Day 22 Caserta and Matera
Day 22 in Caserta began with breakfast at the hotel. We had
asked for a 7.30 breakfast and thought we might be the only ones up at that
time, but when we got to the breakfast room it was full of chatting families.
The Italians seemed to be early starters. It was a big breakfast as we knew a
lot of walking would be sone and the furnace needed to be fully stoked.
Checking out was straightforward as there was a bright young
woman on the desk this time and she could speak English. The car was boxed in
but turning to and fro a hundred times or so got us out without any scrapes.
We planned to tour the royal palace and gardens before we
left Caserta. To avoid the gigantic crowds we had seen at the palace the day
before, Johnny dropped me off and I raced over to get the tickets, while he
parked the car in the massive underground car park and met me at the entry..
The Palace and
grounds were VAST. It was the biggest palace in Europe, built for the king of
Naples and designed to outdo Versailles. Everything was on a massive and
monumental scale and with opulence the chief priority. The stone inlaid floors
were masterpieces, and we wondered at
the precision with which the stone was cut with what must have been quite
primitive tools in the 1700s.
There were paintings as large as the screens at a drive in. There
were gilded painted ceilings that must
have taken years to complete. There were enough statues based on the ancient
myths, to restock all Paris. You could say that we were impressed!
When we ended our tour of the palace, the formal rooms and
apartments, we fortified ourselves with coffee and cake before we began the
exploration of the gardens. These were of a similar grand scale and proportion.
There were many lazy sods who opted for a bus or golf cart tour, but we hardy
types scoffed at the whole idea, setting forth on foot. Everything was so lush,
manicured and beautiful. The end of the main walk became a massive fish filled
pool. These fish were as long as my arm and twice as thick. Beyond that there
was an elaborate grotto. By this time we had walked two kilometres and decided
to turn for home, but the garden continued up the hill into the distance. To see
the whole garden they estimated it would take five hours, but we were running
out of time and quite frankly, out of puff. The stream of electric busses swished
past. Electric bicycles zapped past. Much younger people than us chatted past. I
watched all these longingly, but no, we would walk way back!
Caserta was a gem of a place. Proposed as a palace and a seat
of government, everything was done to a quality and size that would impress.
Unfortunately, the palace was never lived in as Charles abdicated (to become
king of Spain I believe) and the whole place was left to the likes of us to enjoy
We left Caserta for the original Caserta village, Casertavecchio, which was perched high up on the hills away from the palace. To reach it we drove a scribble of a road up through the hills and were finally rewarded with some pretty incredible views from the top. The streets were a chaos of stone alleyways, dotted with homes and restaurants all with unbelievable views. All we wanted was a panini rather than a full meal and with perseverance we found a place. All the Italians we have met in shops have been so helpful as we struggled to make our choices understood. We shared a pannini and a bowl of mixed fries. The Pope’s funeral was still on the TV and we watched some of this as we rested.
Then it was back to the car and off to Matera via a three hour drive. During this journey we saw all weathers. There was glorious sunshine and joyfully fluffy clouds, all the way to black skies and rain so heavy it looked like a snowstorm. It was like a series of short stories, each of a different genre. We glimpsed the famed Vesuvius as the rain lifted and tried to imagine the chaos it unleashed on the surrounding area.
There was some tension as we reached Matera in the heavy late afternoon traffic. We were still not sure if we had a parking place and if we didn’t it would have caused quite a problem. We need not have worried, as the owner of the accommodation, Davide had it all under control. The local car park had reserved space. The apartment was nearby and situated in a perfect position for shopping, restaurants and sightseeing. This apartment was so wonderful. It was stylishly appointed and looked very new. We dumped our bags and went straight out.
At that time of the day, with the sun beginning to end its transit across the sky, the light seemed to bring out the full rich colours of the stone. The streets were buzzing with people. Italians were out in force, promenading, snacking, drinking, lingering. We found a seat in a nearby bar and ordered negroni and peach bellini. We watched the world chatter by. There were so many brilliant vantage points from which to view the fabulous tumble of stone houses that filled the valley that fell away from the squares above. Our eyes darted from one fabulous sight to another. We couldn’t get enough.
We joined the meandering throng, exploring the upper streets and looking for places where we might return to for dinner. Clinging onto the side of the valley and down some steep steps we found the perfect place. Yes, they did have a table. Yes, we could have a window table, looking across the scene below. They moved the table and opened the doors wide.
While we waited for our meal, we enjoyed the show put on by a flock of swallows darting to and fro in search of their evening meal. Minute by minute, the light faded, the sky became blue velvet and the twinkling lights from the houses below lit up. The meal was wonderful. I had pistachio crusted veal and Johnny had the local lamb.
We took a walk along via Del Corso, brimming with high end shops and smartly dressed people. We walked a little way through the paths that led between the jumble of houses. Finally we had had our fill and headed for home. For us it was late, but in the street outside our building, the Italians were out in force. The market stalls were still selling. People were drinking and chatting.
We felt so privileged to be able to enjoy all of this.
AND IN PARIS
