On the plane to Naples, Italy!
For about 20 years now we've talked about going to Europe for our anniversary trip. This year, for our 30th anniversary trip, we finally did it. Paul worked hard to plan us a 16 day tour of Italy. Some extra stress was added to preparing for the trip with needing to take all the feeding tube formula Paul would need for the entire trip and carry it in suitcases to all of our locations. Also, because of my food sensitivities we needed places to stay with kitchens and we needed to grocery shop in each location. While those things did add some extra work it all worked out and we had a wonderful trip!
Our visit to Madrid, Spain. The airport.
We were concerned about going through the EU customs with all the formula but we ended up not going through customs in Madrid.
Or in Naples! Weeks of stress and searching for answers for nothing!
The view from our Airbnb in Naples.
We were right across from Santa Chiara church and monastery.
In Paul's words the bidet was "life changing"! :-)
Galleria Umberto I--built to be a shopping mall in 1885
Church of San Francesco di Paola in the Piazza del Plebiscito. On top of the hill on the right is the Castel St. Elmo.
Piazza del Gesu Nuovo. The bell tower is the one you can see from our balcony. The church on the left is Gesu Nuovo and the church on the right (with the bell tower) is Santa Chiara church and monastery. The is the view from the table where we ate our pizza and gelato.
Gesu Nuovo
Inside Gesu Nuovo
from naplespompeii.com:
The Gesù Nuovo (the 'New Jesus') is one of the most important churches of Naples and because of its beautiful interior perhaps the most beautiful church in Naples. The reason why this basilica was given the name 'New Jesus' is to distinguish it from the old church of Jesus. Originally it was a 15th-century palace built in 1470 by Prince Salerno Roberto Sanseverino. The palace became famous for the beauty of its interior with its many frescoes, decorated rooms and beautiful garden. It became a leading example for the Neapolitan Renaissance and Baroque. Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo went through many changes over the centuries and it was taken over by the Jesuits at the end of the 16th century, who had it completely rebuilt. In the 18th century it was handed over to the Franciscan Reformation, and returned into the hands of the Jesuits in the 20th century. Aerial bombing in World War II caused extensive damage, as one of the bombs went through the ceiling without detonating. That bomb is still in the church today. The last big restoration took place in 1975.
The private rooms of Giuseppe Moscati. The first modern doctor to be canonized. These rooms were connected to the church.
Santa Chiara
Santa Chiara was built during the 14th century when Naples was under French royal rule and is decorated in Gothic style.
Tombs of Bourbon royalty
Tombs of Angevin kings
18th century nativity scene
In the church courtyard. I'm pointing to our airbnb balcony.
There was a guy making and selling these necklaces outside the churches.
The first of 2 pizzas we had on our trip.
I'm going to call this a cannoli. The lady in the bakery said it was something different, though.
Castel Nuevo. We didn't pay to go inside. It's on the Naples harbor.
Gate to the Palace of Naples
View of Vesuvius from the Naples harbor
Palace of Naples
Castle St. Elmo
Walking in Naples was stressful. The traffic is crazy. Cars going both ways on very narrow streets and mopeds and motorcycles weaving around traffic. I really wanted to capture what it was like in pictures and video but I was too busy trying not to trip and get hit!
The door to the courtyard of our airbnb
Walking up to our apartment....
and up
and up...
and up!
We were so grateful to Nunzia for helping us carry our luggage up. And to her and her husband for helping us carry it down when we left!
Nunzia's apartment is on the left.
Naples Archeological Museum.
Hercules
Julius Caesar
Tiberius
The main reason we went to the museum was to prepare for our Pompeii tour the next day. The best relics from Pompeii are in the museum. These columns and the mosiacs on the wall are from Pompeii. When Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, ash, dust and rocks settled like a heavy snow (20 feet!) on Pompeii eventually collapsing roofs and floors but leaving the walls intact. Then Pompeii was forgotten. It was accidentally rediscovered in 1599 and excavations began in 1748. For all of those years the remains of Pompeii were preserved. It's amazing how well they are still preserved!
"These casts show Pompeiians eerily captured in their last moments, hands covering their mouths as they gasped for air. They were quickly suffocated by a superheated avalanche of gas and ash, and their bodies were encased in volcanic debris. While excavating, modern archaeologists detected hollow spacesunderfoot, created when the victims' bodies decomposed. By gently filling the holes with plaster, the archaeologists created molds of the Pompeiians who were caught in the disaster." Rick Steves Italy
Model of Pompeii
"Pompeii, founded in 600 BC, evetually became a booming Roman trading city. Not rich, not poor, it was middle class-a perfect example of typical Roman life. Most streets would have been lined with stalls and jammed with customers from sunup to sundown. Chariots vied with shoppers for street space. Two thousand years ago, Rome controlled the entire Mediterranean--making it a kind of free-trade zone--and Pompeii was a central and bustling port."
"It served and estimated 20,000 residents with more than 40 bakeries, 130 bars, restaurants and hotels, and 30 brothels." Rick Steves Italy
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