Sunday, 19th May, Sarno (near Pompeii) - Naples area - Campania, Italy. Road trip 2024
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| Last Sunday. Enjoying Tuscany |
Hi and thanks for following our adventures in a Mini. We have been on the road for 2 weeks now and today finds us in Sarno in the province of Salerno near Pompeii. We are certainly getting our fill of Italy.
Last Sunday was our first full day in Tuscany and we woke up in our lovely apartment in the Piazza Sant'Agostini in beautiful San Gimignano. Oh how we loved that place.
It was wonderful to get up and not have to drive or pack the car. Thus we had a leisurely breakfast and wandered out mid morning. We headed first to the the nearest gate to the walled city, which I think was Porta San Giovanni. That's where I learned about the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrim route running from Canterbury through France, Switzerland and to Rome and then to Apulia. San Gimignano is on that route and is possibly what put it on the map. There are signs for it everywhere but I don't know if people do it today. After Rome, some even made it to Jerusalem. Fancy that.
Here is my dear husband standing outside that gate which must have seen many pilgrims cross through it over the centuries. We have certainly been walking through antiquity to quote my dear friend Sandra.
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| Outside the city gate of San Gimignano - Porta San Giovanni |
From there we made our way via one of the main streets, San Mateo or San Giovanni - not sure- past the lovely Piazza della Cisterna and the Gelateria Dondoli, to a tiny little street. I love its name; "Via degli Innocenti". It leads to the main view point where we returned to take photos of the town, like this one.
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| A lovely view of San Gimignano from Via degli Innocenti |
After that we had a coffee in the Piazza della Cisterna and then strolled along the main street looking in the shops. We did what I call relaxing tourism with no stress. We were tempted by lots of things and I ended up buying a beautiful bowl with lemon motifs, 2 oil decanters and then some food and wine. We bought local wine from the area called Vernaccia. Later we found a little food market where we could try a bit of everything and I fell in love with "porchetta" - a fatty cooked pork but oh so delicious. I later got some ·"forcaccia" at a bread shop round the corner from our "house".
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| Buying porchetta in San Gimegnano last Sunday |
Lunch was a light affair and in the afternoon we drove to Volterra - another medieval walled city in Tuscany but much larger than San Gimignano. It was relatively near or so we thought. It should have taken us 40 minutes but we got a bit lost even with our satnav. After all this is a very rural area, even if it gets hoards of tourists and there are hardly any main roads. I liked Volterra but after seeing Lucca and San Gimignano I wasn't quite as impressed. The best part is the main square, Piazza dei Priori with no less than 4 palaces. Amazing.
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| Palazzo dei Priori in the square of the same name in Volterra |
We found another viewing point in the sunshine where we could see the town a bit better. Here is the view from there.
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| Volterra |
We got a much better view as we left the town to head down the mountain. There too was the famous Roman amphitheatre or rather ruins of it. It made me imagine Volterra in Roman times. I later read that in ancient times it was one of the 12 cities of the Etruscan confederation.It supported Rome during one of the Punic wars and acquired Roman citizenship. Much later on it became free of Rome and fell under the domination of the famous Medici family of Florence in the 14th century. Wow! It seems to have been an important place in history.
This was the sight that greeted our eyes.
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| Volterra from the road including part of the Roman amphitheatre |
What life must have been like there in ancient times one can only imagine. In Volterra as in many other cities we have seen like Carcassone, there is the inevitable Torture museum but one was enough for us. This must have relics of the Italian Inquisition.
We learned our lesson driving back to SG and didn't get lost. As if to compensate, our Guardian Angel rewarded us with a wonderful view of the walled town we were staying at. A nice German couple took the photo after I took one of them. I have chosen it as this week's feature photo. This was the view that greeted our eyes as we returned.
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| San Gimignano in the distance when driving back from Volterra last Sunday |
We were home just on time for dinner. I was already dreaming about the porchetta and forcaccia which we had with salad and wine. Delicious doesn't begin to describe it, although I was thirsty all night afterwards, hahahaha.
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Porchetta wth focaccia which we had for dinner last Sunday in SG. It was divine
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Monday dawned and our plan that day was to visit Siena which is relatively near SG, just 45 minutes away.
Siena is an absolute must when visiting Tuscany. Why you may ask if you haven't been? Well, it's another one of the most beautiful medieval walled cities in the world with amazing artistic heritage. It was important in commerce and banking and boasts the oldest bank in the world. Originally Etruscan it later became the Roman city of Sena Julia. Siena later flourished during the Renaissance era. It's about 40km from Florence, its eternal rival. It is well known for the Palio - a famous horse race which takes place twice a year at the amazing Piazza del Campo - a shell shaped square which is the heart of the town. But what took my breath away was the Duomo. Frankly it is the most beautiful cathedral I have ever seen. That was until I saw the Duomo in Florence.
Amazingly we were able to park within the city walls and our first port of call was Il Duomo. This was the sight that reached my eyes as we walked into the Piazza of the same name; the famous façade of this enormous Gothic Italian style cathedral.
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| The facade of the Duomo in Siena |
I couldn't take a photo of all of the cathedral as it is far too big so I robbed one from internet. PS I later stumbled upon how to do it with my smartphone; stupid me.
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Duomo of Siena |
The hoards had gone so the queue to enter was quite acceptable. While we waited, I looked the cathedral up on internet. It is dedicated to The Assumption of St Mary and is an RC Marian church. It was designed and completed in the 13th century. The style is Gothic Italian and oh my how ornate it is. The exterior in white and greenish black - marble I presume, are the colours of Siena. It has the shape of a Latin cross with a dome and a beautiful tower. As to the façade, it is one of the most interesting in Italy.
Inside was mind blowing as far as cathedrals go. It felt as big as the Santa Sofia in Istanbul but so much more beautiful and ornate. The pulpit really impressed me. I've never seen one like it.
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| The pulpit inside the Duomo in Siena |
I can't begin to describe it so here is a
short video I took while visiting. . Enjoy. I also visited the incredible Piccolomini library which forms part of the Duomo.
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| The ceiling and some of the walls of the Piccolomini Library in the Duomo |
Honestly, it felt like being in the Sixtine Chapel for a minute. Once outside, I told Eladio it was the most beautiful cathedral I had ever seen.
We had had enough culture by then and made our way to the famed Piazza del Campo for a coffee and then lunch. The Piazza del Campo is the heart of the city. I read too that it is regarded as one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. As we approached it, there in front of me was a very Florentine looking building, the Palazzo Comunale or Pubblico (Town Hall) and its Mangia Tower. This was the sight I saw as we approached the square.
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| Palazzo Comunale Piazza del Campo Siena |
I was awed as we walked into the shell shaped square. It is so big it's impossible to get it all in one picture.
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| One view of the Piazza del Campo in Siena |
Finally that day we had our first pizza. Maybe pizza is the not the most typical dish of Siena but we were dying for one.
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| Our first pizzas in Italy were eaten in Siena |
These we had at Il Bandierino and they were delicious.
Later we explored the square, admiring the
Gaia fountain, like a mini Fontana di Trevi I thought.
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| Gaia fountain in Siena in the Piazza del Campo |
I took one more photo of the impressive square before we left. Eladio is posing for me but even so I couldn't get the top of the tower in.
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| Leaving the Piazza del Campo in Siena |
We could have spent a whole week or more to see everything there was to see in Siena, but enough is enough and we couldn't take any more culture that day, so headed home to rest.
In any case the next day we were going to Florence and had to be prepared. We were up at 6.30 on Tuesday morning and left our temporary home in San Gimignano at around 7.30. It's only 50 odd kilometres to Florence, but the roads are not good. We wanted to be on time for our Guru Walking Tour starting at 10 am by the Basilica of San Lorenzo, built by the the famous architect Filippo Brunelleschi and founded and financed by the Medici family, so famous in Florence.
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| Part of the Medici funded Basilica, San Lorenzo |
We couldn't miss it as it's one of the largest churches in the city. And oh what a city. I had been some 30 years ago for a Motorola Cycling Team meeting of all things. I was fortunate to be able to see Michaelangelo's David, wander through the Uffizi. I even bought some leather gloves at a stall on the famous Ponte Vechio.
On Tuesday it was as crowded as I imagine Venice to be on a busy day. We could not get tickets for anything so made do with the walking tour. I thoroughly recommend Guru Walking Tours. We used them last year for the fist time in Tirana and then in many other places. Our guide was a young Spanish girl called Sara from Valladolid. She had done her Erasmus year in Italy and fallen in love with the city. So we were lucky to have her as a guide.
Her first words were that Florence is an open air museum. She couldn't have put it better. It's difficult to describe in a few words but it was the cradle of the Renaissance and the world capital of art in the 15th century. Not only were the Medici from there and their great rivals the Pazzi. Some very famous Florentines were Leonardo da Vinci, Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello, Michaelangelo, Botticelli, Dante Alighieri, Galileo Galilei, Giotto, Niccolo Machiavelli, as well as Florence Nightingale, Guccio Gucci and Franco Zefirelli. The city is even the birthplace of the tale of the wooden puppet Pinocchio created by the Florentine carpenter, Carlo Collodi.
Sara also told us the term Stendhal syndrome was coined in Florence. It was the French writer, Marie-Henri Beyle, whose pen name was Stendhal who came up with the term. Today it is a recognised syndrome of a psychosomatic condition that occurs in the presence of so much art and culture. I think I am suffering from it a bit after seeing so much beauty in the medieval towns and villages in Tuscany, not to mention many other places in Italy.
From the San Lorenzo church Sara led us to the church Dante got married in. There was a man there reciting the Divine Comedy, who, apparently knows it off by heart. Imagine.
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| A local, Dario Cecchini, who recites the Divine Comedy by Dante nearly every day in Florence to the delight of tourists. |
Our next stop was the Duomo, the Cathedral of Florence. If I was impressed with the Duomo in Siena, then I have no words to describe the one in Florence. It is so big - one of the biggest in the world, no way could I fit it all in one photo, apart from just the bell tower.
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| The bell tower of the Cathedral of Florence |
So I have robbed one from internet for those of you who haven't been to Florence.
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| The Gothic Italian Cathedral in Florence built in 1296 |
I wont' go into any details so as not to bore you, but oh what a place. If one is a believer, it must be a magnificent place to worship.
Our next stop was the Piazza della Signoria where most people thronged and where we were to see the Town Hall now called Il Palazzo Vecchio.
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| The Palazzo Vecchio in Florence |
My cousin Zuka reminded me that the clock of the town hall in Bradford, was inspired by the clock on the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio. If you haven't seen the Bradford Town Hall, I am not joking, it is a very beautiful Italianate building.
At the entrance there is a copy of Michaelangelo's statue of David as there is everywhere in the town. I had to have a photo.
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| A copy of Michaelangelo's statue of David at the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio |
To the right is the Loggia dei Lanzi with its gallery of statues, an open air museum with all of them being original
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| The gallery of statues next to the Palazzo Vecchio |
We had a quick look inside the Town Hall and then continued to the river bank where we could see one of the most famous bridges in the world; Il Ponte Vecchio. I remembered it well and wanted to see it but had to wait until our tour finished outside the Galilei Galileo museum.
And finally, after more than 30 years I was to see it again. It was Eladio's second time too. He visited Tuscany with his school as a teacher some 35 years ago. So this part of our road trip has been very familiar to him. And here he is with the bridge in the distance.
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By the Ponte Vecchio |
We walked to it and it was absolutely teeming with people. Most of the shops there are jewelry shops all with views of the river. For obvious reasons I did not go in any of them.
Instead, we walked back towards the San Lorenzo Square. I spied a real Ferrari on Via Roma - the street with all the big designer label shops, none of which I went into either. I got Eladio to pose by it although he didn't see the point hahahaha.
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| Eladio by a Ferrari on Via Roma in Florence on Tuesday |
I was suddenly very hungry and eager to try the local speciality which is "bisteca alla fiorentina". Basically it is grilled steak, the most common dish in Tuscany. I chose a place I saw which had a 4.8 score and it was good but a bit of a rip off. 100 euros for two not particularly large pieces of steak was very expensive. Italy is expensive.
We then made our way back to the car and went past the Piazza della Repubblica. As I didn't have any photos of my visit to Florence, I got my husband to take one there.
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| In Florence on Tuesday in the Piazza della Repubblica |
But our visit to Florence didn't end there. Our guide told us there was a special viewing point above the city with the best views of Florence. We had seen it on our way into the city so we set the satnav to lead us to Piazzale Michelangelo to see the view for ourselves. It was probably one of the most magical moments of the day.
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| The view of Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo above the city |
Here we are above the city of the Renaissance of dreams, art, love, and so many other things.
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| A magical moment at the end of our visit to Florence. |
I took a
video to share as the moment was so special. What a wonderful view point of Florence, the jewel of Tuscany.
It was a far less stressful journey home on the old country roads and soon we were in our lovely apartment in San Gimignano which felt just like home.
Wednesday was our last full day in Tuscany. I also realised it was 15th May, the anniversary of the death of my dear brother George. He died of melanoma, aged just 46 in 2002. The first year Interrail was launched in 1972, aged just 17, he grabbed the chance to tour Europe for one month for only 25 pounds. No doubt he would have visited Italy. He loved traveling as much as I do, or even more. My father always used to say he had "itchy feet". We all did.
I thought about him while we spent the morning exploring a little known town, Certaldo which is very near San Gimignano and seems not to be under the tourist radar in Tuscany. But it happens to be the birthplace of the Father of Italian prose, Giovanni Boccaccio (1313 to 1375) He is the famed author of The Decameron which needs no introduction. His contemporary, although a lot younger, is no less than Geoffrey Chaucer, the author of the Tales of Canterbury and also the Father of English literature. It is said that Chaucer was influenced very much by Italian literature. The two may have met but we cannot be sure. I doubt Chaucer got much further than Florence. He would be probably not have been so impressed with Boccaccio's home town but I was. It is an intact medieval city - or at least the top part of Cernalto is. It's as if time stopped there since the death of Italy's famous author. We loved it.
We first visited the church of Saints Jacob and Philip where the Italian author is buried. Buried too is the Blessed Giulia, a saint who was a cloistered nun in the Convent of St Augustin. It is said she never left her cell in 30 years!
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| The church of St Jacob and St Philip in Certaldo |
We then bought tickets to see the Convent with its own museum of sacred art, Boccaccio's House, a nail museum (of all things) as well as the Palazzo Pretorio, once the Governor's House.
It was wonderful to visit them all without any crowds, for once.
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| The Convent which also houses a museum of sacred art from the 13th and 14th centuries. That's where the Blessed Guilia lived. |
Eladio was very interested in Boccaccio's house but so was I. My mother as a child had secretly read the whole of The Decameron - a censored book in her house - when she was banished one summer to a room for so-called bad behaviour. I once read a bit of and all I can remember is that it is full of different positions for intercourse. Here is Eladio pointing to one of the precious editions in what is now a museum dedicated to the famous author.
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| Some precious editions of The Decameron |
Also there is a huge life size portrait of the very man, known as The Certaldese". He must have put the town on the map. I was also very interested to see what he looked like and was able to, thanks to the life size portrait by Pietro Bevenuti.
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| The portrait of Giovanni Boccaccio at his house which is now a museum |
Like many houses in this area, Boccaccio's has a tower and up we went to see the views of the town and surrounding landscape; all vineyards. It was magnificent. Here is Eladio admiring the view.
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| The view from the tower of Boccaccio's house |
Our tickets also gave us access to a very special museum; The Nail Museum of all things. It is the collection of nails and tools of the carpenter and artist, Giancarlo Masini, known as "Beppe Chiodo". This was his shop. He died in the 90's but saw the museum of his collection open. What a funny place.
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| The Nail Museum in Certaldo |
Last, but not least on our list, was a visit to the Palazzo Pretorio or the Vicar's Palace. It was also the Governor's Palace. Built in 1164, it is perhaps the most imposing building in Certaldo Alto.
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| The Vicar's Palace in Certaldo built in 1164. |
We then walked along more of the streets, each one being a sight for sore eyes. I just kept saying "oh how beautiful" and was so pleased we had come across this pretty medieval town. Here are just a few snapshots for you to get the idea.
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| Certaldo near San Gimignano, well worth a visit |
Our morning was coming to an end but before leaving Certaldo we went in search of the local supermarket which we couldn't find. So we drove back to the one in San Gimignano, a Coop that was very well stocked. We got some more provisions, including a piece of local steak - Tuscany is famous for its steak - which I had for lunch with some easy to make risotto.
Visiting Certaldo was nearly the end of our visit to Tuscany. We absolutely loved it and have fallen in love with Italy.
On our last afternoon in San Giminagno, where we had spent 5 whole nights, we ventured out later in the evening to visit the Duomo or Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta. We had tried before but it was either closed or a mass was going on.
From the outside it is not at all imposing. You would have no idea what a jewel it is inside.
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| The unimposing looking Duomo in San Gimignano |
I read that it was consecrated in 1148 in the presence of Pope Eugenius III. The architecture is 12th and 13th century Romanesque except for two chapels in the Renaissance style. What impressed me were the black and white marble nave arcades which in some way reminded me of the arches in the Cathedral / Mosque of Córdoba. Look.
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| The inside of the Basilica with its black and white marble arches |
But what makes it so special are the Renaissance frescoes by important artists of the time. According to UNESCO they are works of outstanding beauty. Oh my they are.
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| Some of the beautiful frescoes that decorate the ceilings and walls of the Duomo in San Gimignano |
We walked out feeling very impressed with just how beautiful this church is and were glad we made the effort to go.
We then walked from the Piazza del Duomo to the Piazza della Cisterna, the very heart of the town, and sat on the steps of the well enjoying the atmosphere. We wondered if we would ever be back. Whether we do or we don't, I shall never forget this most beautiful place in Tuscany.
We came home to have a simple dinner of some leftover "salmorejo" (type of gazpacho) which I had brought from Spain, with a few slices of local mortadella which I adore. Then it was time to relax and wind down after so much walking along medieval streets, and try to get a good night's sleep.
I woke up early as usual on
Thursday 16th May, the day of our departure south. To break our journey south to the Naples region, we stayed at a wonderful Agriturismo just outside the Umbrian town of Orvieto, another Italian wonder. Rome was the halfway mark between Tuscany and Naples but we have been before and wanted to avoid the chaos there. We left SG at around 9.45 and were soon on the A1 Autostrada. The owner, Irene, very kindly let us check in at 1 am. We were actually there by 12.30 and were greeted by the Mamma, Wilma. While waiting for Irene, we explored the
property and thought it was beautiful. Here are some pictures for you to see why.
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| The Agriturismo farmhouse where we stayed outside Orvieto (Umbria) on Thursday. It's called La Locanda dell'Olmo and we loved it |
Irene arrived at 1pm with her very small daughter who she immediately handed over to her mother so she could receive us and show us our apartment. Called
Il Girasole, we loved it immediately. Thankfully it is on the ground floor so no lugging all our belongings up steep steps. Here are some pictures of the small but very sweet apartment which was our home for one night.
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| Our apartment at La Locanda dell'Olmo near Orvieto (Umbria) |
We soon settled in. The order is always connecting all our devices to internet, putting perishable food in the fridge and opening our suitcase. Only then did we have a simple little lunch from the provisions we brought with us.
After a short rest, we drove to the ancient town of Orvieto perched on a hill. This is what we saw as we drove up the winding road.
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| The ancient city of Orvieto |
Because of its location on a high steep bluff of volcanic tuff, Orvieto was always virtually impregnable. Centuries before Christ it was a major centre of the ancient Etruscan civilisation. Later during the Roman Empire it was annexed by Rome. After the fall of the Empire, Orvieto always had a close relationship with the Papacy and it remained a papal possession until the Unification of Italy in 1860. In the 13th century it had a population of 30.000, even larger than Rome. Today that is threefold. Hidden underneath Orvieto lies an underground city dotted with caves and mazes of Etruscan tunnels. Unfortunately we arrived too late to see them.
However we did see the magnificent Duomo. Similar to the one in Siena, with its black and white strips, it is one of the most important Gothic cathedrals in Italy. Its façade is particularly striking too. I was once more very impressed with this Duomo
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| The Duomo in Orvieto |
We then went in search of the main palace, the Palace of the People, I suppose the old Town Hall. Again it was very similar to those we saw in Tuscany.
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| The Palace of the People in Orvieto |
By then I had had enough of history and proposed we did a little wine tasting; something most people do when they come to Italy. I don't know where we went, some little wine tasting touristy shop on one of the pretty cobbled streets, but I loved every minute of it. We tried 4 different types of local wine and ended up buying a very expensive bottle to take home. We stayed a long time because we met a couple from Yorkshire who live in France after moving there from Barnsley (near Sheffield) 5 years ago. Deborah had been a swimming teacher at BGGS in Bradford! So we had lots to talk about.
When we left and walked down the street to the Piazza del Duomo, I spied yet another Pinocchio. He was sitting on a bench, as if he was asking for company. I made Eladio sit next to him. At first he said no because people would call him a liar (hahaha) but in the end he posed for me. I love this photo, don't you?
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| A fun moment with Pinocchio in Orvieto |
On our way down to the new town of Orvieto and back to our Agriturismo, we spied the castle and had to visit just for the views.
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| The entrance to the castle in Orvieto |
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| Views from the castle in Orvieto |
That was a very quick visit to Orvieto but it has whetted my appetite to see more of Umbria, an interesting region, like most regions in Italy. That will have to be for another trip but, don't worry, we will be back.
I slept well that night on a century old restored bed with the most marvelous mattress but was awake at 6 am on Friday morning. We left around 9.30 am and had about 300km to drive to Sarno, in between Salerno and Naples. Here is a photo of Eladio after he had packed the car, cleaned the windscreen and added water to whatever it is you add water to.
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| Leaving our lovely Agritursimo outside Orvieto (Umbria) on Friday morning |
Nearly all of the drive was on the Milan - Naples A1 motorway which is excellent. It has three lanes on either side, although there were quite a few "lavori" on the way. The toll was steep at over 24 euros but it was a comfortable drive and we took turns at the wheel.
Sarno is just a suburb of either Salerno or Naples but it's a good base for Pompeii and the surrounding area, plus the Airbnb I found is excellent.
It's a 5 star apartment which is well equipped and has a huge terrace and somewhere safe for the car. Silvana, the owner was there to meet and greet us and we managed as she only speaks Italian. That's when my Italian is at its best, hahaha and I'm loving it.
It was lunchtime by the time we got there and as soon as we had checked in, we walked to the local Pizzería. I don't know if you know but I now know (hahaha) that the original pizza comes from Naples - the Margherita pizza and Naples is famed for this most popular Italian dish worldwide. We walked to
Reginela just up the street and were soon sitting down in a local pizza place where we were to be served the real thing. How exciting I thought apart from the fact that I was starving. This was our Margherita. I hope you are not hungry while you are reading this (hahaha).
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| Real Margherita pizza from Naples - the most authentic there is |
It was only Italians eating and serving so there was to be no rip off for us that day. That was one of the advantages of staying somewhere off the tourist radar.
I noticed a picture on the wall of what later would seem like the omnipresent Maradona on the wall. Well, after all he is from Naples and the Italians are mad about football. Eladio commented he was no fan of Diego M. Me neither really but we have come to his homeland.
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| The omnipresent Maradona (we are in Naples after all) |
It felt very warm when we stepped outside - 27ºc, 10 more than Carcassonne which was the real start of our road trip. Well, we are in the south of Italy I suppose.
We spent the afternoon chilling our in our wonderful apartment only leaving to find a supermarket for more provisions. We were a bit disappointed with Conad except for the excellent strawberries. I couldn't get lamb chops or fillet steak for the life of me. But we made do with Parma ham and Mortadella which we had with fresh asparagus for dinner.
We were up early on
Saturday morning. We had tickets for the
Pompei Archaeological Park, the open air museum of what was once a thriving town until the volcano - Mount Vesuvius - erupted around noon on August 24th 79 AD. Of a population of roughly 15.000, 2000 people died. So many lived to tell the tale. Pompeii is remembered as a city frozen in time and the volcanic eruption the most famous of all times.
It was to be Eladio's most exciting day since Carcassonne. He has been researching the Mount Vesuvius eruption for many months now and he was to be by my guide. He is not one bit interested in the Amalfi coast, Sorrento or any of those places. His interest lies in Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius and Herculaneum, another Roman city destroyed by the volcanic eruption which we have tickets for on Monday.
Today Sunday we plan to visit the old city of Naples. I have booked another so-called Free Tour at 10.30 starting from Piazza Dante - there is always a Dante Square in most Italian towns. I look forward to that. More walking and more history but that's a good combination isn't it?
So cheers my friends till next week which should find us in Puglia, a region I really want to see before we head for Albania which is our current plan.
All the best until next Sunday,
Masha (and Eladio)
