St Paul Within the Walls

St. Paul Within the Walls is the Amerian Episcopal church in Rome.  It is one block down Via Nazionale from our hotel in Rome, the Quirinale.

The church was built between 1873 - 1876 and features mosaics by George Breck and Sir Edward Burne-Jones.

There is also a beautiful garden, designed to feature their collection of Peter Rockwell sculptures.

St. Paul's has a very active ministry with political refugees in Rome and provides an oasis where they can learn English, Italian, computer and job skills, or just relax among their peers.

The parish also has an extensive music program that takes advantage of their wonderful acoustics and excellent location. 

St. Paul's web site has pictures of their mosaics and links to You Tube videos where you can hear their carillon and organ being played.  To find them, click on "Photos and Multimedia".

Naples

I love Naples.  Of course she has issues, like any city, but Naples is alive in a way that many places are not.  Naples is not just going through the motions of getting through another day, the city always seems to be alternately stretching and pulling toward the future while tenaciously holding on to the past, even though not all of that past is worth keeping.

Naples is a university city, teeming with young people.  You'll find them hanging out in Piazza Plebiscito, alongside the royal place ...

... or at Piazza Dante

or at Piazza Gesu Nuovo.

There is so much to see and do in Naples, I've spent weeks there over the past several years and have only begun to scratch the surface.

For history buffs, Naples is probably most famous for the National Museum of Archeology, where many of the treasures of Pompei reside.  I haven't found a great web site for the museum, but at least part of the Cultural Ministry's site on the museum is in English, here.

Art lovers head to the Museo di Capodimonte.  When I was there in February, I wandered around the halls nearly alone for hours, just me and Botticelli, Carracci, Caravaggio, El Grego, Titian, and all the other masters in the Farnese collection.

Museo di Capodimonte

For peace in the middle of the city, you can't beat the cloisters at Santa Chiara, which is just off Piazza Gesu Nuovo and on the edge of Spacanapoli, the old quarter.

Santa Chiara Cloisters

Detail of Santa Chiara Cloisters artwork

For more on Santa Chiara, see here:  http://www.santachiara.info/ver_en/index.htm

I could go on and on, and I will, but for now let me leave you with a link to the City of Naples's web site, which has a surprisingly good English language section:  Naples Tourism Information

Pompei

And so I turned away and went through shop after shop and

store after store, far down the long street of the merchants,

and called for the wares of Rome and the East,

but the tradesmen were gone, the marts were silent,

 and nothing was left but the broken jars all set in cement of cinders and ashes:

the wine and the oil that once had filled them were gone with their owners.

Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, Chapter XXXI

Visiting Pompei is a unique experience, in many ways it is as though the residents just stepped out, even though no one has lived there in nearly two thousand years.

There are many good history and guide books on Pompei that you may want to check out before our trip.  There are also great on-line sources, including the Sprintendenza Archeological di Pompei.  You can see and download a detailed map of the excavations area here.

Capri

The stunning island of Capri has been the playground and home to politicians, artists, writers, and celebrities for more than two  millennium.

The ancient Greeks discovered the island and colonized it in the 7th century BC.  They named it Caprea, meaning "island of the goats"; clearly they weren't too impressed.  Much later, in 29 BC, Emperor Augustus traded the island of Ischia, now known for its natural spas, to the Greek colony of Neapolis (Naples) in exchange for Capri.

Augustus called the island Apragopoli, the city of "dolce far niente", or "sweet doing nothing".  His successor, Tiberius, ruled the Roman Empire from Capri for ten years, between 27 - 37 AD and built twelve villas on the island.

Nearly two thousand years later, Capri became an important stop on the Grand Tour.  For a time, Norman Douglas (author of South Wind), Thomas Mann, Pablo Neruda, and Graham Greene all called Capri home.  Sophia Loren, Frank Sinatra and Maria Callas frequented Capri during the 50's and 60's; today's celebrities are often photographed wandering the streets and sitting at the cafes.

Three Months To Go!

This is the third Saturday in July ... three months from today, on the third Saturday in October, we'll be leaving for Italy!

Lemons

One of the famous characteristics of the Sorrentine Peninsula are the terraces (macerine) that cling to the sides of the mountains (the Monti Lattari), on them you'll see groves of lemon trees.

According to the Sorrento Tourism web site, lemons were brought to Campania by the Arabs.  Recognized as a remedy for scurvy, lemons groves were cultivated in Maiori, Minori and Cetara in the 10th and 11th centuries, and they still exist today.

The lemons of Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast are special enough to have gained terrirotial status, indicated by IGPs (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) for each.

They are both fragrant and sweet, and are used to make the region's famous limoncello liqueur.  It's hard for me to believe it now, but the first time I tried limoncello I didn't like it.  I've come to realize that limoncello comes in a lot of varieties, and the lemons it is derived from determine the taste.

Italians drink limoncello, and other digestivi, after a meal to soothe the stomach.  If you've never had it, you must try one (or several) of the local brands while there.

The Amalfi Coast

The coast of Campania, taken singly by itself?

So blest with natural beauties and opulence,

that it is evident that when nature formed it

she took a delight in accumulating all her blessings

in a single spot - how am I to do justice to it?

Pliny the Elder Naturalis Historia

The famous Amalfi Coast is actually the south side of the Sorrentine Peninsula.  The road along the coast, SS 163, is one of the most spectacular in all of Italy.  It winds along for about 30 miles, from the intersection of routes 163 and 145, to Vietri Sul Mare.

The local tourism board describes the drive as "vertiginous slopes, sheer drops and precipitous cliffs"; driving along it is an adventure.

The coast is dotted with famous towns like Positano, Praiano, Amalfi and Ravello.   The last town before the end of the road in Salerno is Vietri Sul Mare, which is famous for its ceramics.

We'll spend an entire day exploring this beautiful area; in the meantime you can read about it in this brochure produced by the regional tourism board:  The Amalfi Coast

In 1997, the Amalfi Coast was recognized as a World Heritage site by the United Nations, cited as "an outstanding example of a Mediterranean landscape, with exceptional cultural and natural scenic values resulting from its dramatic topography and historical evolution."  You can read more about this and see pictures on the UN site here.

Sunday Lunch in Sorrento

It's never very long after my feet hit the ground in Italia before my thoughts turn to food.  I'm already thinking about where to eat lunch after we arrive in Sorrento on Sunday (three months and ten days from now, but who's counting?).

When I think of Campania, I think of fresh mozzarella di bufala.  Now I'm thinking about how quickly I can get my first fix.

I'm assuming that I'll arrive at least somewhat rested; even if I don't get much sleep on the plane I'm betting that I'll sleep in the bus on the drive from the airport to the hotel.  It should take about three hours to make the trip and the bus seats are so comfortable ... it will be hard to stay awake.

After all those hours of sitting I imagine I'll be ready for some exercise, so I'm planning to walk into town for lunch.  A friend (and former restaurant owner) has recommended Inn Bufalito, which is less than a half mile walk from the Bristol.   I'm drooling already.

Sunday in Sorrento

If all goes according to plan, we should arrive at the gorgeous Bristol Hotel in Sorrento around noon on Sunday.  To see the location of the hotel on Google maps, use these coordinates for the address rather than the street address:  40.626787,14.364538.  (For some reason if you use the street address Google places you a half mile further up the road.)

If you use the Google street view function (click on the little man standing atop the + sign and drag him to the arrow on your map) you can see the front of the hotel and the incredible view across the street.

Via Capo, facing south toward the center of Sorrento

In street view you can also see the sidewalk along Via Capo (on the left, above); if you head south on Via Capo and then east on Corso Italia, you'll be in the heart of old Sorrento on foot in a matter of minutes.  It's less than a mile from the hotel to Piazza Tasso, the center of town.

Piazza Tasso, Sorrento

Our Itinerary

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Depart Newark late afternoon

Sunday, October 16

Arrive in bella Italia!  Travel to our hotel in Sorrento

Monday, October 17          

Spend the day along the Amalfi Coast, visiting Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and drinking in the spectacular views

Tuesday, October 18 

Visit the ruins of Pompei in the morning and Naples in the afternoon

Wednesday, October 19  

Spend the day on the beautiful island of Capri

Thursday, October 20

A day on your own, to do as you please ... maybe return to Positano, or stroll in Sorrento, or climb Mt. Vesuvius, or just relax by the pool at the hotel

Friday, October 21

Depart Sorrento and drive to Rome, stopping along the way to visit the spectacular royal palace at Caserta

Saturday, October 22

A day on your own in Rome ... how to choose?  The Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, St. Peter's basilica, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Sistine Chapel ... the list goes on, and on, and on.

Sunday, October 23

Sadly, depart from Rome's Fiumicino airport to return home