May 1, Labor Day for Europe and my last day in Barcelona for awhile, I became very ill. I managed to get to the airport by tram where, thanks to having camping gear, I was able to sleep in a corner. Felt almost normal by takeoff at 6AM.
(Note: Ryanair could learn a thing or two from Southwest Airlines about how to enhance the 'customer experience'. Enough said.)
This shot was taken from the floor of the Barcelona Airport
Rome is chaotic, confusing, dirty, ancient, chic, charming and delightful by turns. It's also expensive, and full of tourists. Still, it's not hard to find amazing sights, especially inside basilicas, which are not overrun, despite being free. They are filled with amazing artwork.
These photos are from Santa Maria del Popolo, at the Flaminio gate through the third-century Aurelian city walls.
Reminder of mortality
On a lighter note, It pays to find a nice little Trattoria frequented by locals for some tasty dishes. This place was great, and not expensive.
After walking to exhaustion for a couple of days I took the train south to Naples, thence by tram to Sorrento.
Sorrento is the Malibu for Naples (and for Germans too, apparently) full of boutiques and beautiful vistas.
The ancient city of Ponpei, buried by Vesuvius' eruption, is a few tram stops away, though many of the antiquities have been removed to the Archaeological Museum in Naples, which I plan to visit.
This is looking across at Vesuvius tonight
Looking towards Sorrento
On Sundays they restrict a section of the main street to pedestrians only, and people flood into the road.
Chris... I'm glad you're feeling better. Tough to be sick in a foreign land and not having anyone who can help. We're enjoying your blog.
ReplyDeletealoha Chris...finally able to figure out a way to say hello....we met in Florence train station and took the train down toward Siena. nice to read your blog here... enjoyed our stimulating conversation....I had two great months in Italy and now back on Oahu...you're the most intrepid traveler I've met in a long while...best to you, Terry
ReplyDeleteHi Terry,
ReplyDeleteSo nice to hear from you! I must say, you were a bit of an inspiration to me. I especially appreciated your perspective about travelling alone, in order to meet new people. I think you're right! Since you worked in the Peace Corps, I think you're more intrepid than I am.
Next summer though, I want to take the family. In fact, I've bought a larger (and lighter) tent for the purpose. I think we'll start in Barcelona, which I loved, and head north through France, where I've never been.
My wife is sceptical about camping, which of course is not without compromise, but I loved all the interesting people I met, especially those travelling by bicycle. Europe is so wonderful...I'm eager to return.
So nice to hear from you!
Sincerely,
Chris Scruton