Downtown Naples!

Today we took the train to the funicular in downtown Naples.  We were headed to the Castle St. Elmo.  It is at the top of the hill in Vomero and it overlooks the bay of Naples.  It was the perfect day, nice and clear so we had a spectacular view from the top!

After exploring the castle, we took the funicular back down to downtown Naples.  We walked around the crowded streets.  We found book alley and music alley!  Mrs. McCreedy LOVES books so it wasn't surprising that flat Mrs. McCreedy made a beeline to the shelves!

We even ran into our neighbors in book alley.  They were headed to music alley because they needed something for their guitar.  Small world!!

As we continued our walk, we found a cute little pasta shop.  We couldn't resist going in and looking around. The little man offered us almond cookies as we browsed.  We had to buy some pasta.  It was hard to decide what to pick.  We ended up with pasta that looked like the Italian flag.  We asked if he wouldn't mind taking a picture with us.  I tried explaining who flat Mrs. McCreedy was but I think it might have been lost in translation.  He just laughed and smiled for the picture!

We stopped for pizza a yummy pizza shop.  It was a typical Italian place.  We had no idea they had a sit down area but told us to come in.  We walked in and upstairs and it was full of people and tables!!  The pizza came upstairs on a little elevator, like a dumb waiter.  We were checking out the fried pizza the people sitting next to us were eating.  They offered us some to try, but we said "No"  Only in Italy would people offer a stranger food off their plate.  We finished up and headed out the stairs that were tiny and twisty.  Nothing you would ever find in the states.  It would have been in violation of way too many rules!!  On our way back to the train, we noticed many shops had zeppole out to buy.  They looked so yummy we had to try them.  It was a great treat but the girls preferred their gelato.  Daddy and I had a cafe and then we finally were ready to board the train to head home.  It was another fun Italian outing!!

Capodimonte

   Some museums here in Naples are free entrance until May.  The mayor wants people to go do cultural things and see all the city has to enjoy.  We decided to go to the Capodimonte gardens and museum.  It was a bit chilly to explore the gardens but the museum was fun!  We brought flat Mrs. McCreedy with us.  She had fun sitting near the fountain.

She also enjoyed the view of the bay of Naples!

  








We enjoyed the museum.  The girls were really good about looking at all the art.  Some of it got a bit graphic so we had to move through those rooms quickly but for the most part, they had fun looking at all there was to offer.  Flat Mrs. McCreedy and Delaney had fun playing hide and go seek around a statue!

 
After our fun morning, we came home and did some work in the garden.  You girls shared with flat Mrs. McCreedy all you picked.  I let flat Mrs. McCreedy rest with a nice glass of wine and a tarallo.  A tarallo is a cracker  Neapolitans take with them when they go out walking.  They are served with many antipastos and go great with a glass of wine!

Perfect way to end the day!

 

Visiting Capua

Capua has the second largest Colosseum in the country.  At this Colosseum, Spartacus led the dramatic rebellion against the Romans.  This was also the primary location for gladiator schools.  We thought this would be a great place to visit and share with flat Mrs. McCreedy.  It was only going to take us 30 minutes to get there.  But since we were looking for Capua and not Santa Maria Capus, it took us an hour and a half to find.  It was worth finding!  It is a pretty amazing place.  We met our travel family, the Hatteroth's, and had fun exploring this structure.  It was huge and we could go in it as well as under it!  It is so amazing that this is still standing and here for us to enjoy.  The kids had a blast running in and out of the structure.  It was a great way to spent a Sunday morning!

 

  

This was the cheapest activity we have done so far.  It only cost 2.50 euro a person to enter and the children were free.  Janelle and I figured this would be a great place to take the kids this summer and bring a picnic.








After we were finished exploring, everyone was pretty hungry.  We tried finding a restaurant that was open but we had no luck.  So we headed to the Campagnia mall to eat at the food court.  The kids picked the Old West place.  It worked out great since the kids chowed peanuts as they waited for their meals.  Delaney really got into her ribs!!

Flat Mrs. McCreedy came to visit!

Welcome to our house.

The girls read the book Flat Stanley in preschool.  Then they made flat selves and sent them to relatives.  The children loved to see where they went and learned about different states in the process.  Since we moved to Italy, their teacher, Mrs. McCreedy, decided it was time she got on an adventure.  She arrived last month and we have been taking to some of our favorite spots!

Picking lemons with Blythe!

We took her to Vietri sul del Mare.  She had fun looking at pottery!

Flat Mrs McCreedy had to sit on the vespa!

Enjoying gelato with the girls!

You really seemed to enjoy the little town of Vietri.  I think the Italians thought we were nuts.  They watched as we put you up and took your pictures.  I am sure they were thinking crazy Americans.  But we didn't mind, we just enjoyed your company.  After looking around the town, we took you to the beach.  There we had a little picnic and had fun collecting sea glass and pottery.  It was such a beautiful day to be outside!  The water was crystal clear.  It was so much fun!