Beautiful Fontana del Nettuno
About midday we took the ferry back to Naples from Ischia. At the port there are many cabs and they do have a list of prices (but they like to scam foreigners and put on a meter). Before sitting in a cab anywhere in Naples make sure you agree on the price with the cap driver. There are no Uber or any other internet cab services there, only city cabs.
Naples has some truly beautiful lamp posts
After dropping off our things in the hotel we walked up to the Gallery of Pallazo Zevallos Stigliano. On the way to the Gallery we stopped by the Fontana del Nettuno. The fountain is a very picturesque area (great place for pictures and admiration of the fountain). The Pallazo Zevallos is a bank-owned property (the original family fell on hard times and slowly sold off the palace, until all of it was fully bank-owned) and only a few rooms with paintings are open. There is a small fee, but the property is clean and well kept. A small highlight is the elevator which is in the old style (maybe 100+ years old) with seating in the elevator.
Detail of lamp post
Pallazo Zevallos has a great, small, painting collection, not many well-known world painters, but the paintings themselves are of high quality and generally 120-200 years old. The jewel of the collection is a Caravaggio painting (which is located in a climate controlled room and is the only panting in that room), “The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula” painted in 1610. Please find out at the ticket counter if the painting is there or it is on loan in another country, if not it may cause disappointment. The collection is worth seeing, but maybe not paying to see without the Caravaggio, because it is so small.
On the left of the picture is the beautiful restored section, on the right still dark needs to be restored part of the Galleria Umberto I.
Afterwards we walked down Via Toledo and my husband was the only one to get anything on this trip (usually he is the only one to get nothing). He got a trench coat, dress shirt, T-shirt, and Nike sneakers all for a great price. Our walk continued down Via Toledo until we hit Galleria Umberto I. Unlike the very similar one in Milan (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II), which is in fantastic shape and well maintained. The Galleria Umberto I is under construction/repair (like many parts of Naples). Its darkish and the scaffolding hides much of the beautiful galleria is closed up, but they are making progress as one of four sides is fully restored.
Some of the dessert
Gran Caffè Gambrinus has a good rating on Google, but truth be told it is an overrated and overpriced location in Naples. Just down the street you can find much better. The waiters were not interested and rude, the place was very crowded and it felt like everyone was sitting on each other. I would say it’s the “only” tourist trap in Naples. The desserts look nice, but the crummy service and overpacked location just spoils the time spent there.
Nice presentation, but a tourist trap
We turned in early, because the next day was going to be very busy! Ciao, ’til next post.
Southern Italy, First day Naples
Southern Italy, Second day Capri
Southern Italy, Third day Ischia