Today we move on to Florence. I’m behind with this email and two very full days have flown by since the last one.
A week in Napoli isn’t enough and we’ve tried to cram a lot in, sometimes ending up totally exhausted. So its back to Friday I think.
We went to a lovely Museum called Capodimonte. It is one of those museums crammed to the brim with surprises. Also ‘one of those Museums’ housed in a building that is as overwhelming as the Museum itself.
It is in superb gardens, in a wonderful Farnese Palace.
Unfortunately it was pouring down and it is quite hard to get to so we took the easy option and got a taxi (a rarity these days).
We spent hours there going our separate ways and getting completely absorbed in it all. I won’t go on any more, suffice to say I saw Caravaggio’s ‘Flagellation of Christ’…that was a highlight for me. But there were many because it isn’t just an art gallery it also takes you through the rooms of the palace with all their treasures….indescribable.
It was totally bucketing down when we came out, with water pouring down the streets. Notwithstanding, we walked downhill and got on a bus. We’ve finally come to terms with the public transport system which helps at times. We then found one of our favourite restaurants for a late lunch and some vino. Then walked back to the hotel. It was pouring and miserable so dinner consisted of a bottle of wine and chips in our little room at the hotel.
Yesterday was a bit along the same theme…we set off to another fabulous venue that is a museum on top of the highest hill tabove Naples. It is the Monastery and Museum of San Martino. Again, hard to get there so we got a taxi…it was raining again and is easier to work out how to find our way back than there. The views of Naples from up there are amazing, the monastery was amazing and the collection of art was amazing…let’s just say it was amazing and leave it at that!!
We then found a bus, followed by a Funicular (which we nearly didn’t find), that took us down the rather large hill. It was totally pissing down by then and very reminiscent of Milan, Rose. We walked through a massive Galleria just like Milan and went to the Opera House, the Teatro San Carlo…you’d think you were in Milan if was wasn’t seedy, chaotic, energetic and slightly delinquent Naples.
We did a marvellous tour of the Opera House with a man who was so full of enthusiasm and passion he almost made you laugh. It is the oldest Opera House in Europe…40 years older than La Scala. It is of course sumptuous and gorgeous. It was great. Then out into the pouring rain again and into the Palazzo Reale which is next door, former home of C16 Spanish kings and unbelievably sumptuous, dripping with amazing objects, frescoes, paintings etc etc. It is beautifully maintained and again quite extraordinary.
When we came out of there it was dark, pissing down and we were totally exhausted…such a huge day!! So we hopped in a taxi to come back to the hotel.
Last night we walked back to one of our favourite restaurants…Lombardi’s. They treat us well, give us free Limoncello and the food is great.
So now we are packing and getting ready to depart for Florence where we hear it is colder but hopefully not pissing down. But first our last great big hotel breakfast.
Florence is such a different city to Naples so it will be a very different experience I think….but more of the same adjectives!!!