Day 12 - Return to Naples and Farewell

Naples, Italy * Monday, June 26, 2006

From the Navigator:
Since the transit of Messina Strait yesterday evening, the Golden Princess has maintained northerly courses off the west coast of Italy. Just before arriving in Naples, the vessel will pass Sorrento to starboard and Capri Island to Port. The vessel will then approach the breakwater and make her entrance into the harbour. Once in the harbour, the vessel will swing around and come astern, alongside her berth. Naples lies along the Tyrrhenian Sea Coast and is Italy's third largest city. it is an important centre of commerce and tourism. The Port of Naples handles such goods as bulk oil, food stuffs, cars, textiles, fruit, and vegetables. The port also has a naval dockyard and an important shipbuilding industry. Golden Princess will depart from Naples at 1800 this evening, exit the harbour and set courses toward Civitavecchia.

Where Art Steems Vibrant with Life and a Culture Lies Frozen in Time

The sunny Bay of Naples is one of Italy's most beautiful sights, and the gateway to the South. The isles of Capri and Ischia beckon offshore, as the plumed heights of Mount Vesuvius dominate the skyline.

Naples was founded by Greeks from nearby Cumae, who saw the obvious value of a protected anchorage with almost unlimited capacity. They called it "New City" or Neapolis.

The same New City was conquered by the Romans in the 4th-century B.C., but the Greek language and customs remained strong for the next 800 years.

The ancient Romans never considered Naples and the surrounding region to be very important, but they were still attracted by such obvious natural beauty. The fertile lands and the sunny, mild climate made it ideal for farming. Together with Sicily, the entire Campanian region was a principal breadbasket of the Roman Empire.

Many villas and estates were constructed here for wealthy landowners and prosperous merchants. The rich and famous of the Empire nearly always had houses here, in addition to those in Rome and elsewhere.

During the middle ages, Naples, Amalfi, Sorrento, and several other local towns grew wealthy trading with the eastern Mediterranean. In 892 A.D., Sorrento fought a naval battle against Amalfi over control of trade.

Amalfi later became an important maritime republic, like Venice and Genoa, and played an important role in transporting Crusaders to the Holy Land. Some of the largest and most powerful galleys of that day were built along these shores.

Naples and Sicily were united in a large southern kingdom, which was ruled by a confusing series of German, French and Spanish monarchs. Among the most interesting was Charles I of Anjou, brother of St. Louis of France, who was named king by the Pope in 1268.

His grandson, "Robert the Wise" attracted poets, painters and scholars to Naples, and established one of the most brilliant courts of the medieval period. A large population and flourishing trade helped to assure Neapolitan domination of the central Mediterranean.

In 1504, the great solder Gonzalo de Cordoba defeated the French and made Naples part of the growing Spanish Empire of Ferdinand and Isabella. For the next two centuries, southern Italy would be tied to the exciting history of Spain, although taxes were more oppressive than ever.

A Neapolitan school of painting developed, with strong influence from Spanish and other Italian artists, like Caravaggio. magnificent palaces were built during the baroque and rococo periods, especially along the Via Toledo.

It was not until the 19th-century that Naples lost its reputation as a sophisticated capital city. The last kings were ruthless tyrants, who used repression to maintain their misrule. Ferdinand II was nicknamed "Bomba" because of his cruel bombardment of Messina during the revolution of 1848. Garibaldi finally conquered the entire southern realm in 1860, and united to the new Kingdom of Italy.

Naples today is a lively and animated city, which preserves the reminders of its past in a fan-shaped halo over the beautiful bay. Lavish mansions and churches nestle among poor districts. The Royal Palace of Capodimonte offers a stunning panorama of the entire city. The National Museum displays unique treasures taken from Pompeii and other ancient sites.

Just offshore is Capri, one of the world's most beloved islands. The name means "Goat Island," and Capri is well suited for these sure-footed animals.

Unlike nearby Ischia, which is volcanic, Capri is a mass of limestone which was once a part of the mainland. The Greeks settled there in ancient times, then the Romans.

The Emperor Augustus was so enchanted with Capri that he built a villa for himself, complete with roads and aqueducts. His successor Tiberius added several other villas, then moved here permanently for the last 10 years of his life. He saw nowhere else in the world which could compete with such beauty!

Beyond any doubt, a visit to Pompeii will teach you more about the ancient Romans than most other activities. Pompeii and the neighboring town of Herculaneum were destroyed and buried by a volcanic eruption in 79 A.D. This catastrophe killed 2,000 people, but it also preserved a unique look at their way of life. Vesuvius managed to freeze an entire society at one instant of time, so that we are able to study the lives and customs of 2,000 years ago.

As the playground of the first century's superstars, Pompeii offers an intimate look at the lives of people so affluent and powerful that the world was at their feet! Even today, we gasp at their lavish and indulgent lives.

A characteristic Pompeiian house would be rather dull from the outside, with nothing but bare walls visible, and very few windows.

Once through the main entrance, however, you would see a rectangular entry court called an atrium, open to the sky, and lavishly decorated with mosaics, marbles, statues and paintings. There was frequently a basin in the center to catch rain water. Around the court, there were usually small sleeping cubicles for members of the family. They were quite simple, since most daytime activities took place in other rooms.

A large study or reception room for the head of the household was the central hub, where books and money were kept. Dining rooms and larger salons for family activities completed the rectangle.

More elaborate houses could have several other hollow courtyards added, with fish ponds or warm baths common for wealthy families.

A colonnade or elaborate portico was almost taken for granted as a necessary decoration. Even ordinary meals were elaborate affairs with several courses. Guests reclined on large couches covered with pillows, while a great variety of food was served.

Plates and cups could be made of earthenware, metal or glass, and were richly decorated. The dining room was the most highly decorated room of the house.

Shops and stores along the Via dell'Abbondanza present a fascinating glimpse of Pompeii's commercial life. Most shops are open to the street, sometimes with serving windows for convenience.

Some shops are equipped with counters holding bins or storage jars built right into them. Business owners often lived in rooms behind the store, or on an upper floor.

Many roads in Pompeii are lined with sidewalks a foot ore more above the street level. Stepping stones were place to allow pedestrians to cross in wet weather, but spaces were still left to allow wheels and horses to get by easily.

After the discovery and excavation of Pompeii (which began in 1748) the findings took Europe by storm. The so-called Pompeiian style of frescoes on a red or black background became an overnight sensation. Royal palaces and country mansions adopted ancient styles of decoration and furnishings, with the subsequent enrichment of the entire civilization. There is so much to learn in Pompeii, and the city itself is a great teacher.

A side note: As part of our tour, we had a near-celebrity experience...check it out! It's Sophia Loren's home!













And now, our final tidbits session for the cruise:

• Food specialties - The Campania region's cuisine is mostly simple fare, using fresh local ingredients, and popular dishes are Spaghetti alle vongole (made with a clam sauce, either white or red), Pizza alla marinara, Insalata Caprese (slices of fresh mozzarella and ripe red tomatoes, garlic and oregano), and Melanzane alla parmigiana (fresh eggplant fried and layered with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese).
• Drink specialties - The region produces a number of excellent wines, among them: Gragnano, Falerno, Lacrima Cristi, and Greco di Tufo (all whites), and Aglianico, Taurasi, and Falerno (all reds).
• Some useful words: Si (Yes), No (No), Si grazie (Yes, please), Grazie (Thank you), Scusi (Excuse me, sorry), Buon giorno (Good morning), and Arrivederci (Goodbye)

And, as we say farewell to our cruise, we also say goodbye to our Martini of the Day: Metropolitan (Absolut Kurant, Triple Sec, Cranberry juice and Lime juice).