5C's Que Pasa

Last Thursday, May 31st, we took the train from Rome to Milan where we had thirty minutes to transfer to our train to Nice, France.  However the train kept being delayed and when we got to Milan we only had eight minutes left to transfer from platform to platform.  The Milan station was crowded and it was a chore to dodge the throng of people.  We made it with one minute to spare.  Shortly after we departed I was feeling warm.  Warmer than I had been in weeks.  Turns out that there was no ventilation in our coach which happened to be one of the two first class coaches.  I booked us in first as it was nice to have more leg room for the five hour journey and well worth the few extra euros.  Eventually the lighting system failed and when we went through the tunnels it was pitch black inside.  Between that and the increasing heat it was obvious that there was a problem.

Many attempts were made to restore the situation including a longer stop in a station.  There were only eight seats left in the other first class coach so we snagged two seats there but we were not sitting together but we did have window seats.  This was fortunate as the train hugged the coast for a good part of the journey.  Loved seeing the villages, towns and the ocean.  We passed through Genova, Savona, Alassio, San Remo and more.  In Ventimiglia the Italian train engine was removed and replaced by a French engine due to electricity of the tracks.  They also changed to French personnel on the train as the Italian crew was not allowed to work in France.

We eventually got to our Airbnb which can be found here.  It is perfectly located here in Nice and just a few blocks from the beach.  Lovely location.  We love Nice and have walked all over the town which is much larger than either of us expected.  We had lovely French crepes for lunch yesterday and an excellent dinner at a fabulous restaurant.  Love being able to understand and converse in French.  The wine is so very very good and inexpensive.  We were told yesterday that Nice is the most expensive city in France but we are managing quite well to dine well within our budget.

Have to go as we are off on yet another adventure today.

Thanks to all who are concerned about my not posting.  We left Roma last Sunday, May 20th and took a taxi to our Airbnb here in Florence.  Transportation from the train station is somewhat complicated and it was definitely too far to walk pulling our luggage.  This is the link to our accommodation in Firenze.  However the location is not quite as written up, it is not in Centro Historico but further out.  In fact the three times we took a taxi the drivers had to Goggle the address as they had no idea where it was.  The host had no idea how the transit system in the area worked and that took a bit to sort out but it did make the walking part easier once we got to Centro.  It is a lovely apartment and quiet but I would have preferred to spend more money per night and be closer in.

The temperatures have warmed up, in fact it went from one extreme to the other, 33C and humidity.  We managed to see most everything we wanted to in Rome but not quite all that we had hoped to see here in Firenze, more on that later.  The days seem to be flying past and I am taking more time to live in the moment and to relax when I am not actually ‘doing’.  It takes anywhere from 2 – 4 hours ( and sometimes longer ) to write a post and I just can’t keep up and was feeling a pressure to post.  Not to worry, I will write about each and every single day when I can.  It might or might not be while here in Europe.

You will see a post when you see a post.  Yesterday, we had the most wonderful day touring Cinque Terre, certainly one of the highlights of the trip to date.  You are going to love the photos.

Tomorrow, May 31st we leave Florence for our next destination.  Any guesses as to where it might be 😎

This is a typical parking job.  One can only wonder how they manage to get out.

So we were off walking with our luggage to the train station, about 4 long blocks. Because the sidewalk/road were cobble stone for the most part, it was a bit of a job to pull my heavy suitcase ( I was slow because of my tumble ) but I was managing although about halfway I slowed down. Then this fellow came by and offered to help and wanted to pull my bag.  Of course we said no but he continued to walk next to us and then just took the suitcase away from me as he could see that I was struggling.  Once we got into the terminal  we said thank you and that we were good on our own.  It was then that he asked for a tip, not for him of course but for his kids 🙂

Busy train station.

Complete with security patrolling by Segway.

Our train to Rome.  Miss Hop a Long, thats me 🙂

By the time the car was full there was no open space for luggage. We were fortunate to board early and place our bags in the luggage rack which we just happened to be sitting next to. There was no way that we would be able to lift our bags into the overhead bins. You guessed it, they are heavy.

Colin got this neat shot of these trains as we left the station.

As we started off there was lots to see.

But once we reached speeds of 300km/h everything was a blur.

We got to Rome on time, found a tobacco shop in the airport and bought a weekly transit pass for each of us.  Next we figured out how to get down a few levels below the train station to the Metro.  We figured out which line and which direction and we were good to go.  The only hiccup was once we arrived at our station near the airbnb we discovered that there were no escalators nor lifts so Colin had to carry each bag up one at a time on each set of stairs we encountered.  We did it in stages so that one of us was with the bags.  We had no problem getting to our place and our host and his son in law were both waiting for us.

Fernando had his son in law along as he thought his English was not good enough.  Turns out that it was just fine and there were no communication problems.  It is a lovely place to stay, the best we have seen,  large, bright and extremely clean.  Truly the perfect huge apartment in the perfect location.

We unpacked and settled in.  Then we headed out to buy a few essentials like water, wine and fruit.  We had a free walking tour of historic Rome planned for 5PM so headed back in on the Metro.  We were perfectly located as we only had a few short blocks to walk to the subway and we were only 7 – 10 stops away from the major sites.

First stop, the Spanish Steps.

A busy tourist area.

Teaming with energy and likely pickpockets.  The entire trip we have been very careful, always with our bag in front of us as well as a hand over the top of the opening which of course is zipped shut.

We waited a long while for our tour guide who was about 20 minutes late.  I am in this photo somewhere….

Finally he arrived as did heavy grey sky.  We started the tour along with off and on showers.  As we walked and listened we started to get wet.  He said not to leave as it would pass as it always did.  Looking back now we should have left despite it being rude but we stayed.  Sadly the two hour tour dragged on to three hours and every five minutes we thought it was the end.  By the time it was over I was damp and exhausted and my Naples cold had reappeared.  We skipped dinner and went straight back, well, once we figured out where the metro was.  I went to bed around 9:15PM and slept until the next morning.  Colin meanwhile went out and got some dinner for himself.

Monday morning brought continued rain.  I lay around under blankets trying to get rid of my chill.  I napped, read a bit, planned touristy things to do and did a blog post.  Finally in the afternoon Colin went out for 4 -5 hours  despite the weather just to do something.  I was not ready to go out as we had a major event planned for Tuesday so I had to stay and rest.  As the day went on I felt a bit better.  Colin brought us some dinner from a local restaurant.

So no photos from a rainy Monday but we were very cozy here in our rental other then me being so chilled.

Fortunately I was in good enough shape to tackle our major undertaking on Tuesday.  Stay tuned for that post, first we have to go through several hundred, maybe a thousand photos.

Ciaco!

I am so glad that we allowed 4.5 days and 5 nights to enjoy Naples.  Many told us that even two days were more than enough.  We loved Naples and will go back if it fits into our travel schedule in the years to come.  Saturday, May 19th was our last full day to enjoy the city.  But first I had to wash my hair and while it dried we did the majority of our packing. Then we headed out for a bit more sightseeing.

We have become reacquainted with metro travel and are becoming proficient.

We were off to see the view from the top of the hill where Castel Sant’ Elmo is located.  We took a funicular up to the top.

Now that is a rather large door.

The view was amazing. We were not actually going to the castle as it did not have much that interested us inside and the view was just a few meters higher than what we were already seeing for free.  Not worth 11 euro each.

A few high rises in downtown Napoli.

The train station in the middle with its many tracks leading in and out of the city.

Love the colors.

Back down the hill via the funicular and Colin rode in the car right behind the driver.

Who texted all the way down and never looked up.

We stopped for a late lunch in a restaurant we had hoped to be have been able to try.  We did have to wait in line outside for 45 minutes before a table came available.  They were that busy!

We were eating at Pizzaria Sorbillo @ Via dei Tribunali, 32, said to be the most authentic ( so did another that we tried )  but the sign above me says that they won an award in 2016 for the best pizza in the world.

The pizza was excellent, too bad we discovered it on our last day.  The wine was very good as well.

This was the only place where we shared a pizza that they brought it whole and expected us to cut it.

It was really great pizza. How are we ever going to be able to eat pizza in Canada again?  We were so fortunate to be able to try the top three pizzas in Naopli,  the home of where pizza was created, they were spectacular and then there was that special one in Pompeii.  Mamma Mia !!

Pizza ( as well as pasta ) is inexpensive in Napoli.  The entire bill was 17 euro, 3 for the service charge, only 5 for that magnificent pizza and the wine was 9 euros.  What fun, the food part was only 5 of those 17 euros.

The ovens that baked that special pizza. I have to say that prices here in Rome are more expensive and the food no where near as tasty.  Oh to be back in Napoli ( this was written in real time when we are in Roma ).

Arm in arm we headed back towards our apartment.  Oh, a brief stop, needed to get a new tote bag as mine was starting to rip at the handles.  Great find and it is black and much better for Colin to be carting around than the old gold one.  Someone needs to cart the water bottles, maps, tour books and my extra sweater 😎

Then it happened, not three blocks from our apartment.  I tripped over a cobble stone as we crossed the street and went down with such force that Colin could not keep me upright.  I hit hard, mostly on my left side.  Bruises, bloody knee, dirty clothes and very sore left side which I have not been able to lay on.  Things like this happen, but it had been such a great day with the sun shining and all, not to mention the fabulous pizza and wine that this brought me down.  So I limped home and sulked for a bit.

Eventually we went out to dinner down the road and I think we had some sort of seafood pasta.  Colin loved his but not me but then I was in a funk.  I do remember the great bread, olive oil and vinegar.  Of course we have no photos of that final meal in Naples.  We pretty much headed home ( I limped ) and went to bed.

Ciao, ciao, more to come.

Friday May 18th was our first hot and sunny day and of course a good deal of it was going to be spent inside.

We walked everywhere in Naples and this was our first time we used the Metro. This is the outside of the station next to our apartment.

Our first stop was the National Anthropology Museum.  Bad photo I know but I just wanted a snap.

Fortunately we had a Rick Steves audio guide to the museum or we would have been hopelessly lost for days. I start with the appealing back side.

As you can see the sculpture is very tall.  This Hercules, a Roman copy from the original by Lysippos.

There are many nooks all around with different pieces of art. I took this because of the color and design.

This was a display of times BC, they had glass in 100 BC?

There were many artifacts from Pompeii which were most interesting. This map shows how much more there is to be excavated.

In the same BC display these fry pans caught my eye.  They look the same as some that we use today right down to the handle and pour spout on the side.  Note the iron pan in the top right corner.  I imagine it could be used for eggs or to bake four small balls of bread.

From the museum we had a bit of a walk to the next stop but it was wonderful being outside in the warmth of the sun as well as taking in the various street scenes as we passed from neighborhood to neighborhood.  The main reason we went to the Museo Cappella Sansevero was to see the sculpture by Giuseppe Sanmartino, 1753, entitled ‘ The Veiled Christ ‘. Photos were not allowed. However I took this photo before I got scolded, I was so in awe that I forgot about no photos.

Please read the above and then click here to see the photos, the description and photos go together.  I really would like you to, I almost insist that you do look at the photos.  This is said to be the most incredible sculpture ever and I am still moved just thinking about what I was privileged to see in person.  Nothing I have seen this trip is as breath taking.  The rest of the chapel was fascinating as were the Anatomical Machines by Giuseppe Salerno, 1756-64.  You can Google that if you are interested.

Next we got lost in the maze of winding streets with no direction trying to find San Lorenzo Maggiore.  No one knew where it was but we did eventually find it as we were determined to see archaeological area  under the church.

A fairly intact Roman ruin complete with an ancient 3 meter wide Roman road.

It was so fascinating that I forget that I was claustrophobic.  So far down and so very cold.  This place was huge and we were the only two in the ruins.

This is the market area. There was not a lot of signage if any.  Another amazing discovery in Naples.

We next stopped for a well deserved late lunch at Di Matteo Pizza know to be one of the top pizza restaurants in Napoli.  Conde Nast Traveler describes this pizza as the best ever.  We disagree, it was very good but not the best but you can’t try them all.

With full stomachs ( we usually share a pizza for lunch but we were hungry after all that walking ) we decided to walk to our final destination of the day instead of take the Metro.  It just so happened that about halfway there we passed right by the best authentic gelato store in Naples., Casa in Fante on Via Toledo, 258.  We each had a small tub of limone/lemon and it was the best ever.  The flavor was so tart and yet so refreshing.  Colin says it was like eating lemon meringue pie.

Somewhere along here nature called.  I have been meaning to write this, Italy has no public restrooms, so if you have to go, you have to go into a restaurant and buy something in order to use the facilities.  However I spotted a McDonalds and was able to use their toilet at no charge.  I would like to add that free wifi is very very sparse and not found easily.

Our destination was the harbor which we had yet to see.

As well as the Castel Del ‘Ovo, one of the worlds oldest fortifications now free to tourists to glimpse views of the Gulf of Naples and also events such as weddings.

It is a huge building and the only way up is your own feet. I gasped when I saw the step incline but marched on.  Then as we turned a corner there was yet another such incline.  By the third and forth set of upward ramps I was winded and needed to stop and catch my breath before moving up.

There is no denying the view but I was tired, I had been on the go since 8:30AM and it was close to 7PM.  There are two cruise ships in the middle background.

Remember this view as we walked out of the Castle all the way to the left and yet further to the left.

The top for me.

Yes there is more up above but I was done!

As we strolled left along the promenade we stopped to listen to this fellow play classical guitar. Of course Colin and Antonello started to chat. Turns out they enjoy the same music and both play a large number of the same classical pieces.  They exchanged information and have already being going back and forth about music.

The last photo of what would end up being a very long day. The sun was sinking and the road next to the promenade was closed to vehicles and was filled with runners and bikers while across the road at the posh hotels folks were sitting and enjoying a spritz which is where I wanted to be instead of still walking 🙂

Some how we got turned around thanks to the policeman’s directions when we asked.  We actually walked around a huge block twice.  So our new tactic was go two blocks and ask for directions but only from locals.  The Metro was blocks and blocks away ( there was one closer I later discovered which was where I was heading but we kept getting lost in the maze of old streets with no signs ) but we did find it just as it started to get dark.  The next challenge was to purchase a ticket from the machine.  We normal would just go to a tobacconist shop but we saw none as we walked.  We finally figured the system out with some kind help from other travelers on the Metro.  So we got to the platform and waited and waited and eventually we heard announcements being made.  Turns out that our train had broken down and was not coming for at least an hour or possibly longer.  We could not believe that that was how our day was going to end.

In the end we climbed up all the stairs ( not all stations have escalators ) up to the street and found a taxi.  It was the best 10 euro I have ever spent.  It actually was 9 but we gave the driver a 10 note.  We finally got back to our apartment at 9PM just when we had a reservation for dinner down the street.  Apparently is is one of the places to eat in Napoli with Italians coming from all over the city and you can only get it with a reservation. Two seatings per evening.  We were both too worn out to enjoy a full course meal so Colin went to cancel as people are always walking in hoping to be seated.  He came home with a pizza to share and that was our very very full day.  25,118 steps, no wonder my feet ached.

It took so long to write this that I am not going to proof it even much so bear with me dear readers.