Dalmatian and Italian Cruise: Naples

Our introduction to Naples – entrance from the harbour

Rundown buildings near the harbour

Naples makes me think of the Mafia, crime, corruption and poverty. Although we landed at the port, naturally, we didn’t in fact, see anything of the crime element and just a few areas of lower standard

Electrical connection in the pavement; safety is not a priority

living conditions.

Haphazard parking and tiny vehicles

We also noticed that parking didn’t seem to follow any rules, (similar to our photos from Rome) and that tiny cars are all the rage.

Once we joined the orgnised city tour, our guide showed us where the bus was parked, then took us on a fast walking tour to a couple of major sites. Unlike most group tours, we had no earpieces and his English was pour and fast, so all we could do was take photos, not knowing what we were actually photographing. I hope my descriptions, taken later from various google sites, are correct.

Castel dell’Ovo

The castle, a few metres from our bus, was the most interesting site for me. I remembered from Medieval History lessons that the Normans ruled Southern Italy around the same time as their leader, William the Conqueror, landed in England and made himself king there. The round turrets here reminded me of similar structures around England. Looking it up later, I found that yes, a Norman king built the first castle here in the 12th century, on a site that had previously been home to a magnificent Roman villa in the 1st cent BC. This place later became a Royal Chamber, State Treasury and twice it was used as a prison – first an empress then a queen. It’s the sort of place that I wished we could visit, but our guide was in a hurry.

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Florence: The Duomo

Main Entrance to the Duomo

Most of the crowds had left by the time we reached the Duomo so Susanne and I could photograph the stunning facade without too many people in the way.

Campanile

We approached the main door, thinking that would be the point of entry. Directions in Italian didn’t help, so we moved to admire the Campanile, designed by Giotto in 1334 but not finished until 1359, after his death. Part of the facade is clad in marble, making it almost too beautiful. We must have walked the whole way around the cathedral, before finding access into the building.

Main entry side

Side wall

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Florence: Actor and Diva Suites

Arriving in Florence with no-one to meet us, I was nervous about getting from the station to our B&B, Florence Relais Grand Tour which sounded very grand for a B&B but was absolutely delightful. The taxi rank was exactly where Christina, our hostess had told me to go and the driver found the tiny street in less than ten minutes. Double doors, two steps up from the pavement, displayed the number 21. After a couple of rings on the bell we were greeted by the charming Christina and our cases whisked inside and along the stone paved passage to our suites – Diva and Actor.

Diva Suite

Actor Suite

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Rome to Florence by Train

En route to Florence

On May 2^nd this year, we said goodbye to our friends at the Hotel Farnese (lovely hotel if you’re staying in Rome, see them at http://www.hotelfarnese.com ) and set off in a private taxi for the Central Railway Station. Richard, our driver, parked a long way from the entry. After waiting inside for half an hour, I understood why he had chosen that cheaper spot and was grateful for his willingness to remain with us.

Susanne and I had no way of knowing where our train would come into the station, and at 10.40 am, with departure time still listed as 10.45 am, we started to panic, despite the assurances offered by our patient assistant.

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Rome: Forum and Palaces of Augustus and Livia

After leaving the Colosseum we walked towards the site of the ancient Forum but on the way we stopped at a ‘digs’.

Archaeologists at work.

It seems that whenever anyone wants to undertake a new building in Rome, (or probably even do any renovations)

Before building, this area will be inspected for historical treasures

the archaeologists have to be consulted as treasures might be found anywhere, particularly around the Colosseum and other ancient sites.

Palatine Hill and Roman Forum

The idea of using Viator Tours, visit them at http://viator.com was partly to avoid queues, but waiting here, outside the gate to ‘Ancient Rome,’ I was so excited that the wait didn’t matter. Once inside, there was so much to see and Lucia was so enthusiastic and informative that I found it impossible to record her words, take photos and have any chance of remembering more than what were, for me, the highlights. So, for those of you who are Roman history buffs, please excuse my mistakes and fell free to correct my efforts.

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Rome: Colosseum

Inside the Colosseum

On Friday we again negotiated our way around Rome’s underground railway system, to meet up with Lucia, our Viator guide and the rest of our tour group. I had booked two Viator tours from Australia, partly because they promise a maximum of only fifteen per group and because you avoid the queues to get into the famous sites. On both days we had a delightful, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable leader, so I thoroughly recommend them. Go to www.viator.com/tours/Rome and scroll through their list.

That icon of ancient Rome, the Colosseum, built between 72 and 80AD is huge and impressive on the outside, but once we were inside its former glory was revealed, especially when we walked through an archway to what was once the giant Flavian Amphitheatre.

The lower level reserved for the emperor and senators

The lower levels of this vast stadium were for the state leaders, with the best position, in the middle of the long curve on the eastern side, near where we entered, reserved for the emperor and his entourage. Marble originally decorated these areas and slaves brought in comfortable seats for their masters, the senators. The equestrian classes and wealthy citizens were also given special treatment according to their status, but, and this surprised me, everyone was free to come along and enjoy the emperor’s gift.

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Rome: Santa Maria Maggiore and the Big Bus Tour

P1050760 (640x444) Day two began with a leisurely breakfast, (included in the price, and catering to our dietary requirements) in the rooftop cafe above our hotel. I must digress here to give the Hotel Farnese a plug. Small, convenient and quiet, with staff who seemed genuinely happy to help with all our requests. I felt confident that if we were seriously lost, I could phone for help and a taxi would arrive to deliver us safely back to our little Roman home. Check them out at www.hotelfarnese.com and if you say we recommended them I’m sure you’ll find them as helpful as we did.

In front of the Vatican

Rome, like many large European cities has The Big Bus Tour, so, with a selection of tour companies and routes to choose from, we headed for the local underground metro station, armed with the appropriate tickets (about 3 euros each for the return journey) and with multiple crosses and arrows on the hotel’s map, courtesy of our helpful concierge.

Finding our way out of the underground to the correct exit did test the bonds of sisterly love a wee bit. ‘It’s that way.’ ‘No, we need to go this way,’ but we managed a photo stop in front of the Vatican (sister looks pretty pleased) and eventually found the bus, bought our tickets, struggled with the earpieces and, after moving a few times, found two widely separated seats with radio connections that worked.

With cameras at the ready, we swept past remains of the original Roman wall, (built to protect the city way back then), a glimpse of the Borghese gardens, then around the Piazza Barbarini several times, making a figure eight around a huge fountain.

This site greeted us as we entered the Basilica

The Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, a short walk from our last stop was well worth waiting for. I had seen it before but had forgotten the details that make it, in my opinion, one of the most magnificent churches in the world. Photographs (the best ones were taken by my sister) tell the story better than I can, but as far as I can work out, here are a few details about its history. The original church was built between 432 and 440; I couldn’t find any trace of that one. Like most of the ancient churches in Europe, exact dates are hard to follow, but this one appears to have been initially built and decorated in the 12^th and 13^th centuries.

Frescoes above the main altar

The frescoes above the

Detail of the frescoe immediately above the altar

The ceiling is decorated with gold.

main altar date from some time then and are still vividly coloured, quite breathtaking to behold. The ceiling, which dates from 1492 – 1503 is said to have been decorated with gold brought back from America and donated by Isabella of Spain. That’s the sort of opulence which has been used throughout Santa Maria Maggiore.

Exquisitely detailed marble floors

Looking up this is what we saw.

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