Naples
Took the train from Florence to Naples (well to Rome, we had a hard time getting down to Naples, because the train we wanted was booked out – this whole Italian system of reservations is not very good). Dropped our bags at the Hotel Garden, close to the train station, and hit the National Archaeological Museum. Lots of statues and frescoes and stuff from Pompei, including some really fabulous Mosaics. We also saw the “secret room” which was anything phallic, which had been deemed too shocking to show the public for years and years. Some of the paintings were in NY (we came all this way… 😉 ) Ate pizza at a restaurant on the street heading back to our hotel – BEST PIZZA EVER EVER EVER. 🙂 Margherita in Naples is the way to go.
Next day took the circumvesuviana (narrow gauge railroad) to Herculaneum, which was just as cool as I had hoped. You couldn’t even call them ruins, they were so well preserved. You really got the sense of the city ending in an instant. AND!! We saw lizards and frogs!! Lots of amazing frescoes and mosaics, and a good sense of what life was like in the town. We got lunch in a cafe up the street, run by what seemed to be a large, somewhat quarrlesome family. Then we went to Pompeii, which was grander, and much more ruined. We wandered around, got very lost, saw some body casts (creepy, and very cool), saw a brothel (more pornographic frescoes), and a flower garden! It was all native plants and they sold wine and body oil and stuff. I got some myrrh body oil as my souvenir from Italy (it smells great!). It was nice to see stuff growing in an area that was so very destroyed. Got some gelato and walked back to the train and went back to Naples. The whole train was very close to the volcano, which was pretty cool.
Naples, btw, is very busy, very dirty, and not really my favorite place. Oh – and crossing the street is an extreme sport. This morning we went to Pizza da michele, which everyone raves about, and honestly it wasn’t very good. The other 2 pizzas I had (in Naples and Ercolano) were both better. Today we saw Santa Teresa by Bernini, and the Spanish steps (crowded), and a museum on Byron, Shelly, and Keats, where Keats died (“Read some Byron, Shelly, and Keats, recited them over a hip-hop beat”). Had nosh out on the Via Veneto and watched pigeons gorge themselves. Back in Rome this evening. Ross and mom leave early tomorrow, I head out the next day.
Got this fabulous email for my room in Mauritius in may (I’m not booking anything in Madagascar – I figure it’ll all work out):
“hello, it’s with great pleasure that i’m giving you the best rate for a single room sea view…thks for yr reconfirmation”
Of course, I had emailed for information, but whatever. Downloaded the rest of the photos, but my mom will be in charge of uploading them in Boston, so look for them later. Send lots of positive thoughts for Madagascar – its going to be an adventure (I got a tent! I have a tent! Now I can go sleep among the lemurs).
Tags: Travel
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