After quickly checking into our final hotel, Hotel Chiaja, we were off on a walking tour of Naples. We must have walked the entire city! The highlight was Museo Capella Sansevero. This tiny private church houses two of the most impressive works of art I have ever seen: The Veiled Christ and Release from Deception. Release from Deception depicts a man trying to emerge from a net. The net and the rest of the statue is made of marble. How it was possible to create such a masterpiece is beyond me. I found both statues breathtaking.
Our tour group ate pizza (of course) for dinner. The pizza did live up to the hype!
Our final full day we also went to Plazzo Reale. Afterwards Andy and I walked around a little before our final dinner with our tour buddies. Where did the two weeks go? It was hard to say good-bye to such wonderful people! We came home with beautiful pictures of Italy, a taste for good pasta and seafood and memories of wonderful new friends. |
Naples
It was so hard to believe we were driving into our final city! The streets of Rome, Paris, and New York are crowded, but they have nothing compared to Naples. Naples is just a free for all. Cars and mopeds speed by without worrying about silly things like stop lights, other vehicles, pedestrians, etc. It was fun to watch the madness from the safety of our bus. Maurizio showed no fear as he bravely navigated the narrow and congested streets.
We tried to see Capodimonet Museum when we arrived in Naples, but since yesterday had been a holiday and the museum had been open, they decided to take this day off. Too bad the museum forgot to tell anyone! Heidi just rolled with it and we went to the National Archaeological Museum a day early. There was almost no disruption to our day, but I did feel sorry for all the other tourist milling around the Capodimonet Museum grounds since they didn't have someone like Heidi to take care of them.
The National Archaeological Museum had lots of impressive pieces from Pompeii and Herculaniam. The scale model of Pompeii really gave me a better appreciation of the magnitude of how much of Pompeii has still not be uncovered. My favorite piece was The Farnese Bull. This piece was carved out of one giant piece of marble. It is incredible how much detail and emotions the artist captured.  |
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Memorable Meals: Bufalina pizza and Diavola pizza at Matteo Marinated and fried vegetables, pasta with tomatoes, basil & capers, and lemon cake at Hosteria Toledo (our final meal)
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