Grad Trip - Photo of the Day 33

May 24, the shops are mostly closed cos it was a Sunday, so I packed my bags and left for Rome, my final stop in Italy. By the time I got to Rome, it was about 2pm -- too hot to do any sightseeing. So I checked into my room for the night and rested. Ha.

I was still quite tired this day, so I only took a handful of pictures (the fewest of the entire trip). The photo of the day was taken on my train ride to Rome:

© Lin Zhaowei, 2009.

Was a little peeved that the internet in my room did not work, but well...

Grad Trip - Photo of the Day 32

May 23, off to Naples again. Tried to leave early enough for Naples, so that I could visit the Certosa di San Martino, a monastery that supposedly offers the best views of the city. Unfortunately, I lingered in my hostel for a little too long in the afternoon, and by the time I reached there, I think the balconies overlooking the bay of Naples and Mt Vesuvius were already closed (even though it was not time to close. It's an Italian thing.) Tried to do some shopping after that, but didn't manage to find anything I liked. Looks like I have to count on Rome, my final stop in Italy.

In the morning before I left, I asked the owner of my guesthouse, the excellent Casa Giovanni da Procida for a quick portrait. This is my photo of the day.

On my way to the port to catch my ferry, I passed by the hunting club's clubhouse, and took a quick shot of that.

And when I was in Naples, I finally took a picture of the Castel Nuovo, one of the most striking buildings in the city.

© Lin Zhaowei, 2009.

It was a low-energy day, and I suspected the following day would be the same.

Grad Trip - Photo of the Day 31

May 22, another breezy day in Procida. Sent R to Marina Grande in the morning, as she was heading off to Rome first. Took a walk over to Marina Corricella again for a morning stroll, because the morning light will make it better to shoot the port than yesterday evening. I then retreated to my room for breakfast, and then stayed there till evening, reading, photo-editing and sleeping. Headed out in the evening somewhat reluctantly, and I went out mainly to buy stamps and maybe a watermelon (didn't get it in the end though).

The only thing I brought with me was my 60mm, and it was somewhat liberating to not have to lug a camera bag around for once. Somehow, I ended up at Marina Grande again (it's really a small island, you see) and caught perhaps the most beautiful sunset of the trip.

Some catches of the day:

There is a big garden in my guesthouse, Casa Giovanni da Procida, where the owner grows lemons, oranges and other fruits.


A grumpy-looking old man at the window, somewhere in town. I asked for a picture, and surprisingly, he didn't say no!


Sunset at Marina Grande.

Members of the hunting club in Procida. Gaming season won't be here till August, but that doesn't stop them from meeting up every evening to chat and reminesce.

But the catch of the day would be this on, taken at Marina Corricella in the morning:

© Lin Zhaowei, 2009.

I will be quite sad to leave this place and its tranquility behind tomorrow...

Grad Trip - Photo of the Day 30

May 21, great day. Slow start to the morning, had breakfast, then a stroll down to the beach (Spaggia Chiaia), which was just about 10 minutes away. Went down to the Marina Grande for lunch after that, before heading back to the guesthouse for a rest. (The afternoon is hot and all the shops are closed) In the evening, we went down to Marina Corricella, the fishermen's port, for a walk and some photo-taking. Ah... the island life...

It was a great day for phototaking by the way. There were quite a few photos from this day that I like, but of course I can't show them all here. A few favourites:

An old man and his grandkids at the port


Old chair and old shoes


A boat and a rock

I guess this one would be my photo of the day (by just a little!):

Taken at Spaggia Chiaia.

Bonus picture! Our dinner:

© Lin Zhaowei, 2009.

If only everyday could be as simple, breezy and quiet...

Grad Trip - Photo of the Day 29

May 20, the day I walked around Naples with a 16kg box. We spent the whole morning trying to send R's books to Japan, as it was cheaper to send them from Italy than from the Netherlands. The problem was, parcels could only be sent from this out-of-the-way post centre about 20min away from the train station. Glad we settled that eventually, and miraculously, I didn't even lose my temper throughout the whole episode.

With the rest of the afternoon, we had lunch (at Sorbillo's again :p) and then went down Via Toledo to do some shopping. Although I was the one who wanted to shop, R did all the shopping in the end! We then took the 6pm ferry over to Procida, the smallest island in the Gulf of Naples and my last 'new' destination of the entire trip. (from there on, it's just backtracking to Rome, then to Leiden)

Anyway not many photos on this day, but here's a shot of clothes hung out to dry. They are such a common sight in Naples.

© Lin Zhaowei, 2009.

More on Procida in the next post...

Grad Trip - Photo of the Day 28

May 19, a day spent walking about Naples. Some places we went to include: Gesu Nuovo, Basilica di Santa Chiara and the Duomo. We also went for the Naples Underground tour, which I had gone for two days ago. In addition, we visited the La Pignasecca street market, which according to Lonely Planet, is the oldest and best market in Naples.

On the photography front, I'd decided that I would stick to my 60mm for the day, and the only time I changed lenses was when R asked me to help her take some shots of interiors (her battery had died). I concluded that shooting is sometimes easier and more fun if you just stick to your favourite lens.

Some shots of La Pignasecca:

My photo of the day was taken in the Basilica di Santa Chiara:

© Lin Zhaowei, 2009.

Wanted to do some shopping on this day, but didn't have the time in the end. Sigh.

Grad Trip - Photo of the Day 27

May 18, R was back and we were off to Pompeii. Pompeii is a big place. After all, it was a very prosperous city until a major earthquake destroyed most of it in 62AD and then Mount Vesuvius followed up with an eruption that buried it in ashes and wiped out almost its entire population in 79AD.

We spent the whole day there, exploring the ruins first with an official guide (a complete rip-off given that it covered very little) and then on our own with our guidebooks. Besides bath houses, taverns, houses and villas, you can also find a brothel, an amphitheatre and a huge garden there. Some photos:

Part of the Basilica


The forum


A bathhouse bathed in light


The remains of a house


A room in the brothel


Inside a villa garden


The roof of an atrium

Also played with a bit of lights at the end of the day. But as you can see, I still lost to the sun.

My favourite of the day is this one, taken with natural light in one of the bathhouses:

© Lin Zhaowei, 2009.

The light was great and the hand (of some random tourist) holding the bathtub added some interest to the shot. It's one of those it-looks-great-but-I-don't-have-any-special-meaning-for-it shots, I guess.

At the end of the day, we went back to town for some Sorbillo's. Glad R loved it too!

Grad Trip - Photo of the Day 26

May 17, the day I had a real Italian Sunday lunch. My adopters of the previous day, Ida and Enzo, invited us over to their place for lunch with their family and friends, and I just couldn't refuse. They picked me up from my hostel at around noon, and brought us around Piazza Plebiscito and then the Lungomare for a great view of the Bay of Naples, with Vesuvius in the background. After that, we headed over to their home, somewhere near the Capodimonte quarters. The building facade looked like a typical residential block in Naples:

But the inside was anything but shabby! In fact, the interior was beautiful and far more spacious than I'd expected!

It was a long lunch, and I can't quite remember what we talked about that day. I do remember that the food was great... we were watching Napoli play against Turino on TV (Napoli eventually lost 2-1)... Enzo and I teamed up formidably in a few games of table football in his room against Paolo and Alexis... I learnt how to do the proper Italian way of greeting...

I was glad I went. Some pictures from the afternoon:

(My photo of the day!)




© Lin Zhaowei, 2009.

Many thanks to Ida, Enzo, their parents, Luca, Paolo, Rossella, Pepe and the others for a great afternoon.

Grad Trip - Photo of the Day 25

May 16, I was 'adopted' by a bunch of fun Neapolitans. In a bid to attract more tourists, the city has inaugurated a new programme whereby locals 'adopt' tourists in groups and bring them around the city. I was grouped with an Australian couple and our adopters are a group of Neapolitan university students. My adopters first brought us to Sorbillo for lunch:

It was quite a spread. And they introduced me to the shop's specialty: the Nonno Luigi. The pizza is folded into half and the fillings are on the inside. It is first fried and then baked in the oven. It tasted amazing. (I would have it again when R arrived two days later)

After lunch, we went for a 2-hour guided tour of Naples' underground ruins. Quite interesting, especially when you realise that the entrance to one of the two sites is hidden among normal residences:

That's the tour guide by the way. Very funny Italian guy!

We then bid our farewells, and I lingered around the historical centre of Naples, mainly around Piazza Dante to take some street photos. Some interesting ones:

Old ladies chatting on the street...

One of many vendors selling granita di limone with
a traditional pushcart in Naples.


I saw quite a few kids dressed up like that. I wonder
what the old man thinks...

These friendly chaps showed me the only fish they
managed to catch that evening... Hope they got more
in the end! That's Mt Vesuvius in the background btw.

My favourite of the day is this one. Ok, technically... it's two pictures. But I had to give the second shot context...

© Lin Zhaowei, 2009.

Not the most exciting day, but a day to see Naples for what it is. Good enough for me.