Into Naples for pizza and to see more great gardens

We left Cagliari in Sardinia shortly after lunch to catch our flight to Napoli.

The flight was on time and went smoothly and we ended up arriving 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

From the air, I could see we were flying just west of Ischia and Procida, two islands off the coast of Naples. Both islands were easily visible from the air as well as Mt. Vesuvius in the distance.

Our first evening in Naples was spent doing what most new tourists in the city do . . . going to taste the best pizza in Italy. Well, that’s what they say since pizza was allegedly invented in this part of Italy.

The waiters at the place we went to were typically Naples – rude and unresponsive to our requests for water glasses and more plates.

I thought the waiters also looked rather tough, like characters out of the Sopranos. But, hey, it is not unusual to have an over-active imagination in this city. 

It was a relief when food came – plates of delicious appetizers and fantastic pizza. 

We ordered too much, of course, and ended up donating pizzas to the street people a few blocks away.

Next day, we headed out of town to visit one of Italy’s star gardens, Caserta.

A giant of a garden, this was inspired by Versailles, covering 120 hectares and dating back to the mid-18th century. 

Monty Don, Britain’s famous garden broadcaster, visited and did a show here some years ago and gave the impression that Caserta was being neglected and was in shabby condition and needed a lot more care and attention.

However, the garden has since come under new management and the standard of maintenance has been improved and the garden looks very good overall. 

The central water feature – a long, wide canal stretching the length of the garden with a series of beautiful cascades and waterfalls up the hillside – is the main attraction. 

The way to properly see these cascades is to gently walk up hill with the water running downhill beside you as you keep your focus on the upper hillside cascade and the various sculptural features that have been installed at various levels.

The Venus and Adonis fountain is impressive but there is no question that the most dramatic sculptural element is the Diana and Actaeon Fountain at the base of the grand cascade at the top of the hill.

This is a wonderfully theatrical piece of sculpture – a marvellous and dramatic piece of storytelling that is all about a woman’s rights to privacy and respect.

Enjoying a time in the woods with her nymph attendants, Diana was spied upon by Actaeon who was out hunting with his hounds.

When she spotted him, she became enraged, splashed him and cursed him and turned him into a dumb deer creature.

In a panic, Actaeon runs away, pursued by his hounds who eventually catch up to him and kill him.

It is a tragic but timeless tale with arguably just as pertinent a message today as ever about the rights of women and the grim consequences waiting for lustful, predatory men.

Caserta also has an English garden, although it was mostly a disappointment to people expecting flower borders. It is more of a woodland garden with an exceptional collection of trees, including some immense cedars of Lebanon and some Australian trees in the Araucariaceae family.

From Caserta, we went back to Naples where we had coffee and cake and prosecco at the famous cafe, Gambrinus. The coffee was fantastic and the cream cakes sumptuous.

From Gambrinus, we wandered into Naples’ key shopping district and had fun buying new clothes and gifts to take home.

Next, we will head to the beautiful islands of  Ischia and Procida to see some beautiful scenery as well as visit another of Italy’s famous gardens, La Mortella. 

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