Amalfi
We left Naples on an early train to Sorrento, from there we
caught to bus to Amalfi. The bus was extremely crowded and we had to strap hang
for 2 hours around the coast with its nail biting corners and a narrow road.
Our accommodation Amalfi Hotel was in the centre of town and
easy to find. We were only staying two nights so just thought we would relax
rather than go hiking. The town is touristy but has a great atmosphere. Who
couldn’t love staying here? We were just happy to experience the atmosphere and
just wander around for the rest of the day.
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| Amalfi Coast |
The next day we went to the Amalfi Paper Museum, which was
very informative. Amalfi paper is very famous as it is made from cotton and is
used for all the government and Papal documents as it doesn’t deteriorate like
wood pulp paper. Then to the Duomo, what town in Italy doesn’t have a church or
two?
In the afternoon we took a little cruise to the Emerald
Grotto and around the coast a very relaxing afternoon.
The next day we were leaving for Rome our little R&R
break would be over.
Rome
We caught the bus to Sorrento and
were able to get a seat and sit for the return journey. We retraced our journey
to Naples then to Rome. The Hotel Capri was close to the station and easy to
find. I read that Rome is a city of 900 churches and I decided to count them
down as we walked around.
Close to our hotel there was a
pleasant café so we decided to have a coffee to revitalize ourselves after our
travel. The barista was gorgeous and oh so charming, so Italian.
I had been to Rome twice before
so I was happy to give all the big tourist sites a miss. Our first afternoon we
just walked around to re-orientate ourselves. We found a restaurant close by
where to have dinner on our first night.
We woke up to a very loud church
bell a block away from our room window plus rain. To add to this the other
downer and we’re not fussy but the breakfast supplied by the hotel was terrible
it would have been better if breakfast was not included like other places we’ve
stayed.
We decided to head for the Jewish
quarter, they had been in long before the Christians arrived. Rome has the
longest surviving Jewish community outside the Holy Land. I read about this in
the Melbourne The Age, Traveller
section on June 11th 2016 and wanted to visit the area. The tour of
the synagogue was very informative and the accompanying museum is noteworthy
and we managed to spend some time looking at all the displays.
After our visit we had lunch at
the restaurant recommended in the article ‘Ba’Ghetto with its ‘specialty Jewish
cuisine from the Rome area’ and didn’t disappoint.
We meandered around the market
gazing with great interest at all the produce wishing we could buy some to take
home, but it wasn’t a practical proposition. We were amused by packets of pasta
in the shape of the ‘Star of David.’
Before we knew it the day had
disappeared.
The following day no sleeping in
the ‘alarm’ from the nearby church bell was on time. Apart from the bells,
thunder, rain and hail greeted us. This morning we decided not to have the
breakfast at the hotel. Across the road to the café where the charming barista
was serving. We had our typical Italian breakfast of coffee and croissant each
but had bill shock it cost 16 euros, considering in Milan the same breakfast
cost only 5 euros for two, and to add to the insult to it Mr. Charming didn’t
even serve me!
As the weather wasn’t conducive
to going to the gardens we went to the Liberation Museum instead, which set out
about the history of the liberation of Rome after the Second World War and
though it is not one of the major tourist highlights it certainly is worth a
visit.
The weather cleared and we caught
the metro back to a more central station, ambled around then went to the
Napoleon museum assembled in 1927 which holds a collection of various objects
and memorabilia of the extensive Bonaparte family. There was also a temporary
exhibition of modern mosaics with the minutest pieces to make up the pictures.
Totally weary after walking
around all day.
We breakfasted a lot cheaper
today. The weather was fine on our last day so we decided to the Villa
Borghese, we meandered through the park and finally made our way to the Museo e
Galleria Borghese which has some wonderful art works on display. Not reading
the information correctly I found out I should have booked as we were unable
gain entrance for about two weeks. There was a museum shop and café, I looked
at some of the items and was interested in buying some and we were also
thinking of having a coffee there also. However I wanted to go to the toilet,
but only those who had an entrance ticket could use it. I offered to pay and
even went to the ticket counter. Too bad by now I REALLY needed to go. I was
told there was a toilet in the park 10 minutes away. But where? It is like Hyde
Park so you can’t expect to use the toilets in the museum, though I can’t
recall an Art Gallery there.
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| Gardens near Villa Borghese |
We left, I didn’t buy anything, then
found a small café, bought a coffee and was able to use their toilet!
After spending all morning in the
gardens we walked back to the centre of the city and had a pizza lunch. We then
went Keats-Shelley Memorial House which overlooks the Spanish Steps. Keats,
Shelley and Byron were Romantic-era poets who lived part of their lives in
Rome. My mother loved their poetry and it was great to go to the house and see
documents, letters and copies of publications. It was sad that I couldn’t
relate this experience to my mother as I know she would have been rapt.
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| Inside Keats-Shelley Memorial House |
When we were leaving here the
hordes of people milling around the Piazza di Spagna was unsettling, I hate
being in crowds like that. So we continued down the street glad to leave the
crowds behind.
The day was disappearing fast
another coffee break and made our way back to the hotel to collect our luggage
to start our trip home.
One thing on this trip to Italy
and Sicily was the pervasive presence of security everywhere, especially around
railway stations and top tourist attractions which is probably no surprise in
this day and age.
Last point my counting down of
the 900 churches as I wandered around I ended up with I about 728 to go which
meant I counted 122 churches without even trying!!
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