Even with living in Italy for the last two years and ten months I haven't been able to make it down to Naples to see them. My excuse, working on Saturdays and reluctance to take the car down to Castellamare. Will they forgive me?
We take the Eurostar train after work on Friday evening and have to stand for part of the journey as there are no available seats in second class and a Sicilian porter won't let us sit in an empty first class carriage... We arrive at Napoli centrale station at 10 o'clock and are warmly welcomed by my cousin Antonio and family. A short drive to Castellamare and we settle into their huge appartment. It has great views over a nursery and the enormous mount Faito. We have a late night supper and catch up on family news.
Saturday
We appear at around 10 am for breakfast. Antonio says we're too late for a visit to Sorrento, Positano is out of the question and the weather is too bad for Capri... d'oh! He has our day planned out for us and it doesn't include seeing any of the famous sites... Anyway he takes us for a drive to Vico Equense and a rather nondescript beach at Seano. Is this really the best he can offer? We enjoy a relaxing granita in a outside bar in Castellamare, the bill for the four of us coming to the same as one drink in Florence! We pick up his wife Nilla from work and head home for a gigantic Neapolitan style lunch. His younger daughter, Mariapia is now a young lady and has changed into what must be her 5th outfit of the day! After a short pisolino we're on the move again - this time we go to Pompei, not to the archaelogical site, but to the rather ugly town of Pompei. He shows us the cathedral and inside there are all these strange paintings that I saw with my mum years ago of accidents that people had and messages of thanks to the Madonna for saving them... Antonio then stops at a religious bookshop to pick up his latest order, 'Miracles and Wonders'. The next stop is a visit to his older daughter's new flat, she is recently married and he wants to show off his present to them, the whole flat! And when I say the whole flat I mean, the whole flat, from the building, to the furniture, tv, video, towels, crockery and even cleaning fluids! You think I'm joking? Anyway Anna and her new husband are very friendly and we stop for a coffee.
For the next leg we are handed over to my cousin, Franco and his wife, Tina. I haven't seen them for about seven years either! it's great to see Franco he is a real character and confirmed Anglophile. Tina has a nosey round Anna's new flat and is less than complimentary about it. They then take us on a long drive through the crazy streets of Castellamare and up a large mountain to this beautiful restaurant. Franco is an architect and says that he designed the place! So even though he hasn't booked, has no trouble getting a table. he is on intimate terms with the owner, her sons, the chef and waiters all of whom we are introduced to and who join us for drinks throughout the evening. There is a very camp singer performing, but the food is fabulous and we are treated so some very tasty pizza and seafood pasta along with some very crisp white Fiano wine. Even Franco's son, Raffaele turns up to say hello - it's an emotional evening for me.
Sunday
Antonio has thankfully allowed us out of the house to make the fifteen minute train ride to Sorrento - while he goes to church! We spend an enjoyable morning wandering in this charming town, with what appears to be many other English tourists and indulge in cappuccini and sfogliatelle pastries before the rain comes down and spoils it all. Fortunately like all true Brits we have brought our trusty umbrella! Lunchtime is approaching and in Naples that can mean only one thing... a very large slap-up family lunch! For this we have a date with my auntie Anna, who again I haven't seen for seven years. Suffice to say it's another emotional reunion. Anna broke her ankle a few years ago and finds it difficult to get around. Uncle Mimmi looks well and shows Annette and me some of his conserved vegetables. It's good to see Franco and Emelia and their two daughters Cristina and Marianna who are now young ladies... We have a wonderful afternoon of feasting and Annette even gets a tarantella lesson, although Franco says that her bum isn't big enough... which makes her day!
And so our flying weekend visit to the old country is over... it has been lovely to see everyone after so long and nice for them to finally meet my lovely wife, Annette. We're back at Antonio's to pack up our bags and he then drops us off at the station for our 7.30 departure back to Florence and before we can say limoncello, our Naples experience is over and Santa Maria Novella awaits...
(Original journal entry 27/8/04)
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