Motorhome News from Europe 18

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Motorhome News from Europe 18.

Italy. March 2005
Sicily & Southern Italy. Pompei, Herculaneum and Naples (Napoli)





Our first day camped near Palermo was a rest day, catching up with the laundry and shopping. We were to stay there for the next four nights. The next day it rained heavily non-stop and we were able to get to know the neighbours. One couple from London had already been there for several days, camping in an old Ford panel-van with no insulation. The cold nights were the least of their problems. Breathing alone was causing condensation to run down the walls, soaking their matress and blankets. That’s the sort of story that makes us fully appreciate the luxury of our Autotrail motorhome!

Then came the day to visit Palermo. Suffice to say that we spent about eight hours either on buses, waiting for buses or walking because the buses had got stuck in traffic jams and then spent about 3 hours having lunch whilst waiting for the duomo at Monreale to open before visiting the amazing cathedral of Monreale. Because of very limited opening times and traffic hold-ups, we didn't manage to visit any other sites in Palermo as planned, although we did see several from the outside. However, Monreale glittered with mosaics over the entire interior and in the cloisters, and we felt glad that we'd managed to see it.



Too exhausted and exasperated to contemplate risking Palermo's public transport system again, we moved further east along the north coast to Cefalu, a popular holiday resort. At last we found a pleasant side of Sicily. The scenery inland was spectacular and Cefalu was a very pleasant, friendly little town. We enjoyed three days meandering through the mountains and glorious countryside and one more day staying ‘at home’ while it rained heavily again. We came to Sicily hoping for sun and warmth, but this had been the wettest winter they can remember. C'est la vie. Janice had not fallen in love with Sicily, probably put off by the ever-present pick-pockets crowding us as we traveled on busses and through the markets. On one occasion we were waiting for a bus when a young lady in the queue warned us to beware of pick-pockets. Apart from her, we were the only ones at the stop, but when the bus arrive4d a dozen men appeared from nowhere, crowding us and all the other passengers, and I felt a hand go quickly in and out of the pocket of my jacket. I made a point of staring at him until the next bus stop when, to our relief, they all got off - without paying, I hasten to add. Culturally, Sicily is therefor quite ‘interesting’ and scenically it is truly magnificent, sitting as it does under the watchful eye of Etna.



Tired now of Sicily, we returned to the mainland and headed over to the east side of the "boot" and the Ionian coast. The sea and beaches were lovely, but this area remains poor and undeveloped touristically. It was hard to find a campsite open but we did find a few towns which were absolute gems, however. We found ourselves on the Byzantine trail, looking at tiny 9th century churches, with 9th century Byzantine frescoes, and even a 6th century Byzantine manuscript complete with illuminated Greek script. Then it was back to a 7th century BC ruined temple at Metapontum, before finding the strange town of Matera, with its "sassi" houses. Bet you don't know what they are! Modern Matera is on the top of a hill, overlooking a deep ravine cut through the limestone rock. In this ravine, people used to live in houses carved out of the rock and a huge area is covered by these ancient houses. They are mostly empty now due to their slum conditions and the area is rather a ghost town; except for a German film crew when we were there, with about 30 huge lorries and 100 film-crew.





From Matera we headed back west to Pompei through magnificent snow-capped mountains. We were hoping to visit Capri today, bucket and spade at the ready and hoping to find an internet café there. David will finish this newsletter, bringing you right up-to-date!

We have all read something about Pompei and the mysteries that it evokes and they are all there still today. As we sat on the horseshoe marble seat by the grand gate on Via Consolare where Romans considered the days politics, we could imagine this as a bustling city of 20,000 people, wealthy traders, peasants, slaves and gladiators, theatres, baths, brothels, shops and centurions, politicians, bakers, fullers and wheelwrights. We could hear the rattle of cart-wheels on rutted stone streets, see the women carrying casks of water from the corner fountain, stroll through the Forum by the Temple of Apollo with its formidable marble pillars, and experience the cheers of those 20,000 Romans seated around the Arena as Gladiators fought to the death and lions roared in the ring. And Vesuvius ever there in the background, a friendly smile today in the sunshine, capped in snow; but threaten it does still for those in its shadow. If you've not been, the sheer scale of Pompei will amaze you. It's truly mind-blowing. 66 hectares of streets, roofless buildings and temples, a living monument to the 2,000 who lost their lives there in 79 AD.









A hard act to follow that, but we travelled the next day by train to Herculaneum which suffered the same fate at the same time. But Herculaneum was covered in a sea of mud and remains better preserved, with magnificent frescoes and mosaics; complete bath-houses, their roofs, baths and mosaic floors intact. Herculaneum lacks the splendour and scale of Pompei and its temples perhaps, but it holds some wonderful treasures.



The picture still incomplete, we fought our way through the crowded station to get to Napoli (Naples) to see the best preserved artefacts from the area at the National Museum on Archaeology. Here, the wonders truly come to life: magnificent frescoes from the grand houses, superb mosaics beyond belief, bronze figures and busts galore, marble statues, and coins - huge collections. There is Roman glass in mint condition, vases and vessels, terracotta pottery in all shapes and sizes, silver gold and bronze figures and jewellery; and an interesting collection of rather erotic objects in a special room - entry by request only.

Napoli was a culture shock, though we had read much about it prior to our visit. Crowds of people, manic traffic, three-up on a scooter, motorbikes haring down the narrow streets horns blaring, queues for busses, taxis everywhere, litter everywhere and fly posters on everything that stands still, West African traders lining the pavements with their wares- leather belts and bags, cheap jewellery, peaked caps and counterfeit cigarettes at 2.50 euros a pack. The narrow streets are lined with high, high, buildings, four, five and six storeys, roads without kerbs or pavements, washing hanging from every balcony; often strung to the other side of the street. It’s Sunday - and clearly it's washing day for this apartment city. Motorbikes and scooters are everywhere, many riders without crash-helmets, and even kids of eight or ten riding small machines in the main square, Piazza Dante, and another on an ATV racing around between the frightened pedestrians. You take your life in your hands on a zebra crossing here.

With a fair wind and a bit of luck we’ll be here to tell you of the further adventures of the Grey Haired Nomads next week!





David and Janice
The Grey Haired Nomads

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Photos

Sicily - Palermo
The Cathedral of Montreal

Matera
sassi houses carved out of the rockface

Pompei
ruts left by Roman carts. What an amazing place this is!

Pompei
.....we sat on the horseshoe seat by the Grand Gate

Pompei
'Bring on the lions!'

Mt Vesuvius
Wow!

Herculaneum
..frescos from another era

Herculaneum
fascinating Roman mosaics everywhere.

Naples (Napoli)
.....fly posters on everything that stands still

Naples
..washing hanging across the strees. It must be Sunday