Napoli
Well, the train to Naples was pretty swift, with a top speed of just under 300 km per hour, so we made it in very good time. We headed first up the hill from the station to Naples Museum, and while I'm prepared to admit that it was the cleanest I've ever seen Naples, nevertheless the city still has some way to go. The graffiti, the litter on the streets, in the parks, around houses, and the dilapidated nature of the buildings in general, makes for a poor picture. But, it's improving.
The statues in the Museum were wonderful, especially the Farnese Collection, and I enjoyed the bronzes upstairs as always. The boys thought the Cabinetto Secreto was hilarious, and I have to say that the excited herm made me laugh, as it always does!
We then scooted out to Pompeii, and the excavations were lovely under the warm spring sun. We have been very lucky with the weather, and our days are filled with sunshine although the mornings are brisk.
This will be our last night in Rome, and I am looking forward to Florence and the artworks in the Uffizi Gallery.
The boys wish me to tell you that they are missing you heaps, but just don't have a spare minute to write!
Hope you are all well.
Sunday, April 12
Sean Stapleton
Sean Stapleton
It's 7pm and we've just scraped by with our train arriving from Pompeii with enough time to snaffle a quick feed at the Napoli train station. George missed out narrowly on another stray dog selfie at the station, a sport that's brought great amusement to various tourists and Italians as pics are taken with the numerous strays.
We started our day with a sub par sleep in ending at 6:15 for a 7:30 train to Napoli. The struggle was real as we wolfed down the convent breakfast of sticky sweet pastry breads and hot chocolates likely to induce diabetes. The train was an absolute luxury speeding through the Italian cityside at around 270 km/hr.
Italy is truly home to some beautiful city sites, unfortunately the streets of Napoli seem to be in much the same state of the buildings of Pompeii. Nonetheless we navigated our way through the wild streets to a Main Street to hit up the supermarket. Nutrition being a priority of course, only the freshest greens, breads and delicatessen meats were purchased for lunch later. Much like in Greece, the locals are perplexed at the number of us in shorts and t-shirts and stare on while wrapped up in puffer jackets and scarves
The Napoli museum was a brilliant amalgamation of sculpture, mosaic, bronzes and paintings. One of the standouts being the Farnese Bull, a massive construct of marble depicting a woman in the process of being tied to a bull by two youths as it kicks and bucks. The secret cabinet of Pompeii was certainly entertaining too, with a selection of Pompeii's restricted museum items. The number of various common items from the ancient household displayed in the museum makes you think, how long will it be till one day the Teflon pan is sitting in a display cabinet as people marvel at the past that is our present?
Lunch disappeared as quickly as it was bought and with little time to spare we were on the train to Pompeii. What was left of the city allows you to stroll through the streets of Pompeii as if in pre volcano days. The first levels of nearly all houses are standing and even crossing the cobbles to peep into the atrium of a ruin is a surreal experience, it takes very little to imagine the bustle of those frequenting the roads. Marco was exhausted after a day of crutch walking over the dodgy cobbles and would give anything for a fireman's carry to the train but he trooped on.
The pace in Italy is exhausting, but if you can keep up, it is as rewarding as a triumphal arch must have been to Roman generals.
It's 7pm and we've just scraped by with our train arriving from Pompeii with enough time to snaffle a quick feed at the Napoli train station. George missed out narrowly on another stray dog selfie at the station, a sport that's brought great amusement to various tourists and Italians as pics are taken with the numerous strays.
We started our day with a sub par sleep in ending at 6:15 for a 7:30 train to Napoli. The struggle was real as we wolfed down the convent breakfast of sticky sweet pastry breads and hot chocolates likely to induce diabetes. The train was an absolute luxury speeding through the Italian cityside at around 270 km/hr.
Italy is truly home to some beautiful city sites, unfortunately the streets of Napoli seem to be in much the same state of the buildings of Pompeii. Nonetheless we navigated our way through the wild streets to a Main Street to hit up the supermarket. Nutrition being a priority of course, only the freshest greens, breads and delicatessen meats were purchased for lunch later. Much like in Greece, the locals are perplexed at the number of us in shorts and t-shirts and stare on while wrapped up in puffer jackets and scarves
The Napoli museum was a brilliant amalgamation of sculpture, mosaic, bronzes and paintings. One of the standouts being the Farnese Bull, a massive construct of marble depicting a woman in the process of being tied to a bull by two youths as it kicks and bucks. The secret cabinet of Pompeii was certainly entertaining too, with a selection of Pompeii's restricted museum items. The number of various common items from the ancient household displayed in the museum makes you think, how long will it be till one day the Teflon pan is sitting in a display cabinet as people marvel at the past that is our present?
Lunch disappeared as quickly as it was bought and with little time to spare we were on the train to Pompeii. What was left of the city allows you to stroll through the streets of Pompeii as if in pre volcano days. The first levels of nearly all houses are standing and even crossing the cobbles to peep into the atrium of a ruin is a surreal experience, it takes very little to imagine the bustle of those frequenting the roads. Marco was exhausted after a day of crutch walking over the dodgy cobbles and would give anything for a fireman's carry to the train but he trooped on.
The pace in Italy is exhausting, but if you can keep up, it is as rewarding as a triumphal arch must have been to Roman generals.
Sam Poulsen
Sam Poulsen
We are currently heading back towards Rome from Pompeii/ Napoli, and it's been more of a relaxed day than most. After waking up earlier than any day so far, at 6:30, we left the nunnery and took a train straight to Napoli, there we got supermarket food for lunch and went through the museum. The museum held some pretty amazing works including some of the ones we looked at in the meetings. After that we got more food, and got on a regional train to go to Pompeii.
As we arrived in the great city known as Pompeii we were greeted with the sight of Mt Vesuvius, it also happened to occur to Adam that Pompeii is in fact not on an island. Pompeii was pretty amazing though, it was cool to see a city left in its typical Roman style pretty well preserved and learn useful life facts from Mr Buckingham such as modern railway tracks being the same width as the axles of Roman carts. After some walking around seeing some of the structures and important locations such as a brothel, we then headed back to catch the 300 km/h, or as Harry describes it "almost as fast as I can run", train to return to Rome.
We are currently heading back towards Rome from Pompeii/ Napoli, and it's been more of a relaxed day than most. After waking up earlier than any day so far, at 6:30, we left the nunnery and took a train straight to Napoli, there we got supermarket food for lunch and went through the museum. The museum held some pretty amazing works including some of the ones we looked at in the meetings. After that we got more food, and got on a regional train to go to Pompeii.
As we arrived in the great city known as Pompeii we were greeted with the sight of Mt Vesuvius, it also happened to occur to Adam that Pompeii is in fact not on an island. Pompeii was pretty amazing though, it was cool to see a city left in its typical Roman style pretty well preserved and learn useful life facts from Mr Buckingham such as modern railway tracks being the same width as the axles of Roman carts. After some walking around seeing some of the structures and important locations such as a brothel, we then headed back to catch the 300 km/h, or as Harry describes it "almost as fast as I can run", train to return to Rome.
George Kirkwood
George Kirkwood
As we cruise towards Pompeii at 300 km/h, I am able to reflect on a very eventful day yesterday. The day began with a visit to Ostia, which used to be the centre of trade for all of Rome, it was amazing to see the well preserved ruins of what was a once important town. Ostia was certainly a time to relax after a busy couple of days visiting the churches of Rome. Next we took the train to the Colosseum, the Colosseum was definitely the highlight of the trip so far, you can imagine what the atmosphere would have been like back when the gladiators were fighting each other while 45,000 people looked on. The Colosseum is an incredible building, with Mr Buckingham informing us that the pieces of rock are placed so that they fit together without any type of cement, in saying this the toilets were some of the worst I've been in, with the smell being even worse than the ones at Grammar.
After the Colosseum we had some free time for dinner and a shop, and after carbonara and pizza the previous two nights we decided to treat ourselves to some McDonald's. After some of the worst service I have ever encountered and a cold burger, it is safe to say I may stick to traditional Italian dinners for the next few nights. After dinner we visited the Trevi fountain, which was incredible but had no water in it due to being under construction, and on the way home were mistaken for Aussies by a lovely woman on the train, not the greatest end to a great day in Rome.
As we cruise towards Pompeii at 300 km/h, I am able to reflect on a very eventful day yesterday. The day began with a visit to Ostia, which used to be the centre of trade for all of Rome, it was amazing to see the well preserved ruins of what was a once important town. Ostia was certainly a time to relax after a busy couple of days visiting the churches of Rome. Next we took the train to the Colosseum, the Colosseum was definitely the highlight of the trip so far, you can imagine what the atmosphere would have been like back when the gladiators were fighting each other while 45,000 people looked on. The Colosseum is an incredible building, with Mr Buckingham informing us that the pieces of rock are placed so that they fit together without any type of cement, in saying this the toilets were some of the worst I've been in, with the smell being even worse than the ones at Grammar.
After the Colosseum we had some free time for dinner and a shop, and after carbonara and pizza the previous two nights we decided to treat ourselves to some McDonald's. After some of the worst service I have ever encountered and a cold burger, it is safe to say I may stick to traditional Italian dinners for the next few nights. After dinner we visited the Trevi fountain, which was incredible but had no water in it due to being under construction, and on the way home were mistaken for Aussies by a lovely woman on the train, not the greatest end to a great day in Rome.
Josh Haydon
Josh Haydon
Within S. Paul's Basilica, which lies outside of the Roman city walls and does indeed have walls of its own, we were treated to a great Byzantine mosaic set above the great arch of the church. Beneath this arch is the site of the tomb of Saint Paul. Further into the church there is yet another grand mosaic though it may have been a restoration project as the basilica has been destroyed and subsequently rebuilt several times. Around the walls of the basilica are arranged gilt medallions of each of the popes where those who became saints are depicted with halos. There are a great many of these medallions but not so many places are left free which makes me wonder what they plan to do when they run out of wall-space. The windows of the basilica contain intricate patterns of swirling colour which were achieved by slicing marble into pieces so thin that they have become translucent.
After we hurriedly departed S. Paul's without the walls we moved swiftly back to the nearby train station to use the final few minutes of our tickets' validity to take a train to the Colosseum which stood immensely high but has mostly been reduced to brick after the pilfering of most of the marble for the construction of churches. A shame to be sure but still the churches couldn't have been built upon wishful thinking alone. The highest levels seemed to be cordoned off for tour groups only but we could stand on the platforms below that and better see the layout of the subterranean passages which would once have been used for gladiators and fighting animals. All quite interesting sights to drink in.
Our final stop for the evening was the location of the Imperial residences within Rome and beneath it the Roman Forum. A large portion of the Emperors' palace still remains where a large course is still visible as are the walls of some surrounding buildings though their original purpose is difficult to determine. The forum itself was during much of the Middle Ages buried beneath metres upon metres of dirt to the point where only the tops of the tallest structures could be seen by anyone on the surface. The monuments which stood out the most were two triumphal arches and a truly immense Roman basilica which was not a place of worship but rather an immense marketplace. Following this we were released to the streets for dinner.
Within S. Paul's Basilica, which lies outside of the Roman city walls and does indeed have walls of its own, we were treated to a great Byzantine mosaic set above the great arch of the church. Beneath this arch is the site of the tomb of Saint Paul. Further into the church there is yet another grand mosaic though it may have been a restoration project as the basilica has been destroyed and subsequently rebuilt several times. Around the walls of the basilica are arranged gilt medallions of each of the popes where those who became saints are depicted with halos. There are a great many of these medallions but not so many places are left free which makes me wonder what they plan to do when they run out of wall-space. The windows of the basilica contain intricate patterns of swirling colour which were achieved by slicing marble into pieces so thin that they have become translucent.
After we hurriedly departed S. Paul's without the walls we moved swiftly back to the nearby train station to use the final few minutes of our tickets' validity to take a train to the Colosseum which stood immensely high but has mostly been reduced to brick after the pilfering of most of the marble for the construction of churches. A shame to be sure but still the churches couldn't have been built upon wishful thinking alone. The highest levels seemed to be cordoned off for tour groups only but we could stand on the platforms below that and better see the layout of the subterranean passages which would once have been used for gladiators and fighting animals. All quite interesting sights to drink in.
Our final stop for the evening was the location of the Imperial residences within Rome and beneath it the Roman Forum. A large portion of the Emperors' palace still remains where a large course is still visible as are the walls of some surrounding buildings though their original purpose is difficult to determine. The forum itself was during much of the Middle Ages buried beneath metres upon metres of dirt to the point where only the tops of the tallest structures could be seen by anyone on the surface. The monuments which stood out the most were two triumphal arches and a truly immense Roman basilica which was not a place of worship but rather an immense marketplace. Following this we were released to the streets for dinner.
Charles Douglas
Charles Douglas
One day away from leaving Rome, we are on a train to Naples to visit Pompeii. so far we've discovered the wonders of the ancient world, but also that it is full of street merchants who disappear when a police car drives past, and squeak like rubber ducks to attract the attention of passers-by. After foot-slogging our way around Rome for two days, for up to ten hours for each, we entered the smallest internationally recognised country in the world; the Vatican City, and spent a few minutes of the several hours we had in the Sistine Chapel, to the chant of , "Silencio, por favore," from the guard. After a late-night gelato to celebrate George Easton's and Adam Clark's birthdays, we travelled to Ostia the next day, and saw the last of the four great churches of Rome, St. Paul's without the Walls.
One day away from leaving Rome, we are on a train to Naples to visit Pompeii. so far we've discovered the wonders of the ancient world, but also that it is full of street merchants who disappear when a police car drives past, and squeak like rubber ducks to attract the attention of passers-by. After foot-slogging our way around Rome for two days, for up to ten hours for each, we entered the smallest internationally recognised country in the world; the Vatican City, and spent a few minutes of the several hours we had in the Sistine Chapel, to the chant of , "Silencio, por favore," from the guard. After a late-night gelato to celebrate George Easton's and Adam Clark's birthdays, we travelled to Ostia the next day, and saw the last of the four great churches of Rome, St. Paul's without the Walls.
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