Today I went up for breakfast with Christian. The ladies were keen to go into Pozzuoli, so as I was going into Naples, I offered to accompany them to Lucrino station, help them get tickets, and see them to Pozzuoli station. We were out of the hotel at around 10.15.
The walk to Lucrino was quick, but we had to cross the road to the tabacchi. After a comedy of errors with the nice man at the tabacchi, we got enough of the right tickets, and crossed the road back to the station to wait for the train.
It trundled along eventually, and we got on. They went their own way at Pozzuli, and I stayed on until Montesanto, which was now my old friend. I navigated my way to the 'scavi' that Nick and Sam had recommended, and on the way found myself on an amazing narrow street. It had books and music and jewellery stalls. I stopped to buy a brass ring.
Wandering pleasantly further down the street, which turned to nice-looking food shops, I found San Lorenzo Maggiore, which did seem like a bit of a tourist trap, but which I was determined to see.
I bought my ticket, and added an English-speaking tour for not much more, as one had just started. The tour began by looking at a model of the site. At ground level was a Franciscan monastery, which had beautiful frescoes inside the chapel and the accompanying rooms.
We then went underground, to the Roman 'Macellum', or market, of Naples, which had been covered up by a mudslide in the fifth century and since excavated. The excellent guide showed us where each shop had been, and we walked the streets that the Romans would have walked. We learned interesting things, such as the Romans using urine to wash and dye clothes.
One of the best things about it was that they could point to earlier Greek ruins underneath the Roman, which were identified both by the kind of stone used, and the construction techniques. An absolutely fascinating site.
After having finished the tour, I went upstairs to see the museum, which was more comprehensive than I'd expected. I spent about half an hour there.
I'd worked up an appetite by now, so I went back to a food shop I'd spotted earlier to get two arancini, and walk and observe while I ate. I was soon into a busy part of town, where roadworks made it difficult to make good progress.
I wandered towards the port, though the university precinct, and needed help from Mr Google to find where the boats to Capri left from. I crossed the main road, and followed the dull functional buildings to the passenger port. I wandered in with the luggaged hordes, and didn't find anything like boats to Capri.
I gave up on that, and went back out, past the cheap market stalls, and garish city tour signs. And then I found the departures for Capri in a much smaller dock beyond the passenger port. I looked at the times and prices, but by now as it grey and spotting with rain, I decided against it. Yet again I had failed to get to Capri.
I turned back towards Montesanto, winding uphill through the crooked streets into the Montecalvario neighbourhood. Where I found the Gelateria Napoli. I chatted to the nice man in there, asking to try the almost black chocolate fondant gelato. It was really intense, but I think I chose something else in the end.
It was a short walk from there to Montesanto. I got the train back to Arco Felice, and stopped in at the supermarket on the way back to the hotel, picking up some limoncello and some biscuits for the folks at work, along with some water.
We went out to Trattoria Da Rita for dinner with the whole group. Christian and I sat out under the awning at our own table. I can't remember what we had to eat - it was probably a fixed menu.
We wandered back to the hotel about 9.30 to bed.
The walk to Lucrino was quick, but we had to cross the road to the tabacchi. After a comedy of errors with the nice man at the tabacchi, we got enough of the right tickets, and crossed the road back to the station to wait for the train.
It trundled along eventually, and we got on. They went their own way at Pozzuli, and I stayed on until Montesanto, which was now my old friend. I navigated my way to the 'scavi' that Nick and Sam had recommended, and on the way found myself on an amazing narrow street. It had books and music and jewellery stalls. I stopped to buy a brass ring.Wandering pleasantly further down the street, which turned to nice-looking food shops, I found San Lorenzo Maggiore, which did seem like a bit of a tourist trap, but which I was determined to see.
I bought my ticket, and added an English-speaking tour for not much more, as one had just started. The tour began by looking at a model of the site. At ground level was a Franciscan monastery, which had beautiful frescoes inside the chapel and the accompanying rooms.We then went underground, to the Roman 'Macellum', or market, of Naples, which had been covered up by a mudslide in the fifth century and since excavated. The excellent guide showed us where each shop had been, and we walked the streets that the Romans would have walked. We learned interesting things, such as the Romans using urine to wash and dye clothes.
One of the best things about it was that they could point to earlier Greek ruins underneath the Roman, which were identified both by the kind of stone used, and the construction techniques. An absolutely fascinating site.After having finished the tour, I went upstairs to see the museum, which was more comprehensive than I'd expected. I spent about half an hour there.
I'd worked up an appetite by now, so I went back to a food shop I'd spotted earlier to get two arancini, and walk and observe while I ate. I was soon into a busy part of town, where roadworks made it difficult to make good progress.
I wandered towards the port, though the university precinct, and needed help from Mr Google to find where the boats to Capri left from. I crossed the main road, and followed the dull functional buildings to the passenger port. I wandered in with the luggaged hordes, and didn't find anything like boats to Capri.
I gave up on that, and went back out, past the cheap market stalls, and garish city tour signs. And then I found the departures for Capri in a much smaller dock beyond the passenger port. I looked at the times and prices, but by now as it grey and spotting with rain, I decided against it. Yet again I had failed to get to Capri.
I turned back towards Montesanto, winding uphill through the crooked streets into the Montecalvario neighbourhood. Where I found the Gelateria Napoli. I chatted to the nice man in there, asking to try the almost black chocolate fondant gelato. It was really intense, but I think I chose something else in the end.
It was a short walk from there to Montesanto. I got the train back to Arco Felice, and stopped in at the supermarket on the way back to the hotel, picking up some limoncello and some biscuits for the folks at work, along with some water.
We went out to Trattoria Da Rita for dinner with the whole group. Christian and I sat out under the awning at our own table. I can't remember what we had to eat - it was probably a fixed menu.
We wandered back to the hotel about 9.30 to bed.
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