TRAVEL COMPANIONS
Meredith
Nelson
Elena
Linda
Picture taken on Mount Etna, Sicily
PLANNING
On one of my early trips to Italy I made the decision that I wanted to go back at some time with my daughter and show her the places I loved. Cinque Terre was going to be one of those places but extreme tourism turns out to be terrible for the UNESCO-protected area.
I left the decision of where to go in Italy to my daughter, Meredith and her partner, Nelson. We discussed the length of the trip and whether we would stay in hotels or AirBnBs and decided it would be based on the length of stay in a city. To stay in an AirBnB for one or two nights is sometimes annoying since you need to figure out all the rules and garbage disposal even for short periods of time.
Planning started in January but at one point in April the trip started to become a reality as we began to rent places and bought air tickets. We decided on Rome, Naples, Procida and Sicily. We would rent a car only in Sicily and we would take trains and boats to the other places. The amount of days we would stay in each place in Sicily didn’t get settled until early May.
Nelson is a wonderful planner and saved various documents in Google Drive that we shared. These docs held all the information for our trip in addition to maps with distances and preferences for museums and other sites we should visit. I will share the maps in the section on Sicily. I think it is a useful planning tool when you travel by car. You need to make decisions in advance about how much driving you might do a day and what you want to accomplish in that travel day. What you don’t want is to spend whole days in the car without seeing anything.
Our friend Linda would join us on the last day in Naples and then travel the rest of the journey with us.
ROME June 8 to June 13
Our first stop was Rome and we decided on a spacious AirBnB in a section called Prati. Most of Prati is a residential neighborhood with apartments, restaurants but few hotels. It is located on the west side of the Tibor, the same side as the Vatican and Castel Sant’Angelo. It also was on the “A” line of the subway and there were buses at our corner. We used both. As you can see from the map the apartment was walkable to most important sites. The apartment had a courtyard as most apartments have in Rome. Here is the listing from AirBnB. I would recommend this place–it was two bedrooms, two full baths, kitchen, living room and extra room. Totally modernized.
On our walks home we usually passed Parcheggio Piazza Cavour which is adorned with beautiful palm trees and home to many government buildings.
As I mentioned Nelson is a fastidious planner and Meredith is an investigator of everything. In addition to the Rome sites that everyone visits, Meredith was researching markets and lesbian book stores that were in the suburbs of Rome. She wanted to talk to people.
[BTW: I gave Meredith Babble the language learning tool for her birthday because I knew she would learn Italian. She is bi-lingual English/Spanish and now she is good at Italian. She was our interpreter for the entire trip. She was in the shotgun seat of every taxi and our translator in grocery stores, etc. At times, I felt sorry that the entire burden of language was hers. I tried to help when I could but probably was more of a hazard than a help.]
I was adventurous since I had visited many places in Rome on other trips, so going to the suburbs was great for me as well. First trip was to Testaccio which was about 30 minutes by subway. We walked, talked, shopped and lunched here.
Our other trip to the suburbs was to Isola Pedonale del Pigneto. There was a lesbian book store that Meredith wanted to visit. She wanted to speak to everyone and learn everything. While Meredith and Nelson visited the book store, I sat outside and imagined living there on this street. It was quiet and lovely. They were hanging a new sign for a bistro. It was next to a wine bar. I imagined that when I leave the US I could live on this street and Mikey can run the wine bar.
READY TO BE HUNG
AND GETTING READY TO HANG BISTRO SIGN ON RIGHT.
MUSEUMS OF ROME
We visited many museums: one better than the next. Here are some pictures representing the exhibits presented. The only museum I was not fond of was the Etruscan Museum. It was not handicap accessible and I definitely felt I needed an elevator rather than another flight of steps. We trudged there and the heat in Rome was intense.
Galleria Nazionale D’arte Moderna
My favorite was the Galleria Nazionale D’arte Moderna located on the northside of Villa Borghese Park.
This particular work was made with nails
The statue itself is interesting in its form and anatomy; but the very large piece behind it is made up of thousands of thorns embedded in linen as seen here
We walked through Villa Borghese Gardens south to towards Piazza del Popolo to track down some food. The Park is lovely and being a Sunday it was full of those out skateboarding, walking, biking, running and just sitting.
We passed an Italian couple sitting on a bench smoking a cigarette. As we approached them the man trashed the cigarette butt on the ground. As we got closer we realized he was going to be on fire in about 1 minute. Meredith used her Italian wisely yelling until the couple noticed the dry grass underneath them aflame coming thru the bench heading towards their rear ends.
Still looking for food, we found a place that served a meat/cheese platter with an Aperol Spritz for $10–delightful. We found a new kind of salami or a new name for an old one. It was called Sbriciolona and it is a Tuscan specialty salami with fennel. Delicious.
Then we headed toward the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. Like every other time I’ve been in Rome I always find the fountain by accident–it is in a tiny piazza and it just appears after some narrow streets.
GOOD TIMES
We ate in some great restaurants that were close to where we were living and some further away. A few blocks from us was a crowded non-touristy place–we had to wait to get seated. While waiting we went to a wine bar down the block that had some interesting artwork depicting people who will be familiar to you.
After going up to the Sistine Chapel on a night pass that Nelson found for us [definitely less crowded and no waiting to get in] I was so in the mood for some great cocktail. I convinced Nelson and Meredith that there was a hotel rooftop bar a few blocks between the Sistine Chapel and our AirBnB that we could go to have a cocktail. I had been up to this place on the afternoon of Christmas Eve in 2019. It was a bright sunny day and the place was deserted except for me. I wanted to go back at night because I knew the view was fantastic and this place had great cocktails. We walked a while and found the place. You can see happiness here.
MUSEO DI ROMA IN TRASTEVERE
Trastevere is a section of Rome that is both historic and artistic. Many young people go there to restaurants and tapas places and there are lovely shops and pastry stores.
The Museo di Roma in Trastevere was established in 1977 in the restored Carmelite convent of Sant’Egidio.
There were two exhibits at the museum. The first was called Interesting Years: Moments of Italian life 1960 – 1975. There were 124 black and white images that documented the years when Italy transitioned to modernity. The second exhibit was Arctic Tales which were photographs of the residents around the Arctic circle. Both were amazing and since the images portrayed a story I was busy soaking it up rather than taking photos [sorry you will have to go and see for yourself]
We were in Rome on Gay Pride Day but chose not to go to the parade. We did make sure we went to a gay-friendly place for a few cocktails. The bar was near the Colosseum which we wanted to see, and we had reservations at a restaurant nearby, so we were off on a bus from Trastevere to Colosseum. Bar was a block from Colosseum and bus stopped a block away. Restaurant we were going to was another bus ride from there.
Just a note about the bus ride to the Colosseum. There was a mask mandate in Rome on public transportation. While on the bus we encountered a screaming match between a doctor in Rome and two tourists from Germany. Tourists did not have on masks, doctor thought they should. An argument ensued which ended in the participants calling each other Nazis and Fascists–I mention this just to say all countries are the same.
We had dinner a short bus ride away from the Coliseum in a neighborhood called San Giovanni named Santo Palato. The chef, Sarah Cicolini is young and talented and food was delicious. Wine list much more extensive than food menu but there was enough variation to be able to share and enjoy many Roman favorites. Restaurant not fancy and reasonable prices for both food and wine. After our reservation here was set we started to see some really odd reviews about service. We kept our reservation and was delighted with the service. Our server was a young woman and some other servers came to help us with our wine selection. It was great.
NAPLES June 14 to June 18
Well it was time to leave Rome. I was disappointed that I never went to mass at St. Peters which was my habit when there in 2019.
Not sure I mentioned before but each of us travelled for 3 weeks with a carry-on. I experienced, many times, traveling with luggage that was large and clumsy and I swore I would not do that again. In our planning stage we bought some travel compression bags that worked great. [Nota bene: Clothes do get wrinkled in compression bags but they do compress your clothes.]
We left the AirBnB to get to Termini where all long distance trains depart from. Our apartment was a few blocks from the “A” line which was just a few stops from Termini. Breakfast at the train station and then off to Naples. We were scheduled to arrive there in time to get into our next AirBnB.
Distance to Naples is a 140 miles and most trains arrive in about an hour and a half. The high-speed train takes less than 55 minutes. Prices range from $15 to $77. There is always a huge range in train fares–just remember you probably need less than more.
Our AirBnB was less than a mile from the train station but we chose to take a taxi because of the luggage. We stayed in Centro Storico in Naples which is the oldest historical district of the city. This is the link to the apartment we stayed at. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/10448007?adults=4&children=0&infants=0&location=Naples%20IT&check_in=2022-12-14&check_out=2022-12-21&federated_search_id=56896a84-a95b-4953-87c4-ea2bd0ffc69a&source_impression_id=p3_1661519827_JLwrx0yNH6uMlEFy
It was all that it was advertised to be. The entranceway is a disaster and looked like it was bombed at some point. Though when you get into apartment, it is totally modernized and welcoming. Definitely the AirBnB ad would not feature the lobby of the building. We were happy here with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths; a working kitchen and lovely living room.
After unpacking we decided to investigate the area. Centro Storico is made up of many small alleys–some large enough for cars and others only for motor bikes. We laughed a bit this first day when we realized the huge differences between Rome and Naples. In Rome we commented about well-dressed women riding motorbikes to work, fully dressed in business clothes talking on a phone and sometimes with a cigarette hanging from their lips as opposed to Naples where there were many mothers in loudly colored tee shirts with their small children sitting in front and back on the bike. On my next trip to Naples I would definitely rent a motor bike to get around.
MUSEUMS OF NAPLES
There are many museums in Naples and we went to a few. Each was exquisite in its setting and set-up–some were in castles, others in mansions and some in old buildings in the middle of Centro Storico section of Naples.
Castel Sant’Elmo
Meredith’s plan included a visit Castel Sant’Elmo. Our host also mentioned it would be a great place to view the entire city. It would also give us the opportunity to take the funicular there.
Castel Sant’Elmo is a medieval fortress located on Vomero Hill and now serves as a museum and exhibition hall. The castle was built in 1275 and has turrets and is surrounded by walls. Saint Elmo is the patron saint of Naples. The castle was a military fortress and also served as a prison until 1952. In 1976 a restoration project was undertaken and the castle was made structurally sound and became a museum with some permanent art exhibits including a railing more than 30 feet long carrying a braille inscription of what a blind person might read to clarify what they were looking at but not seeing.
I would highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting Naples and doing it on day 1 gives you a sense of where you are in relation to everything else. We took a local bus–you buy tickets at stands called Tabacco shops. Entrance fee for museum is 2.5 Euros.
We hiked up to the top of the castle. It was amazing–everything about it. My pictures don’t do this place justice but you will see the small pieces of net art set around the path. They are unique and look different when viewed from above or below while walking the trail.
These images are painted on netting. What you see depends on what angle you look at these figures. From one side it appears to be an unfinished work and when you pass it on another side you see the painting on the netting. I loved this. The pictures are not great and it was difficult to capture with photo.
Church of the Skulls
A church museum called Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio Ad Arco in Centro Naples. It was built in the 17th century as a place for the poor to be buried since all the graveyards in the city’s churches were full. With the advent of the Black Death plague the Church soon filled up with many skulls and bones. Since they didn’t receive a Catholic burial, people believed that these souls could never go to heaven and would remain in Purgatory. So people visited the church frequently to say masses for all those bones.
This first set of pictures are from the Church and you can see the shopping bags designed for the Church. There was a contest and you could select the designs you liked the best.
You can proceed down to the lower church which holds the skulls and bones of the poor. There are many pieces of art depicting souls/people burning in purgatory.
GALLERIE D’ITALIA NAPOLI
This museum is located in a very old building Centro Storico called Banco di Napoli.
I am attaching the website about the design of this particular museum when it was renovated. I’ve found all the interiors of the museums in Napoli to be beautiful; this one especially so with the marble. https://www.gallerieditalia.com/it/homepage/napoli/il-museo/
New design was inaugurated on 9 May 1940, as the modern headquarters of the ancient institute.
The stairwells, windows, staircases are all in marble and the building as well as the museum is designed to “wow”. Art Deco is very much present here. The art speaks for itself.
I tried to capture myself with this painted woman in the mirror
Catacombe di San Gaudioso
We took a local bus to visit this 3rd century church/catacombe/museum. The catacombs are under the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità. I attach a link because the history is too much for me to document here and extremely interesting. https://catacombedinapoli.it/en/luoghi/catacombs-of-san-gaudioso-naples/
As you can see from the pictures most of the skeletons have been removed from this catacombe by the Romans. The frescoes are incredible and have stood the test of time.
The church above is a museum as well. There was an upside down confessionals which was interesting. Pictures speak the words.
patron staint of Naples
museo E REAL BOSCO di capodimonte
After visiting the catacombs, we took a bus up to Parque de Capodimonte where the museum is located. This museum has a Caravaggio exhibit as well as modern and ancient art.
I don’t think I have ever seen a painting with Mary nursing her baby. There were many at this museum and it made me happy that painters at that time believed this to be natural.
Since most of the Italian painters were men, I have always been interested in how they imagined and depicted the Virgin Mary mourning at the foot of the cross of her son being crucified. Her depiction always differs. I took a few pictures of various paintings on this subject–the depiction is always off to the bottom left of the paintings. There are always women surrounding Mary in her grief.
AN OLD RESTAURANT
In her research on restaurants Meredith found this gem in Vomero. Osteria DonnaTeresa was opened in 1913 by the same family that owns and runs it now. By running I mean, doing the cooking and serving.
It opens at 7 pm and you must arrive early since there are a mere 8 tables and they take no reservations. There was an elderly man who was sitting on a lawn chair outside the restaurant. He said we should just go in and take a seat; someone would be here shortly.
There was one other couple occupying a table so we went in and sat down at one of the tables. At 7:00 pm promptly two women arrived and immediately walked to the kitchen and put on aprons. The older woman [the mom] started putting pots on the stove and working in the kitchen. The younger woman [the daughter] came out to ask us what we wanted to drink: white or red wine by the glass. There was no wine list here, just a table wine that they served with dinner. She came back with the wine and then recited the menu. You had a choice of 3 items for an entree and a choice for soup or appetizer or pasta. There is no printed menu.
We were delighted with the food and the service. We soon realized the man sitting on the lawn chair was the dad and every once in a while he would get up and provide something to a table. All 8 tables were full with locals; some with children. They ate quickly and someone else took the table.
DONNAREGINA MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Donnaregina Museum of Contemporary Art of is located in the Centro Storico section of Naples. From the outside the building is not auspicious, except for the bright yellow doors.
I would list this as a “do not miss” museum. There are 11 rooms and each is a piece of art. In this first room you can see the fresco that covers the walls but the tile floor is another dimension. You can go up a flight and view the room from the top as well.
This was the passageway from one section to another
THIS ROOM BUT I WAS ABLE TO SIT ALONE AND MELT INTO THE SURROUNDINGS
THE WINDWOS IN THEHE MUSEUM
This particular exhibit interested me. It was a 5 story vertical city made of cardboard houses. There three photos here but I attached a link which is a video of the 5 floors. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n-lysds11cBGdQismhX_bk0eqNgB8Sg3/view?usp=sharing
Some rooms were inactive and music and motion happened as you walked through. The museum was not crowded so we were able to tour as if were we the only ones there.
LAST DAY IN NAPLES
My friend Linda arrived in Naples early in the morning of our last day. We would all be leaving the next morning for the Isola di Proceda and the beach for some relaxation. But we had a really full last day in Naples. Meredith and Nelson went back to another catacomb museum and Linda and I went our own way. It was nice for me to have someone my own age there. Loving my offspring and her partner as I do, doesn’t mean that you don’t cherish your friends and time with them. I was excited at Linda’s arrival. Our AirBNB host suggested we send a car to pick her up, so we did. Linda mentioned she was excited after traveling alone direct from Newark to Naples to have someone at the Italy side with sign: LINDA SCOTT. She arrived at our place quickly after calling me on her arrival since the international airport is fairly close to downtown Naples.
Linda and I decided we would start our day with a walk to the Castel Nuovo Museo Civico which is a castle and an old prison museum. It is located on the water and includes a moat.
We walked to a place for lunch and found this delightful cafe called Gambrinus Cafe which specialized in gelato but you could have anything. We were surprised when we ordered a Spritz and it came with all these snacks. There is no where in Italy that you order a drink that they don’t bring you some appetizer or snack. This place was a whole meal so we never even needed to order lunch. After that we walked back to apartment and went for pizza for dinner. Linda was a trouper that day after flying overnight and arriving early morning and then trekked around Naples for the entire day.
Fun and Other Serious Matters 