Capodimonte Palace and Museum, Naples, Italy

A Great Museum In Naples

Our ship’s next stop, Naples, appeared with its sheltered harbor, early Monday morning. Note Jim’s photos of the Castel Nuovo (the oldest in the city, built 700 years ago) and the Palazzo Reale or royal palace. Jim was put out of sorts by hucksters who wanted us to take their taxis to places like Pompeii, the Amalfi coast or extensive city tours. Naples is a city with vast multitudes and everyone has a racket. We edged away from the port and found a taxi near the opera house, the famed Teatro San Carlo, where once, many years ago we saw the great ballerina Carla Fracci dance the title role in “La Peri,” a masterpiece of 19th century Romanticism. In Italian I asked the taxi driver how much he wanted to take us to the Museo di Capodimonte, the city’s leading art museum. He told me 15 Euros, but while he drove the long distance to the large park, Jim noticed a card in the back seat of the cab that listed our drive as costing 11 Euros. So that’s what Jim handed the taxi driver when we got out. He was surprised but I mentioned the list price and he shrugged. That’s the way things are in the third largest city in Italy. The Capodimonte museum is famed for three things: it’s one of the largest royal palaces in Italy; it was also the site of a porcelain factory in the 18th century; and it houses some of the finest art in the city. I enjoyed seeing masterpieces by Giovanni Bellini, Titian, Artemisia Gentileschi, Ribera and others. In Parmigianino’s portrait of “Antea” a weasel leans down a lady’s arm, which is covered by a huge silk sleeve. At first you think the animal is simply a fur piece. But then you notice the animal’s sharp white teeth, the lady’s gloved hand and the gold chain around the beast’s neck. The weasel’s bright eyes pierce the viewer’s consciousness as much as do the young woman’s—both amaze you with their intense stares from the 16th century. Another favorite painting was Brueghel’s “The Blind Leading the Blind.” We think of that old saw as a pre-conceived phrase, but Brueghel saw the parable in visual terms. He shows us a row of rag-tag beggars leading one another by walking sticks held shoulder-high. But the first blind man tumbles down into a ditch, even as all the others still stumble on. Is this not like life itself, one asks oneself? Jim enjoyed the period rooms, full of mirrors, candles and porcelain walls. And we both loved the great, late Caravaggio painting, the “Flagellation of Christ.” In this spectacular, large work the great early Baroque master shows Christ tied almost naked against a column, as three tormentors bind his hands and one is ready with the birch branch to whip the helpless victim. Though some light illuminates the tormentor to our left, with his crude and callous features, most of the light falls directly on the holy figure’s splendidly painted torso. This is not only Baroque theater, but also cruelty and forgiveness woven into an endlessly fascinating play of dark and light. –Dan

Trevi Fountain, Rome

Rome: Piazza Navona

Busy Day in Rome

Our extremely early “on your own” tour bus to Rome left the port of Civitavecchia at 7:15 AM Sunday morning. We were let off at the Vatican, and saw inside St. Peter’s Square hundreds of the faithful there for the beatification of two (possible) future saints. Loudspeakers blared non-descript choral music as we walked away from that side of the Tiber and crossed a bridge past the Castel Sant’Angelo to the other side of Rome. We visited a Baroque church called St.Giovanni Battista (with a neo-classical, later interior) before heading to the Piazza Navona. At that favorite square we stepped inside Borromini’s wonderful church of S.Agnese (St. Agnes) before heading past such popular favorite tourist haunts the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. When possible, we entered churches, including the Pantheon. Most of the churches were holding masses since it is a Sunday here in Rome, so it wasn’t possible to stay long or view some of the most memorable buildings. Past the Piazza Barberini, where the fountain was boarded up, we went to the Palazzo Barberini. This famed Renaissance palace is also one of the finest museums in the city, with a collection that boasts great masterpieces by Filippo Lippi, Holbein, Bronzino, Bernini, Caravaggio and many others. In addition to enjoying the art there we were also delighted to hear a free concert by the Orchestra Juni, whose members appeared to be high school students. Their brass band played Handel and Gabrieli outside the palace, with the more robust brass instruments placed on ground level while the trumpets tootled their notes from a balcony on an upper floor of the museum. This was the way such music was meant to be played when written, and we soaked in the combination of great architecture and great music. Then, as our time was running late, we took a cab back to the Piazza Navona for lunch at our favorite Roman eatery the Scaletta degli Artisti. My ravioli, stuffed with ricotta, was topped with both pesto and a creamy red sauce, and was the best dish at lunch. After eating we tried to find a taxi, but the lines were long for cabs as the city was full of visitors. So we walked back to the Vatican where our guide escorted us to the bus for the return drive to Civitavecchia and our ship the Seabourn Legend. Not many minutes later we were in the lifeboat drill for this week, eyeing our new shipmates. Only 22 people stayed onboard from last week. Today, it’s on to Naples.-Dan

 

Return To Elba

Capolivori

Porto Azzuro

Dan at La Chiusa vineyard

Porto Ferrario

The harbor at Portoferriao

Many years ago, on another cruise, we stopped at Elba; at that time we visited the villa where Napoleon was exiled for the first time. This time we took a bus trip out to the countryside. It stopped at a couple of towns on the east side of the island, including Capolivori and Porto Azzuro. These villages have beautiful views of the sea, and we realized today that the vegetation is very lush on this island, with many flowers and flowering trees. Our last stop before returning to the ship was at the La Chiusa vineyard, where we had a wine sampling. Dan liked the red wine so much that he brought a bottle back to have at dinner. Olive trees and rose bushes were planted all over the 2,000 acre estate and the main buildings have wonderful views of the harbor of Portoferrario, the capital of the island where our ship was docked. After a lunch on the veranda deck it was time to spend the afternoon relaxing before the Seabourn Legend heads on to Rome for the last day of our first week. –Dan

The Isle Of Elba

We are docked in Portoferarrio, Elba on this beautiful Spring afternoon.

Friday At Sea

Friday was a day at sea for us aboard the Seabourn Legend. We are sailing from Mallorca to Elba, quite a long distance across the Northern Mediterranean. So it was a day to relax on board. However, the seas were a bit choppy during most of the day. The photos below are more views from the Casa Mila in Barcelona, where we were able to tour the rooftop as we did years ago, but also the attic, with its unusual stone work, and a top floor apartment with select period furnishings.

Gay Get-Together On Board The Seabourn Legend

Our cruise director graciously arranged for a wine and cheese meet and greet for GLBT cruisers and their friends. Pictured are Dan, Jim, Legend Captain Dag Dvergastein, cruise director David E. and four friends from Copenhagen... a gay couple Andy and Fleming with Fleming's sister and her husband.

Views Of The Cathedral In Palma, Majorca

Construction of the cathedral began around 1306. It was completed in 1601. It is made of majorcan sandstone. The fantastic terracotta mural located in the right apse is by Miquel Barcelo and depicts the sea and the land on its sides.