This sounds like a great trip, I can't wait to read more.

Accommodations

In Naples and Rome we rented apartments for 4 and 3 days respectively and in Paestum we stayed in a hotel for 2 nights

La Stanza di Dante
The Naples apartment was called Le Stanza de Dante and was right at Piazza Dante. The location could not be better and we walked everywhere from there or took the bus. The central area of Naples is now closed to most traffic and the street which fronted the apartment is where the traffic had to turn so there was always a police presence there.

The apartment was just fine for our needs and fit our budget well. It's listed as 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms, but technically two of the bedrooms are lofts, one over the living room, one over the master bedroom, so they are not private. The space would probably be fine for families with kids or teens.
The main bedroom has a queen sized bed with one of the hardest mattresses I've ever slept on. The loft above it has a twin bed and the other loft has two twins. All have very hard mattresses, almost like sleeping on the box springs. There is a ton of storage space (a wall of closets) in the bedroom.

The bathrooms are ok, but the small one, while it has a shower, would drench the entire room if you actually used it. The other one had good hot water and pressure, but the shower did not drain well, and the bracket to hold the shower head on the wall was broken so it was impossible for anyone over 5 feet tall to stand under it.
There is a washer/dryer combo machine. Do not use the dryer. You could blow on your clothes and they would dry faster.

The only natural light coming into the apartment is from the front windows on the balcony. The kitchen is serviceable with a good sized refrigerator, stove and oven but there's very little counter space so I think it would be hard to cook a full meal there. We never made anything more than coffee.
No wifi offered. There was a TV but it only got channels in Italian and we never watched it. The apartment is on the 2nd (3rd US) floor with a lift.
Link to apartment:
http://www.lestanzedidante.com/html/en.html

Il Granaio dei Casabella
This is a small hotel within walking distance of the ruins at Paestum. Location here was important for us because we did not have a car. The hotel picked us up from the train station and brought us back when we left.
It's a lovely place, in an old converted farm house and barn. Our room was nice, on the back of the house with a view of the garden, separate glassed in sitting room, and additional exterior entrance. The rooms are filled with antique wood furniture, have a small refrigerator and a TV. There is wifi available for free but it seemed to be hit and miss. One disappointment is that we had booked a room on the front of the building which has views of the Paestum ruins but when we arrived it had been given to someone else.

One of the reasons we'd booked this place is because it has a restaurant which got raving reviews (in a town where there are not a lot of dining options). Unfortunately, at the time we were there someone else had taken over the kitchen and the food was disappointing. We were assured by the front desk manager that this situation was changing and they were bringing back the woman who had been cooking there for years.

The staff and owner are very accomodating and friendly. We spent a good deal of time talking to the woman who manages the hotel about their plans for changes and the things which appeal to travelers.
When we arrived we were offered complimentary coffee in the breakfast room and drinks on one of the evenings. The public areas are lovely and comfortable and the breakfast room is sunny, overlooking the garden. Breakfast was good with options like yogurt, fruit, home made breads and sweets, and excellent coffee.
Link to hotel:http://www.ilgranaiodeicasabella.com/en/lacasa.html

Coronari Lauro
In Rome the apartment was called Coronari Lauro on TripAdvisor and Corlau on the Guest in Italy website (which is where we rented it). It's on a wonderful street, Via dei Coronari, a little north-west of Piazza Navona. The the apartment is beautifully decorated and filled with natural light in every room. There is only one bedroom with a queen bed and one bathroom. The couch is also a pull out bed. The bed in the bedroom, while still firm, was the most comfortable of the trip. There are two small balconies but we did not use either of them (I can't remember if they had chairs and tables or not). The bedroom has ample closet space.

The bathroom is very small and the shower, even smaller. I don't know if anyone over 150 lbs would be able to shower comfortably in there. They could really use one of those shower caddies to hang off the shower head because there is no where to put soap or shampoo and it's impossible to bend over to reach anything set on the shower floor.

The kitchen is nice, though very small and only had two electric burners, a mini refrigerator, a teeny-tiny sink and no oven. Again, we only used it made coffee. There are no fewer than 4 separate trash bins and written instructions in English as to what goes where.

I would stay here again in a heartbeat; the location is fantastic and the apartment is beautiful. There is one drawback which might prevent me from returning however; the apartment is on the 4th floor (5th floor US) with no lift. This means walking up and down 74 stairs every time you leave the apartment. That may not sound bad, but after a while it's tiring. The apartment does not offer wifi and does not have a washing machine. It's also a little expensive (though maybe not for Rome and its location) and prices drop substantially in the low season.
Link to apartment:http://www.guestinitaly.com/apartments/corlau-apartment-in-rome-laurum_booking_472,8.html

Naples:

The anticipation of traveling to a new city is a little like that of going on a first date. There’s excitement, nervousness, and anxiety all rolled into one big ball of anticipation.

To me Naples looks good on paper, albeit a little like the bad boy that many girls secretly adore. It’s often described as dirty, chaotic and dangerous but with fantastic art, architecture and incredible food. See what I mean? Naples sounds a like the 1950′s rebel complete with leather jacket, charming smile and a taste for mama’s ragú.

But then there’s the worry; I want to like him, but will he like me?
Will I get lost? Pickpocketed? Or will I find the Naples travel trifecta; great markets, the perfect pizza and the world’s best archaeology museum?

The short answer is Naples and I got along just fine. I didn’t exactly fall in love like I am with Rome (there’s nothing like your first love), but I think we could certainly hang out and get to know each other better. In other words, I would love to return for another visit because this one was way too short.

We did a lot of walking throughout Naples and never felt unsafe even though people had warned us that it was dangerous and dirty. Like any large city, you need to be aware of your surroundings and we were.

Wandering

On our first full day in Naples, a Sunday, we set out on foot from Piazza Dante, walking down Via Toledo, to just wander the streets with no particular destination in mind. There were lots of people in the streets even though most of the stores were closed and the street closed to most traffic. We ended up in Piazza Plebiscito. The view from the piazza is quite good too. Along the way we checked out the glass roofed Galleria Umberto and the Castel Nuovo (which was closed).
On another day we walked around the Centro Storico and what’s a visit to an Italian city without seeing the Duomo? Of course we went in. It's beautiful and worth going inside.

The Spanish Quarter

Another highlight was walking through the tiny streets of the Spanish Quarter, in search of a place to have lunch. I love the narrow, crowded streets filled with hanging laundry and whizzing motorbikes.

I’ve read that people in Naples live their lives in the streets because many people have tiny, one room apartments and this seemed to be true. We walked past many ground level apartments with open windows and doors, which at first glance may look like a tiny restaurant when you see the kitchen table. But upon closer inspection, you’ll often see a bed and the rest of what fits in a studio apartment.

People still use baskets and buckets attached to ropes to send things up and down to street level from their 3rd and 4th floor apartments. We watched a kid forgot his jacket, his mother yell down to him, and send the jacket down via bucket. People also buy produce and other household items from street vendors this way.

National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaelogical Museum is a highlight of any trip to Naples and we made sure to check it out before our trip to Herculaneum. Inside are relics, mosaics and frescos from both Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as classical sculptures and an enormous stunning room covered in murals on the 2nd floor which at one time must have been a grand ballroom. The collection of glass and pottery vessels is vast.

They also have a special room, called the “Gabinetto Segreto” (the secret room) which is filled with all the erotic art from Pompeii’s brothels. There is a sign outside the room which says it is available by appointment only and only for children over the age of 15. However, the door was unmanned, wide open and people were filing in and out at will, including a group of German teens on a school holiday so we went inside.

The mosaics, frescos and statues inside the secret room are very graphic. Let’s just say there was all manner of artifacts to provide inspiration and ummm, luck, in the realm of fertility and sex, for both humans and animals, and sometimes, both of them together. While it was interesting, I wanted to mention it because it's probably not appropriate for children of all ages.

Getting lost...

Naples has four funiculars and on our last afternoon, we took one up to the top of the hill to see the view and check out the Castel St Elmo. Little did we know it was a bit of a hike to get from the funicular to the castle’s entrance, only to discover it closed on that day!

Instead of walking all the way back to the funicular, I looked at the map and said, let’s follow this street downhill to get to the middle stop on the funicular. Big mistake. Huge.

The “street” wasn’t a street at all, but rather a series of wide and uneven “steps” in a switchback downhill. After about half an hour of walking, we started to wonder if we’d ever get out and when we did, where would we land? Finally we heard cars and the steps emptied out onto a busy street where we eventually found the middle funicular stop (turn left when exiting the steps). It was quite an adventure, but I don't recommend it unless you have a better map than we did and lots of time!

For photos of our daytime wandering around Naples, go here:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/11/09/wandering-naples/

Naples at Night:

A city at night is an entirely different animal than a city in the day time, isn’t it? Some can be romantic (think Paris), some can be rockin’ (think New York) and some can be downright dangerous (insert your favorite scary city here, I won’t take sides).

Naples at night didn’t fit any of those stereotypes, despite all the warnings we had before arrival. As during our daytime wanderings, we walked the city at night, mostly in search of meals in various parts around Piazza Dante and in the Historical Quarter. What we found was a city which seems to shut up tight except in neighborhoods where there are a lot of restaurants and/or tourists. In fact, I was surprised at how quiet and deserted it seemed at times. We never really felt unsafe either, even when in search of a restaurant, my phone's GPS led us down some sketchy streets which weren't much more than an alley. As with most cities at night, it's best to keep aware of your surroundings.

Here are my photos of Naples at night:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/11/14/naples-at-night/

Naples Markets:

There are many outdoor markets in Naples and we visited two; one in Porta Nolana and the other, an organic Sunday market right in our own Piazza Dante.
If you like markets, I highly recommend you check out Napoli Unplugged’s extensive list of markets in Naples at: http://www.napoliunplugged.com/locations-category/markets

Having been a chef who specialized in fish and seafood, I’m always attracted to a city’s fish market and the Porta Nolana market did not disappoint. It’s outside, on the street, and very much reminded me of the La Vucchiria street market in Palermo with the crumbling buildings, artfully displayed food, and vendors in rubber boots calling out jokes to each other and selling their wares to passersby. We seemed to be the only obvious tourists there, and while we got a few curious looks, no one seemed to care.

To get there, we walked from the train station at Piazza Garabaldi to the streets where it starts; Via Santa Maria delle Grazie a Loreto and Via Padre Ludovico da Casoria.

Farmer’s market in Piazza Dante; this one seemed to focus on organic and artisanal products only, from cheeses, to meats to bee keeping and honey production. There was even a display encouraging people to grow their own produce. I believe it's only there on Sundays.

Photos of the markets are here: http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/11/20/naples-porta-nolana-fish-market-and-piazza-dante-farmers-market/

I'm planning a first trip to Naples (not until 2013, alas), so I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it and that you found it didn't live up to the old "dirty and dangerous" reputation!

Do you mind if I ask how you found the apartment you rented in Naples? Was it through an agency or vrbo or ?

I haven't looked at your photos yet, I'm going to make some tea first

Apres-
Yes, we really enjoyed Naples. But I love cities with "character" like Palermo or Bangkok which some other people don't.

I found the Naples apartment originally through VRBO (actually through a suggestion here), but then the owner gave me the address of his site. We liked the location (VERY central) and the price was right (less than listed on the web site). Lack of wifi and the hard beds might be a deal breaker for me if I were to go again however.

If you are interested in Naples apartments you might want to read through the responses I got when I asked about Naples apartments and neighborhoods when we were trying to decide where to stay:
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/looking-for-info-on-this-neighborhood-in-naples.cfm

Thanks, Kristina. One the hotels recommended in your thread, the Decumani, is one I've had at the top of my list since deciding on Naples...we're planning to spend 6-7 nights so I'm still playing around with the idea of an apartment. But it seems like the apartment options are relatively limited in Naples, so maybe we'll stick with a hotel this time.

It's the "character" aspect that makes me so curious to see Naples for myself Well, that and the archeology museum.

Anyway, I'm off to check out your photos, thanks for a great report so far!

Absolutely gorgeous photographs!

Thanks, that made for fun reading - and lovely pictures, of both our region's rakish capital and the national one!

For some tedious stuff that may be of interest or assistance to those following in your footsteps:

If fixing a meeting point at Termini, the station's Italian pages have a lot more detail... with this for instance being the one for the first entry in the "Bar e Ristoranti" list:

http://www.grandistazioni.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=919526160adfa110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD

..................................................

And if down in Campania for long, do look into the local 'Artecard' scheme here - which is perhaps rather better value than the roughly equivalent RomaPass:

http://www.campaniartecard.it/

For many the simplest choice could well be its 3 day, with transport, version - titled 'tutta la regione"..

http://www.campaniartecard.it/itinerary.cfm?id=13

..........................................

With their staggered closing days, it's not difficult to find locked doors facing you at some of the sites and sights in this area - indeed, we (I!) dragged visiting friends ashore from Ischia for the Archaeological Museum one Tuesday, which I'd thought OK...

To save that embarrassment, try the list here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187785-i421-k5346786-Mondays_and_Tuesdays_sites_etc-Naples_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html

..........................

Both cities have handy visitor magazines that are well worth a look, with more recent stuff than guidebooks can offer:

"Un Ospite a Roma - A guest in Rome". For the month's PDF version, click on the picture of its cover, over to the right of the screen here:

http://www.unospitearoma.it/en.html

The bimonthly 'Qui Napoli' (published only for the busier times of the year) is available for download from...
http://www.inaples.it/eng/quinapoli.htm

..........................

Sounds like more than a holiday romance? Luckily, Campania has plenty to offer for a second date...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/tele

Peter

Apres- Thanks, so glad you liked them, more to come.

Peter- Thanks for the additional info. You were very helpful when I was planning the trip as well. I did look into the Arte Card but in the end we didn't end up buying them.

Kristina I'm a big fan of your reports and this one just cemented your reputation! Many thanks!

Where to, next?

Kristina,

I haven't read it all yet, but I'm bookmarking because there is an on-ging discussion with me & my mom about Naples in 2013!

Kristina - What a great trip report! This will certainly help us enjoy our upcoming trip even more! Seems like you ate very well in Naples! And if Istanbul is your next trip, you'll absolutely love it! We've visitied twice and wouldn't hesitate to return for a third trip ...

it's not just foreigners who worry about crime in Naples, kristina. an italian teacher I had [who came from milan] said that he and a friend were driving in Naples and got completely lost. they were sitting at traffic lights studying the map, when the driver in the car next to them started gesturing at them so they immediately locked the car doors and did up the windows. He continued to gesture, and eventually got out of his car and came over to them, holding up all the traffic behind them.

letting down the window an inch or so [or should that be a centimetre?] they discovered that he was offering to give them directions, and when they said where they wanted to go, told them to follow him!

loving your trip report by the way. we went to Naples on a day trip from Sorrento nearly 40 years ago, and I still remember the lovely shopping gallery we found, the beggars, the washing on the lines, and general chaos. glad to know it hasn't changed!

So happy to see your report. I am a member of the W2W fan club and always enjoy your reports and advice. I'm torn between Naples or Puglia for next year, and your report is making Naples very enticing. Thanks!

Great report. We're looking forward to a visit to Naples in September and your TR is very helpful.

I'm looking forward to the Food: section!

me 2!

Well, you know what I'm going to say!!! (Me, 3!!)

Funny, I was just looking at your Naples at Night section and was about to say, "You know, if you liked Naples, you really should visit Palermo."

But then I saw you've been and you did enjoy it.

I haven't been to Naples since I was a young (young) lady. Your report and photos are making me think that it's time to plan a return.

Wow! Thanks for all the lovely comments.

Eks-We went to Turkey the first week in April (it was amazing) and I'm not sure yet of the next destination (hoping back to Cambodia).

Debs, yes, we adored Istanbul.I would return in a heartbeat.

jmct714-Thanks! I'd really like to go to Puglia too!

LCI- you and your mom need to go for sure. You would love it, I think.

For those of you waiting on the food, soon, soon. But first, a day trip to Herculaneum...

Day trip to Herculaneum

Many people who stay in Naples make a point to visit to Pompeii during their time there. And if you haven’t been, you should go. It’s an easy 35 minute train ride and well worth the trip.
But Pompeii isn’t the only place time stood still in 79 AD. Herculaneum is Pompeii’s lesser known (but still fascinating) stepsister in volcanic disaster.

Herculaneum was a seaside town filled with the vacation villas of wealthy Romans in 79 AD. When Mount Vesuvius erupted, smothering Pompeii in ash, the residents of Herculaneum were killed not by ash, but by the poisonous gasses which spewed out from the volcano. The town itself was covered by more than 20 meters of mud which dried as hard as concrete.
This has made the excavations much more difficult and as a result, slower, and the area uncovered is much smaller than Pompeii.
I think this makes visiting the site much easier and more “user-friendly”. While you could easily spend an entire day here, exploring all the nooks and crannies of buildings, we spent about half a day and were back in Naples for a late lunch. Today much of the ancient city still exists beneath the modern day city of Ercolano and is yet to be excavated.

To get to Erculano from Naples take the Circumvesuviana Line from the Naples termini station. You will need to buy a separate ticket. At the time we went the tickets cost 2.10 euro each way. Follow the signs in the station and buy your ticket before you go down to where the trains are. The train was surprisingly crowded and we stood for most of the ride. Keep a firm grip on your belongings as this line is notorious for pickpockets. Make sure you get off at the Ercolano Scavi stop. This trip is easy and you can certainly do it without a tour.

When you get to the town, it’s a straight shot from the station to the entrance to the ruins, about 6 blocks down the main street. We took our time, stopping for a quick espresso along the way. I also noticed there was a nice looking museum, but it was closed on the day we were there. The ruins at Herculaneum are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Take a tour through Herculaneum via photos with me here:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2012/01/17/day-trip-to-herculaneum/

If you are at all interested in Herculaneum, I recommend reading through the captions on the photos and some of the first comments on the page. My sister-in-law, who is a classics professor added some additional "color" about what we saw there.

There are also some good resource links for visiting Herculaneum at the bottom of the page with the photos.

Restaurants in Naples, Italy

I have a personal rule regarding restaurants; I’ll never willingly wait in line to eat for more than half an hour. I simply refuse to buy into the hype that any restaurant is worth waiting an hour or more for when there are plenty other great places out there.
So it’s with this rule that I now must admit that I committed foodie heresy in Naples: I did not eat pizza in one of the famous pizzerias. That’s not to say I didn’t eat pizza, just I just didn’t have any at Da Michele, Gino Sorbillo, di Matteo, or any of the other places with long lines and hour plus wait times. And I’m ok with this really, because we still ate very well in Naples as evidenced by our experiences below.

Antica Port’Alba

This place, located across from Piazza Bellini and underneath the archway leading to the street connecting to Piazza Dante was somewhere we ate at twice and had vastly different service experiences each time, though the food was consistently good.

We ended up here on our first night in Naples with me, jetlagged and ticked off because I’d forgotten to print out my researched list of restaurants and no way to access the info without working internet. Yes, I actually forgot them!

We wandered around the area, looking at menus, searching for something which appealed and wasn’t too touristy. Finally, we gave in and sat down in Antica Port’Alba’s patio under heat lamps. Our waiter was pleasant and brought us menus in both Italian and English.

Wrecked from not sleeping for almost 30 hours by this point, I ordered my old standby, Penne alla Arribiata, pasta in a spicy tomato sauce. This is one of those classic dishes by which you can judge a restaurant. It’s simple, but they have to get it right and fortunately, they did.
Mom had a very tasty Fettuccine with Porcini mushrooms in a cream sauce, but the stars of the meal were the contorni (vegetables) we ordered. The first was a side of escarole, sauteed with anchovies, capers, and black olives, served warm. This dish was absolutely fantastic, all the salty additions contrasted so nicely with the bitter greens. We also had spinach sauteed with chunks of garlic, olive oil and lemon which, while served surprisingly cold, was still very tasty. Finally, the house red wine was shockingly good.
Our meal was about 40 euro total, and when the waiter presented us with the check he made sure to say not once, not twice, but three times that service was not included and that there was “no tip for the boys” included in the check. Sigh. It’s stuff like that which can really be a turn off as a tourist. I mention this because Italians rarely tip, and if they do it’s small. A waiter would never say something like this to a local and if you don’t believe me, keep reading.

The next night we met up with the lovely Bonnie from www.NapoliUnplugged.com (excellent resource for all things Naples, go there) and her charming husband for drinks in Piazza Bellini. Afterward, they suggested we go have dinner and Bonnie said there was a restaurant nearby she’d been meaning to try. Wouldn’t you know, it was Antica Port’Alba.

This time we ate inside, upstairs, with Bonnie who has lived in Naples for 6 years, doing most of the discussion and ordering in Italian with our server.
I ordered pizza “DOC” with tomatoes, basil and local buffalo mozzarella. It was good, but it did not rock my world. Mom had Pasta Siciliana (which is essentially alla Norma) with eggplant and we had another order of the escarole which was just as good this time. There was more food on the table and everyone seemed to enjoy it, though I can’t remember what it was (another pizza, pasta vongole, etc). We drank more of the house red wine and a fantastic grappa called Grappa 903 Barrique. I liked this grappa, and I usually think grappa tastes like gasoline.
A good time was had by all, even our waiter who chatted at length with us (in Italian with Bonnie translating), regaling us with stories of his large family (12 kids), saying when he was a kid his father “didn’t watch TV for a decade because he was too busy in bed with his mother.” Yes, really. At the end of the meal there were more complimentary rounds of grappa and there was no mention of tipping or service charge. The meal was about 90 euro for 4 people.

Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, Via Port’Alba, 18, 80134 Napoli, 081 459713 http://www.anticapizzeriaristoranteportalba.com/

More Naples restaurants...

Hostaria Toledo

Sunday lunches are big in Italy. Both in restaurants and at home, families gather to eat a big meal at Sunday lunch. This was very clear to us at Hostaria Toledo, where, as we ate, the restaurant filled to capacity with families.

We arrived around 12:30 and they were still mopping the floor. They asked us to come back at 1pm when they opened. We obliged by walking around the Spanish Quarter and checking out a few other restaurants “just in case” but ended up back at Hostaria Toledo.

We ordered a very simple lunch to share; octopus salad, grilled eggplant, and an order of carne al ragu, plus a half bottle of Tufuceo red wine from Ischia and a bottle of sparking water.

I can easily say the octopus salad was one of the best I’ve ever had. It was perfectly cooked and tender, sweet, and nicely seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil. It was a generous portion for 10 euro.
The eggplant was not my favorite because it was sliced so thin, then grilled and marinated, that it was chewy and charred and almost too tough to cut, but the meat was good. I would return for the octopus salad alone. While eating our lunch, we watched big platters of fried food (mixed vegetables and seafood) go out to the tables filled with families for their Sunday meal and I’d try one of those next time because they looked amazing. Lunch was 34 euro.
***Highly recommended
Hosteria Toledo, Vico Giardinetto, 78, 80132 Naples, 081 421257, www.hosteriatoledo.it


Ristorante Al 53

This place is right on Piazza Dante and we went for lunch after visiting Herculaneum. They have a 10 euro lunch special menu which includes a pasta or soup, main course, vegetable side, wine and water. The restaurant is lovely inside with lots of light, pale yellow walls and white table cloths. Oh, and they have free wifi too (just ask for the password)!

My pasta was large tubes mixed with buffalo mozzarella and tomato sauce. Heavy, but really tasty. Mom had a local speciality of pasta made with garbanzo bean flour. She liked it (I didn’t). She had a mixed fried fish plate and I had pork cutlets and with mixed marinated vegetable antipasti for our side. All together, an obcene amount of food for 10 euro each.

Al 53, Piazza Dante, 53, 80134 Naples Free wifi.

La Stanza del Gusto

This place gets a lot of excellent recommendations on chowhound.com so perhaps we had high expectations. We went here for dinner on our last night in Naples. The menu is attempting modern and creative Italian food, but in the end my impression was that they were trying too hard and not able to deliver.

I ordered “breaded eggplant with ricotta and vegetables” and while the inside was ok, basically ricotta and vegetables, the outside was a hard and tasteless cornmeal crust.
My mother ordered “Potato Eggplant Pie” which showed up as a brick, again coated in a hard cornmeal crust. The inside was basically just mashed potatoes with about a tablespoon of ratatouille. It was 95% potato with essentially no eggplant.

She ate about a third of it and asked for a menu, ordering a grilled vegetable plate. Our server asked if she was done, took her plate, and never asked if she was happy with the “pie” or why she did not eat all of it and was asking for something else. They brought the vegetable plate, which I cannot even begin to describe because there were so many components, but it wasn't very good.

In the end, this place was a disappointment with over-wrought food and indifferent service. We should have ordered the salumi platter and wine and probably would have been happier.

La Stanza del Gusto, Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli, 100, 80135 Naples, 081 401578 www.lastanzadelgusto.com Free wifi (but we could not get it to work)

And the last of our Naples restaurant experiences...

Ristorante Mattozzi Europea

Our plan had been to eat at Osteria La Chitarra that night. Using a route plotted by Google Maps, we walked from the apartment though what turned out to be some sketchy alleyways, only to find a closed restaurant. At that point, we remembered Bonnie’s husband had recommended a place which was fairly close by, Ristorante Mattozzi Europea, so we walked there.

We found a warm and inviting place, walls covered with copper cookware, old paintings, ceramic dishes and a large mirror.

We ordered a light meal from the man who appeared to be the owner; seafood salad, caprese salad and polpette with ragu. While we waited for our food, I eavesdropped on the two men sitting next to us. One was describing Neapolitan cuisine to the other, in Spanish, and I realized I could understand almost everything he was saying! A moment later, I figured out why; he was speaking slowly and clearly because he was Italian and Spanish wasn’t his first language (his dining companion was from Spain, by his accent). It was odd to listen to someone speak Spanish, but with a Italian accent.

When the food came, the caprese was a single large ball of the incredible local mozzarella, ripe cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves.
The seafood salad arrived with the squid and shrimp still warm, and while that was unexpected it was good (though not as good as Hostaria Toledo).
The polpette were two large meatballs covered in ragu with a slightly smokey flavor. They were made from veal, and clearly had a fair amount of breadcrumbs and cheese mixed in (perhaps the cheese was smoked?). With a glass of wine, water and a 5 euro service charge, dinner was 43 euro.

Ristorante Mattozzi Europeo, Via Campodisola Marchese, 4, 80133 Napoli, 081 552 1323

La Cantina di Via Sapienza

La Cantina is popular with locals who come in for a leisurly lunch and with doctors and med students (as evidinced by the scrubs) from a nearby hospital who come in for food to go. The place is family run; the owner gave us our menus and took our order while mama stood eagle-eyed on thick ankles (I wanted to make her sit down and rest) watching both the kitchen and the dining room and dishing up items from the antipasti case. The menu is very reasonable with items starting at 3 euro and nothing over 9 euro.

We ordered pasta e zucca (pasta with pumpkin) which arrived considerately split on two plates, grilled sausages, and a large mixed antipasta plate. The food is home style and everything we tasted was very good. The restaurant is only a few blocks from the Archaeological Museum and would be a great place for lunch before or after a visit. I would definitely return. Our lunch, with a quartino of wine and bottle of water was 22 euro.

La Cantina de Via Sapienza Via della Sapienza, 40/41, 80138 Naples, www.cantinadiviasapienza.it I’ve read they are only open for lunch but neither their web site nor menu confirms this. Free wifi!

Photos from all these meals are here:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/12/05/restaurants-in-naples-italy/

Way to go, Kristina! That nugget about Port 'Alba says a lot, doesn't it?

Did you hear that Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo had a terrible fire?

I'm getting hungry here waiting for more, and I will be waiting for our jaunt to Turkey, once you get that posted on your blog.

eks-Yes, I heard about Sorbillo. We walked by there one night and there was a HUGE line (part of what inspired those comments).
I'm going to do my best to get Turkey completed in a more timely manner.

For those interested in photos of the accommodations, those went up today:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2012/05/08/travel-logistics-and-resources-for-naples-paestum-and-rome/

t

You're making me very hungry! Thanks for so much helpful info. On the train from Naples to Paestum, did u buy the ticket the same day or in advance? I guess u can also get it as part of the Campania ArteCard? haven't really read up on that yet.

yestravel-We bought the tickets from the Naples train station the day before, but didn't need to. In fact, we didn't buy those tickets from the regular ticket counter, but from one of the Tabac stores in the station. They were about 6 euro each.

Paestum? What’s that?

When I told people I was going to Italy on this trip, they almost always asked me “Oh, where in Italy?” My guess is that the expected reply was “Venice” or “Tuscany” but when I said “Naples, Pasteum and Rome” I’d be willing to bet not one of them (save my sister-in-law, the classics professor) had ever heard of Paestum, let alone been there.

Paestum is known for two things; for its fantastic archaeological Greek temple ruins, and as the home to buffalo mozzarella.
It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was often a stop on “Grand Tour” of 18th century travelers. Many people visit here as a day trip from Naples or the Amalfi Coast. Our plan was to spend 2 nights there, visiting the museum and ruins on our first day, and on day two, see a local buffalo mozzarella farm and the nearby town of Agropoli.

A fairly short train ride whisked us from Naples to Paestum for about 6 euro each. Sit on the left side of the train for a view of Mt. Vesuvius and on the right for Bay of Naples views.

If you go from Naples by train, and intend on returning through Naples, buy your return tickets in Naples as there is no open ticket booth at the Paestum train station.
You can buy the return tickets from a local bar, as we did, but this was a bit of a fiasco because they actually ran out of tickets and sold us 3 sets of tickets totaling the trip cost in lieu of a single ticket. Our hotel was horrified and traded us tickets belonging to one of their workers. If you are coming from the Amalfi Coast, it is easiest by car, though there may be bus service.

There is not much “town” to Paestum, it’s more of a crossroads with a major monument attached. But it would be home for the next two days and we were determined to make the most of it. After checking into our hotel, il Granaio de Casabella (see above), we walked over to the town, about 2 blocks away. The street which leads up to the ruins is filled with tour buses, trinket shops, and a few restaurants and ATM machines. In the center of it, is the old town square with a church, the tourist information office and the public water fountain.

Paestum's Archaeological Museum and Ruins

Next to the square is the National Archaeological Museum of Paestum which we decided to visit before the ruins to hopefully give us a sense of time and place. If you are planning on visiting the ruins on the same day, buy a combo tickets and save some euros.

The museum was a pleasant surprise and much larger than I expected. There are two floors. Make sure you go upstairs to see the artifacts used in daily life. There are the pre-requesite carvings and statues, some from the pediments of the temples across the street, but the most interesting (in my opinion), was a large room filled with the fresco painted slabs of stone which were once the walls of tombs. The displays were also well marked with descriptions in English.

After the museum we walked over to the ruins. We were blessed with beautiful weather and not too many tourists (though we did our best to avoid a large group of German pensioners). The space is quite large and while you can’t get up and inside the large temples, you can tromp 'round the side streets and check out the old mosaic floors of houses which still remain.

There are two entrances to the archaeological zone, one across from the museum, and one at the southwest end of the site. The first temple you see as you enter near the museum is the Temple of Athena.

Oasi Ristorante and Pizzaria

On our first day we had a late lunch at Oasi, on the road leading to the ruins and museum. This place is huge and must be jam packed in the summer, but was almost empty when we were there. In fact, it seemed like most of the dining options in town were closed for the season.
We shared a pizza topped with local buffalo mozzarella and zucchini flowers which was excellent, and at 10 euros a bargain. We ate here again, the next night and each had simple but delicious pastas; one with vegetables and pancetta, and the other, with tomatoes, basil and quite possibly the mozzarella we’d seen made only hours before on one of the local farms.

To see photos from the museum, of Paestum's temples and ruins, and of that pizza with zucchini flowers (omg), go here:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2012/02/27/a-visit-to-paestums-temples-and-archaeological-museum/

Hi- Sorry to go MIA for a few days but we had a pet medical emergency. I want to mention as a Public Service Announcement.
One of my cats ate a part of a lily flower which had fallen on the floor. We didn't know, but lilies are highly toxic to cats and if not caught in time, will cause kidney failure and death.
Fortunately, my cat threw it up, partially digested and we noticed the flower. I looked it up online, panicked, and we took him to the vet ER in the middle of the night. After 48 hours on an IV (and a bunch of other treatments) he is finally home and seems ok.
I've had cats my entire life and had no idea most lilies are toxic to cats. From now on I will investigate any plant or flower I bring into my house.
End PSA.

Of Buffalo Mozzarella and the Kindness of Strangers

One of the reasons we went to Paestum, besides the incredible ruins, was to visit the birthplace of buffalo mozzarella and hopefully see how it’s made. The day before we’d attempted to visit Vannulo dairy and arrived in late afternoon only to discover there were no tours (sometimes, but only in the morning) and saw nary a buffalo. I had to console myself with some chocolate gelato made with buffalo milk (really good).

The next morning we set out on foot from our hotel to visit another local dairy, Masseria Lupata Barlotti. The walk was about half a mile along a two lane road with not much shoulder. We tromped though the long grass at the side of the road, past fallow fields, as cars whizzed by. About half way there, a woman in a very small car stopped and asked us, in Italian, where we were going. We told her “to the farm” and she motioned for us to get in. My Italian is minimal, but she made it clear it was not safe for us to be walking along the road. She dropped us at the driveway to the farm amid many “molto grazie”. My mother and I were surprised at her generosity, but not as surprised as when the exact same thing happened on our walk back to the hotel.

This time, we’d only walked about 30 feet when another tiny car pulled over and a different woman insisted that she give us a ride. We thanked her and got in. Again, she spoke no English but we figured out what she was saying, “You would do it for me.” I was stunned. And honestly I was not sure I would, back home in Los Angeles, where we never pick up hitchhikers, let alone stop and offer rides to strangers. She dropped us right in front of the hotel.

Fast forward three months later and I’m about 2 blocks from home when an older woman flags me down at a stop sign. She asks if I will give her a ride up the hill, a few blocks past my street. I hesitate, (this is an unusual request in my neighborhood and I don’t know her) and then I think back to the women who so kindly stopped for us in Paestum, unasked. I say “sure” and let her in, taking her uphill, past a curve dangerous for any pedestrian, to where she needs to go. Pay it forward.

Back at the farm, we walk up the driveway and straight ahead is a two story stone faced building. In the bottom, behind a series of French doors, is the area where the cheese is made. It did not seem as if traditional “tours” were given, but we were free to stand there in the open doors and watch the process as long as we liked.

To see photos of how they make the mozzarella, go here:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2012/03/14/of-buffalo-mozzarella-and-the-kindness-of-strangers/

After watching the cheese being made, we walked up the driveway around the building to the back. There we found a little shop selling all the various buffalo milk products including smoked mozzarella and butter. We were each given a small bocconcini of smoked mozzarella to taste. It was good, but for me, too strong to be eaten plain and would have been much better melted into a pasta or pizza.

I loved reading about the kindness of strangers and how you paid it forward!

Agropoli, Italy

So you’ve never heard of Agropoli? Don’t fret, neither had I until I started researching the region around Paestum. Because we had not rented a car for this trip, we needed to go some place on our second day which was easy to reach by bus. The lovely woman who runs the front desk at our hotel confirmed that Agropoli would fit the bill; it was close, easy to reach by bus and had a castle.

After our trip to see how mozzarella was made, we headed off to the bus stop in front of the bar/gelateria at the intersection close to the northwest end of the ruins. Most bars sell bus tickets and we bought our return tickets inside for about 3 euro each way. The bus arrived later than scheduled and while we waited in the bright mid day sun, we were the object of interest of the regulars who hang out in front of the bar (my guess is, daily). I also found that they sell the very same amaro which got my husband hooked so many years ago. We’d both forgotten it came from Campania and I vowed to buy a bottle to bring home to him. The bus finally arrived and it took about 40 minutes to get to Agropoli, some of the road along the beautiful coastline.

We really had no idea where to get off the bus, so we asked the driver and were dropped in center of town, where we set off to try and to find some sort of tourist information center. We followed the signs to the “Info Point” but the kiosk was closed with a note pinned to it saying to go to the local municipal building.

After asking the school age daughter of a local cafe owner (she spoke a little English, mom did not) we figured out the municipal building was the large peach colored building just off the square. So we went inside, up 2 flights of stairs, down a corridor, into an empty office to find a map and brochures. Someone finally showed up and she actually seemed thrilled to see tourists in her office (probably a very infrequent occurrence). She gave us a map and a bunch of colorful brochures and we set off in search of the historical center of town, a short walk away.

We used the map to find our way uphill to the castle which turned out to be closed. Still, it was a nice walk and at lunch time there were lots of locals with their kids on lunch break out and about.

At the top of the steps in the above photo, we came to the cross below and then the outer walls of the castle. Because it is at the top of a hill, it was easily defended from invaders.

Through the castle walls is the beautiful old Chiesa Santa Maria di Constantinopoli. It was closed, so we could not go inside, but the outside was pretty and had lovely old bronze doors (see photos).

From the piazza in front of the church is a gorgeous view of the Agropoli marina.

We continued to walk uphill, following the signs to the castle. The streets are so narrow I don’t think any cars can go up from this side (though there is a road on the other side of the castle). Along the way, we came across this little passageway. We didn’t know exactly what it was, but there were a bunch of woven grass mats attached to the ceiling. Later, I noticed a similar photo in the glossy brochure the tourist office gave us, but all the caption said was U’ Suricin. There is a restaurant there with that name, so perhaps this is their entrance.

Finally we found the castle and it was closed. I suppose we could have checked this before we came all the way here, but we weren’t that disappointed because we just enjoyed the wander.

At the top of the hill was an ancient apartment building overlooking the back of the castle. There we met a friendly black and white tomcat. About 20 feet away, on the steps of another building were 3 curious kittens. They weren’t as friendly as old Tom, but certainly were adorable. Tom escorted us all the way back down the hill to the castle gate in front of the church, where he stopped and curled up on the street. Clearly he’s a local and this is his turf.

Down the hill, we found a place for a late lunch of pasta with clams and a disappointing bread salad, and then hurried to catch our bus at the stop where we’d been told to wait for the trip back.

Unfortunately the departure time for the bus came and went. Many buses passed by the stop, but none going to Paestum. After asking passersby, going back to the original stop where we had been dropped off, back to the municipal office, talking to other bus drivers and a very old man running a fruit stand who attempted to draw us a very complicated map, we got 6 different answers regarding where to go and what to do. The language barrier (ours) was definitely an issue here and it quickly became a comedy of errors.

In the end, after an hour of waiting and walking in circles we finally figured it out; our bus, for which we’d already bought the ticket, did not come to this stop for another hour. If we wanted to use the tickets we’d already bought, and not wait, we’d need to go about half a mile away to the road leading out of town to a different bus stop. So we walked, and walked, and walked, finally reaching the stop about 5 minutes before the bus arrived. It was an adventure, a little frustrating and tiring, but we enjoyed our time in Agropoli and would definitely return.

Photos of Agropoli, the Castle and the Kitties here: http://www.wired2theworld.com/2012/03/19/agropoli-italy/

Hope you all are still with me because Rome is next!

A walk around Rome

Arriving in Rome is starting to feel familiar, like a homecoming. After spending a full week here in 2008 and again in 2009, and at least three other previous visits, there is a comfort level that comes with spending enough time in one place. I love that I can now find my way around the centro storico without a map.

While I no longer feel obligated to go inside St Peter’s, the Colosseum, or the Forum on every trip, I still like to reacquaint myself with a walk around the center of Rome to see the old favorites. Of course, there are things which have not changed in 2000 years, but there’s also always something new to see. We have three days to enjoy some sights new to us, but after checking in and having a lovely, long anticipated meal at La Fiametta, we set out on an amble around the neighborhood to see those more familiar places first. Future posts will cover some lesser known sights which we saw for the first time like Trajan’s Market and Santa Cecilia church in Trastevere. But first, let me take you on this quick tour around some my favorite sights in Rome.

Walking into the Piazza Navona late in the afternoon, I was happy to see the fountains unencumbered by scaffolding (often there, at least on previous trips, for cleaning and renovations).

I’ve passed by the small hidden church of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza dozens of times and I’ve yet to ever see the church doors open. This baroque church built by Borromini in the mid 1600′s sits at the back of a courtyard building on Corso del Rinascimento (#40) and you can see it from the gates to the courtyard at the street. The building was the home to the University of Rome from the 15th century to 1935. According to the Rome DK Eyewitness guidebook, it’s only open Saturdays from 10am-1pm and Sundays 11am-12:30pm. Next time I will make a point to go inside.

One of my favorite buildings anywhere is the Pantheon and I must see it, at least from the outside, every time I’m in Rome.

On our last day in Rome we took the metro to the Colosseo stop and discovered thousands of people in the streets. On Sundays the Via dei Foro Imperiali is closed to car traffic and since it was a beautiful day, packed with people. It was a bit surreal to be able to walk down the middle of the wide street which is usually packed with cars and buses.

On our way back from visiting Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, we crossed the Ponte Palatino, right at the bottom of the Isola Tiberina. I love the “bridge to nowhere” there.

The Castel St Angelo is worth a visit inside if you haven’t been before and if you time it right, the view from the top is amazing when the sun sets right behind St. Peters.

Even though we did not go inside St. Peter’s this trip, seeing the distinctive dome is possible from almost anywhere in central Rome.

For photos and more about these places go here:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2012/04/16/a-walk-around-rome/

A Visit To Trajan’s Market in Rome

Even after many trips to Rome there’s always something new to see. I must have walked past the ruins of Trajan’s Market dozens of times and never really gave it much thought. This time I thought, “how is it possible I’ve never been in to see a 2000 year old market?”

The entrance to the museum is on Via IV Novembre, but you can see the curved three story building of the market’s offices when standing in front of the Forum on via dei Fori Imperiali.

Inside the museum’s entrance is the vaulted Main Hall of the old market. Now, in the niches which once held shops, are various statues.

Once through the Hall and out into the open areas, it’s easy to imagine this as a bustling market almost 2000 years ago. According to what I’ve read, certain sections were set up for certain types of businesses, so on one street were all the taverns, and another area might have held all the wool sellers or jewelers.

There is a great view of the “Wedding Cake” or Victor Emmanuel Monument from the top of Trajan’s Market. In all my trips to Rome I’ve never been inside this structure. The Capotoline Museum buildings are in the back, to the left as you look at it from the market.

Finally from the chapter of my (yet unwritten) book called “Places I’d Like To Live Someday” I took photos of three amazing apartments all either directly connected to, or overlooking Trajan's Market. Just imagne the views they have from their balconies…

For photos of Trajan's Market, those cool apartments, and links to more info on Trajen's Market, go here:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2012/04/23/a-visit-to-trajans-market-in-rome/

Thank you so much for this great trip report. I love buffalo mozzarella, and it looks so good in your photos! Glad to hear your kitty made it through okay.

In all my trips to Rome I’ve never been inside this structure. The Capotoline Museum buildings are in the back, to the left as you look at it from the market>>

we went last time we were in Rome. there are some rather bare staircases and dusty museum exhibits. the one about the unification of Italy needs a thorough clean! it was quite interesting despite that, but i suspect that Trajan"s market, which we have yet to see, was better.

Apres- Thanks!

annhig-Good to know we haven't missed much. From what I gather it's mostly military memorabilia.

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere; A Surprise Under the Church

I’m just going to say this up front; this was the last thing we did and probably my favorite experience of the trip. And it’s a little odd that it has nothing to do with food, right?

We arrived at Santa Cecila to find it closed for a mid day break. My tip; get there when they open in the morning, or after mid day break and head right for the crypt. There were a couple of dozen people waiting, some clearly part of a tour group, when a nun in full habit arrived to open the locked doors to the church from within. We were there to see the crypt and headed there as soon as we entered the church.

The entrance is inside the tiny gift shop to the left as you go through the front doors. There is a small fee for seeing the crypt. I paid the nun and she handed me a heavy key and spoke to me in Italian. I didn’t quite understand what it was for, but I figured we had to unlock the door to enter and that I’d bring her the key right back.

It is said that Saint Cecilia was an aristocrat and an early Christian who was martyred in her home in AD 230. The church which stands in Trastevere today is built on top of that home which was used in her time as a secret place of worship. The remains of a tannery can also be seen in the area beneath the church. The first church on this site was founded in the 4th century and the present church was first built in the 9th century. Cecilia’s remains and those of her husband and his brothers were moved here from the catacombs of San Callisto. When her remains where exhumed in the late 1599 during a restoration, it’s said they were perfectly preserved with clear markings from her attempted beheading. The statue of her near the alter is based on eyewitnesses of the exhumation.

When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I found the door to the crypt was open and we were the first inside. Another couple came in shortly behind us. For a few minutes it felt like we were alone and just discovering it for the first time and it was magical.

There were lots of little niche areas to explore. Finally at the back of the space, I found a locked gate. Through the bars I could see marble columns and floors and gilded mosaics on the walls, all perfectly preserved.
I finally knew why the nun had given me the key.

I unlocked the gate, left the key in the padlock, and stepped inside. It was stunning. As it turns out, this part of the crypt was built in 1899 to house the “the tombs of the martyrs Cecilia, Valerian, Tibertius, and Maximus and the popes Urban I (222-30) and Lucius I (253-54)” which were moved there in the 9th century.

We had about 2 minutes before the other couple came in and about 5 minutes before a large German tour group appeared and took their seats for a quick service. We left them singing hymns and headed back upstairs.

Upstairs, the church itself is quite small with a beautifully carved statue of a sleeping St Cecilia right in front of the altar.

For photos of the beautiful mosaics and the ruins beneath the church, and links to more info about the crypt and the church, go here;
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2012/05/02/santa-cecilia-in-rome-a-surprise-under-the-church/

Last but not least, food in Rome coming next...

Thanks, Kristina. I'll put Santa Cecilia on our list for the next Rome visit. And, of course, I'm awaiting all those great restaurants you're going to introduce us to.

Still enjoying this and so glad your kitty is ok!

Can't wait for the food.

Glad your cat is ok. I've experienced that panic myself and it never happens during normal office hours.

Kristina, St. Cecilia's was the first church we went into on our first visit to Rome. i had read [in Rick Steves', possibly] about the crypt and the underground chapel, and my family was super-impressed that i seemingly knew all about paying the money and getting the key.

we found many other churches with lovely mosaics but St. Cecilia's holds a special place in my heart because it was our first one.

annhig- I may have been inspired by Rick Steves podcasts I listened to before we left to go to St Cecilia as well.

About the food...I'm afraid I don't have tons of restaurant recommendations for this trip. We were only in Rome 3 nights and one was taken up by a wine tasting event we attended. In addition, we had a few simple meals, including a porchetta sandwich from a grocery store which while good, don't really rate writing about. I recommend you check my other Rome trip reports either here or on my blog for more restaurant recommendations. That said, on to the food...

The Campo di Fiori Market and Il Forno

One of the best things about being in Rome (besides the 2000 year old monuments around every corner) is the food. Like the monuments, fantastic fresh food is literally around every corner, whether in neighborhood outdoor markets, restaurants, or small specialty shops, the quality of the food is astoundingly good. That’s not to say a bad meal can’t be found, but if you do your homework, you can eat very, very well.

One of our first stops was the Campo di Fiori market. Yes, it’s touristy, but it’s also filled with locals who shop there daily as well as some of the most beautiful produce.

One of my favorite vegetables to eat in Rome is puntarelle, a bitter green which is usually served raw with a lemony anchovy dressing. In the Campo di Fiori market, you can see how this green is cut, stripped and prepared for purchase.

You can also see how artichokes are cut down to just the small hearts for the famous artichoke alla romana dish. If you’d like to read more about Roman markets, check out my Four Favorite Markets in Rome on my other blog, Former Chef (http://www.formerchef.com/2010/01/27/four-favorite-markets-in-rome/).

The Campo di Fiori is also home to the famous Forno del Campo which is best known for its foccacia. Of course, we had to stop and get a slice which was still warm, right out of the oven.

La Fiammetta

I’d been wanting to try La Fiammetta since our trip in 2008 when I’d read on Chowhound it had the best eggplant parmesan around. I love anything eggplant, but had not been able to make it to the restaurant on either of my last two trips. This time we went and I am very happy to say we were not disappointed.

The eggplant parmesan was some of the best I’ve ever had and even my mother who has always said she didn’t like it, said she loved this dish. It was the perfect mix of eggplant, gooey cheese, flavorful tomato sauce and a nice crisped top. We also had a mixed salumi plate, my favorite Puntarelle salad and a quartino of white wine. It was the perfect first lunch in Rome, total of 36 euro. Piazza Fiammetta, 10 (between Piazza Navona and Ponte Umberto I).

Il Bacocco wine bar

One night we took the tram over to Trastevere where Katie Parla was hosting a charity wine tasting event. The crowd filled this little wine bar called il Bacocco, mostly with expats, some tourists, and quite a few bloggers.

Along the way there we could not help but get pulled into a neighborhood salumeria which had incredible looking guanciale and dozens of cheeses. Places like this are all over Rome and one of the reasons why I love it here so much.

La Campana

Please note, the following is not on my blog. This is something I originally wrote as a comment on Katie Parla's blog. I didn't post it on my own because I took no photos that night and didn't feel it fit in with what I was writing at the time. Looking at it now, I may add it in as an addendum.

We went without reservations and although the restaurant was almost full, we were seated fairly quickly in the back dining room. It appeared to be 50/50 tourist/foreigners.

Our waiter was harried but nice, and everyone there was running at full speed. We ordered very light, as it was out last night and we didn’t want a heavy meal before getting on the plane; Straccetti con Rucola for me, a pork dish for my mother and a side of Puntarelle. The waiter came back to say there was no more pork and my mother ordered the abbacchio a scottadito (lamb chops).

The puntarelle was fine, and the lamb, while not the small chops my mother was expecting, was very good.
My straccetti however, was also not what I was expecting and not to my liking. It was a mass of very finely chopped meat, sauteed in an abundance of butter topped with arugula (I had been expecting the meat to be in larger pieces or strips, grilled, or at the very least, not well done and swimming in butter). It wasn’t bad, just not what I wanted and I only ate a few bites.

When the waiter checked back at the end of the meal and saw I had not eaten, he asked why. I explained to him I didn’t like it (I also verified the butter which I’ve never seen in this dish before). He offered to bring me something else but I wasn’t hungry.

Here’s the surprising part; I fully expected to pay for my dish but when the bill came, they had removed it. I don’t think I’ve ever had this happen in Italy (had an item removed from a check) in almost a dozen trips. I was pleasantly surprised.

La Campana, Vicolo della Campana 18

La Taverna Dei Fori Imperiali

On our last day we did a lot of walking and managed to get ourselves lost while trying to find a well known restaurant called La Taverna Dei Fori Imperiali. The place was packed with what looked like many local families having the traditional Sunday lunch as well as their share of tourists. We waited about ten minutes and were seated at a table right next to the kitchen window where the food comes out. Many people would hate being seated there but I love it because I get to watch what’s going on. There was an older gentleman in the kitchen and the rest of the family seemed to be working the floor.

We each ordered a pasta; for me, my old favorite, Bucatini all’ Amatriciana and for my mom, one of their daily specials which included hand made pasta and a sweet/sour eggplant sauce. We also had an their artichoke alla Romana which was small, but good. If you're near the Forum, this is a good spot for a meal.

For photos of most of the food listed above, of the market, and of what is quite possibly the world's largest mortadella, go here:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2012/04/19/food-in-rome-restaurantsthe-campo-di-fiori-market-and-a-giant-mortadella/

hi again, Kristina,

how I agree with you about roman food - it is so difficult to get a bad meal, and most of the food is both cheap and excellent.

just one of the reasons I love Rome!

I meant to ask earlier, what was the temperature like in Naples at that time of year? Was it early or late October?

Your pictures of Rome are just beautiful, and so colourful! I've been once, spent 1 week and it went by so fast, I know I have to return someday.

I am short on time so I focused on the Rome section. I hope we can get into St Cecelia's! It looks amazing. Really great photos and descriptions!

Wonderful trip report Krstina, thank you.

Right now I'm sitting at my kitchen table reading your report on my laptop. My husband looked over and remarked "you look so HAPPY!" I said "I'm reading a trip report about Naples". He replied, you have the Mona Lisa smile on. That explains the mystery, she was thinking about Naples!"

My husband and I are going to Naples in September and it's hard to wait!

rose - this website may be of interest to you, and others thinking of trips to Rome:

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-santa-cecilia

i was hoping that it would have opening times, but that's about the one thing it doesn't mention.

Opening times for Santa Cecilia are here:
http://www.benedettinesantacecilia.it/info%20e%20contatti.htm

Apres-We were in Naples Oct 8-12 and the weather was lovely during the day, a bit chilly at night.

Rosetravels-Glad my trip report brought a smile to your face. Enjoy Naples!

Trattoria dei Fori Imperiali is a favorite of ours. The family is so welcoming. I first read about it here:
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/10/16/rome-picks-and-pans-part-two

I'm glad you found it!

Kristina it just gets better and better! I just adore your photos, too. Brought back many memories, too.

Thanks annhig - I pinned that to my Rome board. We visited Santa Cecilia a few years ago but clearly didn't explore deeply enough.

Thank you, Kristina for this beautiful report. We plan to go to Naples, Sorrento - with day trips from there and Rome at the end of the year.
I found your report very helpful and I'll print parts of it to take a lot of ideas from it, for sightseeing and accommodation.

I had not yet time to look at the photos, hope to do this later today.

Thanks everyone! So glad to hear you enjoyed it and/or found it helpful in your planning.