You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.
Out for a quiet constitional walk by the Castel dell'Ovo, our last day here in Naples.
It's impressive from a distance, and it's impressive from close up. We once found some of the inside impressive, too, and someday we may again.
A now familiar stroll along the sea front.
A surprise. Diego Maradona's come along to lend the young people some football tips.
And look, he's holding up the famous 1986 'Hand of God'.
Today we're just going out for a short walk up the Via Chiaia, a shopping street that runs from the
Piazza Trieste e Trento, adjacent to the Piazza del Plebiscito, about 650m down to the Piazza dei Martiri (and thence farther westward along the Riviera di Chiaia).
Naturally, we have to lurk round the Pakalolo Toy Store a bit before shifting ourselves into proper gear. [Just kidding.]
'Come to Naples. We've got the best Ben & Jerry's gelati anywhere!'
Garbage collection day must be coming up soon.
But we do need to have a look into Napolimania -- Kristin's looking for suitably funny sweatshirts for relatives, and particularly for her suitably funny grandson, sometimes called 'Buddy'.
And whilst she's occupied, the rest of our party will be inspecting this funny Neapolitan version of the Last Supper (probably funnier still if we could recognize the local personalities).
Just overhead is the Via Giovanni Nicotera bridge connecting to the Pizzofalcone suburbs and carpark of Monte di Dio, leading up to the Monte Echia overlooking the Castel dell'Ovo, as we saw on our first day here. The Pizzofalcone was one of the oldest areas of the city
The TV series The Bastards of Pizzofalcone (4 seasons, 22 episodes, 2017-2023, on MHz) is a crime show set in modern Naples and filmed all over town, based on a series of novels by Maurizio de Giovanni, the chap wrote the Commissario Ricciardi books and films and the first seven episodes of this one.
A glance back up at all the worthy shops and other spending opportunities, as well as the Chiesa santa Maria della Mercede / Parrocchia Santa Orsola on the left
A walkway up to a higher level (past Ali Doner Kebab), and . . .
. . . across the street, the 16th century Palazzo Cellamare, fronted by the Cinema Metropolitan.
A little greenery towards the end of Via Chiaia per se, where . . .
. . . it approaches the Piazza dei Martiri, with its . . .
. . . Monumento ai Martiri Napoletani. The column was already here in Bourbon times but was adopted in 1861 to memorialize those who'd died fighting Bourbon rule; at that time the bronze arrangement on the square base was introduced. We're informed that the four lions represent the Parthenopean Republic of 1799, the Carbonari Revolution of 1820, the Revolutions of 1848, and the revolt of the red shirt volunteers, the Garibaldini, in 1860.
A nice little park comes with it.
Veering leftish down the Via Domenico Morelli, we tried to count up how many motor bikes and cyles are lined up here, but quickly have to give up.
At least several hundred surely. Google Maps agrees.
This is the Piazza Vittoria, and there's the Riviera di Chiaia stretching away into the foot-weary distance.
And the long Villa Comunale that we tested out back on our Lago Averno march a few days ago.
Now a return along the Via Partenope and its parade of seaviewing hotels and caffè.
Shoring up the shore, or something
An incredibly lightly trafficked street, a blessing, except for the taxi drivers who had to wriggle through the back alleys to drop us off anywhere near the castle.
Is that not a classic?
It is, and that's even more of a classic.
Perhaps someday we'll be able to sneak in there again. Especially if there's an open house art gathering on the roof with an open bar.
Over the lava paving stones
Time for a little rest-up before dinner, and this time . . .
. . . we can go back to the Osteria Il Basilica.
Very nice, but it's been closed on several nights as we passed by, after our first pleasant dinner here, chatting with the proprietress.
It's certainly never crowded, but last week there was another family at an outside table near us.
Our last night here, 30 October 2024. Sad in one way, but next comes Tivoli.
Goodbye, marina boats. Goodby, Vesuvius. Be a good volcano.
A taxi ride along the waterfront (the always helpful estate agent for our flat gifted us the taxi fare -- Thanks, Antonio).
A city filled with odd things
And mementoes of bygone days
Drawing up in front of Napoli Centrale, near Piazza Garibaldi
Lovely. That's from a promotional poster, though.
-- Look out! There's a smoker there.
We're headed now for Rome Termini.
(Actually not; once en route, we learned that we'd be better off, unless caught, by sneaking past Termini to Roma Tiburtina, where there's a quick connection to Tivoli (the only connection to Tivoli, in fact)).
Back to Italo instead of the state-owned Trenitalia (Italo only runs on the high-speed lines, no locals or regionals, and it's not much different from Trenitalia, but it's cheaper).
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All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 13 January 2025. 
