Streets Paved with Cobblestones

An unmistakable aspect of Rome, Naples and Palermo is narrow lanes and roads paved in cobblestone. Those 6x8-inch blocks evenly upended, set askew just enough to cause you to stumble every other step. A pedestrian is continually stepping aside to let a CAR (Fiat Panda, Ford Fiesta, Toyota, Peugeot, Renault, Citroën, Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, and I even saw a Chevrolet) or SCOOTER (Piaggio) or MOTOCYCLE (Honda, Kawasaki, Mitsubishi) to pass him or her. Just an observation from a mildly mobility-impaired person.

Steve and I reached Naples, from Rome, by train after about two hours. Luckily, the compartment with our reserved seats was not full. The train station in Naples is undergoing renovation and it proved difficult to find the exit. The taxi ride to the hotel attested to a small car’s maneuverability and a Neapolitan driver’s quick reflexes. And, this is the key reason you would want to press up against a wall or doorway when you hear a car (or motorcycle) coming. During our trip, traffic blocked one route, so the driver took another. It seemed like a mini tour of the city. Since we were staying in the older, historical section of the city, he stopped as near to our hotel as he dared considering the narrow lane and the traffic. For the number of cars you see, you begin to wonder where they park (not to mention where they get gas). There are some cars parked along the lanes/roads, but you soon see that most buildings have inner courtyards where cars can park. Maneuvering tight spaces is seemingly an acquired skill. In addition, with very few traffic signals, pedestrian crossings are designated by white stripes. Beware otherwise.

Naples is the type of city that has to grow on you. To do the city any justice, a photographer would need to stay for several weeks, if not longer. We only had three days; enough to recognize its many layers, but not enough to appreciate its long history and fascinating people. On one day, we rode a funicular up a major hilltop to visit a museum that had formerly been a monastery. The view was incredible, but the wrong time of day for photos. When traveling with someone, there is often no choice of where you’ll be at a certain time of day.

Palermo was much the same, but different. We arrived by overnight ferry and were able to see a part of the city in the soft morning light as we walked to our nearby hotel. A few hours later, not yet noon, the light was harsh and glaring. It seemed to me like an entirely different day. Although the building stock is old, Palermo has a more modern aspect. We had lunch that first day at a neighborhood restaurant. The press and flow of people at lunch time around the counters was intriguing; very much like any other medium-sized city in the world.

Palermo is blessed with marvelous churches. We spent an entire day following an historical route to see several of them. It’s interesting that Palermo has two churches from the Byzantium period with remarkable mosaics which are key stops for many visitors.