Italy 2021, Part Four: Napoli

My trip to Italy is nearly complete: this is the last post. Finally, we left Roma and headed to Napoli with Mom and Dad. Mom was so anxious to call the Uber that we were at the train station 45 minutes early. It's fine.

Our first stop was Pompeii. 

It is huge and impressive and overwhelming. 

Plus, of course, hot. We were in Southern Italy in August, after all. I think the best thing I saw all day was the spigot in the street with water - nectar of the gods. 

The preservation is impressive, with mosaics and frescos. 

The casts of the people were humbling. 

I can't imagine what went through this person's mind in the hours before they died.

There were also a couple of kitties wandering around.

They were adept at begging and foraging for food from tourists.

Pompeii was difficult for me at times. As I said, it was hot, but that is only one piece of the puzzle. My head felt strange, even when I'd just eaten and drank tons of water - maybe a bit of heat exhaustion, I thought (Narrator: It was not heat exhaustion). My back had what I thought was heat rash (Narrator: it was not), and it was getting worse. My ribs on one side were sore, and my stomach was often unsettled. I chalked that up to travelling, sleeping on trains and air mattresses and couches. And Pompeii was possibly the place I felt the worst. Unless it was later. All in all, despite loving my time in Italy, I was feeling a bit broken down and ready to be heading home.

But, I wasn't home, so I was still determined to make the best of my time.

In Napoli itself, we checked out more churches, because that's what you do when you're in Italy.

I sat down in one of the pews for a few minutes, and yet again felt the spirit of the prayers of the thousands of people over the years. God heard their prayers, same as He hears mine.

Although churches weren't the only holy sites... 

this shrine to Diego Maradona was in a pizza place.

...and speaking of pizza, here it is: a real Napolitano pizza. 

Yum.

Also in Napoli, we went to The Veiled Christ. 

The workmanship on this sculpture and the others at Sansevero was remarkable. I don't know how you carve something so soft and intricate out of stone. 

The lace on the shroud of Christ, the detail on his face. I was in awe. It is probably the most magnificent piece of art I have ever seen, and that is saying something on this trip. 

We weren't allowed to take pictures inside Sansevero, but their website has some pretty good ones to check out. Modesty and Disillusion were probably my favorite.

There were also anatomical machines, full of blood vessels and organs. It was awesome, and also a little creepy, especially when they said they weren't sure if the people were alive or dead when the solution to preserve their blood vessels was injected into them...

We explored the Christmas market in Napoli, on Via San Gregorio Armeno.

It was full of beautiful, cheesy, silly, wonderful things. I bought not one, but two Italian nativities. There were hand painted nativities and ornaments, moving works of wonder, and lots of Maradona statues. They love him in Napoli.

After Sansevero, we headed to the Catacombs di San Gennaro. 

It was pretty cool - literally and figuratively!

It's kind of weird to think about being touristy where people were buried and decomposing. 

A small part of me wonders how the people - men, women, and children - who were laid to rest here would feel about their remains later being removed

Mostly

 and tourists paying to walk where they were.

Bright and early our last morning in Napoli, Dad and I traverse the city a bit to get me a Covid test so I could be allowed back into Canada. I was so grateful Dad came with me, and even more grateful that my results came back negative! Such a weight off my shoulders, because stress was eating me up. Kind of literally.

Our final major stop of our trip was Ercolano - another victim of Vesuvius.

And I do mean "victim" literally. 

Many people escaped, but for some the rescue came too late.

Ercolano is a lot smaller and less overwhelming than Pompeii, and the frescos and mosaics are probably even better preserved. 

There is even some spots with carbonized wood beams!

The Romans are ever classy...

I loved being able to spend several days with Mom and Dad. 

Ercolano was amazing, but they were even better.

And what would I have done without Loradona? 

Well, not gone to Italy, that's for sure. I'm so grateful to have her as a sister and a travel buddy. We're already planning our next trip together.

After we returned from Napoli, we had another restful Sunday (not pictured) and we prepared to fly back home. 

To Canada!

Of course, flying home made me rather anxious, too. Sitting in an airplane for hours, rushing through airports, all while my rash was spreading and becoming raised, it sounded like torture. I asked Dad for a blessing and prayed myself, for my body to feel better and heal, so I could travel and also enjoy my family after I got home.

My body did not miraculously heal before my flights. I still had blisters and a rash.

But, I was able to be fairly comfortable on my flight. I was able to get home, where I went to the doctor and discovered I didn't have heat rash: I had shingles. Like an old lady. 

I feel blessed, in spite of the fact that I went through half of my Italy trip with shingles. I had my temperature checked dozens of times, to enter every single museum, and I never had a fever. I was able to do all the things we had planned. I was even able to enjoy time with my family after I got back. 

In spite of my shingles, it was nothing short of a miracle, and the entire trip was perfect.