Vatican, Napoli & Capri

Vatican, a dagger in the heart of Italy, said by Thomas Paine. Which, also known as the smallest country in the world. Having only one-eighth the size of New York’s Central Park, Vatican is one of the countries on earth that still has monarchy with the Pope as its head.

In this blogpost, we are going to pay Vatican a visit, followed by Napoli and Capri, two of the most well-known places in Italy.

To get to Vatican City…

Like it’s mentioned above, Vatican is actually proximate to Rome as it is literally a dagger in Italy’s heart. Which means, no transportation is needed basically to get there from Rome. You may walk there or of course, take the 64 bus or metro line A (@Termini station) to station Ottaviano, then you are there, it just couldn’t get any easier!

Here we are! In front of Basilica di San Pietro (kind of..)

Established in 1675 which took 120 years to build, and also known as one of the greatest accomplishment of Renaissance. So this is actually the largest church on earth whilst having the tallest dome, which was inspired by the Pantheon and clearly visible in Rome’s skyline （大到放得落成個自由神像㗎！）

And it’s time, for some facts here. There are 91 popes buried in St. Peter’s Basilica, as you walk along the corridors you will be able to see some of the most monumental ones in the various niches. Also, because of having the tradition that blessing will be received by rubbing his right foot, his toes are almost completely worn away… and it’s going to happen on his left foot as well since people nowadays are rubbing his left foot as well, due to what happened to his right foot… But, instead of uploading the pictures, I’m going to leave that to you all to see it yourself!

What a pair of lover
Moreover, the two fountains on each side of the big obelisk are indeed built by different artists, which are Carlo Maderno and Bernini respectively.

Last little fun fact, there are actually no paintings in the Basilica, I kid you not as they are all in fact glass and ceramic mosaics. And that’s why visitors are allowed to take pictures with flash inside cuz no damage would be done if so.

Napoli

“Rome is stately and impressive; Florence is all beauty and enchantment; Genoa is picturesque; Venice is a dream city; but Naples is simply — fascinating.”
– Lilian Whiting

Simultaneously known as Naples. And being said by great number of others, Napoli is a place that you must visit twice and you will simply fall in love with it the second time you visit this city. How so?

To be very frank, it’s the dilapidated vibe to me that’s fascinating, plus a bit curiously chaotic.
It’s hard to find a restaurant or shop that is not supporting Napoli FC I assume

Castel Nuovo

Also known as Maschio Angioino, located at the core center and it’s no doubt one of the iconic spot of the city.

Looking for souvenirs?

Just walk around Via San Gregorio Armeno, little street that filled with Napoli souvenirs!

Look at these miniatures!
Napolese type of market, somehow reflecting their lifestyle and daily

Or simply go shopping at Galleria Umberto I

I mean, even if you are not here shopping, you may still pop by and appreciate its architectural style and grandeur.. – Address: Via San Carlo 15, Naples, Italy
How crowded.. The Napoli MK lol
Do the touristic thing, if possible!

There are actually still a lot of places to go and things to do, just like watching an opera in Teatro di San Carlo, an Italy’s premier opera house and in fact one of the largest European theaters; visiting the unfinished underground passage – Galleria Borbonica (The Bourbon Tunnel), and so forth! Tho it does have a “lived-in” look, just like Paul Hollywood said, it also means that people should keep an extra eye on your personal belongings! But still, it’s just fascinating, like Lilian suggested!

So next time when you are around, just don’t forget to pay Napoli a visit!

Capri

Part of the Southern Italy, an outer island of Sorrento that well-known for its blue cave!

Since it’s an island, the only way to get there will be taking a boat ride – unsurprisingly! To get there, simply travel to Napoli Centrale train station as it will be easier to get to the port. The ports that you may board are:

Calata di Massa

Normal or slow-speed ferry, prices are from €14 – 20 and taking approximately 1 to 1.5 hour

Molo Beverello

For high-speed ferry, price is about €23, taking around 50 minutes.

*** Do remember to spare some time for traveling on the island and returning, as the ferry’s timetable are rather limited and there will not be much transportation on the island unless you are having a good budget. Otherwise, most of the destinations will require quite some sweet amount of walking, especially to the blue cave

You may get the ticket online or simply get them at the ticket window (which may be bit cheaper than buying onine but may take some time to queue)
By the time me and my friend arrived Capri, it’s already too late for the blue cave thing so we just decided to capture some sunlights instead!
Capri Bell, one of the traditional symbols of Capri which believed to bring good fortune when it rings!

Sadly we didn’t get to enjoy the blue cave experience but there’s always next time right! See y’all in our next trip blog – Surrey Stags in Croatia!

Posted on
July 17, 2023
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