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Tuesday, September 6, 2022
Normally one of the first things we’d do in a new city is take the free walking tour. Almost every city in Europe seems to have one. They’re a fantastic way to orient yourself to new surroundings. They are, in fact, free. The guides are usually very enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and have lots of interesting stories to tell. It’s customary to tip them at the end of the tour. Tours for several parts of the city were available but as is typical for us we went with the Old Town Tour.
The tour met in a large square in front of an ornate metro station. Due to the large statue in front it is referred to as Dante Square. About 20 people showed up. Our guide first took us to Port ‘Alba. It’s an old town gate where the booksellers have their shops. Continuing on to Piazza Bellini, named so because of another statue, we stopped to see a small excavation of some Ancient Greek ruins. Much of the old town of Naples is built upon Ancient Greek and Roman foundations. Unlike Rome, which is essentially an open air museum, the ancient remains in Naples have been built upon and are not always easy to see. The piazza is a haven for inexpensive drinks and nightlife given that on one side is the music conservatory and the other is a school of art.
Next we stopped in front a church from the 17th century. The outside looked much newer. It had been rebuilt several times because it sustained heavy damage during several earthquakes. Outside was an old bell tower that was obviously much older. We were told that the site was originally used as a Greek Temple, then a Roman Temple, and finally a Church. The lower part of the tower was obviously made from Roman brick. The upper parts had been added on later and used a different material, but if you looked carefully at the bottom you could see some white marble that had been part of the original Greek Temple. It was a fantastic illustration of how each civilization built upon the previous one.
Our guide led us through a road nicknamed Pizza Street. She said that 20 years ago this was the only place to get authentic pizza in Naples. She said now you can get good pizza everywhere. Then she held up cards that showed other foods that Naples was famous for and encouraged us to try them all (we will!). Another road led through a series of shops where all of the goods were made in Naples – not China. She suggested that if we wanted to buy any souvenirs that this was the right place to do so.
We turned a corner and entered a small alley that was flanked by large arches on either side. It was easy to see that this was Roman construction. The guide explained that these arches were part of a Roman theater where Nero had actually performed. The street was lined with apartments that had been built where the stage had once been.
At the end we were given some information about other things to see in the area. It was another hot day in the city but it was two hours well spent. Afterwards we walked through some non-touristy alleys and found a lovely cafe to have lunch. We ordered another food that Naples is famous for: pizza fritta. It resembles what we Americans would call a calzone. They can be stuffed with all sorts of things but what makes then different from a calzone is that they are deep fried and served piping hot. Ours was filled with provolone, ricotta, tomato sauce, and ciccioli – a meat made from rendered pork fat. One portion was enough for two people. It was absolutely delicious. At this cafe the cost was a modest €7.00. I’ve seen them from street vendors for as little as €2.00.
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
For the most part we took the day off. While Deborah luxuriated in the air conditioning I walked over to the waterfront district and visited a tennis club to see if I could play there. It took a while to find someone who’s English was as bad as my Italian but I got an answer: No. They said that they were preparing for an ATP 250 tournament and no courts were available. The tournament is in mid-October – about five weeks away. Perhaps something got lost in the translation. I did manage to bring home some interesting dessert. Cannoli filled with ricotta and with pistachio cream.
For dinner we had spaghetti with fresh gamberi (shrimp). Just steps from our apartment is a pescheria or fish monger and they had some beautiful looking shrimp. I asked them if they were from Naples and he they said, “No”. It turns out they were from Ischia, a small island in the Gulf of Naples about 20 miles off shore. I would have said Yes! We got about 1.25 pounds of fresh shrimp for about $7.50. You can’t beat that with a stick. Of course they had the heads on and needed to be cleaned but it was still a great deal. It’s almost impossible to get shrimp in the States that have not been previously frozen. Deborah cooked them in a little butter and olive oil and they were absolutely delicious.
Thursday, September 8, 2022
We visited Castel dell’Ovo which literally translates as the Castle of the Egg. The story goes that the Roman poet Virgil put a magical egg into the foundations of the castle. If the egg should break the castle will be destroyed and disastrous events in Naples will occur. I guess the egg is still in one piece. Entry to the castle is free.
There are many myths about the castle. My favorite is the one about the Greek Siren Penelope or Parthenope (pronounced in Italian as part-an-O-pee). In Homer’s Odyssey as Ulysses sailed close to land three Sirens began to sing. To avoid being affected by the deadly singing his men stuffed their ears with wax and lashed him to the mast. The sirens despaired at their failure and threw themselves into the sea to die. Parthenope washed up on shore at the exact location of Castel dell’Ovo. The town that was founded there was called Parthenope, later called Neapolis (Greek for New City), and even later simply Naples.
Castel dell’Ovo was originally settled by Greeks in the 9th Century BC when the city was called Parthenope. At that time the land was part of an island called Megaride. Today the island has vanished and has become a peninsula. In Roman times it was a villa owned by a rich nobleman. It later became a Roman prison and in the 5th century AD it became a monastery. The first castle was built on the site in the 12th Century AD. It was used for many purposes by many invaders over the years. The most recent changes were made by the Spanish during their occupation in the 15th Century.
Entering the castle takes you on a long, winding, gently sloping staircase that ends at the rooftop level. There isn’t a great deal to see. Most of the rooms you can enter are just empty chambers. There are some excavations and restoration in progress so, perhaps in the future, there will be more to observe. It was fun to walk the grounds and discern the structures from different periods in history. There are great views of the Gulf of Naples, the city, and of Mount Vesuvius. The isle of Capri is in plain sight and Sorrento can be seen in the distance. It’s really a lovely way to spend a morning.
For lunch we went to another restaurant that was recommended by our host’s father. This one is just a short walk from our apartment. When we got there it looked like a takeout stand with a couple of rickety tables in front. We were about to sit down when someone from across the street hailed us. What we thought was a takeout stand was actually the restaurant’s kitchen. Seating was across the street. The entire time we were there we watched as waiters walked across the street, gave their orders, and later went back to pick them up and deliver them to the tables. It was pretty amusing.
We had intended to split a pizza fritta but the menu also had a pizza parmigiana (oddly, it was a pizza with eggplant). Given that the prices were very reasonable we decided to order them both. It was a great decision. The pizza fritta completa had provolone, ricotta, mozzarella, tomato sauce, and ciccioli. It was piping hot and delicious. The pizza parmigiana was the best pizza we’ve had since we came to town. We were quite full but couldn’t resist asking if they had desserts. The waiter mentioned two: one was fried pizza dough covered in Nutella. We couldn’t make out what the other one was as the exchange was entirely in Italian. We’ll figure it out the next time we go there.