ExecSummary: Leave Sorrento. Arrive Naples. Hotel hidden in old building down tiny alley. Things only get better from there...
Slept in until 7am this morning, then had a leisurely breakfast, went for a swim, finished reading The Miracle of Mindfulness, then packed and left the Sorrento Hilton (photo 1). Great hotel and very enjoyable few days there. Train to Naples then taxi adventure to the hotel. I knew the hotel was hard to find so I negotiated a rate before I got in. The driver was nice but could not find it (even with his GPS). We got there eventually and I paid him an extra 5 Euro for not leaving me stranded on a street corner.
The Decumani Hotel de Charme is in the historical center of the city. It is an intimidating location. Getting into the hotel requires snaking your way down a dark alley (photo 2) and into a courtyard of a building with a crumbling facade. A sign points past some stray graffiti to a little dimly lit metal elevator that might comfortably hold two adults and where you push open the door to go in and out. I wonder if I will die from asphyxiation if the elevator gets stuck between floors. I wonder how many days before someone finds my carcass.
Elevator creaks to a halt and I push open the door. I feel like Dorothy stepping out of her dislocated Kansas House after it landed on the witch with the ruby slippers. The lobby of the hotel is pristine and feels brand new, but old. And it is. This is an historic buidling (was once the residence of the last Bourbon Cardinal of Naples) and the second floor has been completely gutted and reopened just a few weeks earlier as a hotel.. The lobby ceillings are 21 feet high with 2-foot wide hand-hewn wooden beams overhead (see photo of hallway leading to rooms).
The room is amazing, too. Spacious, balcony overlooking that dark alley, flat screen satellite TV, bright bathroom, 18-foot high ceilings, and FREE wireless internet! I'm waiting for Bill Curtis from those AT&T wireless commericals to pop out of my closet declaring "we're here in the heart of ancient Naples and we're just found the Internet!"
The hotel staff, including Alessandro the manager, give me the warmest welcome of any place on my trip. They make me feel completely at home with no request too difficult.
Spent the rest of the day at the Naples National Archaeological Museum (where else?). It was impressive as well as depressing. Impressive in the number of archaeological masterpieces I have read about time and again in so many books -- all here. The famous large micromosaic of Alexander the Great about to do battle with Persian King (photo 4); the dancing bronze satyr from Pompeii; the Dorophoros; the Farnese Hercules (photo 5), and the Toro Romano to name but a few. I make an important discovery re: The Franese Hercules: he also suffered from an Achilles Tendon rupture (photo 6).
The place is stuffed with the most amazing display of frescos and mosaics -- mostly from Pompeii, Ercolano and Oplantis -- in the world. The Secret Room (photo 7) was open today. Also impressive. Displayed here in several small rooms are hundreds of objects depicting the 'erotic arts' recovered from Pompeii. Until just a few decades ago, it was kept securely out of pubic view by a thick iron gate and strictly off limits to anyone except for government officials and some scholars.
What was depressing about the museum is how little is displayed. There are some major renovations ongoing so maybe in a few years the situation will change. But the building housing the collection today is mammoth and I expected to see more in the way of everyday objects. More bronzes, terracottas, and other interesting objects from everyday Roman life.
Only a small fraction of the objects found at Pompeii and Ercolano are on display. I was planning to spend all day tomorrow at the museum but after only 4 hours today I feel like I covered the collection adequately. By contrast, I could easily spend 4 hours going through just a dozen or two galleries at the British Museum or Met in NY.
Topped off the day by negotiating a good deal on a nice original oil painting of Amalfi circa 1940-1950 (photo 8). Then found one of the only vegetarian restaurants in all of Naples just two blocks from my hotel. It's called "Un Sorriso Integrale" which translates into The Integral Smile.
Wow, great meal at reasonable price, including seitan grilled in white wine, pasta with peppercini and other vegetables, spinach sauteed in lemon juice and olive oil, and vegan chocolate mousse. Guess who's smiling now!
Totally ironic, though. My great grandfather emigrated from Naples around the turn of the century and his last name was Manzo, which means "meat". And here I sit at a vegetarian restaurant. Go figure.
Tomorrow is my last full day in Italy. Looking forward to it.
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