Neapolitan Flip Coffee Pot

Offering a cup of coffee to guests in your home is essential to Neapolitan culture. For any warm gathering, Neapolitans have their own coffee pot known as the macchinetta Napoletana.

Invented by the southern Italian, Riccardo Dalisi, this coffee pot became common in Naples in the late 1980's. Today, the pot can only be found in Campania and costs a mere 10 Euro, piu o meno.

The silent video below features my born-and-bred Neapolitan friend, Massimo Rossi, whose father in his younger days was a barista. Massimo demonstrates how to make the coffee by first showing us the parts -- a top cap, two pots, and a filter.

Take the top pot and fill it with water. Next, add fine grinds to the filter and place it inside the water. Add the second pot to the top. (The coffee maker then looks upside-down to the picture above.) Place the pot on the stove and let boil. Once the macchinetta napoletana is on the stove, you can never see the water boiling. Instead, you must decide this intuitively.

When the water is ready, take the coffee pot off the stove and flip it over. This is both an art and a skill. In the video, Massimo makes it look easy. I tried this once and the boiling water ended up all over the floor.

When the macchinetta napoletana is flipped, the pot with the spout will then be on the bottom (and will look like the picture above). The water from the top pot slowly drips through the filter. Again, you will have to know intuitively when all the water has drained to the bottom. The drip process tends to take time (10 minutes or more), so Neapolitans promise that this is the strongest caffe in Italy.

In keeping with Neapolitan tradition, Massimo demonstrates how to make this in an everyday kitchen where frenetic activity, including other cooking is taking place. (The video is silent because a party that includes high-pitched children is going on in the background.)

When the coffee is finished, heaping spoonfuls of sugar are stirred into the cups. The result is a coffee guaranteed to keep you up all night!

Saint Restituta

Nook of Naples: Il Duomo is one of the primary destinations for any Naples visitor. The patron saint of the city, San Gennaro, is buried here and his blood is kept in an ampoule in a side niche. But, in search of an odious woman, Il Duomo also pays tribute to Santa Restituta.

Not much is known about her life, except that she was born in North Africa near Carthage and was killed during the Christian persecutions there. Although some believe that San Gaudioso brought her remains to Naples, the colorful legends surrounding Restituta make her odious.

In 304, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, a large number of Christians continued to gather in the city of Abitina to celebrate the Eucharist. Fifty of them, including Restituta, were caught, arrested, and dragged in chains to Carthage. There, they were sentenced to death.

Legend has it that Restituta was tortured and then placed in a blazing boat, but her body was left unharmed by the fire. Her boat landed on the shores of Ischia where a Christian woman named Lucina walked along the beach and found the incorrupt body of Restituta, who was now dead. (Still today the Festival of Restituta is celebrated on the island of Ischia every May 16-18 and a church in her name also exists there.)

At The Naples Cathedral (or Il Duomo), an opulent nave is dedicated to the saint. Tucked away beyond it, the Duomo itself was built upon the remnants of a paleo-Christian basilica from the 500's A.D. The older basilica was dedicated to Santa Restituta. Today, you must pay to get into this cool one-room vestige where a bulbous dome sparkles with badly damaged Byzantine tiles and a fresco of Restituta remains in tact against the wall.

The stereotype of women in Naples seems to be that they are expected to be mothers who raise children, remain mostly inside the home, and stay obedient to their husbands. But the large number of female images within the Catholic Churches throughout the city point to another side of women's roles in Neapolitan history. In fact, Naples has over fifty official patron saints, at least twelve of whom are women. Restituta presents a marvelous example of an African woman who stood up for her beliefs and made a strong political statement for her time. Consequently, she was brutally killed, only to be admired centuries later for her courage.

To that, I say -- Amen.

Getting There: Il Duomo is in the heart of downtown Naples at Via Duomo 147. If you go by Metro, take the Piazza Cavour exit, walk in the opposite direction from the National Archeological Museum, and then take a right into Via Duomo. The National Church is a few blocks down.

The Macabre Dominicans

Nook of Naples: Puozza scula (May you drain away) is a Neapolitan expression that wishes death upon one's enemies. The saying derives from the macabre burial practices of the seventeenth century Dominicans who painted brightly colored frescoes beside the crypts of wealthy patrons -- and used their skulls for decoration.

The Church of Santa Maria della Sanita doesn't seem to be much on the map of tourist attractions. Taking a walk down Via Capodimonte, the top of the basilica peeks out from the traffic-frenzied bridge. An elevator along the sidewalk takes me down to the road below. From there, I walk less than a block and into a church filled with modern architecture and art. From one angle, the front altar doesn't seem to be there. From another, translucent green angels look as if they are ready to fly away.

Beyond the altar, an immense gate leads to the spooky remnants of an old basilica. A barely noticeable passage with no door beckons me to enter the catacombs. Immediately in front of me sparkles San Gaudioso's niche with the remains of blue tiles from the original Basilica erected in the 5th century.

Saint Gaudioso was a bishop from Abitina, a village near Carthage. He fled North Africa during the Christian persecutions and arrived in Naples on a leaky boat. He went on to establish himself on what was then the acropolis of Naples. Among other things, he preserved the relics of several saints, notably Saint Restituta. (My next odious woman.)

Adjacent to San Gaudioso's niche, a stunning fresco of Saint Catherine of Siena still remains on a wall in the Nostriano niche, so called because it's believed to be the burial place of Bishop Nostriano who welcomed San Gaudioso and his other African exiles.

The Basilica eventually flooded and mud covered it entirely for many hundreds of years. In the 1600's Dominican monks dug up the church and turned it into a burial place. To respect their patrons, they created frescoes of the deceased, embedding their skulls into the walls as well as their bones and spines. Today, I can still make out the faded images of people and how they might of looked during their lifetime, wearing skirts and capes. There are also explanatory notes indicating the social status of the person.

Beyond the wealthy crypts, an array of dirt-floor rooms contain carved niches against the walls. In one room, a rectangular hole at the top of the ceiling indicates that the bodies were brought down by pulley. The bones were then broken so the corpse could be put into a tight fetal position, which was believed to help bring the dead back to the Father. The body was put inside the niche and, often, three holes were punctured into the stomach, particularly if a family wanted this space for more than one of their loved ones. The stomach acids and other liquids in the body ran down and into the shelled out bottom of the niche, helping it decompose more quickly.

At the far end of the catacombs, the Dominicans created a cemetery in what had once been an ancient Roman cistern. Interestingly, throughout the church and also within the catacombs and the cistern, modern art pieces are on display, fusing the ancient, Byzantine, Renaissance, and modern together.

Catacomb travel tip -- these echoing caverns provide a wonderful opportunity to practice cackling.

Getting There: Basilica di S. Maria della Sanita, piazza della Sanita, 124, 80136 Napoli

Hours of operation: Every day from 9:00am - 12:30pm.

Castel Nuovo

Nook of Naples: Castel Nuovo (also known a Maschio Angioino) towers over the port in downtown Naples. Charles I of Anjou ordered its construction, which began in 1279. He called it the New Castle to distinguish the palace from the older Castel Capuano and Castel dell'Ovo. During the reign of Robert of Anjou, the castle became a center of culture, hosting artists, physicians and writers, including Petrarch and Boccaccio. Throughout the centuries, the castle underwent many renovations. Today it has a trapezoidal plan made up of tufo stone walls with five cylindrical towers.

To understand the history of Naples is to know that after the fall of the Roman empire, the region didn't have a national identity, but rather was owned by many foreign monarchs, including the Normans, the Spanish, the Austrian Habsburgs, and the Bourbon French. The two most notable influences on Naples today continue to be the Spanish and Bourbons. (I'll give a Bourbon tour of the city in a couple of months).

Spanish rule, beginning at the time of the Italian Renaissance, spanned almost three hundred years and Castel Nuovo remains a strong reminder of this illustrious period. In 1422 King Alfonso I moved his capital from Barcelona to Naples and renamed this part of his region'The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.' While he retained Spanish customs, traditions, and language, Alfonso also supported the arts, the philosophical movement of humanism, and building projects within Naples. The nobility also at this time rediscovered the ancient city center and built palaces within the still famous Spaccanapoli (Spanish Quarter) of the city.

Under Alfonso and thereafter the Argonese dynasty, Naples became a metropolis larger than Paris and by far the largest city in Italy. He also made renovations to Castle Nuovo and took up residence here.

Wandering inside the castle, one first enters the grand courtyard. Going up the stairs, the Baron's Hall touts a dome vaulted ceiling and noble seating. The room is so-called because in 1486 the barons plotted against Ferrante I of Aragon, but were arrested in this space instead after being invited by the king to celebrate his grand daughter's marriage. The hall is still used today for City Council meetings.

Ancient ruins have also been found underneath the castle and you can walk through the Armory Hall where the floor is made of glass. Beneath your feet, you can view rubble that might have been the swimming pool or a canal of a Roman villa.

There's so much to explore inside here, including wonderful Renaissance period frescos. And again, taking children along means letting go of a little history to search for the centuries worth of spirits that still linger all around.

Food Website Recommendation: If you're interested in what Italians used to eat during medieval times, check out the Medieval Italian Recipes.

Castel Sant'Elmo

Nook of Naples: Today, Castle Sant'Elmo is best known for its incredible views of the city. The visitor can make a full circle along the open fortifications, passing guard outlook posts and cannons, climbing stairs, and racing down long semi-dark passageways.

Made of volcanic tufo stone, the castle has existed since 1275 when relatives of Charles d'Anjou lived inside and the fortress went by the name of Belforte. King Robert d'Anjou renovated the castle in the early 1300's. This is when the building began to be known as the 'castrum Sancti Erasmi', probably because there was a chapel dedicated to Saint Erasmus on the site.

King Robert the Wise of Naples was considered to be the 'peacemaker of Italy'. Petrarch and Boccaccio wrote that he was a generous patron of the arts. After his death and for two centuries, the castle was enlarged until it had an unusual hexagonal shape in the 1500's. From 1604 to 1952, the castle was used as a prison. It then became military property until 1979. Six years later, it was turned into a museum. Inside the walls of the castle today, Robert d'Anjou's legacy continues in the form of modern art exhibitions that are on display in many of its cavernous halls.

While I wanted to study the rich history of the castle, my children pulled me in many directions. We searched for fairies, ogres, and princesses, concocting stories that turned out to be just as interesting.

Buona Fantasia!

Castel dell'Ovo

Nook of Naples: Virgil, according to medieval legend, was a great sorcerer. While he lived in Naples, he put a magical egg inside the Castel dell'Ovo (Egg Castle) and if it ever were to break, the city of Naples would experience death and destruction.

What might have motivated Virgil to lodge an egg inside the castle foundation (or, says another story, inside a cage of its dungeon)?

The foundations of the castle date back to the Normans in the 12th century. Thereafter, the castle had numerous occupants throughout the centuries (the Austrians, French, and Spanish, among others) and it underwent many renovations.

Sitting on the islet of Megaride, the castle's location is said to have been first inhabited by the Greeks in the 6th century B.C. Then, during the 1st century B.C. a Roman villa was erected on the site. But did Virgil ever roam this islet? He lived in Naples for ten years, so perhaps the poet's spirit does indeed still linger along the causeway where today amorous teenagers usually hang out on Friday and Saturday nights.

The castle is open everyday and you can climb to the top courtyard for free. Exhibitions are often on display in a variety of cavernous halls.

Book Recommendation: The Neapolitan Recipe Collection by Terence Scully. About cooking in Naples during the medieval period, this is an academic but interesting read.

Happy Egg Hunting!

The Castel Tour

Naples Tour: Four medieval castles give Naples a princess and dragon flair. Castle dell'Ovo, Castel Nuovo, Castle Sant'Elmo, and Castle Capuano are the best reasons to roam the narrow streets of the city.

Castle Capuano (at the end of the narrow street shown above) was built in the 12th century by William I, the first monarch of the Kingdom of Naples. Today, the building serves as municipal offices. If you walk down Via Tribunali, you'll see its facade and, bending the rules, you can walk into the courtyard. During the Monuments of May when the archeological parks and museums are free, the castle is open for tours.

The other three castles can be visited all year around and for a fuller experience touring these dungeons and guard posts, I suggest bringing kids along.

A day-trip might look like this:

• Start at Castel Nuovo, which overlooks the port in downtown Naples. Here you can amble past the turrets, into the exalted courtyard, and up the stairs to the Hall of Barons.

• From there, walk down to Piazza Trento e Trieste, take a left and pass through Piazza del Plebiscito until you come to the sea. Walk along the Bay of Naples and you will come to Castel dell'Ovo, where you can search for Virgil's egg. It's free to go inside.

• Walking further down the promenade, a park in the middle of the city has gelato, donkey rides on the weekends, an aquarium, as well as playground equipment.

• Return from where you came, passing Piazza del Plebiscito until you are on Via Toledo. Here, you can take the famous funicular to Vomero. Opened in 1928, it is one of the longest funicular lines in the world, descending 170 meters in altitude and carrying over 10 million passengers annually.

• Walk to Castel Sant'Elmo, which touts a breathtaking 360 degree view of Naples.

• Next door to the castle, the St. Martin's Charterhouse has a museum replete with an exhibition of the presepe -- Neapolitan nativity scenes.

For those who live in Campania, I recommend visiting these castles over a series of several weekends. Kids will naturally want to try to spot ogres, knights, and fairy princesses -- and that can take a while.

Safety Tips for Traveling With Children:

• Traffic is intense. Watch children carefully in Naples. It's best to visit the city on Sundays when traffic is mild.

• Strollers don't work well on cobblestone streets, so carry children in backpacks or hold their hands while they walk (which, depending on the age of your child, might mean seeing less or stopping frequently for gelato).

• Italy has one of the densest population concentrations in the world. A visit to parks and castles can mean crowds. If your children have trouble with lots of people around, stick to places like the Phlegraean Fields where fewer people visit.

For the next three days I'll post a special to this blog all about the other three castles. Comments from princesses, ogres, and dragons are welcome!

Happy International Pasta Day!

Celebrated ever since the year 2005, October 25th is International Pasta Day.  


The International Pasta Organization, founded in Rome, designated this day to give the world more awareness of the health benefits of pasta. According to the organization, pasta was officially 'discovered' by Marco Polo who brought the product to Italy from China in the 1200's. But variations of pasta date back to the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans. In Naples, the Greeks are said to have mixed barley-flour and water together and dried it in the sun.  They called the final product 'macaria'.

For recipes and tidbits about the different kinds of pasta (the Neapolitans boast more than 600 different types), see my other posts:

The Six Types of Pasta

Pasta with Anchovy Tomato Sauce

Penne Pasta with Baby Shrimp and Anice

Spaghetti alla Vongole

Graffiti

Nook of Naples: Some claim it's art, others say it's vandalism. What we do know is that in Pompeii, some of the best information we have about the daily life of ancient Romans comes from graffiti. So whatever graffiti is -- it lasts. And it tells a story about what Neapolitans find important today.

A visit to Pompeii reveals graffiti such as magic spells, declarations of love, and political slogans. At the gladiator academy the graffiti boasts: "Celadus the Thracian makes the girls sigh." One inscription gives the address of a prostitute, Novellia Primigenia, known for her great beauty.

In World War II when Neapolitans escaped the bombings by hiding in the underground, they scratched prolific amounts of graffiti into the tufo stone. Still today visitors to the underground can see what adults feared and cared about during those crisis days through their pictures on the walls.

But graffiti as modern art form gained popularity during the 1960s and 1970s in New York City when gang members and political activists spray-painted subway cars. They then extended their markings throughout the city. Within a decade, the well-known Jean-Michel Basquiat went from grafitti artist, with a tag of SAMO, to having his works displayed in New York art galleries.

Today, Italian graffiti artists are heavily influenced by the movement in New York City, most often marking up subway cars. At least some Italians take this art form seriously. In 1979, for example, graffiti artist Lee Quinones and Fab 5 Freddy were given a gallery opening in Rome by art dealer Claudio Bruni.

Experimentation continues to this day and Naples is no exception. On Via Bagnoli, a stretch of walls are left untouched by police and city officials, allowing graffiti artists to reign free. They display brightly colored images using spray paint and stencils.

We arrive along a road where parking is easily available. Not too many people seem to stop in this gritty part of downtown Naples. Once we get out of the car and walk, we have to keep our eyes to the pavement. Doggie poop, broken glass and trash litters the sidewalk. But when we stop and look up, Neapolitan graffiti stretches for over a kilometer in panels along the concrete walls.

The most prolific artist here tags himself as 'Iabo'. The pictures tell of a group of people who appreciate internationalism. Here are some of the stenciled words:

Tutti sordi per i soldi (Everyone deaf for money.)

Where is Respect?

Arrivano i nostri (Loosely: "Where we came from." A reference to the theory of evolution.)

Reduci di Pace ("Return of Peace." A dead man is depicted next to the words.)

Libbberta (Liberty, spelled with three b's.)

Amore amaro amare (Love, bitter, to be in love)

Progettare in fondo e il miglior modo per evitare (To plan deeply is the best way of avoidance)

A little love lost, a little politics, and an unpleasant smell makes this Naples destination an off-the-beaten, but trod-carefully path.

Getting There: Via Bagnoli. Take the Fuorigrotto exit, pay the toll and bear left through two underpasses. When you reach the stadium (behind you), go straight ahead until the last street and make a right. The graffitti on Via Bagnoli begins about five kilometers down, straight ahead.

Book Recommendation: Graffiti Writing: Origini, Significati, Tecniche e Protagonisti in Italia by Alessandro Mininno. About Italian Graffiti in general, I found this Italian language book at the Capodimonte Museum. The author focuses on influences from New York City and the book presents a wealth of photographs, particularly of box-car graffiti.

Caffe Gambrinus -- The Drink

Located at Trieste e Trento square in the heart of downtown Naples, Caffe Gambrinus is an antique watering hole that once hosted clients such as Oscar Wilde and Mussolini.

The baristas are brusque, but they know their coffee. The highlight of their beverage menu is, of course, the Caffe Gambrinus. The drink consists of a shot of espresso, a teaspoon of cacao powder, milk foam, whipping cream, and chocolate sprinkles on top.

Among the pleasures of sitting amidst the bustle of Caffe Gambrinus is having a breakfast cornetto or dessert alongside.  The most ubiquitous Neapolitan pastry is the sfogliatelle or simply, sfogliate.  A ricotta filled shell, I've been unable to find the sfogliatelle anywhere else but in Naples.  The rich treat is rarely made at home.  Instead sophisticated bakers use careful layers of thin dough and serve it warm with a ricotta filling that has strong hints of both orange rind and vanilla.

I'm adding a link to the recipe for those brave souls who want to make sfogliatelle at home.  If you do, please post and let me know how it goes!

The Lysistrata Sisters

The Mid-Week Odious Women: Let's face it, full-time wives and mothers can often be the most odious of women. Having given up dreams of career, money, and promotions, they spend their days cultivating the practice of serving others without gain. When three or more of these women get together, kings, presidents, decorated military men, and husbands quake. These women demand odious things like crosswalks at schools for their children, strict punishments for drunk drivers, and that grand word -- peace.

Neapolitan women have also flexed their muscle in the recent past. Bringing their history as part of Magna Graecia to the forefront, they have used Aristophanes' play Lysistrata as a guide to protest their men folk. (In the ancient Greek play, women refuse to have intimate relations with their husbands until they agree to stop the war with Sparta.) In December 2008, hundreds Neapolitan women went on a sex strike, refusing to have intercourse with their husbands unless they refrained from lighting firecrackers on New Year's.

Every year, boys and men light firecrackers throughout the city. They throw them off balconies, down narrow streets, and in the middle of traffic. Injuries as a result of firecrackers have occurred constantly from cases of lost eyes to paralysis and more.

The local authorities have backed the women, urging men to 'make love, not explosions.'

Here is the BBC article.

Sophia Loren

Odious Woman #1: Born on September 20, 1934 in Rome, Sophia Loren was -- what people used to call -- an illegitimate child. When her father refused to marry Loren's aspiring actress mother, Sophia moved to the port town of Pozzuoli to live with her grandmother. That was during WWII when bomb after bomb rained down from the sky and Sophia was once struck by shrapnel in the chin. After the war, Sophia's grandmother opened a pub where Loren waited tables until, at the age of fourteen, she entered a beauty contest in Naples. The judges selected her as a finalist and from there, she left to Rome to begin a film career.

Soon she met Italian film producer & director, Carlo Ponti, who fell deeply in love with her. He helped launch her career, which was to span over a half-century. Trouble was, Carlo was married and in the Italy of the 1950's divorce wasn't recognized. So Ponti obtained a divorce in Mexico and then married Loren. But when they returned to Italy, the Catholic Church denounced their marriage. The Italian government issued a warrant out for both of them, accusing Ponti of bigamy and Loren of concubinage. Their legal problems in Italy mounted until in 1965-6 Ponti, his first wife, and Loren became French citizens and settled both the divorce and marriage for good. Ponti and Loren thereafter had two children -- Carlo Jr. (1968) and Edoardo (1973).

Sophia remained faithful to short and stubby Carlo until the end of his life (in 2007) even as attractive men stumbled all over her. Cary Grant fell so deeply in love with her that he proposed marriage several times during the late 1950's. In spite of Loren's refusals, Grant split with his significant other in order to continue his attempts to win Sophia's heart. Then, during and after filming The Millionairess (1960) where Loren co-starred with Peter Sellers, he split with his first wife due to his love for Loren, which she insisted she reciprocated platonically only.

Sophia is best known for winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her film, Two Women. But she never forgot her hometown, filming three movies set in Naples: Neapolitan Carousel (1954), L'oro di Napoli (1954), and It Started In Naples (1960). The latter film co-starred Clark Gable and aptly portrayed the strong cultural differences between Italians and Americans.

Sophia Loren continues to have an affinity for Naples, being an ardent fan of S.S.C. Napoli. In 2007 she promised that if the soccer club won enough games to be promoted to Serie A, she would do a striptease. That year, S.S.C. Napoli achieved this goal. Today, fans still wait and ask: Will Sophia strut her stuff?

The Sophia Nooks of Naples: Three wonderful places pay tribute to Sophia Lauren today. The first is the port town of Pozzuoli where Sophia grew up during WWII. Roaming around here is a delight.

The second is La Bersagliera restaurant along the harbor of downtown Naples. The restaurant was frequented by Sophia Loren (as well as Salvador Dali) and has photos of her inside.

The third is a fantastic dining experience on the Amalfi Coast called Donna Sophia Ristorante. We drove along sheer cliffs overlooking the sea until we came to Sorrento. We then turned onto a road so small that the walls had a thin aqueduct-like line scooped out from either side to let the belly of cars get through. What's more, this narrow road was a two-way street, so we needed to honk our horn often to let those driving in the opposite direction know we were headed their way. We turned onto a dead-end road with overhanging lemon trees. A parking lot was off to one side. We'd made it to what looked like a secluded private home. Inside was a fantastic restaurant with incredible ambience and a menu to match.

Today, instead of a recipe, I display pictures of the meal. We had the Salt Encrusted Fish. The waiter cleaned the fish for us at our table and naturally, the dish turned out buttery.

Viva Sophia!

Caffe Gambrinus

Nook of Naples: An underground tour at a Caffe? Yep. Every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday urban speleologist, Signore Quaranta, a slender Neapolitan with lots of energy and funny stories that are hard to understand due to his Neapolitan accent, takes groups from Bar Gambrius up a narrow street and into a double door that says Napoli Sotterranea.

Inside, we walk past a small room and continue on to a whitewashed hall. Suddenly, we're descending 118 stairs that spiral down past a small Chapel, then to an open space where plastic chairs are in rows.

Signore Quaranta begins by telling us that we are sitting in an ancient acqueduct. The Greeks first harnessed the springs from the foot of Vesuvius and channeled the water into these underground cisterns, some as deep as eighty meters. The cisterns were used as drinking water until the 1800's.

At some point in the history of Naples, most apartments (palazzos) had wells in their courtyards and even well-spouts in every room. The pozzari (or well attendants -- from pozzo for well) worked in the labyrinth of these cisterns, scuffling through narrowly built holes, cleaning sinks and siphons, and making sure the cistern water ran clear. Palazzo owners regularly gave the pozzari money for their services. But the pozzari would additionally trick wealthy landowners into paying them to reclean the wells. One pozzari, for example, put a dead cat in the cistern so as to ensure himself more work.

There are also sayings about the munacielli or Neapolitan house goblins, that played tricks on those who lived in their homes. It's said that one goblin was a sickly boy who was raised in a convent where nuns hid his deformity by dressing him in clothing from Monaco (hence the diminutive munaciello). When he died under mysterious circumstances, Neapolitans began to sight him. They conferred magical powers onto the dead boy and said that he carried the lucky numbers necessary to win the lottery. Other folklore maintains that the goblins were the pozzoli themselves who would get into homes through the channels used to lower the buckets.

After Signore Quaranta's talk, we begin to walk through some of the fifteen kilometers of the underground made of porous tufo stone. The ceilings often drip with water due to the humidity. The moist environment is supposedly healthy for respiration, helping (and possibly curing) people with asthma.

We walk through a maze of narrow passageways and plunge into great halls. Graffitti remains everywhere from World War II when people hid here waiting for the war to end. Above an alcove, graffitti commemorates the day two people were married under a tufo arch in 1943. Another room has graffitti that reads: "Women are the way to true happiness."

We move through more small spaces until we end back in the hollow space with chairs. Signore Quaranta turns off the lights for a few moments so that we can sit in the pitch black and in silence -- an odd feeling when just above us Naples bustles with frenetic activity. This tour is especially sweet during the hot summer months, the temperate climate of the parallel city making it the most comfortable spot in Naples.

Getting There: This underground is very easy to find. Simply go to the Piazza Trieste e Trento and stand outside Bar Gambrinus at the designated hour. (Saturday: 10:00, 12:00, 18:00 Sundays: 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 18:00 Thursdays: 21:00.) Someone will be there to lead you to the underground. A wonderful Napoli Sotterranea website exists with more information.

La Cucina Napoletana: Zucchini flowers are excellent breaded, fried, and served as an antipasto. I myself make them even more simply. After buying a package at the grocery store or market, I brush them off a little and then throw them into a pan filled with hot oil for a few minutes until they turn crispy.

Delizioso!

Purgatory

PORT CALL!

According to Dante, the Mountain of Purgatory was the only land that existed in the southern hemisphere.  It came into existence because of the displaced rock which resulted when Satan's fall created hell.  Now, I am happy to report that I have found a slice of Purgatory in downtown Naples.  It's not really a place you can stay -- more like something to pass.

Located along a narrow street in the district of Spaccanapoli (the Spanish Quarter) on via Tribunali, the Santa Maria Church of the Souls of Purgatory has a baroque facade and a guady show of skulls and femurs adorned daily with fresh flowers and candles.  

It was erected in the early 1600's by Neapolitan noble families seeking a place for their burial crypts.  Today, the church still has a small underground.  Unfortunately, Purgatory is currently under construction and closed to the public.  There is no estimated time when it will open again.  But the cross street, named Vico Purgatorio Ad Arco, certainly gives a feel of what it might be like to take a walk down purgatory lane.

La Cucina Napoletana:  I'm unclear about the origin of today's dish.  It's not strictly Neapolitan, but tasty and a wonderful quick meal to make at home.

Uova Al Purgatorio

(Eggs of Purgatory)

4 fresh eggs

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 cups of tomato sauce

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

salt

thyme

1 chili pepper

basil

Heat the oil in a pan until hot and then add sliced chili peppers.  (The dish is meant to be served spicy, but you can add as much or as little as you like.)  Add the can of diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce.  Simmer for 6-7 minutes, stirring here and there.  Add a pinch of salt and thyme.  Crack the eggs into the pan.  Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the eggs turn white.  Serve the eggs hot accompanied by the spicy sauce and garnish with basil leaves.  

The Naples Underground -- Today's Disaster

At about 4am this morning, three chasms opened in the historic Spaccanapoli district of downtown Naples.  The largest chasm was about twenty meters deep in the middle of a street considered a major nerve center for traffic.  Six buildings had to be evacuated with 297 people leaving their homes.  Tensions arose among the evacuees who fear remaining homeless without help from any government institutions.  Another chasm also opened beneath a church, putting it at risk of collapse and making its entrance practically disappear.  The newspaper, Il Mattino, suggests that the chasms were provoked by the heavy rains of the last few days.  The mayor, Rosa Iervolino, underlines that a complete picture of the damage and causes will be available after officials complete their investigation.  

To see the article in Italian, click this link to the Neapolitan newspaper Il Mattino.  Or you can view the photographs of the damage.

The City of Miracles

A Nook of Naples Announcement:  Today, September 19, 2009, San Gennaro's blood liquified -- ushering in a year of good fortune for Neapolitans.  

According to legend,  San Gennaro was born sometime in the third century to a rich patrician family.  At fifteen years of age, he became a priest.  During the persecution of Christians by Emperor Diocletian, San Gennaro was sentence to death for his beliefs and beheaded in Pozzuoli.  His bones and blood were then saved by a woman named Eusebia just after his death.  

Today, his tomb is located underneath the altar of Il Duomo, the city's cathedral located downtown.  In a side niche of the church, San Gennaro's dried blood is stored in two hermetically sealed ampoules (vials) and adorned in a silver reliquary.

Every year on the 19th of September, Naples celebrates the Feast of San Gennaro (the date of his sainthood).  At that time, the solid reddish-brown contents of the ampoule liquify.  The blood doesn't always liquify on command, sometimes taking several hours, or liquifying several days before the celebration, or -- most ominously -- not liquifying at all.

Scientists have tried to study the phenomena, but are not allowed to open the ampoule as Church leaders fear they will damage or ruin the blood.  Hence, scientists have used alternative methods, but have been unable to come up with an adequate explanation for the phenomenon.  Many people note that during the years when San Gennaro's blood has not liquified, bad things have happened to the city and the world.  Others maintain that when they came to mass and witnessed the liquefaction, kissing the reliquary, they were healed of all sorts of ails.

I myself went to see the miracle today and found an aisle seat toward the back just before 9:00 a.m.  The Cardinal held mass, giving a sermon in which, toward the end, he reminded parishoners about the importance of helping the poor of Naples.  Thereafter, he processed to the side altar and took out the reliquary.  

Today, the blood liquified immediately.  Thereafter, the Cardinal processed to the front of the church while the congregation applauded and waved white hankerchiefs.  He processed with the liquefied blood down the middle aisle so that all could see.  He processed outside and announced to the city that the liquefaction had occurred.  Then he returned the blood to the altar.  The reliquary will be left there for the next eight days to show the people of Naples that San Gennaro has yet again blessed the city.

Thereafter, the streets of Naples were closed off for religious processions.  Candies and children's toys were sold on the streets.  Decorations were everywhere and a festive ambience filled the city.

I'd like to thank my host city -- and especially the wonderful old lady who sat next to me and explained much of the celebration -- for letting me take part in this special event.  It was, admittedly, the first time I'd ever witnessed a miracle.

Happy San Gennaro Feast Day!

The Feast of San Gennaro

Pictures:  Inside Il Duomo, the silver bust of San Gennaro, the silver reliquary with the liquified blood, a priest gives confession, candy vendors outside the cathedral.

The video displays the Cardinal announcing the liquefaction of San Gennaro's blood.

The Caffe Morocco

When I ask Italians about the shopping mall (il centro commerciale), they immediately say they can't stand it.  They prefer to walk an open market where vegetables, seafood, and clothing come at great prices.  They also prefer small shops to chain stores.

And yet, every evening and every weekend the shopping malls in the suburbs of Naples teem with people.  The parking lots are full, people push through crowds outside stores, and the food courts draw families and teenagers to eat at McDonald's or at the chain restaurant Fratelli La Bufala.  You can find movie theaters as well as snazzy chain clothing stores like the Spanish Zara.  The French-owned grocery stores Auchan and Carrefour are versions of Walmart with electronics, music, books, toys, clothes, beauty products, and gourmet foods.

All this glitz has also given rise to excellent caffe.

At the mall in the suburb town of Guigliano, a caffe bar called Lino's Coffee  has an array of proprietary drinks.  The Morocco is my favorite, made with a teaspoon of cocoa powder, a layer of espresso, a layer of flavored chocolate syrup, a layer of milk foam and then -- optionally -- a dollop of whipping cream with or without chocolate powder on top.  Once you get the drink, preferably al banco (or at the bar), you must spend a good amount of time stirring until all the ingredients are mixed together.  Therafter, three or four gulps are enough.

Don't forget to use the water they always give you on the side.  You can ask for either natural or frizzante (carbonated) water.  Drink the water before and after the caffe in order to clean the palette.

Mmmmmm.

The Odious Women Tour

An Odious Woman:  A female who does more than remain in the home to serve her family as cook and housekeeper.

I have already described the lives of several odious women, including Poppea (the ambitious wife of Nero whom he kicked to death while in a rage), Agrippina (the sexually exploitative mother of Nero whom he tried to kill several times before he succeeded), and the Sibyl (who uttered her oracles in dank trapezoidal fortifications).  Whenever I make a sharp left or drive down a one-way street, the lives of Neapolitan women seem to either jump out or hide in cavernous corners.  So I've decided to visit this region with a new bent -- finding the odious women who played a significant role in shaping Neapolitan history.  The tour includes:

• Sophia Loren -- A native of Pozzuoli whose traumatic childhood provided grist for her sexy roles.
  
• Eleonora -- Active in the literary salons of Naples during the 18th century, the Bourbons executed her for being a Jacobin.
  
• Artemisia Gentileschi -- Raped at a young age by her father's friend, she was the only female Renaissance painter and spent many impecunious years in Naples.
  
• Fiammetta -- The woman who caught the eye of Boccacio while in Naples.
  
• Saint Restituta -- One of the North African martyrs, she was placed on a blazing boat and set to sail.  Nevertheless, she survived the grisly ordeal.
  
• Santa Patricia -- A descendant of Constantine the Great, she is the patron saintess of Naples and her blood coagulates every Tuesday after the 9:30am mass at San Gregorio Armeno church.
  
• The prostitutes of Pompeii -- From the brothel in Pompeii to the secret cabinet at the National Archeological Museum, who can forget that the sensuous culture of Italy stems back to these ladies?
  
• The Paestum Women -- This ancient city holds the treasures not of one, but of many women.  Not only did the people of Paestum venerate two female goddesses, Hera and Athena, but the homes and markets here were once filled with the rich heterogeneity of women's images and experiences, including those of the hetaera or courtesans.

If you have any other women you'd like me to find in Naples, please post them in the comment section.  I will be tracing the histories of these women during these next few months.

La Cucina Napoletana:  What goes well with Odious women?  I say -- Neapolitan desserts.  During this tour, I will include the luscious desserts from this area.  Today, I keep it simple.  Neapolitans eat an abundance of fruits.  Watermelons abound throughout the month of August.  I've also often seen hanging kiwi gardens.

No recipe necessary.  Eat using plates, forks, and knives -- or not.

Ciao Amalfi

Writer, architecture buff, and lover of Italy -- Laura Thayer has featured my blog on 'Ciao Amalfi '.  Check it out and then read the rest of her blog for the wonderful sights and delights of the Amalfi Coast.


Buona Domenica!

The Tale of the Underground City

Naples is really a tale of two cities.  One, the narrow streets with seemingly no logic and bustling traffic.  The other, more than 3,000 years old that curves, collapses, and hollows underground, made of porous tufo stone.  Sixty percent of the population lives over more than 700 cavities of the city.  These subterranean passageways include old Roman markets, theaters, grottos, crypts, and more.  Most of these cavities remain closed or barely discovered.

Interest in this underground world surfaced in 1979 when a woodworker -- using an old well shaft in his shop to dump wood shavings, sawdust and other material -- made a paper torch to look down into the shaft.  He dropped the torch inside and the fire not only burned the refuse below, but spread throughout an entire city quarter, releasing acrid and noxious fumes. Thirty families were evacuated and firemen along with volunteers searched the extensive underground maze for more than two weeks until they were able to extinguish the fire completely.

Thereafter, stories abounded about this parallel city.  Mob clans purportedly created drug labs in underground caverns near the Naples central train station.  An older couple living in a Naples apartment went to sleep one night and suddenly their entire bedroom plunged almost thirty feet into a void beneath their home.  Some say that these unexplored cavities mean Neapolitans live with imminent danger of all kinds.

These caverns and passageways are also fun for visiting.  

In the middle of the city, the Napoli Sotterranea provides daily tours in English.  Across the street, you can visit St. Lorenzo Maggiore, an old Roman market that you can wander on your own.  On weekend mornings, Caffe Gambrinus offers tours that include air raid shelters and narrow passageways (only in Italian).  Near the Capodimonte Park, you'll find the Catacombs of San Gennaro (patron saint of the city).  If you buy a ticket to these catacombs, you automatically can visit the Catacombs of San Gaudioso where the Dominicans used the skulls and spines of people to decorate the underground cemetery.  I will be visiting these places and report on them each month.

The underground places I've already written about are:  Virgil's Tomb in the Mergellina district outside of which is the impressive Grotto Vecchia (a 700 meter tunnel closed to the public).  A little further afield, the The Grotto della Sibilla at Lago Averno is an old Roman tunnel where the sibyl purportedly gave her oracles.  And finally, in the town of Capua about 15 km north of Naples, The Sanctuary of Mithras still preserves an old fresco of Mithras slaying a bull.

Three other underground attractions I'd like to explore, but currently are closed to the public include:  The Fontanelle Underground Cemetery, an underground cave the size of a soccer field where hundreds of human skulls have been preserved.  Pausylipon and the Grotto di Seiano, near the swank Posillip district of Naples, is a long Roman tunnel with a breathtaking view that leads to the ruins of an Imperial Villa.  Piscina Mirabilis is a 96km aqueduct ending in a massive storage reservoir dating back to the Augustan period.  I will be on the look-out for how to visit these three places in hopes of getting a glimpse.

Information for this blog post was in part found at a fantastic website created by Larry Ray.

La Cucina Napoletana:  What kind of food recommendations would go well with the Naples Underground?  Contorni.  The fertile soil -- and whatever else goes on underground -- make vegetables and fruits grow here with reckless abandon.  Gardeners don't even need a green thumb.  And Naples is a paradiso for vegetarians in particular, since the Neapolitans have a bevy of contorni (side vegetable dishes) that can also function as hearty meals.  Today I add my own simple favorite:  

Pepperoni con Caperi

I see peppers sold everywhere in large sacks, usually all three colors together -- red, green, and yellow.  Using a sharp knife, cut, de-seed, and then slice as many peppers as you can eat.  Drop them in a hot frying pan along with one or two tablespoons of olive oil.  Fry them up for three to five minutes.  Next, add two teaspoons of salted capers.  Stir and serve as a snack or alongside several other vegetable dishes.

Growing Tip:  If you happen to be an underground gardener, you'll be happy to know that you never need to water your plants thanks to the year-round humidity.  (You might, however, need to provide twenty-four hour sunshine to create the photosynthesis.)

Speleology

Speleology:  the scientific study of caves, their structure, physical properties, history, life forms and the processes by which they form (speleogenesis) and change over time (speleomorphology).  The term is also used for the recreational activity of exploring caves, also more commonly known as caving, spelunking, or potholing.


I've already written a lot about the grottoes in and around Naples.  Even more fascinating are the 700+ cavities under the city, most of which remain unexplored.  But since the 1970's a large number of novices and experts alike have made urban speleology a popular study in Naples.  Tomorrow I'll start my tour of this parallel city.  For any aspiring speleologists, here is a link to more information in English about urban speleology in Naples .


Happy spelunking!

The Espresso Break

Caffe:  There's not a Starbucks for miles around.  When you ask for coffee and want something that comes in a cup larger than the length of your thumb, Neapolitans either look confused or smirk.  For them, coffee is caffe and caffe everywhere else in the world is called espresso.

Neapolitans drink three kinds of caffe all day long:  lungo (long, like a double shot), ristretto (short, no more than a tablespoon), and macchiato (long with a dollop of milk foam on top).  What makes a cup of caffe good or bad is the frothy foam on the shot.  The espresso machine and the barista together perfect this art.

In the morning, Neapolitans also drink cappuccino, which is a shot of espresso with milk and foam and comes in a regular tea cup.  But Italians don't tend to drink cappuccino beyond the early morning hours.  They also don't eat breakfast, ordering a quick cornetto (crossaint) instead.  Sometimes you can see men drink caffe with a little "top off" of an aperativo in the morning, such as Martini & Rossi.  Most Italians spend a lengthy time standing at the bar counter stirring sugar into their caffe before downing the shot.

While Italians don't copy Starbucks, nowadays baristas often do add an 'extra touch' to their caffe.  In fact, some of the best caffe renditions come from -- you'll never guess it -- the Caffe Bars at the shopping malls.  

Just about anywhere in the city, you can get specialty coffee drinks with their own exotic names like "The Morocco" or "The Grandma."  They announce their twists on billboards and each bar  considers their speciality drinks proprietary.  

A drink I had recently included amaretto flavoring, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and a shot of espresso.  The barista encouraged me to stir it before I sipped.  

These beverages are enjoyed at all hours of the day.  Now I'm on the hunt for the best new 'caffe drink' in Naples.  I'll post my findings along the way.

For today, I'll say -- Zing, Zing!

A Note From Barbara

Buongiorno!  

I've decided to expand The Espresso Break to include several Tours of Naples.  As I travel in search of the eccentric side of the city, I'll be posting under the following headings:

The Naples Underground Tour:  Naples has over 700 cavities that date back to the 4th century B.C.  I'll be in search of this 'parallel city,' now considered a major part of the study of urban speleology and first re-discovered during the 1970's when firemen were sent to put out a fire and found that Neapolitans were using these cavities to dispose of their trash.  (Every first Thursday of the month.)

The Odious Women Tour:  I've posted already about the ruthless and sexually charged Roman women, Agrippina and Poppea.  I will continue to search for women in the city who were once considered odious, but I'll expand my search through the ages to include trailblazing Renaissance women painters, Jacobin revolutionaries, and saints who lost their lives for heretical beliefs.  (Every second Thursday of the month.)

The Espresso Break:  Neapolitans pride themselves on their coffee.  And I've noticed a new development in the city.  Baristas are now expanding their repetroire to include a bevy of new coffee creations, naming things like 'The Morocco' and 'The grandma'.  I want to roam to as many cafes as possible in search of the these new and eccentric versions of paradiso.  (Every third Thursday of the month.)

Port Call:  Will describe extras and oddities in and around the city as well as describe tours, such as those for kids or following the journey of St. Paul the Apostle.

Other than during 'The Espresso Break' posts, I will continue to include Neapolitan recipes.

Hope you enjoy it.

Un caro abbracio!

Barbara

Hospital Emergencies

I received the following information from Lynn La Benz.  If you happen to need emergency care while traveling overseas, here is what she found:  

I know we all travel with our passports on the outset of our trip because we need them for customs and checking into our hotel.  However, many of us then pack them back into the suitcase during our stay.  In July, I decided to make a copy of the passport photo page (showing all passport information) for each of my family members, then I cut them down and stuck them into my handbag.  Of course I also packed the regular passports.

This turned out to be a good thing.  When my son needed stitches while we were vacationing in Croatia, at the emergency room and again at the hospital before his stitches, I was asked for both my and his passport.  Normally I wouldn't have had them on me (too heavy) but I did have the copies, which were accepted immediately.

What's more, I found that when you are injured overseas, there is a go-between to help you find your way to the hospital, translate services, and provide authorization for the payment of treatment.  It's called SOS International.  They are London-based and the staff there was friendly, efficient, and helpful.  Although we had to pay about 35 USD for the ER triage, the surgery/stitches were covered by the fax that SOS International sent to the hospital authorizing payment for treatment.

Travel Tips:

1)  Carry either your passport or copies of your passport at all times.

2)  Check the SOS International website to find the plan and health benefits that apply to you.

3)  Keep the relevant numbers in your cell phone and write the information on the back of your passport copies.

For military members, here is the TRICARE Operations information:

(Make sure to click on the link to see more.)

International SOS

London Sixth Floor

Landmark House Hammersmith Bridge Road

London W6 9DP

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8762 8133

Fax:  +44 (0) 20 8762 8125

Email: tricarelon@internationalsos.com

Thank you, Lynn!!!

Grotto di Pastena

Val più la pratica della grammatica.

(Experience is more important than theory.)

Nook of Naples:  About 85 kilometers north of Naples lies an impressive and yet out of the way Grotto di Pastena.  We plan to go to Formia, but see signs for the Grotto and we're curious.  It's a liesurely Sunday afternoon, so we say to ourselves -- why not?  It's surely close, otherwise why would there be a sign?  

An hour drive later up several mountain roads, we spill into a gravel parking lot replete with a restaurant and souvenir shop.  (Italian roads tend not to have the distance marked on their signs.)

Once we stand at the Grotto entrance and pay the 8 Euro fee per adult, we stroll down a park pathway and reach a rock opening with shades of copper and mossy green.  The Grotto measures 2127 meters long and is actually a huge river cave.  The river drains into the cave from the valley, creating a large sinkhole.  As we walk through the first chamber and up several steps, we can see small blue lakes and water streams.

Stalagmites and stalactites are everywhere to admire.  If you don't remember your fifth grade science class, stalagmites rise from the floor and stalactites hang from the ceiling of caves.  They form through the dripping of mineralized solutions.  In this grotto the stalactites often look like rippling frosting.

We hear the echo of running water throughout the Grotto, along with squeaking bats.  We walk to the edge of sheer cliffs.  At the end of the tour, we come to a cave of impressive stagalmites that go up a hill until dirt meets the rock above.  Bats fly all around.  And a large black mound of bat excrement towers in the middle.  (Ewe.)

What makes this an impressive visit is the drive itself through windy off-roads that climb up lush green mountains.  It's worth the trip if you remember that the ride to the grotto will take some time.

Getting There:  If you go down the A1 either from Rome or from Naples, you will see the signs to the Grotto everywhere.  It's easy to find.

(Pictures:  The steps leading down to the grotto, the walkway, the grotto from the outside, the entrance hut in front of the grotto, two views of the grotto on the inside.)

Grottoes, Grottoes, Everywhere!

Nooks and More Nooks!

Grottos seem to be everywhere in this region.  The writer Ovid in his Metamorphosis described nymphs, gods, goddesses, and humans bathing in these cool and hollow hiding places.

A grotto is defined as a small cave near water and liable to flood at high tide.  The word comes from the vulgar Latin 'grupta' meaning 'crypt.'  I'm not sure why Italy seems so glutted with grottoes, but perhaps it has to do with the very porous tufo stone that is a hallmark of the region.  Any geologists or speleologists out there to tell me more?

For the nature lover as well as children who prefer to climb and jump rather than visit museums, a "Grotto Tour" of Southern Italy can be very satisfying.  Here's my own travel recommendation.  If you are driving from Rome going South, you will find the following:

Grotto di Pastena (nestled in a beautiful mountain in the region of Lazio.)

Villa di Tiberius (in Sperlonga overlooking the sea and part of the ancient villa ruins of Emperor Tiberius.)

Grotto di Sibilla (at Lago Averno where the Sibyl purportedly gave her oracles.)

Grotto Vecchia (in Naples in the same park where Virgil's remains are buried.)

Grotta di Seiano (in Naples... I'm still trying to find a way to see this grotto.  It's by reservation only and unfortunately, nobody answers the phone.)

The Blue Grotto (on the island of Capri, which I reviewed last week.)

Grotte Dell'angelo di Pertosa (near the Greek ruins of Paestum and apparently geared for children.)

The Emerald Grotto (three miles west of the Amalfi Coast, I've read reviews complaining that this is a rip-off and not as impressive as advertised.)

Grotta Palazzese (a high-class restaurant located inside a grotto, many famous people come here to dine and stay at the expensive hotel.  It's off the Adriatic Coast.)

Nymphs are said to bath in grottos frequently.  If you happen upon one, take pictures and post them here!

Book Recommendation:  Heavenly Caves:  Reflections on the Garden Grotto by Naomi Miller.  This book traces the development of the grotto from antiquity to modern times.

La Cucina Napoletana:  Perhaps my own puritanism has held me back, but slowly the passions and sensualities of the Romans are growing on me.  So finally, I am posting a recipe for -- an ancient aphrodisiac.

Bulbi For Love

(For all young couples and not so young couples)

Apicio writes:  For those who search for the delights of Venus, boil the bulbs in water, then, as also for the rights of a wedding, serve with pine nuts or the juice extracted from ruchetta and sprinkle with pepper.

This recipe doesn't need much more explanation.  Ruchetta is still found today everywhere in markets and grocery stores.  I've added a picture of what it looks like.

Bulbi are bulbs very similar to little reddish onions, but very different in taste.  Also known in Italy as 'lampacioni', they are 'lovers bulbs' and in order to eat them, they need to be boiled in salt water, the water changed several times, until they have lost their bitterness.  They are often eaten pickled in the Puglia region.

***Before I published this post I decided to give a shout to other great bloggers on Italy.  I found two wonderful resources.  Bella Baita View in Piedmont told me about Parla Food.  Click on Parla Food to find a picture of lampacioni in Puglia.

(Pictures:  The Blue Grotto, the Grotto di Pastena, the Grotto Vecchia, the Grotto di Sibilla, and the Grotto at the Tiberius Villa.)

The Blue Grotto

Per anndare d'accordo co il vicino - devi stare con un-occhio aperto e l'altro non serrato.

(To get on with your neighbours - you must go with one eye open and the other not closed.)

Nooks Of Naples:  The island of Capri boasts beaches, amazing vistas, a funicolare that goes to the town center where pedestrian walkways twist along white washed buildings, and the Blue Grotto.  It's a resort island now.  But if you take the 2km walk from the town center to the other end of the island, you also find what remains of Tiberius' villa.  

I already wrote about his summer residence in Sperlonga and his hapless fate with women.  What I left out was that Tiberius exiled himself from Rome and spent the rest of his life in Capri, where he built a large complex and remained until his death.  He left the ruling of Rome to the cruel and ruthless Sejanus.

The two historians who documented Tiberius' life, Tacitus and Suetonius, claim that by the time he lived in Capri, he was a paranoid man who indulged in sexually depraved activities.  He even purportedly had two servants whose names were 'Sphincter' and 'Saddle.'  His subjects in Rome often referred to him as 'Biberius' meaning 'Lush'.  Upon his death at the age of 77, he was denied the usual divine honors of a Caesar and mobs of people in the streets of Rome yelled "To the Tiber with Tiberius."  (At that time, the corpses of criminals were usually disposed of in the Tiber River.)

Today, sheer cliffs and beaches make this island beautiful.  The Blue Grotto is the main tourist attraction, which would be a wonderful experience -- if it wasn't also a rip-off.

We pay a fee at the harbor and a boat takes us along the sheer cliffs until we reach the opening of the grotto.  Here, we're required to pay another 10 Euro (per person) to get into a row boat.  The rower then tells us to lie down in the boat.  He pulls at a chain strung through a small rock opening and the boat rushes inside.  We enter a dank hole -- I mean a cave -- where ambient blue light shines from the bottom of the water on one side.  The rower sings a song from the Spanish group, 'Gypsy Kings,' his voice echoing throughout the cave along with the many other rowers.  When we leave the grotto, the rower asks for an additional tip... and then asks for an additional tip to the one we just gave him.  All in all, the experience leaves us with a Tiberius-like sense of fiduciary perversity.  (I'm sorry, but it does.)

Getting There:  You can catch the ferry to Capri almost once every hour of everyday at the port in downtown Naples.  For more information, the Capri tourist website is excellent.

La Cucina Napoletana:  Capri cuisine has its own particular flare.  Some of the more well-known dishes include stuffed calamari, wild quail, capri style ravioli, and caprese cake made from chocolate and almonds.  The island also makes its own wine "Capri Bianco".

But for today, I'd like to continue on my ancient Roman recipes... and for two more posts.  After that, I'll have translated enough recipes to create a several-course meal of ancient dishes.  And I've found something simple that's also perfect for these sweltering Italian summer days of August.

Omelette Al Latte

(A New Type of 'Sugar Omelette')

Apicio writes:  Four eggs, a half liter of milk, 25 grams of oil, all well combined.  Put a bit of the oil in a thin frying pan, make hot, then add the prepared mixture.  When one part is cooked, turn it over, put on a tray, drizzle with honey, dust with pepper and serve.

(This recipes makes enough for 4 people)

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon oil

generous amounts of honey

generous amounts of pepper

Take the eggs, milk, and oil and combine together.  Put a little oil into a frying pan for omelettes and heat.  Then pour in the eggs with milk.  Let it thicken and when it reaches the necessary consistency, turn it with the help of a plate and let the other side cook as well.  Slide onto a serving platter.  Douse the omelette with honey and dust with pepper.

(This is another recipe from Ricette Della Cucina Romana A Pompeii by Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti)

Make sure to eat this dish while on a 'depraved' island.

A Few Travel Tips

It's summer time and although I find it both dry and boring to write travel tips about Naples, it seems necessary.  It's a world unto itself and visitors will likely enjoy their time here much more if they know a few basics.  So in this post, I add a little pragmatism to the romance.

Why is it so dirty?  The complaints about Naples are that the city is gritty, polluted, and dirty.  The truth about Neapolitan 'grit' is that the city is more than 2,800 years old.  Already in the 6th century B.C. the region sprawled and bustled with a large population.  Later, the Roman writer Virgil even said that Naples was 'toxic', probably owing to the noxious sulfuric fumes that bubbled out of Solfatara and wafted across the city depending on the direction of the wind.  In addition, the people have preserved so much of their past that the buildings almost by necessity tend to blend into the natural look and feel of the antiquity around them.  

If you live in Naples and acculturate to the environment, when you travel to other cities, such as Barcelona or Berlin, they look so clean that they seem both inauthentic and superficially hygienic.  Certainly Naples has its share problems (some of which I'll touch upon in later posts).  But it's best to look at Naples as more than a travel or living experience -- it's a personality type.

Safety:  You wouldn't leave your wallet on a park bench in New York City.  You wouldn't walk down the street in East LA with your Louis Vuitton purse.  Naples is a big chaotic city.  Be smart and be safe.  And stay tranquil in the knowledge that violent crimes are very very unusual as are child kidnappings since they love children and consider both them and their mothers sacred.  The crime is near exclusively one of pickpocketing and home burglaries.

Driving:  The Neapolitans see nothing wrong with their driving.  And yet, when my Filipino father-in-law came to visit, he noted:  "The traffic here is worse than in Manila."  My advice:  Drive defensively.  Watch the flow of traffic.  If lots of cars are not stopping at a particular red light or stop sign -- slowly and carefully do the same.  Why?  Because if you don't follow along and insist on stopping -- yes, someone might get angry and honk at you -- but also likely you'll get rear ended.  The traffic accidents here are high, so don't take your safety complacently.  Also, motorcycles have the right of way -- even over pedestrians.  I'll repeat:  Crazy motorinos, often with a cigarette in their mouth and a cell phone pressed to their ear while driving, dart through every crevice of the city and have the right of way over pedestrians.  If you're driving -- always look in your right and left rear-view mirrors to watch for motorcycles darting on either side of you.

For some great tips on Italian driving, see the link for Italy: Beyond The Obvious.

How To Take Public Transportation:  You can always buy a ticket from the ticket office outside the metro, bus, or train stations.  Also, the outside newspaper/magazine stands sell tickets.  When you get on the bus or metro, make sure to put it through the machine that stamps a date and time on it.  Sometimes you can hop on the public transportation without a ticket and not get caught (I have), but if the conductor comes along, you're out 36 Euro or more (which has happened to me too).

Greeting Italians:  Neapolitans can seem brusque or grumpy at times.  I've heard this complaint often and indeed I felt this way when I first arrived.  But then I unlocked a little cultural key -- greet people (your bus driver, the barista, your waiter, the store person) with a Buongiorno if it's before 2pm and a Buena Sera if it's after 2pm.  Also use the word Grazie as often as possible.  It seems that Italians are always saying Grazie even if there's nothing to be thankful for.  When foreigners try to use those few words, I've noticed that Neapolitans turn from brusque to chocolate sweet within an instant.

Embrace the personality!

More On Campania Beaches

Port Call!

The Ministry of Public Health has a website with maps showing the polluted and unpolluted beaches within the Campania region: http://www.arpacampania.it/baln2009web/MappaBalneazioneLitoraleFlegreo.pdf

The blue dots are clean areas and red dots are polluted beaches.

Another word of caution. If the beaches are polluted, more than likely the fish and shellfish are also polluted. If you are currently pregnant, try to shy away from the fruits of the sea. For everyone else, ask your local market from which area the fish come.

Villa of Tiberius

Il pessimo vicini - e il parente piu stretto.

(The worst neighbor - is the closest relation.)

Nook of Naples:  Tiberius (42 B.C. to 37 A.D.), the Roman emperor who ruled after the death of Augustus, was a forlorn man who refused to step up to the difficult tasks of leading the Empire.  Instead, he left it to, among others, the hated Praetorian Prefects (or Emperor's aides).  

The life of Tiberius is a tragic tale of the 'rich and famous' who wished he wasn't.  As a young man, he distinguished himself in many campaigns as a general.  He also married Vipsania Agrippina.  But Emperor Augustus, priming Tiberius to succeed him as Emperor, forced him to divorce and marry Julia the Elder, Augustus' daughter.  Tiberius left Vipsania who at the time was pregnant and lost the baby out of shock. 

His new wife, Julia, had one baby who died in infancy.  She also openly flaunted her affairs, in particular her nightly escapades at the Forum, thus humiliating Tiberius.

The villa in Sperlonga, like Tiberius' life, lies in ruins along the shore of a public beach.  The grotto used to showcase mammoth marble statues, including a naked Polyphemus being speared.  That impressive marble structure still exists in the accompanying Archeological Museum at the entrance to the complex.

The drive to the villa winds through highways overlooking cliffs.  The view, the beach, and the museum are magnificent.  The grotto has a cool hollow feel that perhaps mirrors the lonely and sad life of Tiberius. 

(I'll write more about Tiberius's life in a later post about the Blue Grotto.)

Getting There:  Drive north of Naples toward Formia and then follow the signs to Sperlonga.  After that, signs are everywhere to the Tiberius Villa.  It's quite easy to find.  While there, you can also visit the city of Formia that boasts, among other things, Cicero's tomb.  Nearby, the city of Gaeta has Split Rock where the rock split three-ways on the day that Jesus was crucified.

La Cucina Napoletana:  Legumes are a staple here.  I've eaten saffron rice with lentils as well as tomato sauce with lentils.  What's more, Neapolitans make legumes without much seasoning.  Astoundingly, this seems to be in keeping with the ancient Roman tradition.

Take a look at this ancient dish called Tisana  attributed to the Roman writer Apicio:

1,500 liters water

100 g chickpeas

100g lentils

100 g dry peas

100 g orzo

6 spoonfuls nuoc-nam

1 handful of parsley

1 pinch vinegar

200 g. tops of broccoli

1 good pinch oregano

2 cloves of garlic

1 handful of levistico

2 spoonfuls of oil

Soak for one night and then boil in the water full of 20 g of salt, the chickpeas, lentils, dry peas and orzo.  Put thin strips of leek, the fennel, aneto, oregano, garlic, levistico coarsely cut into the pot.  Add the nuoc-nam (or, if you don't have it, two anchovies fried with a spoonful of oil).  At the end, throw the tops of pre-boiled broccoli into the soup.  Add salt and nuoc-nam to taste.

Definitions of the ancient foods:

aneto --  Is a plant with threadlike leaves.  It's about 60-90 cm in height and has small yellow flowers.  Today in Rome, where the ancient ingredients were often used, it's impossible to find fresh aneto.  You can find it dry in specialized stores or at an herbalist, but it's not the same thing.

levistico -- Today this herb is no longer cultivated.  It has a pleasant flvor that is a mix between celery and parsley.  Using the two can be a substitute.

nuoc-nam --  A brine used often in Indochinese cooking, it's like garum or the liquid of fish of various genera.  Optimally, it's used for hot plates rather than raw.  Pliny the Elder said "It has the warmth of honey and is so good that it can be drunk from a glass."

(Pictures:  View of the beach from the Tiberius Villa, the grotto, the small remaining preserved wall fresco, a view of the complex, the sign announcing the villa.)

Campania Beaches

Looks like even Campania Beaches have their share of pollution.  

After my post "Lido Life," I've now read that the beaches in Campania are off-limits. The Agenzia Regionale per la Portezione Ambientale della Campania has done biweekly tests of the regional waters that have turned up higher-than-acceptable levels of total coliform, fecal coliform and fecal streptococci bacteria, the last of which can cause strep throat, flesh-eating disease and other infections. The pollution is caused by illegal dumping of sewage and inefficient water purification plants.  

You can read more about it here: Italy's beaches are mostly vacant. To read more about news releases by the Campania version of the EPA, go to the 'Agenzia' link above.  

My hometown is San Diego where these pollution problems have been chronic for many years, so my family and I have written off beaches there as well (along with in LA where you can actually smell the sewage coming off the Santa Monica pier as well as beaches near Pacific Palisades). I suggest that my 'Lido' post become our 'virtual tour' of the Campania beach -- and we head off to more ancient ruins or parks. My recommendation for a wonderful park located in the heart of the city is Parco Virgiliano. Click on the park for a virtual tour.

For today, I write my feelings in on-line parlance: :(

Lido Life

PORT CALL!

Summer in southern Italy means beaches.  

But in this sprawling metropolis, it's hard to find a beach that's free and open to the public.  Instead, a private company owns a strip of beach.  Although the Lidos can be somewhat expensive and burgeon with people on the weekends, they can also feel luxurious.

Lidos line the shore from the seaside town of Castel Volturno all the way down to Lago Patria and beyond.  To name them all would take a decade.

Driving along the road, once you select a Lido (we do it randomly), a parking attendant directs you to a small lot.  The procedure for entering a Lido tends to be the same everywhere.  You pay an all-day fee at the front gate and then walk into an espresso bar replete with caffe, sodas, candy, and gelato.  They also have a cafeteria.  You forge ahead to the promenade and give a beach attendant your ticket.  He picks up an umbrella and chairs (which you pay for extra at the front gate) and you select a sandy plot.  He then sets you up.

To avoid the bumper to bumper Lido traffic, arrive close to 10am and leave at 2pm.  At those hours, you'll have your choice of parking and beach space.  If you head for the beach at noon and leave at 4pm, the traffic will be intense and the beach will be crowded.

Lidos often have playgrounds for kids and delicious cafeteria food with panini, spaghetti, mozzarella balls, and other hot primi, secondi, and contorni piatti.  It's delicious, though a bit pricey, but well worth the experience.

La Cucina Napoletana:  A panini is as simple as lying on the beach.  At the Lido cafeterias, I always order a Panini with Roasted Bell Peppers.  They simply stuff a french roll with bell peppers that have been roasted and then basted in olive oil.  You can try this at home by roasting some bell peppers of your choice in the oven, letting them cool and cutting them into slices.  Then add a generous amount of olive oil.  Next, stuff them into a sandwich and eat without condiments.

Happy Summer Fun!

Stabia

(Pictures:  Fresco at the Villa San Marco as well as the courtyard, kitchen, atrium, and a hole through a wall.  A pear fresco and room of the Villa Arianna as well as the view of Mt. Vesuvius on the opposite side.)

In un mondo di ciechi un orbo e re.

(In a world of blind people, a one-eyed man is king.)

Nook of Naples:  Driving through small streets, I go in circles for a while, passing town centers where vendors sell pizza and cafe.  I finally find a long narrow road with signs and stop at an empty parking lot with a trailer wedged to the left of a gravel road.  A guide takes me along this road and I expect to see a run down lot with a rubble of unrecognizable ruins.  Instead, he brings me to the edge of a stunning edifice perched over a dramatic view of Naples.

The Villa of Arianna, so named for a fresco of Dionysus and Adriadne inside, stretches along a walkway overlooking the city.  As I wander through room after room it becomes clear that this villa was once flush with deep colored frescoes on every wall, detailed mosaics on every floor, and a complicated maze of rooms.  

Once a popular resort area for wealthy Romans, Pliny the Elder wrote that several miles of luxury villas existed here.  Pliny died in Stabia after setting sail across the Bay to rescue people during the 79 AD eruption, but succumbed to the deadly ash himself.  Stabia was destroyed by more than ten feet of tephra ash.

Today, only two villas are open to the public.  Down the road from Villa of Arianna, the much better preserved Villa San Marco measures more than 11,0000 meters.  A stroll through this structure means seeing a well-preserved atrium, triclinium, and kitchen.  The villa also once had an extensive bath system, including a caldarium, tepidarium, and frigidarium.

Getting There:  Villa San Marco – Ufficio Scavi di Stabiae -- Via Passeggiata Archeologica -- Castellammare di Stabia (Napoli)

La Cucina Napoletana:  The ancient Roman Columella (AD 4 - ca. AD 70) had a career in the army  after which he took up farming. He wrote De Re Rustica in twelve volumes, a work that has been completely preserved.  Here he writes about a cheese appetizer:  "Delicious particularly when it is very soft.  With all the herbs that are in season, after having cleaned them well, skin and crush the larger walnuts all in the quantity you consider opportune,then  combine well (with the cheese).  Season with a little vinegar and pepper and cover with oil."

Here is Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti's version from Ricette Della Cucina Romana A Pompeii:

Walnut Cheese

150 g herb cheese (cream cheese, ricotta, mascarpone with herbs already inside)

50 g shelled walnuts

Add the shelled and crushed walnuts to the herb cheese and blend together.  Make sure the mixture doesn't become hard and dry.  Because the walnuts have the gift of absorbing oil, the desirable consistency of the cheese can be soft and creamy.  To get this consistency, little by little add small quantities of oil until you bring the mixture to the consistency of ricotta or mascarpone.  Finally, season with a little vinegar and pepper, tasting to repair the flavor with salt and vinegar as needed.  This dish conserves well for long periods of time as long as it's kept in the refrigerator and covered in oil.

Boscoreale

Fatti i cazzi tuoi, ca campi cent'anni.

(Mind your own business, and you'll live 100 years.)

Nook of Naples:  Tucked away behind a complex of apartments, Boscoreale lies about two kilometers away from Pompeii.  During Roman times, the area was part of a hunting reserve.  

This particular villa burned down during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, so there's not much to see.  I walk down a slope to the excavation site thirty feet below ground level.  Only a few rooms remain, but the kitchen makes the visit worthwhile.  Inside are rows of buried amphorae that must have held all sorts of delights.

Next to the villa, a small museum houses frescoes, marble statues, and other items.  But there's no brochure and the collection is eclectic, not necessarily displaying what was found exclusively at this location.  

Interestingly, a huge number of coins were hidden in a cistern at Boscoreale just before the eruption.  They were re-discovered in the late nineteenth century and museums throughout Europe, including the Louvre, snatched up the coins for their own collections.  Fortunately, many frescoes and coins from Boscoreale can also be admired at the National Archeological Museum in downtown Naples.

Wine: Lacryma Christi comes from this region.  The name, meaning 'the tears of Christ', derives from an old tale that when Christ wept over Lucifer's fall from heaven, his bountiful tears fell along the sides of the volcano.  Certainly, the lava flows on Mt. Vesuvius have made the lower slopes extremely fertile.  Click the Recommended Wines on the Cellar Tours website to find out more.

La Cucina Napoletana:  The oldest surviving work of Latin prose, Cato's On Agriculture dates back to around 160 B.C.  The work gives detailed information on the customs, superstitions, farming techniques, and cooking recipes of his time.  

In her Ricette Della Cucina Romana A Pompei, Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti cites several of Cato recipes, including this one:

Mix two pounds of cheese in a mortar.  When you have made it smooth, knead the cheese into one pound of flour, or if you want it more light, a half pound.  Add one egg and knead again.  Form a round loaf, put on a bed of leaves and cook slowly in a hot oven.  (Cato, On Agriculture LXXV)

Here are Eugenia's additional comments:

Libum Di Catone

2 cups ricotta

1/2 cup flour

1 egg

1 pinch of salt

Cato described how to cook one large round loaf, but today it's much more practical to make a small bun that can be served like bread.  So agree to make the loaves about 2 inches in diameter.  Given that it inflates in the oven, it's good to remember to put them a little distance apart on the baking sheet.  The kneading Cato recommends results in a very soft mixture that tends to stick to the hands when shaping the buns, so it's good to use a spoon with a little flour when making each roll, giving it the form of a marble that you flatten and put on an already greased baking sheet.  Put the buns in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.  

Optimally serve Libum with cocktails for a party (or at a diner on foot).  In this case, double or triple the quantity according to the number of guests, but remember that when using up to 4 cups of ricotta, you continue to use only one egg.

Cin-Cin!

Summer Solstice

In this mid-week post, I'm diverging from my usual format to document a Naples original event.

Event:  Every solstice, a group of universal-minded Italians hold a Solstice Ceremony at the Temple of Apollo in Lago Averno.  The ceremony is well attended and charming in its desire to unite all religions and all peoples together.

We began at 18:30 on June 21st outside the Temple of Apollo.  While everyone gathered around, an elderly gentleman gave an introduction to the coming service, in particular the need for the group to respect silent moments.

Then we filed into the Temple -- a place usually closed to the public.  The ceremony began with two circles, one inner and one outer.  We first recited an "Invocation of the Seven Directions."  Throughout the service, songs were sung and individuals read poems.  Symbols of the earth, wind, fire, and water were passed around:  a plate of Lago Averno water, bread, incense, and a torch went from person to person.

An elderly woman gave a speech explaining that we come together with our sayings and songs from different religions in order to appreciate our unity.

We then made our way from inside the Temple to the lake where we swept candles on lilypads into the water.  Stones were also thrown into the water as offerings.  The ceremony ended with a long "OM...." at the banks of the lake just as the sun sets across the crater.

The next solstice ceremony will be held in winter.  The event is free and you can find more at Centro Nuova Era.  (The center is located in Vomero overlooking a breathtaking view and offers massages, yoga, and other activities.)

Pace!

The Villa of Poppaea in Oplontis

Chi tante male azioni fa, una grossa ne aspetta.

(He who does many bad deeds can expect a big one in return.)

Nook of Naples:  An ancient map named this suburb city of Pompeii "Oplontis."  Today, the modern city is known as "Torre Annunziata".  What remains of the Roman suburb is a well-preserved villa thirty feet below the modern level where visitors can roam a massive residential complex that once belonged to Nero's wife, Poppaea Sabina.

Buried during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD, the rooms still tell a story about the daily lives of its former inhabitants.  The first room at the entrance of the villa is the Atrium, a grand sitting room with an opening in the roof and a corresponding tub in the center of the floor that collects rainwater.  

A brick oven looks as though it could still be fired up and the adjacent triclinium still boasts red frescoes.  The triclinium once had cots along the walls where people lay down to eat.  

There are latrines with top slabs and a canal below.  At the entrance to the bathroom, a tub once contained water used to clean out the canal.  

The baths are particularly impressive, including a calidarium and tepidarium that once had an advanced system of hot & warm air flowing along the walls and under the floor.  

Roofless indoor gardens still depict lush vegetation on the walls and vast gardens are lined with marble sculptures.  Archeologists have created casts out of the roots of tall trees they found here.  The trees are believed to be sycamores.

The villa truly comes alive with the history of Poppaea Sabina (30-65 A.D.).  Born in Pompeii, her distinguished mother committed suicide when Poppaea was 17.  At the age of 14 she had already married Rufrius Crispinus, a man of Egyptian origin and leader of the Praetorian Guard.  (The military group that assisted emperors in campaigns and were known for their intrigues and assassinations.)  But Poppaea divorced him and married Otho, a good friend of Emperor Nero.

Nero fell in love with her and she became his favorite mistress.  Tacitus describes her as ambitious and ruthless.  She enticed Nero to kill his mother, Agrippina and after Nero's mother was out of the way, she pressured Nero to divorce and later execute his wife, Claudia Octavia.

Poppaea became pregnant and bore Nero one daughter who died at four months of age.  Two years later, while pregnant with their second child, rumors held that she and Nero quarreled about him spending too much time at the races.  In a fit of rage, Nero kicked her in the abdomen.  She and her child died.  Nevertheless, she was given a state funeral and Nero praised her during the eulogy.

Apparently, Poppaea enjoyed taking milk baths.

Movie Recommendation:   It Started In Naples (1960) with Sophia Lauren and Clark Gable.

La Cucina Napoletana:  My next few posts will be dedicated to the villas around Naples.  In keeping with this theme, I would like to translate (loosely) some recipes from the book Ricette Della Cucina Romana A Pompeii (Recipes from the Roman Kitchen at Pompeii.) by Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti.  Because Pompeii was so well-preserved, today we know quite a bit about their eating habits.  The author of this cookbook is also an archeologist who has written extensively on the period.  The book is filled with delightful nuggets, but for today, very appropriately, I post the dessert called:

Cassata di Oplontis 

(Tutti-Frutti of Oplontis)

(Serves 15-20)

3 lbs. ricotta

2 1/2 cups honey

3/4 cup dried apricots

3/4 cup prunes

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts -- shelled and peeled

10 dates

3/4 cup almond flour

Red colored powder bought from a bakery

Cut and dice the dried fruit.  Put aside the nicest pieces as well as the dates for decoration.  Bring the walnuts to a boil in some of the honey until they are caramelized.  Break the pieces apart.

Next, pass the ricotta through a sieve.  Reserve about a half cup for decoration, then mix the rest with honey until the ricotta is adequately sweet (more or less at the level of the Sicilian tutti-frutti).  Work the cream until it becomes extremely smooth, soft, and light.  At this point, add the diced fruit and the caramelized walnuts.

Take more honey and kneed it into the almond flour along with the red coloring powder until a ball forms.  Line a baking tin with greased wax-paper.  Stretch the marzipan with a rolling pin and then press the dough into the tin.  Fill the tin with the cream of ricotta and place in the refrigerator for at least one day.  (Don't put in the freezer).

Delicately remove the wax-paper from the tin, then remove the wax-paper from the marzipan, and place on a round tray.  Layer the top with the ricotta and decorate with the dried fruits -- imitating as much as possible the desserts you see in the frescoes of Oplontis.

Eat while taking a long tepid milk bath in your tepidarium.

Buon Divertimento!

Mt. Vesuvius

(Pictures:  View of Naples from the top of Mt. Vesuvius, view of Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius in clouds, the path leading to the top, the crater at the peak, the volcanic walkway along the top.)

Quel che non ammazza, ingrassa.

(What won't kill you, will feed you.)

Nook of Naples:  Mt. Vesuvius looms over every vantage point in Naples and the surrounding areas.  The only active volcano on the continent of Europe, Vesuvius is over twelve thousand years old.  Its highest point is 1270 meters high.  Records show that before 79 AD (the year of the eruption that covered Pompeii), its slopes were probably covered by forest and at its foot the lush soil made cultivation of various crops easy, especially vineyards.  

A visit up its slopes means driving up a narrow winding road, easily following the signs, until the parking lot to the national park.  The walk up to the peak takes about 20 minutes, souvenir shops and cafes available along the way.  The breathtaking view of Naples along with the three islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida make the steep climb pleasureable.  

Once at the top, I look down into a steep crater, its rock formations impressive, but I'm a little disappointed because I expected to see bubbling lava.  Instead, it's all dry rock.  But the trek along the volcano still feels a bit daring.  Vulcanologists anticipate another eruption sometime soon.   Interestingly, that doesn't prevent Neapolitans from building a sprawling metropolitan area right at the foot of the volcano.

Book:  In the Shadow of Vesuvius:  A Cultural History of Naples by Jordan Lancaster is a smooth read that gives a fun history of the city.

La Cuinca Napoletana:  To plant a seed in this region means that it will sprout and grow within minutes.  At least, that's how it seems.  Part of the reason is that the soil around the Mt. Vesuvius area is extremely fertile.  Fruits and vegetables abound and restaurant menus are filled with non-meat dishes that are extremely tasty.  

The eggplant is the vegetable I see most.  Eggplant can be served marinated in olive oil, grilled and seasoned with parsley or basil, fried and tossed in pasta, simmered within a tomato and basil ragu sauce, and more.  The most renown eggplant dish is, of course, Eggplant Parmesan and yep -- the first mention of the dish was in Vincenzo Corrado's 1765 Il cuoco galante (The Gallant Cook), which was also the first Neapolitan cookbook.  This classic version is never breaded before frying, the sauce and cheeses are sparing, and the dish is often eaten on the side.

Parmigiana Di Melanzane

3 pounds eggplant

4 cups tomato sauce

1-1 1/2 cups of extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced mozzarella

1 cup basil leaves

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Wash and dry the eggplant.  In a skillet, heat about 1/3 inch of oil and fry a few slices of eggplant at a time.  Spread about 3/4 cup of tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking dish and place a layer of eggplant on the sauce, then a layer of mozzarella, another 1/2 cup of sauce, 1/3 cup of the basil leaves and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.  Repeat with a second layer of eggplant along with the other ingredients, then a third layer.  Top the dish with the remaining ingredients.  Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.  It can be served at room temperature or warm.

(This recipe is a paraphrased version from Naples At Table by Arthur Schwartz.)

Soccer in Naples

(Pictures:  Naples vs. AC Milan players on the field, David Beckham, San Paolo Stadium in Naples, fans in the stadium, and rowdy fans in the "Curva" section lighting fires.)

Nook of Naples:  It's impossible to talk about life in Naples without mentioning soccer.  And there is nothing like the experience of a Neapolitan soccer game.  The fans are rowdy, the Stadium San Paolo is old, and you can frequently see flairs and fires dot the stadium during a big game.  Soccer is a huge sport here and it seems that all young males devote their afternoons and weekends to honing their skills on the field.

For those of you who don't know much about soccer, here's a small summary.  The season runs from August through May.  The Naples team plays forty regular season games per year -- twenty at home and twenty away, playing each Serie A team twice.  The Naples team is excellent, so they are in Serie A or the Italian Premier League.  This league is considered one of the three best in the world alongside the English Premier League and the Spanish Primera Liga.

Throughout Italy, almost every town has its own team, so there are also Serie B, C, and D.  Each year, the top teams in each division move up to the next division the following year.  The bottom four teams of a Serie move down a division.  This makes the competition within each Serie fierce. 

The top teams in Italy tend to come from Milan -- AC Milan, Juventus, and Internationale.  They are the ones who usually win the Serie A.  Naples usually finishes somewhere in the middle of the Serie.  The Italian teams -- just like other teams in Europe -- buy their players from all over the world.  AC Milan, for example, has David Beckham from England and Ronaldinho from Brazil.  

The sport can get complicated because not only do Italians play teams within their country, but European tournaments also run throughout the year.  The most famous tournament is the Champions League, which pits the top teams in Europe against each other in a year long competition with a finale in May.  These best-of-the-best teams recruit players from all over the world, including Brazil and Argentina.

The top Neapolitan player today is Ezequiel Lavezzi from Argentina.  He is the most renown Argentinian to play in Naples since Diego Maradona.

Getting There:  Take the Tangenziale to the Fuorigrotto exit.  Once you get off, you'll see the stadium to the East.

Website Recommendation:  The Naples soccer team is known as Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli or SSC Napoli.  Their English language website is fabulous. 

La Cucina Napoletana:  Vendors can't be found inside the stadium, so Italian 'fast-food' gluts the streets outside.  'Fast Food' for Italians includes pizza with beer, fried bread with ricotta and ham inside, and panini (sandwiches).  Two of my favorites panini are:

Panini with Eggplant and Mozzarella:

Take a small baquette and slice in the middle.

Fry eggplant in a pan with healthy heaps of olive oil.  

Slice mozzarella cheese.

Place the eggplant and mozzarella inside the panini and eat.

(Usually, no condiments are used.)

The other sandwich I see sold by vendors has no name that I know of.  It's a bread bun sliced in the middle, then stuffed with french fries and one small hot dog.  (You eat it with no condiments.)

Buon Divertimento!

The Pasta Factory

Semolina durum wheat is the ingredient that makes Italian spaghetti both so good and so healthy.  

Here I'm posting a tour in pictures of the Paeone Pasta Factory in Formia.

A Taste of Japan

(Pictures: Centro Bonsai greenhouse, including a plant grown for the last eighteen years by the greenhouse owner. )

Chi lascia la strada vecchia per la nuova sa quel che lascia, ma non sa quel che trova.

(Who leaves the old street for the new one, knows what he left but not what he'll find. OR

Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.)

Nook of Naples: When I ask a Neapolitan: "Where are you from?" I usually get the same answer: Naples. In general, people are born and live in the Campania region all their lives surrounded by family. What's more, the Neapolitans tend to be fiercely proud of their local heritage, from their two thousand year history and their art to their internationally renown cuisine. Living here, therefore, means being immersed in everything Neapolitan.

But as a metropolitan port city, I also search for its international flair. What I have found is a niche of Japanese aficionados.

The Naples Bonsai Club offers classes in the Japanese art of cultivating Bonsai. The club itself is a sprawling greenhouse consisting exclusively of Bonsai. Well, okay, not all the plants are Bonsai because students begin their training with indigineous Mediterraean plants that are easier to pluck and prune.

The Bonsai Club is a bit difficult to find, hiding down a steep incline behind a gated parking lot. But with a GPS and a little adventurous spirit, plus the telephone number from the website on hand, you'll enter a take-me-away world of plants and sunshine. The owner proudly gives visitors a tour, including the Bonsai he himself has cultivated for over eighteen years. They're all Italians and if you stay a while, they'll offer you espresso from a thermos. They adhere to strict Japanese forms of Bonsai cultivation and over the years, as the pictures on the walls attest, they have invited Japanese teachers to Naples many times.

Once a month on Saturday mornings, Daniela Myoei Di Perna holds Japanese calligraphy (Shodo) classes here. She has studied for over ten years under Sensei Norio Nagayama, a Japanese man who teaches this art form throughout Italy. Daniela's calligraphy works have appeared as part of exhibitions in Europe, Japan, and Korea.

She and her husband, Massimo Taiku Rossi, also hold Zen Meditation at Centro Nuova Era in Vomero every Wednesday evenings as well as twice a month on Saturdays at the Yoga studio Centro L'Arnia in Caserta. They practice the Soto tradition of Japanese Zen and are affiliated with the Deshimaru lineage.

Deshimaru was a Japanese monk renown throughout Europe for being the first to establish Buddhism on the continent. Today, Maestro Guareschi has continued his lineage in Italy at the temple Fudenji located outside the small town of Fidenza, near Milan. Every several months, Daniela and Massimo take their practioners up to to the temple Fudenji for longer meditation periods. The temple adheres to rigid Japanese practice, including a wake up at 4:45am. But they're Italian, so an espresso break at 3pm goes without saying.

La Cucina Giapponese: Three exquisite Japanese restaurants in Naples mirror the seriousness of the Italian cooking experience here. The swell of Italians on the weekends also shows how highly the Neapolitans prize sushi, sashimi, and tempura:

Kukai

Ristorante Zen 2

Ristorante Tokyo

A little slice of the Orient feels apropos considering that Naples was once home to traders who came to this port town from everywhere bringing spices, exotic animals, and more. Today, the Japanese flavors of Naples are small, but a real treat once found.

Herculaneum

(Pictures:  The mosaics in the courtyard at the House of  Neptune and Amphitrie, a view of what used to be the dock to the sea from the bridge, a view of Herculaneum from the plank, a cobblestone road.)  

Amicu ca non ti duna, parendi ca non ti mpresta, fuili comu la pesta.

(Friend who won't give, relatives who won't lend you a hand, avoid them like the plague.)

Nook of Naples:  Herculaneum, as the myth goes, was founded by Hercules.  The town does have Greek origins, the city being founded sometime in the 6th century B.C.  By 89 B.C. The Romans had conquered Herculaneum and soon the city became a high-class resort with many patrician residences.  The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, however, plunged the city into a huge river of boiling mud and debris ten meters deep.  The population probably had time to escape to the sea, but they were forced back to the shore by a violent tidal wave, as evidenced by the remains humans alongside boats.

In 1709 Austrian Prince d'Elboeuf discovered part of Herculaneum's theater and in 1738 the "Villa of Papyri" -- an area still not open to the public -- was found with a library consisting of 2,000 papyrus scrolls.  Today, the scrolls are housed downtown in the Naples National Library.

After leaving the ticket office, a long bridge curves above the entire city, giving a bird's eye view of its streets and buildings.  The well-preserved structures include wood materials that normally would have decayed.

Wandering through the villas with their once grand atriums, tricliniums, and floors mosaics, the most stunning by far is the house with a detailed mosaic of Neptune and Amphitrite inside an inner courtyard.  

The old seafront is another interesting sight, the place where 300 inhabitants tried to escape, but died.  Herculaneum is well worth a visit and some argue even better preserved than Pompeii itself.

Getting There:  Herculaneum sits on top of the present day city of Ercolano.  It's fairly simple to get there and taking the autostrada is a welcome break from the bumper to hood traffic of downtown Naples.  A map is provided in .pdf file at www.pompeiisites.org.

Book & Documentary:  The Fires of Vesuvius:  Pompeii Lost and Found by Mary Beard.  This is a fantastic read that explores the daily life of people in this ancient city spanning topics from bad breath to tapeworms.

La Cucina Napoletana:  Several other toppings also make pizza quintessentially Neapolitan.  In the last post, I included a recipe for making pizza dough.  Here I only add the regional toppings common on most restaurant menus.  From the book Cucina Napoletano by Roberta Avallone:

Pizza with Fresh Anchovies

Clean the anchovies, de-bone, cut off the head, and rinse under running water.

Drain the filets in a strainer and pat dry.

Spread the anchovies on the pizza dough.

Peel 2 cloves of garlic and slice very thin, then sprinkle around the pizza.

Douse a bit of olive oil on the top.

Season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes.

Sailor's Pizza

Clean 1/4 cup clams and 1/4 cup mussels.  

In two separate pans, heat a little olive oil and thin sheets of garlic (1-2 cloves), then add the clams or mussels and cover until they open.  Next, de-shell.

Fry 2/3 cup shrimps quickly in a pan.

Boil 2/3 cup calamari and then cut into strips.

Flavor about 1 cup of tomato sauce with crushed garlic and parsley.

Spread the tomato sauce on the dough, then add the clams, mussels, shrimps, and calamari all around.  

Sprinkle parsley on top.

Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit or as high as you can for about 10 minutes or until ready.

Four Seasons Pizza

Make indentations into the pizza dough with a knife to make four sections.

Ladle tomato sauce on the whole pie.

Spread diced mozzarella cubes on one of the four sections.

Spread artichoke hearts in oil onto another section.

Spread green olives onto the third section.

Spread anchovies onto the fourth section.

Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.

And remember -- Neapolitans make pizza with a thin crust.  Spread the toppings only in small portions;  don't heap them on the pizza.  Unless it's a snack on the street, usually a whole pie is eaten by one person using a fork and knife.

Buon Appetito!

Pompeii

(Pictures:  plaster cast of a man, plaster cast of a dog, the Forum with Mt. Vesuvius in the background, the cobblestone street leading down to the amphitheater.)

Del senno di poi son piene le fosse.

(Graves are filled with after-the-fact wisdom.)

Nook of Naples:  The most visited attraction in the Campania region, Pompeii swells with tourists anytime of the year.  The city was founded around the 6th century B.C..  The Etruscans then conquered Pompeii in 525 B.C and their pottery was found here.  By 474 B.C. the Greeks overthrew the Etruscans and built Doric temples that can still be seen today.  Thereafter, the Saminites (an Italic population from the interior region) held the city for a short time until finally, the Romans took over the city in 290 B.C.  Under the Romans, Pompeii began to expand, but the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius on August 23, 79 AD left the the city -- and the people -- buried in twenty feet of  poisonous gases, ash, and white-hot stones.

Only in 1748 did Carlo of Bourbon order the first excavations of the lost city.  Still, no systematic digs occurred until the 19th century and quite a bit of the treasures here were looted.  Pompeii covered 60 hectares of land and even today much of the area is left untouched.  What has been unearthed, dazzles the visitor.  The city must have bustled with pedestrians, hotels, inns, shops, temples, restaurants, and private homes from poor to luxurious.  Deep colored frescoes, detailed floor mosaics, and sculptures still can be admired, although more valuable items have been preserved at the National Archeological Museum in downtown Naples.  Graffiti in Pompeii can also be observed by the keen visitor.

Pompeii is so large, it's hard to know where to start.  I've visited three times and still haven't seen all the highlights.  But I'll list a few of the impressive sights:

The Forum -- Walking from the entrance through the Sea Gate, an inclined cobblestone pathway through an arched tunnel, the visitor spills into the center of the city, called the Forum.  A large rectangular square where Mt. Vesuvius looms in the distance, the Forum is surrounded by public buildings on three sides, including the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Apollo, a storehouse with pottery and plaster casts of Pompeiians, and an open space where the woolen cloth guilds once sold their wares.

The Forum Baths -- At the crossroads between Bath Street and Forum Street, the construction of a male and female bath house dates back to the Roman period of about 80 B.C.  Since most people didn't have indoor plumbing, this was where they came to wash.  The baths had a changing room, a room for cold baths, lukewarm baths, and hot baths.  Today the visitor can still see stucco friezes and frescoes in these rooms.  In the lukewarm bath, terracotta figures of Atlas support a freeze with entwining plant motifs.  In the cold water bath, a mammoth marble fountain adorns the front niche.

The Amphitheater -- At the far end of Pompeii, the amphitheater once could hold up to 20,000 spectators.  Adjacent to it was the vast gymnasium surrounded by porches and a swimming pool in the center.  This was where gladiators trained.  In 59 A.D. a battle was fought within the amphitheater between Pompeiians and their neighbors from the town of Nocera.  The historian Tacitus relates that, incited by differing opinions about the gladiators, a horrific massacre occurred inside the amphitheater.  As a consequence, the Senate banned these gatherings for ten years.

The House of the Faun -- A grand villa with airy rooms and some indications of indoor baths, toilets, and kitchen areas, when entering the house a statue of a bronze faun dates back to the third-second century B.C.  Most impressive is the mosaic at the far end of the villa depicting a battle between Alexander the Great and the Persian King Darius.

The Brothel --  Situated on 'Brothel Lane', a narrow side-road, the brothel has a small hallway with several niches to the right and left.  Inside these niches are broad slabs for 'sleeping'.  This could have been a hotel or something else, but the graphic fresco scenes above the doors offer a visual glimpse of how this space may have been used.

Via dei Sepolcri  -- The main roads connecting Pompeii to the outside world used to be bordered, as was the custom at the time, with tombs.  Side by side with poor graves were several rich sepulchral monuments.  Marble statues of families can still be seen above their tombs along with Latin inscriptions.  According to the audio tour, one such tombstone reads (to paraphrase), "Upon my death I was vindicated of any wrong-doing."

Rows and rows of shops line what seem like endless cobblestone streets.  The visitor can still discern restaurants where Pompeiians had lunch as well as shops where bulging amphoras used to hold oil, wine, and garum - a fish sauce.  Millstones were also used to produce flour and tables are still preserved where dough was kneaded and then bread placed in a large oven.

As I stroll through this city, I feel as though I've entered a science fiction novel.  I can identify perhaps a restaurant here, a bathhouse there -- places that seem to relate to my own present-day experience.  But each time I want to know definitively how the people of Pompeii lived before the volcanic eruption, the rubble of stones make their voices seem ever further away.

Getting There:  You can either take the Cicumvesuviana train, which conveniently lets you out right next to the entrance gates or you can drive.  Pompeii is right off the autostrada and easy to find using Mapquest, although parking on a heavy tourist day may be difficult.

Book:  Pompeii by Robert Harris creates a fictional world of people who lived in Pompeii four days before the explosion.  It's a fun read, although the plot doesn't always move forward, so plan to mozy through the book and watch people just hang around within the ancient world.

La Cucina Napoletana:  The Neapolitans are fiercely proud of their pizza, which they claim was invented here.  The pizza tastes all the better because the Neapolitans bake pizza in wood fire ovens.  The thin crust fluffs up next to hot fresh wood within minutes and the fresh taste is unbeatable.  The toppings also are unique, yet simple.  

The best and most unusual pizza I ate was in the town of Caserta.  Here is my guess of how they made it: 

Walnut & Provolone Pizza

Dough:

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cup water

pinch of salt

pinch of sugar

yeast

Put a tablespoon of yeast into lukewarm water.  Give it a pinch of sugar and let it sit for 10 minutes or until frothy.  Pour the mixture into the flour and knead.  Let the dough sit under a wet towel for about an hour.  Roll out the dough until nice and thin.  Put a healthy amount of grated or sliced provolone cheese all around the pizza.  Next, spread grated walnuts on top.  (The more the better.)  Bake as hot as possible in the oven (usually at 425 degrees) for ten minutes or until slightly browned on top.

Even without a wood fire oven, I encourage you to try it yourself!

Pompeii

A Tour Narrated Through Pictures: