TakeBetsywithyou

Getting to the ancient ruin of Herculaneum was fairly easy: metro line one to Garibaldi and then the rickety (as promised) circumventa train to Ercolano (Italian spelling) Scavi stop. (Rick Steves gave us a rare bum steer, writing that there were two Ercolano stops but no big deal, we backtracked one stop.)

The ruin is well-designed, with a cool little museum to start, showing the ancient artifacts found on the site that resemble modern-day utensils (tweezers, jewelry, colanders, pans): ancient Italians R Us! It also juxtaposed the items with artistic renderings found in frescos or other artwork. Then on to the site itself, compact and easy to visit, unlike the massive and more famous Pompeii nearby (which I visited in 1982). You can really get a feel for the place, with its remnants of houses along one street and shops on another, including a wine shop with a fresco of the wine prices! A few buildings retain patches of their original frescos in bright umber and orange and red. What a sight this place must have been in its prime.

Back in Naples, we went searching for the funiculars leading to San Marino and found two of the three after many wrong turns and bum steers. The Montesano funicular is a little more interesting because you’re not in a tunnel the entire time.

Dinner was at ristorante Al 53 on the piazza Dante – heavy pastas, tasty but a little oily. Several large groups of 10-12 Italians were dining there on a Monday night. we had fun trying to guess the relationship between people dining at one big table. Work colleagues from a design firm? Or academics hosting a renown scholar?

Hotel courtyard

We trekked out to a gritty industrial part of Naples that was beyond our tourist map to visit the neighborhood that was depicted as the 1940s childhood home of lenu and Lila, the protagonists of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet or as we call them My Brilliant Friend novels and the evocative tv series).

Rione Luzzatti is a rough and tough place, think American public housing projects of the 1980s, worn concrete high rises with laundry hanging down, an unfriendly dog barking at us, but kids playing soccer and old men talking in a park. From there, for the full contrast, we took line 2 to near Piazza Dei Martiri where Lila and family sold their fancy handmade shoes. Felt like a Neapolitan version of Madison Avenue.

Onto the gorgeous waterfront promenade (lungomare) where much of Naples seemed to be strolling on a perfect Sunday afternoon. We ended up on a little fisherman’s wharf, Borgo marinero, at a pricey but lovely seafood restaurant transatlantico where we had outstanding spaghetti vongole (clams, white wine sauce), listened to a traveling singer-guitarist duo serenading tables (inspiring at least one couple to get up and dance), watching boys catch fish and boats drive in from the shimmering sea along a little channel lined with large fancy hotels and apartment buildings.

Dinner was at a hipster pizza place in Sanita called concettina ai tre santi but I didn’t eat. Had a sudden bout of nausea and dizziness (fatigue-induced I‘m guessing.) but fortunately a night’s sleep seemed the cure!

A few travel tips:

• Use your credit card or debit card to use Metro Lines, tapping in at the turnstile and out at a machine on threw all (sometimes). The machines rarely worked with a credit card or cash. Or buy the tix from a news stand, if advertised.
• Line 1 is the real deal subway. Line 2 is more of a train and doesn’t operate as smoothly.
• We tried two of the three funiculars up to San Marino but they were very hard to find and mostly no views offered except a tunnel in the mountain. Montesano funicular did offer a few views but we spent about 45 minutes looking for the entrance, getting several bum steers from various people.
• We never felt at risk in Naples, despite its reputation. (We did make sure our wallets were secured.) The streets were full of life and people.

My phone notified me today that I set a personal record : 790 calories burned. Of course I probably ate way more than that today: this is Naples! I wore my No Kings shirt, in solidarity with the marchers back home that I desperately wanted to join. Several Americans at our hotel said “nice shirt!” And one asked if she could take a photo with me. “How are we going to get out of this?” She asked,

We walked through the sanita district north of us, which had even more chaotic street that the old city. Narrow streets lined with five story buildings with laundry hanging everywhere, scooters and cars and walkers vying for patch’s of pavement. I loved it.

And then suddenly after walking up and up and up we were in a gorgeous Capodimonte park with ancient trees, glamorous Italians, and stunning views from on high of the port, Vesuvius, capri, sorrento. We sat st a cafe in the park overlooking a sweeping lawn with huge trees, drinking the best lemon granita of my life.

We took a crazy cab ride to another glorious spot with a spectacular view: the San Marino monastery and then walked carefully on wise steps leading down the mountain to what turned out to be the jam-packed old town streets we walked yesterday. We chanced upon what turned out to be a famous cheese/meat shop pan e muzzarell that made a spectacular sandwich for us, that we co-designed: grilled eggplant, tomatoes, mozzarella, prosciutto, pesto. (790 calories at least!) it was 4 pm and a very late lunch after much exhaustion. The place kingly had four stools outside and a countertop to eat as the crowds moved past.

Next stop, the gorgeous tiled cloister of the Santa chiara church, following friend alissa Rubin’s suggestion. (Our guidebook failed to mention the cloister in its church description.) dinner 3 hours later was fantastic at Locanda gesu vecchio, a small place that was completely packed on a Saturday night (I made reservations ages ago.) eggplant Parmesan like I have never tasted before. Rich, dark, red and black and melt in your mouth. And another appetizer I’d never heard of, almost like a Mexican concoction. A thick crispy fried noodle wrapped around strongly succulent stringy beef with raisens and pine nuts

We last visited Naples 12 years ago, for only a few hours as we were moving between the amalfi coast and Sicily. We were intrigued by this noisy, dirty, gorgeous, mesmerizing place and Elena Ferrente’s My Brilliant Friend quartet only intensified our interest. So what a joy to spend a day wandering through the old town, down narrow passageways lined with high buildings with laundry blowing on the lines and the occasional basket is lowered down several stories by a rope to retrieve whatever is bring put in it.

We followed Rick Steve’s walking tour through the heart of the old town, past stalls filled with the days catch from the sea, strange crèche/nativity scenes with figures of famous figures from the pope to harry and Meghan, and the strange symbol of this city, a red chili pepper /phallic-looking symbol called a cornicelli. Described as a red horn Corni for good luck.

we are staying Hotel Piazza Bellini, an elegant early nineteenth century mansion with an airy open courtyard and contemporary furnishings and rooms. First stop, Pizza of course at Attanasio on via tribunali recommended by an excellent concierge, then a walk down some of the main old downtown streets, some glorified alleys. Many of The buildings are made monumental.

The elegant theatre around the block has an upcoming show called “Donald” and Halloween is a thing here too. Dinner was at a fantastic easy going seafood place around the block, Sottocoperta taverna di mare. (Sea tavern) Never had such delicious (lightly) fried shrimp,anchovies, and calamari, or melt in your mouth tuna lightly marinated, served with corn kernels. We also had drinks inside the faded glory of the Galleria principe, a 19th century glass ceilinged art nouveau shopping arcade.

Can’t wait to see more tomorrow!