud noises assaulting every sense. Our cab drove us through the chaotic city, horns blaring, sirens squealing, music playing and people hollering, to our place of stay, La Controra Hostel. I laugh remembering how the cab driver stopped in the middle of the street, with angry horns behind him, and said to us that we had arrived. Looking around, I didn't see the hostel and my fear of being lost began to rise. Panicked, I looked at the cab driver. He was pointing and yelling, emphatically. Tas and I exited, my wobbly legs weak, stumbling in the direction the cab driver pointed and were relieved to discover the entrance to our hostel, tucked in a nook, which turned out to be a quiet oasis from the lively Napoli streets. Friendly faces greeted us. After unloading, we took to the calamity in search of food, as this hostel provided a kitchen that the guests could utilize. Not far down the road we found a small grocery store where we bought several fresh fruits and vegetables, for very reasonable prices. No photos were taken this day because I was too scared to do anything but clutch Tas's hand and be on guard!
Later that night, I penned my thoughts:
Naples.
Dented cars, cats yelping in heat, hung clothes from high windows, loud beeps, cheap food, churches, marinara pizza, the bay, kindness, the stench of garbage, young children in pool halls, toddler on a speeding scooter with no helmet clutching his father's back, scrumptious food, volcanoes, family, museums, basilicas, chaos, smoking, colorful houses, graffiti walls, markets, busyness, small cars, lots of yelling, castles, temples, turquoise blue warm waters, spectacular views from hilltops, history buried beneath, stole my heart,
Napoli.
Day 27: Naples
Naples is home to yet another relative, my Grandfather's brother's grandson, who I will call Luigi, to respect his privacy. My cousin back home had contacted Luigi and, through email, we had arranged to meet at an intersection down the street from our hostel. Tas and I stood forlornly in the pouring rain at the corner of this intersection when I saw a car cautiously approach. The window slid down and a man gently called out my name. I smiled and waved, relieved to be found. And then, in the chaos we were becoming accustomed to, Luigi called out more urgently, "Hurry up, get in," even though he had just slowed down and not stopped at the intersection and numerous angry motorists veered around him with nothing nice to say. We moved fast! Luigi drove us around Naples, stopping so we could take photos of the city from the hilltop, at a cafe bar to have an espresso, and then to his home where we met his lovely, welcoming wife and daughter-in-law. Thankfully, Luigi could speak English and I sat wishing I had learned more Italian so that I could converse more easily. We dined on a Canadian meal they made just for us, so we would feel at home. Grazie!
Later, Luigi, along with his son and his family, took us to Certosa E Museo Nazionale di San Martino
Before our departure, Luigi gave us site-seeing suggestions and, to my grateful surprise, his daughter-in-law extended an invitation to her home for the following day.
Day 28: Naples
We woke to more pouring rain. Taking Luigi's advice, we walked down the street to Napoli Sistema Museo, particularly enjoying the ceramics.
Later, we strolled through the historical part of Naples to find Sansevero chapel (Museo Cappella Sansevero). Naturally, I would have walked right by, as the ancient building sat camouflaged, nestled in the labyrinth of old, graffiti decorated walkways, if it wasn't for the helpful Napolian who asked us if we were looking for the church and then guided us to the entrance. I had no problem tipping this lively, kind man offering valuable information.
A visit to the Sansevero chapel (Museo Cappella Sansevero) stood as the most memorable experience for me. Laying in the center of the chapel, the Veiled Christ, sculpted by Giuseppe Sanmartino, was so real, affecting me so deeply, as if I were witness to the sufferings of Jesus Christ. It took my breath away. The realistic, marbled veil appeared unfathomable. I was moved immeasurably beyond words, standing before this masterpiece.
The day ended with an enjoyable evening at our relative's home, with their children, who were around the same age as Tas.
Day 29: Mt. Vesuvius
A beautiful poster, taped to the wall in our hostel, advertising horseback riding up Mount Vesuvius from Horse Back Riding Tour Naples worked. Our designated reservation was in the morning and pick-up/drop off was included in the price. What I wasn't expecting, however, was our pick-up ride to stop in the middle of the road, exactly where our cab driver had stopped a couple of days earlier, followed by a lot of yelling and motioning for us to hurry up from the hostel staff, as the pick-up was early and we were still preparing in our room. Laughing, we ran through the hostel and into the waiting car, where we were driven by two young males to the stable near the base of Mt. Vesuvius, about an hour away from the hostel. As we were the only two people in the group, Tas and I enjoyed the private climb up the mountain, at a nice, steady pace, along rocky trails through the national park, stopping for photos at the scenic lookout, catching a glimpse of Naples and the islands only when the fog abated.
After our escort deposited us back to the hostel, Tas and I spent the remainder of our last day enjoying the comfort of our room and utilizing the kitchen to socialize and prepare a meal, as the rain continued. As we lay in bed for warmth and comfort, I checked my facebook account. To my amazement, I read a post about a cat that had been found, and I instantly knew that it was my cat! Quickly, I messaged this cat rescuer to inform her, but I couldn't see what was to come. Cat Lady was convinced that I had abandoned my pet. Where was I? When was I coming home? Why was the cat left outside? All afternoon I messaged back and forth with the cat lady, my cat sitter, and a friend, who in the end, was allowed to pick up the cat and return him safely home.
Day 30:
Tas and I moved our belongings to Hostel of the Sun today, where we planned to meet our dear friend, Tanjalee.
Tanjalee is the Phoebe of Friends, but with a lot more sense. Fun, quirky, happy, easy-going, adventurous, care-free, loving and full of life are only a few ways to describe her. After long hugs and lots of chatter, we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the historical section of Naples, dining on the famous Neapolitan pizza, strolling along the pedestrian streets, stopping to buy snacks, people-watch, chat, laugh, and admire the history of the city.
Day 31: Capri Island
When you arrive at the Capri harbor, known as Marina Grande, you have the option of taking the funicular (cable car) up to the town of Capri, or, you can walk up, like we did, wanting to avoid the crowds and clear our heads after our rough boat ride over from Naples.
Although using the worn pathway to climb up to the town of Capri took effort, it provided us the opportunity to appreciate the view of the surrounding sea. It was here that we wanted to take a photo, only to discover that, in our excited anticipation of the day, all three of us had left our cameras and phones behind.
Surprisingly, there is a lot to discover on Capri Island and we wished that we could have spent more time here. Deciding to take the chair lift leading up to Monte Solaro, we took the public bus to Anacapri. Mount Solaro is the highest point on the Island. Taking the chairlift, which is similar to a ski lift, enables you to see the most breathtaking views of the sea and the town of Anacapri, as well as the surrounding houses and terrain. At the top there were plenty of trails and places to rest to take in the beauty.
Returning to Capri, we strolled through the famous square, Piazza Umberto I, known also as Piazzetta, where it is rumored that the rich and famous can be seen. By the afternoon, the wind had picked up and the tour operators closed. Disappointed, we lounged around the dock watching other people get turned away, when I noticed a man offering another couple to take up to 10 people on a private tour. We seized the opportunity to join them, creating the only photo evidence of the day, as another tourist took our photo and emailed it to us. It turned out that the tour operators were wise - I was sure that the boat would capsize and this would be our last living day, as the wind churned the sea and tossed us about. Because of the choppy water we could not enter the Grotta Azzurra, a much desired destination. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining day.
Day 32: Pompeii
Our destination for today was Pompeii. Tas's dad had arrived the night before to join us on this part of the trip. We were all excited to spend another day exploring. As I purchased our tickets at the train station the ticket seller emphasized how important it was for us to stay at our section when the next train pulled up. This was not our train, he instructed. We were to wait in our spot for the next train. He pointed to the ticket and to our zone and told me, again, not to leave our zone. I nodded my head in agreement. Yes, we will wait. No, we will not take the next train. I was thankful for his help, noting his genuine care for our journey. With the tickets in hand, I relayed the message to my companions, emphasizing how important it was to not leave our zone, in the same serious manner as the ticket master. They nodded their heads in agreement. After waiting for what seemed like a lengthy amount of time all four of us forgot reason when the train that we were supposed to ignore pulled up to the platform ahead of us. People started running wildly to catch the train at the next platform, and like cows running to the sound of the bell, we joined them. As I frantically ran, fearful of missing the train, I ignored the voice in my head that told me to stop, that told me this was not our train, that told me to heed the ticket master's wise instructions. We were well into our train ride, when my subconscious finally found its voice and spoke out loud and clear - we were on the wrong train - the realization forcing us to travel back, get off at another destination, wait at least an hour and then board the correct train. And that is how we spent the morning!
Pompeii is an ancient, Roman, excavated city that was buried during the Mt. Vesuvius eruption of 79 A.D. There is so much to see here and you will be walking a lot! For more information or to plan your trip, you can visit: www.pompeiisits.org/en
From the plaster-filled Pompeiians, their heartbreaking despair frozen in time, to the houses, temples, baths, fountains, the amphitheatre and more, Pompeii is filled with ruins depicting ancient, Roman life. Although we walked and explored ourselves, I would definitely have enjoyed the guided tour to learn more about this history-rich archaeological site.
Day 33: Amalfi Coast
We traveled by train to Vietri sul Mare and then boarded a SITA bus to take us along the hair raising, nail biting, stomach wrenching, Amalfi Coast along the SS163. I'm not kidding - be prepared as this is much like a roller coaster ride.
It's hard to pick just a few photos, as every turn offered breathtaking views. And, again, it was an overcast, rainy day.
In Amalfi, we devoured my favorite meal, pizza!
From Amalfi, we followed the road to Positano, where Tas and Tanjalee collected sea pottery from the beach.
Day 34: Naples
Today we walked from our relative's in Naples to a private beach, thankful for the suggestion to bypass the public beach, as we witnessed the used needles laying askew when we walked by. Later, we enjoyed another delicious meal and company from our relatives.
Day 35: Depart Naples/Arrive in Rome
Campania tourist website: http://incampania.com/en/
Tips:
1. Buy food from the local stores - it is much more affordable than in the museums or tourist traps
2. Not every hostel allows you to use their kitchen, so inquire before you go, especially if you are planning on saving a bit of $ by preparing your own meals
3. Listen to the ticket master and stand where he tells you to!
Related Blogs:
Viva L'Italia! Part Four: South Western Italy
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