AnnMarie_C

This morning, I put on the pair of socks I’m positive I blew out when I tripped over a cobblestone somewhere in Rome. Looking down at my big toe I smile. What a wonderful trip we enjoyed!!

DH and I are early forty-somethings and thought it would be nice for our 20th wedding anniversary to go to Italy. Turns out nice isn’t the word. Fantabulous is more like it! Originally, we scheduled this trip for October of 2005 but postponed when our cat was diagnosed with renal failure and our vet thought leaving her for two weeks would be too stressful for her. We agree and choose to wait.

In preparation for our trip, I enroll in a Basic Italian course offered by our local adult education program. Between that course, taught by a woman from Sicily, a set of Pimsleur cds, and Italian in 10 Minutes A day we make out fine communicating with the locals though there are times I wish I could say / understand more.

Early December 10th, we leave the fog and rain in San Antonio for Rome via Atlanta on Delta. Our tickets, purchased in July, cost $806/per person, round trip. After a five hour layover in Atlanta we are on our way though not without incident. Shortly after takeoff, a passenger sitting behind me opens the overhead bin above my seat sending boxes onto my head and shoulder. Ouch. This poor guy could not have been more apologetic explaining the boxes weren’t his, not that it mattered. No serious damage, just a dull pain for the next several hours. Then, less than 30 minutes after take-off, a flight attendant announces if there are any doctors on board would they please report to the back of the aircraft. There were three total and fortunately, for the sick child involved, one of them was a pediatrician. After much deliberation it was decided the child is not well enough to fly and the plane is diverted to JFK so the family can seek medical attention for their son. It’s been 20 some odd years since I last flew out of NY at night and forgot how beautiful and magical the city is lit up! Paramedics make it on board, removing the family from the plane fairly quickly, however, finding their luggage takes time. After an hour of searching a pilot announces that luggage is assigned to a bin before being loaded onto an aircraft but, don’t you know it, the family’s luggage is not in its assigned bin which meant the search would continue for what turned out to be another hour. Finally, the luggage is located and we are on our way arriving a little over two hours behind schedule—not bad considering.

After a scenic landing at Rome’s FCO airport we breeze through passport control, second in line, and collect our luggage within 20-30 minutes. A few days prior to departure, I arrange for an airport pick-up through Rome Cabs at a rate of 45 euro. As soon as we land I call the Stefano to let him know we finally made it. Because of our delay he cannot pick us up but sends a representative in his place. We are happy to find our driver waiting for us once we leave baggage claim and after a quick walk to the van he loads our luggage, hands us bottles of water and away we go. Our driver speaks near perfect English and proceeds to play tour guide along the way. What a treat. We beam with delight at how beautiful and green the city is, whirling past famous monuments we have only seen pictures of. The ride to our hotel, Albergo del Senato, is a fast 20-25 minutes. We highly recommend Rome Cabs if you should need a ride from the airport or tour around the city. Contact Stefano Costantini, [email protected] for more information, or, check his website at, http://www.romecabs.com/ .

We arrive at our hotel just before noon and are happy to check-in immediately. We love it here! Our room, 306, overlooks Piazza della Rotonda and the Pantheon is just outside our window. The room is small but typical of most European hotels we’ve stayed in. It has everything we need, is clean and comfortable. The staff is kind, friendly, helpful… we can’t say enough good things about our stay here and are sad when it comes time to leave. My only word of caution would be if you request a room with a view of the Pantheon the noise from the Piazza below may be an issue. Even through heavily insulated windows could we hear revelers below at night and street cleaners in the wee hours of the morning. For us, sleeping with the window open was not an option. As we slowly recover from jet lag, i.e. no longer awake at 3 a.m., this becomes less of an issue. We would be happy to stay here again some day! We paid 160 euros per night, significantly less than the 250 per night we were to pay in October of 2005. http://www.albergodelsenato.it/

Hungry, the hotel recommends a restaurant across the Piazza. I’m sorry that I don’t know the name, as many times as we pass by!, because the food is wonderful. My pizza with gorgonzola and raddichio is delicious on a thin, wafer like crust I’d never experienced before… and the coffee! Just what we need. Like so many places we visit on this trip the waiters at this restaurant are attentive, patient and appear genuine in their desire to ensure everything is okay, that we are happy with the way the coffee is made, the food is good, that we are warm enough (while dining outside), etc.. The work ethic we observe, throughout our stay, impresses us.

After lunch we go to the Pantheon and take the audio tour. There is no set fee for the tour but rather a suggestion for payment, a sort of pay what you can or want. Like all the other sites we will see on this trip we are amazed, happy and grateful for the experience. From the Pantheon, we take the short walk to Santa Maria sopra Minerva, another feast for the eyes that includes the work of Michelangelo, *sigh*. Inside, it’s relatively dark but as we meander around another visitor drops coins into a box beside one of the chapels and its lights come on. Ah, ha. No wonder the church is so dark, it’s pay as you go.

We leave this beautiful church to find it dark outside, no eye adjustment necessary, lol. We’re hungry again and very tired not having slept now for nearly 24 hours. We stop at a busy pizzeria on the way home, toast a Perroni, and head back to our hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Castellanese

Hey,

You posted your trip report on the general forum rather than on the Italy forum.

cafegoddess

AnnMarie, I am looking forward to read more about your trip. The pictures that you took were lovely.

SeaUrchin

(all the threads get lumped together under the Europe forum).

Thanks for the start of your report, I was traveling right along with you. I have a feeling that not only do I love your photographs but your trip report too! More please.

bookchick

AnnMarie, marvelous, please keep going!

BC

Dukey

Great report and thanks so much for posting this.

HappyCheesehead

Hi AnnMarie C -

I loved your pictures from the trip - I took a look at them yesterday when I took a short break from company and cooking. I felt refreshed! I actually ran downstairs and told DH that we have to go back to Rome - this time with a digital camera.

Enjoying the report - especially the mention of Santa Maria sopra Minerva as it has a special place in my memories. I was in Rome on my 40th birthday and sat on the alter steps in front of the body of St. Catherine of Siena while DH took my picture exactly 40 after the moment of my birth. It is a lovely basilica.

Looking forward to the rest!

AnnMarie_C

Thank you all so much!

HappyCheesehead, your post put a big smile on my face, thank you for sharing that moment with me.

Tuesday, December 12

For the next several days we are wide awake at 3 a.m.. It makes me smile at this time to open the window and take in the normally bustling piazza below, at rest. Thankfully, we fall back to sleep and awake in time for breakfast which is included in the price of our hotel. Cereal, eggs, ham, cheese, pastry, fruit, yogurt… I could go on. The food, juice and coffee are wonderful each and every day as is the ever attentive service.

With the exception of our time in Naples we lucked out in the weather department. The air is chilly, particularly in the morning and evening, but, for the most part we enjoy sunny, clear blue sky.

On our way to see the Victor Emmanuel Monument, located Piazza Venezia, we visit Area Sacra dell’Argentina where the remains of four temples, among the oldest to have been found in Rome, were discovered during the 1920’s. It is the current home to a lot of Roman cats (if they only knew!) which we get a kick out of watching as they sun themselves, play, or, take pride in ignoring one another. Coincidentally, it is here that we run into the passenger sitting in front of us the day before on her way to Rome to meet up with her daughter who attends school in Greece.

We continue on our way. Unsure of where we are, I ask a man passing by, in my best Italian, where the Monument is. He asks us to follow him and leads us to Via Teatro Marcello. We turn the corner and our mouths drop open at the enormity of this monument—he smiles and continues on his way. We want to see it all so we climb the stairs to the top and visit the history museum inside. We’re sorry that more of the placards are not in English but can make out enough to understand the timeline and events. The views from the top are spectacular and it’s nice to have a birds eye view of Rome so we can see next where we’re going, the Forum.

At the Forum we are asked, by seemingly random people walking about, if we want a tour in English but between the Eyewitness Rome and Access Rome books we have with us we decide to forgo a tour. While I’m sure a guide would provide insight and information not found in our books we are content.

We arrive at Palantine Hill and, as suggested by posters, buy our ticket here for the Colosseum as there is no que to speak of. We admire the many Clementine (?) trees found on the grounds and, again, are grateful for the incredible views this place offers.

DH is antsy and decides he can’t wait any longer, we need to go to the Colosseum. At the x-ray machine, the guard watching the monitor begins to squawk as my bag goes through. Uh, oh. More guards gather. We’re unable to understand what’s being said but it’s clear they’re upset so I open my bag for them to look into / examine but they gesture for me to show them what’s inside. I don’t understand what’s wrong until one of the guards, placing his elbows together, begins to make a cutting motion with his arms. Ah, scissors! Yes, I have the tiniest pair of scissors used to cut mole skin in the event of a blister. Okay, so now that I know what I’m looking for I reach in and reveal the offense at which the guards break out into an uncontrollable laughter. They are, I’m sure, relieved at seeing this tiniest pair of scissors on the planet. They’re relieved and wave us on. We exchange smiles and head nods and continue on our way.

The Gladiator is one of my all time favorite movies so standing inside the Colosseum with the sound track playing in my ear is one of the highlights of this trip for me. We are here a long time and take in the special exhibit, Eliade, featuring artifacts from Greece. Words really cannot describe what it meant for us to be here, we are thrilled to say the least.

In our excitement to experience the Colosseum we didn’t devote much time to Palantine Hill so we return to visit the sights and grounds missed. Unfortunately, the museum is closing soon so we decide to forgo its contents. From the wall facing Via dei Cerchi we watch the beginning of a beautiful sunset over Rome and in the process meet a friendly couple from Calgary with whom, it turns out, we share a common bond, Texas. He is originally from Pakistan, she from Romania and together they graduated from Texas A&M a few years prior. Those Texas Aggies are everywhere! ;-) Over the course of our week in Rome we will run into this couple on two other occasions.

On our way home, we walk through the Forum one last time. It’s getting dark and chilly. Since breakfast, we haven’t eaten all day and decide to stop at one of the gelaterias near our hotel. This is our first time tasting gelato and while neither of us is a big fan of ice cream we knew we had to try it. After examining the case for what seemed like an hour I decide on Pistachio, DH strawberry. Talk about a mouthful of yum, we really like what we’re eating and the enthusiastic man who served us picks up on our excitement and proceeds to hand us spoon after spoon of other flavors to try before showing us his trophies for his award winning gelato. We leave, stuffed but happy.

We return to the hotel and take a nap. Around 7:30P, we head out in no particular direction for dinner and end up at Zio ??? –again, no name! Though no two house wines were ever the same we never strayed from them because we enjoyed them so much, some more than others. For dinner, I enjoyed delicious pasta with black olives, tomatoes and anchovies. I don’t remember which pasta DH ordered but I know he enjoyed it. Details. ;-)

After dinner, we can’t keep our eyes open so we head back to the hotel and call it a night.

LCBoniti

AnnMarie -
This is a lovely trip report - very evocative of our trip last year! Please continue - and don't leave out anything!

Linda

AnnMarie_C

Wednesday, December 13

Today, we have tickets for a 1:30 p.m. Scavi Tour at the Vatican. As much as I’ve read about St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican I feel a bit confused about where we’re going and how things “work”. It’s all very overwhelming to me for some reason. There are Swiss Guards to find, the entrance to the Vatican Museums are a fifteen minute walk from St. Peter’s, etc., I just can’t get my head around it all so we leave early morning in order to get our bearings. We walk everywhere we go and about half way there what feels like the fluids ingested over the course of a year are pressing on my bladder. Lots of deep breaths, we’re almost there and I’m sure there’s a bathroom once we get there. I consider going into a café and asking if I can please use theirs but if they say no that will be precious time lost so I try to stay focused and continue marching forward. Oh, yay, there’s the Ponte Vittorio Emanuelle, we’ve almost make it, just don’t look down at the water! DH stops to take a few pictures while I, the official map reader, consult my map one last time as I really can’t afford at this moment to make a wrong turn but under duress I do and we find ourselves walking along the Tiber, more water!, away from the direction we need to head but glory of glories I spot a hospital and if there’s one thing I know about hospitals…. We walk in confident. No doubt, the distress on my face was genuine and did not appear out of place. I spot a group of medical personnel close by and suspect the concern expressed on their faces is for me. I ask and am pointed in the direction of the bathroom. Whew! When I see the pictures taken by DH during that morning walk this is all I can think of! Back on course, we make our way to St. Peter’s.

We stop inside the Information Office, located on the left hand side of St. Peter’s Square, and can’t help but notice the w/c next door. Also, we see the Swiss Guards straight ahead. Inside the office we’re given a map and told we can just go inside St. Peter’s, that tickets are not necessary but find this not to be true. On Wednesday, the Pope addresses a special audience and it’s impossible to get in without a ticket. We leave for that 15 minute walk to the Vatican Museums…along the way things come together in my mind as I begin to understand where we are and how things work.

There are no lines at the Vatican Museums so we quickly make our way in anxious to see the Sistine Chapel. Oh my, is it ever a long walk to get there but well worth it. The Map Room is incredible and I feel as though we could spend a day here. We oooh and aaaah along the way, laughing at one point by all the rooms that continue to reveal themselves to us as we go along, we had no idea. Finally, we reach the Sistine Chapel. Having recently read The Agony and The Ecstasy I could cry feeling as though I understand some of what was behind the creations in this incredible room. We sit for a very long time looking upward, listening to the guards telling visitors, in Italian, that photography is not allowed, as well as the universally understood, shhhhhh.

Afterwards, we find refreshment at the cafeteria then make our way back to St. Peter’s Square for the Scavi Tour. Laura, our tour guide, is passionate and informative. The story she tells about the ruins, what they mean and how it is believed that St. Peter is buried here is captivating. As the tour progresses, and we near St. Peter’s bones, she becomes more animated and enthusiastic about the history of where we are. We remain riveted the entire time. A fascinating tour and another highlight of our trip.

Once the tour is over we are free to enter St. Peter’s Basilica. We are astounded by its enormity and happy to see Michelangelo’s Pieta completed when he was just 25 years of age. It’s a gorgeous late afternoon when we leave and a stress free walk back to the hotel. It’s nice to enjoy some of the sights I found too painful to view earlier in the day.

We stop by the local gelateria deciding on crema orientale for me and chocolate for DH then return to our room for a nap before dinner.

On Tuesday, we had asked one of the staff at our hotel for a dinner recommendation for tonight. They suggest S. Eustachio located Piazza S. Eustachio. Our request for a 7P reservation is met with a frown and a counter of 8P; we counter back with 7:30P. Begrudgingly, he agrees. When we arrive to a darkened restaurant we understand why. The door is open so we let ourselves in but it is obvious that we have interrupted the staff’s time to eat and mingle before what becomes a very busy evening. We feel bad and offer to return later but they insist we sit, read over the menu, and give them some time. No problem. Twenty minutes later our waiter presents himself, in uniform, with a sort of ta da! Over the course of a couple of hours or so he takes the best care of us. He gets us up from our table to show us all the beautiful vegetables they have. He suggests the roasted artichokes, marinated in olive oil, garlic and basil, as well as a fritto misto that includes squash blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and anchovy. We are in heaven and the house wine, warm and earthy, will be some of the best we try. I enjoyed a fettuccini with funghi for dinner, DH the carbonnara. By the time we leave, around 10P, the place is hopping with more on the way. What a wonderful experience this day has been!

AnnMarie_C

Thursday, December 14

By now, we’re settled into a routine of waking and having breakfast by 9 a.m,, seeing the sites scheduled for the day, eating a very late lunch, then, returning to the hotel for a nap before heading out to dinner.

Today, on our way to visit Trajan’s Markets, we stop at yet another beautiful church, Gesu, located Piazza dei Gesu. Dating from the mid to late 1500’s, Gesu is the first Jesuit church built in Rome.

From Gesu, we visit Trajan’s Markets happy to see more Roman kitties milling about and one in particular that looks almost identical to our old girl (may she R.I.P.). From the Markets, we head over to the Capitoline Museums; Palazzo Nuovo, the façade of which was designed by Michelangelo, and Palazzo dei Conservatori. We are here most of the day and by near sunset make it to Palazzo Nuovo where, again, views of the Forum are fantastic. We enjoy a light lunch at the museum’s café and, afterward, views from the dining terrace. After a long day we head home and, too tired to wait for dinner, dine early at one of the local pizzerias enjoying the least favorite of the house wines we try. It wasn’t bad, just not our favorite.

Friday, December 15

Originally, I set this day aside for a daytrip to Orvieto but by now we’re totally in love with Rome and don’t want to leave so instead we opt to visit Castel Sant’ Angelo, the beautiful market at Campo de’ Fiori (sampling clementines, truffles, cannoli, lemon cookies and bread along the way), the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps where we view the most incredible sunset over Rome.

The market at Campo de’ Fiori reminds me that earlier in the week we paid visit to a local grocery store one late afternoon picking out salami, the best mortadella I’ve ever had, bread, cheese, etc. This was DH’s idea and turned out to be a fine little picnic, one that was to be repeated throughout our stay.

We’re beginning to feel the effects of the enthusiasm with which we started this trip so after another long day decide to try an espresso at the much read about Tazzo D’Oro for a little boost. Our hoped for little boost is more like a rocket injection. If this shot of espresso doesn’t get us going then nothing will! Holy cow, does it pack a punch. Wired, we no longer need a nap so we wander about looking for a place to dine later that night. Along the way we find Piazza Navona, temporary home to a large Christmas market. We enjoy walking around the different booths selling food, Christmas ornaments, nativity sets, clothing, etc.. There’s a gorgeous fountain wrapped in scaffolding, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. We buy a few ornaments before leaving for dinner at Antonios where I am quick to order the Minestrone soup having stared lovingly at the box of Minestrone vegetable chop at the Market earlier in the day.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Rome before heading South for Naples…we’re more than a little sad the week is going by so quickly.

dorkforcemom

AnneMarie - I'm loving your trip report! Albergo del Senato is one of my favorite hotels - the view, the location, & the service are wonderful! I'm confused by the other posts about your pictures - where are they?

LowCountryIslander

Loving your report. I'm considering a trip to Rome next year in December and this will be very helpful for me!

AnnMarie_C

dorkforcemom, here is the link to my pictures...

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34918180

LowCountryIslander, you won't regret it!


Saturday, December 16

We have tickets for the new Roman Necropolis tour along Via Triumphalis at 10:30 a.m.. We are wise to arrive early because resolving the how-to process is confusing. We arrive at the Vatican Museums and proceed to a group tour window inside where we’re told we’re not at the right place. The patient gentleman behind the window kindly takes the time to find out where we need to be, outside and to the right of the entrance door at another sign marked for group tours. Once our group is gathered together outside we laugh along with the others who did as we had. Outside, guards check our id’s and names off a list. We’re handed badges, returned through security, and told to proceed to the number 10 group tour window where we are to pay for our tour and guide. We wait near the ticket window, along with the guards who checked off our names, for our guide to arrive. Soon after, we are led up the stairs, through the museum, up an escalator then through a door that leads outside for a short walk, down hill, to the two doors containing the ruins found during a garage expansion project. How these ruins came to be built upon in the first place is beyond me and, darn it, I don’t think to ask at the time but we are astounded by the findings (photos from our tour are available in another post). As with the Scavi Tour, our guide is enthusiastic over the findings and proves to be a wealth of information. The tour offers a fascinating insight into the burial rites, rituals and beliefs of the Romans.

Once the tour is over we high tail it to the Borghese Gallery where we have reservations for 1:30 p.m. Having grossly underestimated the enormity of the Borghese Villa, as well as the location of the Gallery, we miss our reservation by nearly 45 minutes. Having whizzed through the Villa at a break neck speed we catch our breath and decide to exit the way we came in order to enjoy the gorgeous oasis we just zipped through. As we slowly make our way back, with DH off taking pictures, an old gentleman approaches me and speaks to me in Italian. I respond as best I can. He wants to make sure that I see the beautiful water at the end of the path from where we stand. Even though by now I’m certain my legs will fall off any moment I tell him I will , and do, forgetting all about the soreness in my legs upon seeing yet another of Rome’s many visual splendors, the Ionic temple dedicated to Aesculapius.

A funny side note: This man, like so many others, is curious to know where we’re from. Our reply, Texas, is met with the same response each and every time—a seemingly sudden comprehension of English, “Oh, cowboys”, (and in one case, “cowboys and indians”), followed by hands motioning through the air, to simulate a gun going off, along with the appropriate sound affects. What a hoot.

From Borghese, we head over to the Spanish Steps and wade through the gathered crowd. The streets below are thick with shoppers. This, fortunately, slows us down so we can enjoy a little window shopping as we slowly make our way back to our hotel but first we pass a Rick Steves recommended restaurant, Miscellanea, that he writes caters to poor students. We’re not poor but we are cheap so we decide to give it a try. Hell’o. The panini are enormous and the plate of tomato, basil and mozzarella huge. We must be hungry as we manage to eat it all much to the delight of the owner who kisses my hand, and hugs DH, when it comes time to leave.

Later that night, we’ll try another Rick Steves recommendation, Osteria da Mario. DH loves the lamb that reminds him of the dish he enjoyed as a child while living in Spain and if you touch my fettucini with squash blossom I might hurt you! ;-) Having eaten enough food for an army on this day we waddle home.

LoveItaly

Oh AnnMarie, you take beautiful photos and write such a charming trip report, thank you! Again you bring back beautiful memories.

And the "needing to find a bathroom". LOL, I went through that my very first day in Italy, in Milan. We had gone into a small family owned leather shop and my DH was looking at men bags. OMG, I really..well you know..the espresso had gotten to me. I thought, hoped desperatly, the shop had a public restroom. The daughter of the owner took me up the stairs and into their private apartment. I couldn't believe it. She opened the door to the bathroom, gave me a smile and went downstairs to the shop. A memory I will never forget. And yes, my DH did purchase a bag (quite the style at that time).

Zucchini blossoms, I could weep everytime someone mentions them..aren't they fabulous.

LCBoniti

No line for the Vatican Museum???!!!! How lucky for you! We waited in line for at least two hours and that was the fun part. The Vatican was so crowded, I was extremely disappointed. Next time I will definitely do the private, after hours tour.

I really enjoyed your pictures, especially those of the necropolis. Your trip report is making me very Romesick!

More, please . . .
Linda

AnnMarie_C

LoveItaly, glad to know I'm in good company, lol! ;-) What a sweet story for you. Yes, the blossoms were wonderful! My step-father, whose family is from Bari, would make them but I haven't had them since I was a kid.

LCBoniti, Romesick? Love it!

AnnMarie_C

Sunday, December 17

Skies are grey and a light rain is falling. Tears of sadness all around I like to think. After breakfast, we pack our things. We take a final walk about the piazza and visit the kitties one last time at Area Sacra dell’ Argentina. Given the weather, they are hunkered down in the grass. We return to the hotel to collect our luggage and take a taxi for the short, scenic ride to Termini arriving well in advance of our scheduled 12:45 p.m. departure.

In late November, I purchased tickets between Naples and Rome on the Trenitalia website, www.trenitalia.com. Our cost is 44,42 euro per person, one way.

This is our first trip to Termini and we arrive early to get a feel for the land, so to speak. After walking around, checking out the mall below street level, we settle into the Trenitalia waiting room located near track 1. Before we know it, it’s time to board. The station, as well as the trains, is filled with families and fellow travelers alike. We have no trouble finding our train or assigned seats. We sit across from an elderly couple who speak no English yet we manage to communicate just fine. As the train leaves Rome behind, a foggy landscape slowly reveals itself. The man sitting across from me points at the window and exclaims, “campania”. I repeat, campania, and nod. Seeing all the sheep grazing I decide to point and “baaaaaahhh”, at which the man and his wife get a good laugh. He points out the olive trees and small vineyards. We offer them our lemon cookies, they in turn offer us their coffee. Gosh, I love it here!

When the conductor stops at our seats for tickets I hand him the copy of our reservation having circled the PNR number for easy reference. I then turn the sheet over and show him that I managed to squeeze the paper into the stations validation machine. While validating an e-ticket is not necessary, after reading so much about these machines I felt I had to try it out. The conductor looks at me funny then shakes his head smiling. He hands us a receipt and continues on.

Given the weather we don’t see much. It will be on the sunny return trip to Rome that we see how much was missed. The closer we get to Naples the clearer the sky. As we pull into the station the sun is shining but it doesn’t last. We are struck by the modern buildings in the business district. Wow, are we in Houston?!? They look out of place and stand in stark contrast to the rest of the city.

As in Rome, the station is packed with weekend travelers. We made arrangements through our hotel, at a rate of 35 euro, to be picked up at the station and meet our driver soon after arrival. It will take 35 minutes to go the 2 km to our hotel. Traffic is thick, mostly with cars. The vespas we see have as many as three people on board and merrily weave in and out of what their drivers appear to deem an obstacle course. The vespas go with the traffic, beside the traffic, against the traffic, anything they can to get through and around the traffic. The rule appears to be that there is no rule. I’ve never experienced traffic like this before, not even in Houston or D.C. where snarls abound. Horns blare, sirens blare, there are bumpers lined up outside my door. It’s intense but here I sit with a smile on my face at the experience. Although our driver speaks no English it is obvious that he is not amused as he clutches the steering wheel with his elbows while grasping either side of his head with his hands in exasperation. When we finally reach the hotel the stress is written all over this guys face. We thank him profusely.

Our main purpose for visiting Naples is to see Pompeii, the Duomo and Museo Archeologico Nazionale, considered one of the most important archaeological museums in the world. I fear we have not dedicated enough time for this city. We find the traffic a greater challenge. Given the city’s layout, built into the side of a hill, it is difficult to see where we are in relation to everything that surrounds us but we know that, after further consulting our guide and map, we are surrounded by a trove of treasures, more than we had planned for.

Our hotel is the Costantinopoli 104, http://www.costantinopoli104.com/en/index . Upon arrival, we are greeted warmly and shown our beautiful room on the main floor. We’ve been upgraded to a suite, sweet!, that has a sitting room downstairs and a bedroom / bathroom up. Just as I read on tripadvisor, venere, etc., this hotel offers a quiet respite from the bustling city found beyond its walls. Again, we can’t say enough good things about this beautiful hotel and the friendly, helpful staff. We enquire about the traffic and are told that it is particularly bad this time of year because, unlike summer, all the local residents are home and shop owners forgo siesta in order to accommodate holiday shoppers. Okay, at least we now know what we’re dealing with.

By the time we unpack and get settled it’s dark and raining. Hungry, the nice woman who checked us in suggests Osteria da Carmela, located Via Conte di Ruvo. When we arrive the place is packed but soon a table opens and we are seated. We witness a fight over a bill that results in precious euros being torn to shreds. The bread we’re given is dark so, out of curiosity, I pick it up to examine and smell it. Seeing me do this from across the room the waiter breezes by and tells us its olive bread, heaven. The dark, earthy house wine, spaghetti with clams, swordfish, chocolate cake, everything we eat here is top notch. The food at this Osteria will be the best food we enjoy anywhere on this trip and we’ve enjoyed a lot of great food by this point so this is saying a lot!

Feeling revived after dinner we walk the rainy streets for awhile before turning in for the night.

smalltowngal

Very enjoyable trip report. Especially like your observations of human nature, i.e. the stressed out taxi driver, the fuss over the restaurant bill,precious euros being torn up. Ha. It's like I'm right there with you.

AnnMarie_C

Monday, December 18

We awaken to mostly cloudy skies that can only be viewed by looking up, not out. Everything is close knit where we are. Breakfast at the hotel is included in the price and, once again, we are delighted by the feast before our eyes beautifully arranged on a very large antique sideboard.

The Museo Nazionale Archeologico museum is closed on Tuesdays so we decide to visit it today given this is only one of two full days dedicated to Naples. The museum opens at 9 a.m. and when we arrive shortly thereafter can’t help but notice the large banner blocking the entrance at the top of the stairs as well as the crowd of men gathered outside the enormous museum door. Huh. We cross the street to investigate further. Guards we find near the metro insist the museum is open, however, the man holding the door captive insists that it’s not. I crane my neck around him to see what’s going on, inside distressed museum workers frantically mill about. We wait for about five minutes, nothing happens so we leave returning to the hotel to find out if anyone there knows what is going on. A strike, demonstration we’re told. It won’t last, “should” be over by 1:00 p.m.. Another strike is planned for tomorrow involving the closing of streets. Huh.

Okay, so a change in plans, no problem. We make our way over to the beautiful Duomo, located Via Duomo. This incredible cathedral dates to the late 1200’s, early 1300’s. We pay the 3 euro each for entry to the subterranean archaeological area where ruins of the Greeks and Roman are—wow! It is here that I read a placard that, for me, best describes Naples. To paraphrase, it reads, “The city buzzes like a productive, thriving hive”.

When it comes time to leave, the sun is out so we decide to continue along Via Duomo and find another beautiful, though comparatively speaking, plain church. It’s lovely. As we continue down the street we see an accident, then, hear another. Drivers inspect their cars, shrug and continue on their way. Whoa, now a car is struck so hard it’s pushed onto the pavement, not far from where we are. Perhaps it’s time to return to the museum to see what gives.

We’re happy to find the museum doors open, unobstructed. This museum is so incredible words cannot describe the findings here. I am especially drawn to, and struck by, the beauty of the mosaics. So fine and detailed is the tile work that even from 2-3 feet away the pieces look like works of needlepoint. And the colors! We visit this room twice we are so astounded by the findings and their condition. As we make our way through the museum various rooms open or close. To us, there’s no logical explanation for this but to the museum workers we’re sure it all makes perfect sense. We’re here until nearly closing time and eventually see most of its contents including the forbidden room. ;-)

When we leave, it’s dark and raining. We walk to the Osteria but find it packed so instead find our way a tad further to Angela Gastronomia, the Italians idea of a cafeteria. My Sicilian language teacher told us about these cafeterias insisting they are nothing like American cafeterias and she was, thankfully, right! There’s an area to sit and eat prepared food, a coffee bar, delicatessen and a pastry shop all under one roof, joined by a narrow passageway. The labels in the prepared food section are difficult to read so we point and request uno, due, per favore. Spaghetti croquettes, potato croquettes, prosciutto and mozzarella coquettes…pizza, risotto, sausage, vegetables, what a feast! After dinner, we head back to the deli and pick up provolone, mortadella and green olives to munch on.

One of the things I love most about this day is walking and experiencing the streets of Naples. Scary at times, yes, given our close proximity to the cars but these streets are the home and life of its residents. We are impressed by the number of craftsman shops we see. It makes me happy to see so many shop owners dedicated to the restoration of furniture, musical instruments, ironwork, books, etc. We’ve never seen anything like this before. There are wine shops, butchers, patisseries, not to mention the best pizzerias anywhere! As much as I’d like to take pictures there’s an intimate vibe here that I don’t want to intrude upon. There is a pride shared among the people of this city that words cannot describe and a large part of me feels protective of that.