Thanks to Roberto we visited the small villages on the mountains, starting by Santo Stefano de Sessenia; all its houses are made with stone, the streets are narrow and with stone pavement.
We pass through Castel del Monte, and we went up to an abandoned village on the top of the mountain, Calassio; although the houses are destroyed, the castle is intact. This point was very important for its strategic place, where the people could control kilometers of distance in 360 degrees.
In L’Aquila there are many beautiful places to see like the Duomo; there is also the Basilica of Santa Maria de Callemaggio; the fountain of the 99 tubes, all the tubes with a different carving in stone; and the Spanish fort belonged to the Hapsburg.
One more time the rain came with us all the way to the other coast of the country; and before to arrive to the expected Napoli, known for its beauty and thieves… we stopped in Caserta. Here a part of the Reggia Vanvitelliana, the best was the night that we spent with Luigi and his friends. Besides the changes from the north Italy and south are abysmal, now we feel that the people are warmer.
To arrive to Napoli we did by train, practically from Napoli to Caserta are cities and hitchhike is impossible.
Our first impression of Napoli is the total chaos, we saw a big strike for the 1st of May where a truck went with music and boards and at the same time different guys where painting the shop windows of banks and shops with sprays.
We never could imagine a city like this in Italy, we had even memories from India! although so, so it isn’t… The night that we arrived, Giovanni and Romina of HC brought us to see the city, and we were so impressive; the traffic lights are not used, usually 3 people are going by motorbike, and of course nobody use the helmet, because in Napoli if you use the helmet you are suspicious and the police stops you, as the killers of the mafia they use helmet when they do their “works”. Even the children with 10 years old drive motorbikes very fast.
Somebody told us that in Napoli somebody made white T-shirts with a black line painted imitating the sit belt of the car… Here everything is possible!
Also it has bad thing like there are a lot of stealing, many people armed, and the same night that we went with our friends, 3 girls by motorbike tried to steal the bag of Romina.
Giovanni and Romina are a lovely couple, very friendly and caring; they only speak Italian, for that we are learning a lot of the language.
Napoli has a lot of history and so many places to visit, for example the “underground Napoli” an old city underground, where there are water canals, built since the IV century B.C. and this canals also were very important during the war as a refuge.
The chambers and canals which are 40 meter under the city, were discovered after the settlement of Napoli city.
The botanic garden is also nice place; the people here say is one of the best in Europe, although in all the cities people say the same… Sincerely it’s very beautiful and it has species from the whole world.
The downtown is formed by long and narrow streets, full of cheap food shops; and here we found a church with a crypt in its exterior with two skulls on both sides. Once in this place were made the blood vow of the mafia, although at the present flowers that carry the people, can be seen…
Near the port there is the New Castle; during the metro line construction, people found more ruins; and the Royal Palace beside the Plesbicito square.
I cannot speak about Napoli, and don’t say anything about the Pizza, the most traditional food of the city, here they make it homemade, and in some places they use the real mozzarella of buffalo milk.
Something very important for the Italians, but specially Neapolitans is the coffee. It’s a ritual, before have it, they wash the mouth with a glass of water to obtain all the test of the coffee.
Already in Napoli, we couldn’t miss the mythic Pompeii; for start, a little bit of history:
The oldest ruins of the civilization date from the end of 7th century BC to the first half of 6th century BC. It reached to the maximum splendor on the year 80 BC when it was join as a roman colony. An earthquake on the AD 62, devastated all Pompeii; although they started immediately to rebuild the city, 17 years later, on the AD 79 when even the city was still rebuilding, the Volcano Vesuvius had an unpredictable eruption which buried Pompeii under a river of lava and ash. Since this moment the city was forgotten and was rediscovered on 16th century. In 1.748 started the excavations, which continuo to 19th century and to the present times.
In Pompeii is possible to find between the ruins shops and places like in our actual life, for example markets, bars, roads with stone pavement… But the best for describe it are the photos that we put following:
The Basilica, place where it was administrated the justice and made economic negotiations.
The Foro, a big square where there were colonnade around, markets, latrines… On the background it’s seen the Volcano Vesuvius which buried the city.
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In Pompey, it could recuperate many bodies thanks to an old technique. The corpses under the ash left a space when it was putrefy, and where only remains the skeleton. Putting plaster in this space they could get the mold.
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Here is María cooking bread in the bakery.
Besides of ruins it have remained plenty of paints, most of them surprisingly intact; in the picture it’s seen two of the official brothel of the city, and another of the Mysterious Village.
There were a street with a couple of bars and restaurants, this is one of them.
There are also places for the free time like the big theater, and the amphitheater.
And on the end of the entry, a picture of “dondeandanestos” in one of the exit of Pompeii in the Herculano gate.
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