My parents arrived safely to Italy on Wednesday and we are having a great time taking in the sites of Naples, the views from our apartment, and just general life in Italy.
On Wednesday, they arrived in Rome, so after a 2 hour drive back to Naples, we decided to just relax at home. We had some coffees out on the balcony, played with Evan, and enjoyed some pizzas that Josh got on his way home from work. My mother and I enjoyed Siciliana pizza (eggplant), my father had the spicy Diavola (the closest thing to a pepperoni pizza), and Josh had the classic Marguerita. All of us went to bed early, exhausted after a long day of travel, airport pickups, and work.
On Thursday, my folks and I met up with my Italian friend Claudia and her baby Andrea for a walk to the Posillipo outdoor market. This weekly market takes up an entire street and sells everything from shoes and clothes to kitchen accessories and general housewares. I had a long list of household items I needed, so it was great to have Claudia with us since she could help translate my list for the salespeople and also help to ensure that I didn't pay too much since when they can, the sellers will definitely charge tourists more than what they will charge the locals. After a successful time at the market, conquering 3 quarters of my shopping list, Claudia headed to the park to feed Andrea, while we went to the Gelateria for some gelato..my father had the Tirimisu flavor, and my mother and I created a great double scoop combo of Chocolate and Coconut...tasted just like Ma's favorite candy--Mounds bars...yum!
Friday was spent touring Napoli. We bussed down the hill from Posillipo to Chiaia, strolled Via Chiaia--a pedestrian lane lined w/ shops and restaurants..stopping for a slice of lasagna pizza which we ate in Piazza Plebiscito while watching the police on motorcycles practicing some type of riding formation. After Piazza Plebiscito, we walked across the street, up Via Toledo to Galleria Umberto--a grand shopping center with amazing architecture, mosaic floor and a central dome, where we split a batch of chocolate covered, cream filled profiteroles, and then, with this boost of sugar, made our way down the road to Castel Nouvo. I am so used to driving by Castel Nouvo as part of a high traffic commute, that it has lost a bit of its awe for me, but my mother couldn't help thinking of the times of knights dueling, and battles going on as she looked at this massive, ancient structure in the middle of bustling Napoli traffic. After Castel Nuovo, we walked back up through Piazza Plebisito into the Santa Lucia neighborhood where we stopped for Gelato (you understand the pattern here...see a site, stop for a sweet, see a sight, stop for a sweet..see a site, stop for a sweet :). This time my mother had Panna (whipped cream) on top of her gelato cone and had to eat is so fast to keep it from melting that she could hardly enjoy it...well, she did enjoy it, but would have preferred to savor every bite. Next time, she'll opt for the big bowl instead. After our gelato pitstop, we meandered down Via Santa Lucia, waved hello to the lavandaria ladies who used to hang my bloomers outside their shop, and stopped in to say 'buongiorno' to my friends at Hotel Excelsior, our home for the first 4 months we were in Italy. The staff their were so happy to see us, especially Evan, and they gave me free reign to take my folks around the hotel. We took the elevator up to the top floor restaurant to say hi to my friends Francesca and Mario who work there, and then enjoyed a little rest out on the roof deck at the hotel. The view was bellissimo, and we could clearly see Castel Ovo, which was to be our next venture of the day. My mother loved the hotel so much, she was kicking herself for not coming out to visit us while we lived there. I guess she no longer felt sorry for me and my 4 months of hotel living...crying her a river wasn't going to bring on much sympathy!
The day was perfect for a walk around Castel Ovo, and my folks loved the views from the top. They were impressed by the ancient cannons, the long drop down to the sea below, and the panoramic views that the roof of the castel offered.
They got a great overview of where and how I've been spending my time so far in Italy and this weekend we'll be trying to plan out the rest of their visit, with some 'must sees' that they have on their list including Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Paestum, Pompei, Rome etc. Relaxing at home with their grandson is also on their list, so we'll be laying low at home today to do just that.
We'll keep you posted as the Berry vacation adventure continues...stay tuned.
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