This was her second trip to Italy. Still she wasn’t feeling totally comfortable making it from the airport by train to Rome, change trains then on to Napoli where I was. So at oh-seven hundred I was on high speed train north to meet her . A little bobble at the airport as she decided to walk to meet me rather than stay put as I had expected, but it all eventually it worked out. Interesting bit of technology involved, before leaving I had given her an Apple Airtag to carry. In Rome I was able to determine we were on diverging courses by looking at my phone. Texting and using the GPS and allowed us to find one another pretty quickly
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| Most all of Napoli, from the ground to about eight feet in the air is covered in graffiti. Look at it as art. |
The next problem arose as were were coming into Rome Termini, the train station. We were delayed outside the station. Our already thin margin to catch the onward train, became thinner. By the time we finally rolled to a stop at the platform, the train to Napoli was scheduled to depart two minutes. I turned to her and said, there is no way we can make it. She assumed I was being literal, actually I was setting expectations, but I had every intention of going for it. She was therefore totally surprised when the door of the train open and I took off at a dead run, dragging her suitcase behind me.
I have spent enough years running through airports, ferry and train stations I can think it normal. I look at it like I am catapulted into pro-football and I weaved my way through the crowd like the junior running back at his first chance to carry the ball. We got lucky, the Napoli train was delayed by two minutes. We got on with almost a minute to spare. Pro tip: If you ever think you are cutting it this close, get on the first open train door you can. Don’t run up the platform to your assigned coach. You can aways walk up through the train even if it is moving. Once those doors close, they are closed. Get on as soon as you can. After we boarded I heard she had a near full on collision that would have taken us out of the race. But she didn’t, just a close brush, we were on rolling out of the station and the adventure officially begun.
I did not yet have a ticket for the train we were on. Toward the beginning of this trip I downloaded the TrenItalia app and had been using it to buy tickets. No longer having to deal with the kiosk ticket machines in the station. No longer having to listen to their message “Beware of peek pockets” every time you walk up to buy a ticket. For that one reason alone I am so happy to be using the phone app. One thing I learned, you can not buy a ticket for the train after the scheduled departure time. I didn’t buy the ticket because I was pretty sure we weren’t going to make it. When you are on a train without a ticket you have to buy one from a conductors. What is new (I think) is a convenience fee is now charged. The tickets from the conductor were twenty euro more each over the price of buying them on the app. But, he was a really nice guy and upgraded us to premium class car. Basically about what we paid. Nicer seats and snacks!
I was back to the BnB by three and logged in. I still had a couple of work days before my vacation started. She crashed out for a few hours and got some recovery sleep. Timing works out well. Noon at the office in Minnesota is happy hour in Italy. Dinner time is about quitting time since they eat so late there. I feel like peak restaurant crowds tend to happen about nine in Italy. So much later than in the midwest where most restaurants are doing final seating at that time.
At some point between the time of committing to the trip and actual attendance The Nerdist had mentioned one of her very favorite sculptures at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts was a veiled carving of a face. I knew immediately of one attraction in Napoli that would be a hit. The Veiled Christ located in Sansevero Chapel Museum, via Francesco De Sanctis 19. It is a hauntingly realistic stone carving that looks so much like a linen drape over a corpse that initially the artist was jailed for witchcraft. He stood accused of using sorcery in turning an actual body into marble. There is a secondary veiled statue of a woman off to the side, also very interesting.
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| An example of a street I would never walk down if it was in America! |
Wrapping up loose ends I had my final meal at Lombardi restaurant. She went for a pizza. Very happy. Lombardi is a VERA certified pizza restaurant so you will always get a good pizza there. I went for my favorite, the Spaghetti Belladonna. It was a little too tomato saucy. Oh well, that’s what makes the best nights best. You need to have a few of these mixed in. Still, it was a great meal. South of Rome, the bread was perfect. Very tasty with a wonderfully hard, crusty, crust. I would love to be able to bake bread that has this crust. Maybe someday.
Lunch the next day was in west side at Trattoria Toledo. There are a bevy of pasta restaurants in there just west of the historic district. The food is good. The wait staff are part performance art. When the bill came, I’m not sure, but I think they were trying to hustle/short-change us by twenty euro. Maybe it was just some confusion in the language but it had a dishonest feel to it. You will get a good meal, just keep an eye on business. Additionally they were fishing for tips. We didn’t bite.
Night two was pizza as well. I have had mixed results eating pizza at Gino e Totò Sorbillo at via dei Tribunali 32. Sometimes great, other times served wet and soggy. Via di Tribunali is a gauntlet of bars and restaurants all with their greeters out front trying to pull you in. I hate that. If I can help it I never eat at one of those places. I had forgotten picking out a different place the afternoon before on via Duomo. So I guess I will save that one for next year. As it turned out our pizzas were on the better end of the spectrum of what I have been served at Sorbillo so we were both happy.
When I was attending college the first time I had an instructor who often said the word “Boof”. It was one of those multi use words that depending on your vocal tone could mean any number of things. From frustration to excitement, to exhaustion and resignation. When I discovered a bar by this name only a block away from the BnB at via Santa Chiara 36, I knew I had to go there. It was a cool place but totally lacked in customer service. We were just off the end of the bar at a table along the wall. Never once did the bartender look our way. No amount of waving could attract his attention. He only serviced the tables in front of the bar. The only way we could get a drink is to go to the bar and interrupt him from whatever puttering around he was doing. Finally we lost patience and left. Boof! :-(
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| Margaritas look different! Plus, in this glass now you can (inevitably) wear some of it. |
Leaving Napoli for the final time of this trip I was disappointed I hadn’t spent more time there. …I think… I have this crazy life right now. In part of my mind, next year I am thinking of getting a BnB there for a month to use as a home base. Then take day trips off to other cities if I want. But on the other hand, what I am doing here in the US is very similar to what I am doing in Italy now. Moving from place to place every couple of days. It makes me wonder where my forced lifestyle here in the states ends and I start. I have always thought about variations of the nomadic life I am living right now. Granted, before I had thought of plans live in style. Not as a homeless guy sleeping in a van. But you take the cards life deals you. You try to put’em together into some kinda hand. Try to figure out fold, call or raise.
One final thought. Being in Rome again for the airport meet and around the base of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore specifically, I suggest you watch the movie _Spotlight_. Very well acted. Mark Rufalo, Stanley Tucci. It will let you see a serious side of Michael Keaton before you see him in Beetlejuice… Beetlejuice… Beetlej…
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