Welcome to Naples!

Thursday March 22 was yet another rainy day in Ravello when we awoke.  Coldest day of our trip so far with a high of only 8C.  Very windy as well.  We had a series of busses to catch on our way to Naples.  Our host took our luggage to the entrance of the town where we caught the local bus at 9:35 a.m. to Amalfi, about a 25 minute ride.  In Amalfi, I ran to get bus tickets and Alain loaded our luggage on the 10:00 a.m. bus heading to Salerno.  So far, so good.  The trip took us east on the Amalfi coast through some interesting small towns-- lots of hairpin turns and small cars backing up to let the bus pass. (N.B.-- do not even think of driving on the Amalfi coast, if you are planning a visit!!)

Entering the port area of Salerno

Street in busy Salerno near where we were let off

We reached Salerno at about 11:15 a.m. and wanted to catch the next bus to Naples which was leaving at 11:30 a.m.  As we got off the bus in the middle of a busy street near the waterfront (everyone else also got off) we asked where to get the bus to Naples.  The driver seemed to point across the street.  There was no sign of the Sita bus stop so we asked in a store, where we were directed to the train station, then a travel agency and finally we asked at a bank.  It turned out the stop was about two blocks north of where we were dropped off.  We got there just as the 11:30 a.m. bus was pulling up.  Phew!!

We took the autostrade to Naples and made very good time.  We thought we were going to be dropped at a bus terminal near the Central Train Station where we could get the Metro at Piazza Garibaldi.  Instead the bus stopped in a small street and a few people got off.  We happened to see a sign pointing in the direction of the Metro line we wanted.  Alain raced to the front of the bus to ask if this was the stop near Garibaldi station.  The driver initially said it was the next stop, but a number of people on the bus said to get off where we were.  The bus driver then agreed with them.  Luckily we saw the Train Station and went inside.  There was very good signage getting us to the Metro line we wanted.

There is an amazing program of art in the subways.  It is called Stations of Art and so far includes more than 180 pieces of art created by 90 Italian and international artists and architects.  The art-subway stations were conceived as part of a larger urban transport plan that was formally adopted in 2003, though some of the art stations were already operating.  We have seen a few pieces in the Garibaldi and Dante stations today when we took the Metro.  It is a fabulous project.  In 2012, the Toledo Station was named as the most beautiful in Europe by the Daily Telegraph and it has received other awards since that time.  Our host highly recommended that we visit the Toledo station.

The modern Garibaldi train station

Our first art piece--- called Stazione by Michelangelo Pistoletto done in 2013-- very realistic-- done on a mirror
You can even see me in the background taking the photo with my cell phone.

Another piece--- some were hard to find the artist's name

By Jannis Kounellis-- tracks blocking shoes and other objects in the Dante Metro station

We took the Metro four stops from Garibaldi station to Dante station.  We then walked 10 minutes to the apartment where we are staying.  Fabiano was there to greet us.  The apartment is on a small quiet street just north of one of the main streets (Via Tribunali) in the Centro Storico (historic centre) area of the city.  There is a small ancient courtyard.  Our apartment is located on the first floor (second floor in Canada).  The building used to be an 11th century convent.  It is a large sprawling old apartment, but is very well equipped and in a great location to explore the city.

View looking from the kitchen/dining area

View back towards the entrance

The master bedroom (there are actually two other small bedrooms in the flat)

View from the courtyard- our apartment has the greenery

The entrance into the courtyard

 Fabiano gave us a good orientation and we headed out to get a bite to eat and some provisions.  The streets are largely pedestrian in this part of town and quite busy.  The Centro Storico is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the largest historic city centre in Europe.  There are an amazing number of churches, palaces and archaeological sites in this part of the city.  A bit overwhelming but no shortage of things to explore.

Naples is the third largest city in Italy after Rome and Milan.  In 2017, about 1 million people lived within the city's administrative limits and the Metropolitan City of Naples has a population of around 3.1 million.  Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.  Bronze Age Greek settlements were established in the area in the second millennium B.C.   Later it became a cultural centre of the Roman Republic.  It was capital of the Kingdom of Naples between 1282-1816 and then capital of the Two Sicilies until the unification of Italy in 1861.  Naples was the most-bombed Italian city during WWII.  

Pizza originated in Naples and has been declared as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage!!

Via Tribunali-one of the main streets in the historic centre of the city

Lots of stores with Pulcinella figures from commedia dell'arte of the 17th century

We stopped for our first coffee of the day at Gran Cafe on Via Tribunali just around the corner from us.  One can't go wrong with Neapolitan coffee.  One is served a glass of sparkling water as a palate cleanser along with the coffee.  I usually have an espresso (just called caffe in Naples) and Alain has a macchiato.

Most machines in Naples have levers that are pulled 

First coffee in Naples-- only .90 euros each

Making our way down Via Tribunali

 We stopped for some pizza at Di Matteo, which has been around since 1936.  It was on our host's list of nearby good restaurants.  Lonely Planet called it one of Naples' "hardcore, low-frills pizzerias".  It said that "inside expect trademark sallow lighting, surly waiters and gorgeous pizzas."  The place was full of locals and a few tourists.  It had a number of small rooms on two levels.

Bill Clinton had been there too (back in the day when he did a lot of eating)

We split a Marinera pizza with olives and tuna (I can't do cow mozzarella and Alain didn't want cheese in any event).

Yum---very tasty

Your basic local pizzeria

Main floor- stacking boxes for take out

Pizza in the wood-fired oven

Making pizza on the main floor

We then wandered to another place for a treat.  Scaturchio is located in a lovely piazza.  We had a sfogliatella (Naples' signature sweet ricotta filled pastry).  (Bring on the lactaid pills).  We read later that the star attraction at the bakery is the ministeriale, a dark-chocolate medallion invented in the 19th century.  We will have to return to sample this treat.

Alain with his sfogliatella

Window display of medallions in the background and a special Easter treat in the foreground 

 Everywhere one looks there are churches, beautiful piazzas and stories to be told.  Of course, it started to rain.

Piazza San Domenico Maggiore- 18th century obelisk

We walked along Via Benedetto Croce (named after the philosopher and politician (1866-1952)).  He was President of PEN International from 1949-52 and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 16 times.

Via Benedetto Croce

Our next stop was for another coffee at Centrale del Caffe on Via Benedetto Croce.  It was a lovely café where they also sold beans.  We chatted to the barista.  The café has been around since 1959.

Centrale del Caffe

                                                                   At the espresso machine

Alain with a gorgeous macchiato

                 The close up shot of the macchiato - again only .90 euros

 We saw a sign for a concert Friday night outside a very large church-- we wandered in to see what kind of concert was going to be taking place.  It turned out to have the most incredible baroque interior!!  We looked it up in our guide book once we got inside.  It was Chiesa del Gesu Nuova.  The outside is a 15th century facade of Palazzo Sanserverino converted to create the 16th century church.  The works inside are incredible.

Outside of the church-- no indication of the grand interior

Church organ

Incredible works of art and decoration

Getting ready for Easter

                                                                     Incredible baroque alter


The church is also the final resting place of a much-loved saint, Giuseppe Moscati (1880-1927), a doctor who served the city's poor.  There is an entire section of the church devoted to the saint, including a recreation of his study with the armchair in which he died.

Plaque with a bomb fragment from 1943 in the hallway

Saint Joseph Moscati

His recreated rooms

The church is located on the northern side of Piazza del Gesu Nuovo.  In the centre is the Guglia dell'Immacolata, an obelisk built between 1747 and 1750. 

The obelisk

 There was another church very close by- Basilica di Santa Chiara.  The church was severely damaged in WWII and is a 20th century recreation of the 14th century original.

Basilica di Santa Chiara

Rainy night in Napoli

We took a picture of the alimentari where we got our pecorino cheese and tomato sauce.

Alimentari not too far from our apartment

A few minutes from where we are staying is a very famous pizzeria called Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo. The owner apparently uses organic flour and tomatoes and the pizza is very popular.  There was a picture of Bill de Blasio outside of the restaurant.  Our host says it is very good, but also told us that one of Gino's brothers has a place just a few doors down the street.  We will check out one of these places during our visit.

Crowds outside of Sorbillo just as it was opening for the evening at 7:00 p.m.

We headed back to the apartment for a meal of artichokes, pasta with tomato sauce and a green salad.  We are really liking the Naples vibe.  It is a very gritty city with a lot of energy.  The coffee is wonderful and the food is supposed to be among the best of Italy.  On Friday March 23, we are taking a Culinary Backstreets food tour.  Can't wait.