Lazy Days and arrival in Naples.

 On Sunday I did absolutely nothing, just lazed about on our last day in Lecce. Well, I did do washing as this was our last day with a washing machine until we get home. A spot of house cleaning so we leave the apartment as we found it and then just read my book, had a pausa and packed the case. On the move again tomorrow which will involve two train changes.

Three photos taken last night while we were in the looong queue for gelati

Monday: We left the apartment at 10.15 to walk to the station, but before that we went for breakfast at the bar on the corner. I have been eating cereal and yoghurt this past fortnight after the massive spreads at all the hotels during our pilgrimage walk. A coffee and a cornetto does the job for most Italians.

We were travelling 1st class today on the Frecciargenta (the silver one) because the price was cheaper than 2nd class when I bought the tickets three months ago. A bonus was a snack box and a drinks trolley that made several passes through the carriage  throughout the trip. Drinks ranged from prosecco and other wine to juice and soft drink, water and coffee.

Like RyanAir, they announced at each stop that we had arrived at .... on time! All very good until there was a malfunction on the track and the train eventually arrived at Caserta forty minutes late. I hadn't pre purchased tickets for the next leg because they were only E3.70 each and no benefit in early purchase. Good plan.

Our change to a Regionale train (stopping all stations, and the bottom of the hierarchy of Italian trains) was a bit chaotic as those trains had also been affected by the outage. But we are always so impressed with the style, comfort and cleanliness of these trains.  

 Eventually we arrived in Naples just before 6 pm and easily made our way to our accommodation.

This was the first time we have encountered a totally electronic and person-free check in. I booked on-line, paid on-line, sent our ID electronically and communicated with the owner on-line. We received a step by step set of instructions which involved pressing an intercom button, going through two doors, up in a lift, locating a key safe and entering the code to get the key then opening two more doors before we were in the apartment. We also paid the bed/tourist tax by putting the money in the key safe.

The keys? A set of four including one long one.

This might seem odd however at our palace in Lecce we also has four keys - one for the front door, one for the rear door, one for the glass door to the lift and one big one for our apartment. Quite a lot to carry around all day.

The apartment is newly converted and is white on white. We have a corner studio apartment which gives us two full length balcony windows.  We do look for places with outdoor ambience. Ambience might not be the correct word for Naples! Naples is frenetic, noisy, chaotic with a pinch of scary thrown in. 

Views from our little balconies.

We walked 110 metres to a mini mart for a few essentials ... and had to use Google Maps to find our way home! Crazy shop was entered on one street and the check out and exit was on another.

Huge pizzas for dinner at a little place that proudly  displayed on their table mats that the shop was owned by former street urchins who had a passion for pizza. Well done them!

So big it was off the plate and off the table. Guess what is for lunch today?

Banksy Exhibition in Lecce and a day of Surprises

Around every corner is a surprise. This morning we came upon this unusual sight, a facade that has been retained and incorporated into a more modern building. Lecce is an architectural delight, from the grand churches and palazzi to more humble structures.

Nearby was another church, but this one had these unusual tiles on the floor.

Surveying the map this morning, we were looking for places we hadn't visited and the Mure Urbiche once again came forward. We had tried to find this fortified wall last week because it has a newly opened exhibition space and a Banksy exhibition. All attempts to find both the place and any details of the exhibition had failed.

Today I just wanted to see the Walls so we went through Porta Nuova, past the spectacular oleanders, past the Obelisk and turned right along the busy road to Brindisi.

Eventually some open space and fortifications came into view, a moat, an internal garden and some seriously defensive walls.

Even some 17th century graffiti.

We kept following around the Wall and, lo and behold ... the Banksy Exhibition. 'Capitalist Realism. Banksy: Art in the Absence of Utopia'

Not surprisingly there were few people there, and we were ushered up into the fortress and from one section to another where we spent an interesting hour or more. Banksy is well known as an English street artist, mainly using the stencil method; conversely he is not well known really as his identity is not known.

Time magazine described Banksy as a graffiti master, painter, activist, filmmaker and all-purpose provocateur. His works, whether on city walls, on canvas or in print , all entice thought on the subject he is addressing. Whether political, environmental or ethical, there are always at least two ways to look at the image.

Coming from a genuine graffiti art background, his work is gritty and can cause offense. It seems necessary to think deeply on the subject title and matter. Most of the prints on display are from the early 2000's.

Capitalism is a big part of his exhibition, his clever words for each design don't remain static and work from the late 1990s remain relevant today. 

'There are four fundamental human needs; food, sleep, sex and revenge.'

 

Monkey Queen was an anti-authoritarian statement, about people who are born into a role where they control people.

The rat with the peace symbol around his neck is a recurring image in Banksy's work. The rat is seen as a clever trickster, an example of something we don't like but which ultimately has the power to wipe out whole populations. He sees the rat's place in society as directly related to how people look at graffiti artists.

The girl with a ballon is a very popular work, less aggressive, it is associated with hope. There are many variations.

 

This is also the image that was sold at auction by Southeby's in 2018 and immediately after the sale the artwork began to destroy itself through a shredder hidden in the frame. The work was re-named Love is in the Bin. In October 2018 Love is in the Bin became the most expensive Banksy ever to be sold at auction ... at 18,582,000 GBP. 

Indeed a clever trickster!

There were two of these flow chart works. One showing the life of Banksy, another the progression of society when power and consumerism take over. The second incorporated the various Banksy works addressing the various issues. Clever!

Barcode Leopard has several interpretations - commodification of wild animals, poaching, excesses of consumerism and entrapment.

Another oft used symbol from the Vietnam war but now extended to all power battles. The gift wrapped chopper speaks of hypocritical actions in the name of peace or democracy. Others on display with this theme were Golf Sale and Bomb Hugger.

This was probably my favourite, called Love is in the Air, it is an adaptation of a photo of rocks being tossed in Palestine and the name was inspired by the John Paul Young song of that name. Throw flowers, not rocks.

There was also a collection of photos and videos of Banksy at work. All together a very interesting and thought provoking exhibition, well displayed and we were pleased that we found its location.

This evening we went to Mass at San Matteo, one of the big four Baroque churches in Lecce.  There was an interesting group in attendance, lots of hugs and kisses. As the service commenced we became curious then realised that we were witnessing a marriage  between a couple who appeared to have adult children as their witnesses. It was a lovely occasion despite us struggling to hear and understand. Another  surprise.

The music was provided by a pretty little nun with a guitar who sang with great passion.

One of the things that the guides suggest is to experience night life in the historic centre of Lecce. When we came out of the church the crowds had increased incredibly. It seemed every bit of walkway had been covered in tables and chairs with restaurants that had four tables during the day suddenly having forty. Passeggiata is a regular part of Italian life - dressing up and walking up and down the favoured street to see and be seen. It was all happening tonight.

We found a restaurant that had a table for two out on the pedestrianised roadway. Perfect for us! Kel had noticed that they were serving 'patate fritte' and he knew I was yearning for hot chips (or possibly the salt!). We had a very enjoyable meal despite the surprises, and the non Italian nature of the meal. It has been quite hot again so we were looking for cold drinks. The beer didn't fit the bill so we changed to sangria. The biggest surprise was yet to come. Over the last few years we have noticed a growing interest in hamburgers, even shops called 'hamburgeria'. So we ordered a mixed hamburger each. The chips arrived first and then the burger. 

What a surprise when this arrived!

After eating we joined the crowds of people filling the streets. All ages, lots of prams and dogs, beautifully dressed young people (all noticably slim) and all creating a very happy atmosphere. 

We joined a very long queue for gelato after 11 pm and as we enjoyed it we couldn't help thinking how special the Italian lifestyle is. Not once have we seen or felt anything slightly unpleasant or scary.

Like the Banksy flower tosser ... love is in the air!

 

Museo Faggiano Lecce

As we headed towards the Castello Carlo V this morning we passed through the market area but not much was happening. I guess the predicted 36 degrees was keeping the shoppers away. At 10 am it was 32 degrees, felt like 34.

The castle is close by our accommodation and is a mix of ruins and restored areas. It was first built in the Middle Ages and was greatly modified by Charles V of Hapsburg in 1539. The castle is quite extensive and is used for exhibitions and events, but to our great disappointment the Cartapesta or Paper Maché  Museum is no longer freely available to see. It is now part of a guided tour of the whole castle and that would severely restrict my ability to learn about and observe the cartapesta. Sadly we had to leave without seeing this very local Salento craft.

The Museo Faggiano is a private museum that came about when the householder  Luciano Faggiano needed to improve the sewage system so he could open a restaurant. It was discovered that the building sat on a rich history.  It has 2500 years of archeological history discovered beneath this private residence.

This ranges from Messapi (5th century B.C) to the Romans, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. it is all there to see, a network of tunnels, cisterns, secure places and rooms that over the times have been occupied by several groups of people. It was a Templar home from 1000 to 1200 and up to the 1600s was occupied by a Convent of Franciscan Nuns of Saint Clare.

The excavation work that was funded by the Faggiano family has also shown up tombs, a granary, wells, ossuary, templar frescos, a chapel, escape routes and thousands of archaelogical finds.

With English notes in hand we explored this interesting site, Kel climbing down small circular steps into small areas, as we checked out four floors of history. On the roof top was a small observation tower for security in the past but which gave an interesting overview of the area now. Wall to wall churches really.

With so many narrow lane ways you can often find yourself coming out somewhere other than where you expected. We enjoy this and are often amazed at how close to home we end up.

As the temperature rose we wilted a little so stopped at the pasticceria bar where we were introduced to pasticciotto cakes on our first day. Having a shady outdoor area they were very popular and we were lucky to get a table. Kel was yearning for a cold beer and he got me a lemon granita. It was so delicious and cooling (brain freezing actually!) and the glass and silver spoon added to the pleasure.

 

Lecce: from Roman Theatre to Caffe Leccese

 First plan this morning was to find the small Roman theatre that is hidden away down narrow streets. This theatre dating from 1st-2nd century A.C was discovered in 1929 but only a part of it has been exposed as the rest is under buildings. There is a museum nearby but sadly no info board along the fence which restricts entry to the theatre.

The Seminary Palace is part of the Piazza Duomo complex of outstanding beauty and was also built by Zimbalo between 1661 and 1682. It is now the Diocesan  Museum of Sacred Art. This was the 5th part of the ticket we bought yesterday.

As with all monasteries and convents there is a cloister here, an under cover walkway around all four sides of a central garden area. This one is quite simple but does have a beautiful Baroque well.

The Chapel has a mix of Baroque and modern features.

Many of the rooms around the cloister have been put to use in a variety of ways. One houses a collection of photos of mainly Polish priests who were killed in Dachau and Auschwitz Concentration Camps.

Another is the library and has some very old books, some hand written and others examples of very early printing methods.

Several rooms had been made into a modern art collection.

Upstairs is the Sacred Art collection, pieces collected from churches in Lecce, either no longer in use, donated or on loan. From the window is a fine view of the piazza and the Duomo.

Orontius of Lecce or Sant' Oronzo was born in 22 A.D, was a Patron of Lecce and was martyred in Lecce in 68 A. D. He met Saint Paul when he was shipwrecked on  Salento, became a Christian, was later made first Bishop of Lecce and was eventually martyred for his refusal to give up his Christian faith. 

These two art works are of Sant' Oronzo, a larger than life size silver bust and a painting.

The intricate work in the gold and silver collection is amazing. This silver filigree 'calice' (the word is also used for a wine glass in this area) dated before 1671 was incredible.

As previously mentioned, in this area many of the statues in the churches are actually paper maché. The south of Italy has always been the poorer part so they  improvised. We have also seen fabulous marble interiors of churches that were just painted. This photo shows the detail that can be obtained with paper maché.

The skill is known as Cartapesta in Lecce.

Next it was time to try another of the local specialities Caffe Leccese or Lecce coffee. It is served with a small amount of almond milk syrup over ice, then the waiter pours a shot of hot coffee over the ice. Interesting but not something I would rush to have. Maybe I will try it somewhere else before we leave because the locals are very enthusiastic about it. Of course we are still sampling the pasticciotti. These two were pretty good.

After a bit more exploring the green tourist route we headed home as the temperature today was 32 degrees.