Naples

Dear readers, I led you astray yesterday, saying we’d dock in Sorrento. But it’s Naples! We’re right at the “ankle” of Italy.  Here’s a photo as we glided into the port at 6:00 a.m. (two minutes after I got up).  

To back up a bit, we had some post-dinner excitement last evening when an Italian navy aircraft carrier docked near our ship. We first used binoculars, then Charlie headed to an outside deck to get a better look. He also caught the sunset.



For the foodies among you, I confess that we failed to take pics of our salads or entrees (grilled barramundi with beurre Blanc sauce and basmati rice and roasted lamb loin), but here are our desserts.


Carrot cake

Olive oil chocolate cake 

Here are a few pics of the city that I took from the top outside deck this morning.  

Castel Nuovo on the left


Mt. Vesuvius 

We originally had booked an excursion, “Leisurely Sorrento,” but after reading that it required over three hours on a bus, we cancelled it. Charlie’s knee complains when he has to sit that long.  In Naples, it’s an easy walk from the port, so we (after pinpointing a restaurant for lunch) set out to explore. Traffic was intense!  There are plenty of crosswalks, but few traffic lights, so you have to step confidently into the crosswalk to interrupt the traffic, but even so, scooters will honk and zip right in front of you! That hampered our strolling, but we got a few photos.


Castel Nuovo 

Venus of the Rags

Castel Nuovo is the first building you see upon leaving the ship.  Built in 1279, it was the royal seat for the kings of Naples, Aragon, and Spain until 1815.  Venus of the Rags is a mixed media sculpture by Michelangelo Pistoletto, created in 1967. Google tells us it is intended as a critique of contemporary consumerism.  It was burned last summer, but has been rebuilt.

For lunch, we went to a place named for the castle, also Castel Nuovo.  We shared a great salad and a pizza—plus Prosecco, of course! It was all delicious, so we’ll return if we’re here again.



Now we’re back on the ship, and Charlie is napping on the balcony.  Tonight we are going to a production of Cats! Tomorrow is a sea day as we make our way back to Barcelona.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 24, 2024 at 4:16 PM

    Cats! Oh wow. Do tell if you return after intermission. That lunch looked epic!! (Rachel)

    ReplyDelete

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