Pétanque & Pastis

Napoli Departure

On our last day in Napoli, we headed over to the famous Gran Caffè Gambrinus (Via Chiaia 1/2, tel: 081 417 582) for breakfast, which consisted of deliciously creamy cappuccini and sweet warm pastries.  To our surprise, and quite unlike the afternoons when this 150-year old café is teeming with crowds of people who want to see and be seen, there was virtually nobody there.  It made for a very peaceful and enjoyable way to start our day in the lovely Art Nouveau ambience.

Unknown Creature at the Octopus Market

Fresh Octopus For Sale

Tubs of Fresh Sea Creatures

After breakfast, we took a last stroll along the seaside of the Santa Lucia neighborhood where our hotel was situated.  We ran into local fishermen selling fish, and octopus, and other unrecognizable sea creatures, many of which tried to escape the shallow containers in which they were being displayed.  We then took a harrowing cab ride to the Napoli Centrale train station to catch the sleek and speedy EuroStar train back to Rome.  After storing our bag at the Roma Termini Station, we had the afternoon to get some lunch and to do some exploring before catching our overnight train back to Antibes via a quick train change in Nice.

The River Arno – Quattro Fontane (Four Fountains) in Rome

The Goddess Juno - Quattro Fontane in Rome

Fontana del Moro in Rome (Fountain of the Moor)

Fontana di Trevi in Rome (Trevi Fountain)

Egyptian Architecture & Dead Protestants in Rome

Just outside the Piramide Station there really is a 37-meter high Egyptian-style Pyramid erected next to the Porta San Paolo.  It was constructed in 12 B.C. by Caius Cestius as a tomb for himself.  And behind the Pyramid, which was incorporated into the Roman Aurelian Walls in the third century, you will find the Protestant Cemetery, officially known as Cimitero Acattolico (Non-Catholic Cemetery).

The Protestant Cemetery is home to the English poet, John Keats, who died in Rome of tuberculosis in 1821.  His tombstone reads: “This Grave contains all that was mortal of a YOUNG ENGLISH POET, Who on his Death Bed, in the Bitterness of his Heart at the Malicious Power of his Enemies, Desired these Words to be engraven on his Tomb Stone:  Here lies One Whose Name was writ in Water.  Feb 24^th 1821”.

Another famous grave in this cemetery of non-catholics is that of another English poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley, who drowned in a sailing accident in the Gulf of Spezia in the summer of 1822.  His tombstone reads:  “Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange.”

This beautiful grieving angel, draped over the grave of Emelyn Story, was the last work of her husband, the American sculptor, William W. Story, created in 1895 in her memory in the same year of her death.

Shopping & Dining as the Romans Do

Pat took the train into Rome this morning from Lido di Ostia and met us at the Piramide station.  From here she led us into the Trastevere neighborhood to the big event of the week, the Porta Portese open-air market, which runs all along the Via Portuense and is open on Sundays from dawn until about 2:00pm.  We joined the masses of locals and tourists alike to rummage through the stalls of new and second-hand leather coats, clothing, antiques, kitchenware, books, etc., etc.  We each reigned triumphant as we left with brand new (slightly-used) leather coats for 20€ each.

The village-esque quality of the Trastevere neighborhood makes it a great place to wander about aimlessly, seeking out espresso bars, gelaterias, wine bars, and colorful trattorias with amazing antipasti bars. 

Getting Reacquainted with Rome

It was a thirty minute train ride from Lido di Ostia into the Piramide station in Rome, and then a short metro ride to the Spagna station where we disembarked and climbed to the top of the Spanish Steps and turned right to arrive at our home for the next three days, the Hotel Internazionale at 79 via Sistina.

We made pretty good tracks today, revisiting many of the sites from our previous visit to Rome:  Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Saint Peter’s Square and the Vatican.  But one thing I had not remembered was the number of majestic bridges gracefully traversing the beautiful Tiber River, such as the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II, pictured above, stretched out in front of Castel Sant’Angelo. 

Lido di Ostia – The Rome Harbor

It was a short flight from Nice to Rome on Alitalia, and it was great to be greeted by the smiling faces of Pat Mikkelsen and Marco Cesareo, who chauffeured us into Lido di Ostia (approx 6 kilometers from the airport-FCO).

Lido di Ostia is part of the municipality of Rome, and is a popular beach destination for families in the summer.  The dark-sand beach was pretty deserted this time of year, except for a few bicyclists and people strolling on the long promenade stretched out alongside it.

The new Tourist Port of Rome is a private marina with about 800 berths and brand new modern facilities, which has been open only since 2001.

It is here that Pat calls home this winter, on her beautiful Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37.  And it is here where she treats her guests like royalty with afternoon lunches on the sun-drenched deck, and with mouth-watering dinners in the teak-paneled dining room, decorated with an artist’s touch.