Pozzuoli: A Day Trip from Naples with Lots to Offer

Underneath the Roman amphitheater in Pozzuoli

If your travels through Italy take you to Naples, you should consider taking a day trip to Pozzuoli. Pozzuoli is practically a suburb of Naples and you can get there in half an hour by taking a metro train from Garibaldi Station. Not only is it easy and cheap to get to Pozzuoli, this gritty but charming harbor town has something for everyone.

One of my favorite attractions is the Roman amphitheater. You can wander around the entire structure, including the underground chambers where the beasts and gladiators were kept. Numerous signs provide detailed explanations of how the amphitheater worked and you won't have to fight crowds, stand in lines, or pay the hefty entrance fee that you will to see the Colosseum (there is an entrance fee at Pozzuoli, but it's reasonable). If you go in the summer, the underground chambers make a refreshing break from the South Italian sun and the grounds surrounding the amphitheater are littered with sculptures and architectural carvings - just don't go looking for the museum that the signs mention: they never built it.

The ancient Roman marketplace when the water table is low

Another great Pozzuoli ruin is the ancient Roman marketplace, also called the Serapeum, located near the harbor. This was once the heart of the Roman city of Puteoli, an important commercial center, and today it gives an interesting insight into the volcanic geology of Campania, the region of Italy around Naples. The marketplace is seriously affected by bradyseism, the rise and fall of the earth due to volcanic activity. Sometimes the bottom of the market is dry and visible, as in the photo above. At other times, as on my last visit, the entire market floor is covered with several feet of water, complete with pond weeds and hopping frogs.

A sulfurous steam vent at Solfatara

If ancient ruins don't interest you, try hiking up the road for more volcanic activity. The crater of the dormant Solfatara volcano provides a strange lunar landscape complete with pits of boiling mud, vents of steam, yellow and orange sulfur crystals growing on the rocks, and a constant smell of fireworks. At one end of the vast crater is a seriously toasty medieval sauna, not for the faint of heart. The ground is also quite hot, so be careful if you're wearing sandals or flip-flops.

Of course, no day trip would be complete without great food. Try stopping at 'A Scarpetta, a traditional Napolitano restaurant located at Via S. Paolo 15 (you'll find it if you face the main harbor, then follow the waterside road to your left). 'A Scarpetta makes fabulous seafood dishes. For a genuine culinary delight, order the antipasti di mare. Just be warned - you might not have room for dinner afterward!


Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

A Great Bar In Florence: Plaz

Enjoying the warm March weather at Platz

Plaz is a bizarrely German-sounding name for an Italian bar, but it was where my Florentine friends wanted to go after an evening of pizza, so why not check it out?

I was not disappointed. Despite the name, Plaz is pure Florence: the decor is a modernized version of Renaissance luxury, they have live music at night, and they even offer a cocktail list - and if you've ever tried to order something more complicated than a gin-and-tonic in a European bar, you know what a triumph a cocktail list is. Following my tendency to order anything I've never had before, I tried my first Rossini that night, a bubbly concoction perfect for celebrating an evening out with good friends.

I've been back to Plaz many times since that first night in March. They offer a wide selection of wine, beer, cocktails, and simple eats. They also have an excellent aperitivo - the Italian version of happy hour, where buying a drink grants you access to a table full of tasty appetizers. During the summer, you can sit across the street under one of Florence's many public porticoes and enjoy some good people-watching with your glass of chianti.

Plaz is located at Via Pietrapiana 36r, across from the Piazza dei Ciompi.

Food: Good basics and a tasty aperitivo spread
Atmosphere: Modern Renaissance with a hint of goth
Price: Reasonable (8-10 euros for a glass of wine, but that's pretty normal for Florence)

Bottom Line: A nice stop for an afternoon drink, and live music makes it great for a night out


Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Sardinia's "Cheese with Worms" Makes the Media

Casu marzu or formaggio con vermi: Sardinia's cheese with worms

Obviously, you'll find a mention of casu marzu, Sardinia's maggot-riddled cheese, in every "Guide to Sardinia" on the market. How could you not? Who could resist writing about a traditional delicacy that is not only infested with fly larvae, but is also more or less illegal? (It may have gotten around the illegality recently by being declared a "traditional food," but you still can't buy it in Sardinian grocery stores.)

Trying casu marzu was an explicit goal of mine last time I visited Sardinia, and one I was lucky enough to accomplish. I was thrilled to finally take part in this weird, wonderful, and slightly freaky cultural experience. For the curious: the cheese is sharp and strong and you don't notice the worms if you close your eyes.

What I never anticipated was seeing a reference to casu marzu in American popular culture. Immagine my surprise when an infestation of maggots on the most recent episode of Bones was caused, not by a human corpse, but instead - you guessed it! - by an illegal Sardinian delicacy called casu marzu. I practically fell out of my chair. I guess the show must have someone researching all the harmless things that can possibly be mistaken for murder evidence, but still - with a little luck, maybe some national exposure like this will get people to realize what an interesting place Sardinia is.

Photo of casu marzu by Shardan, accessed through the Wikimedia Commons
Text Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Caffe degli Spiriti

The chic and fun Caffe degli Spiriti in Cagliari

The Caffe degli Spiriti is one of my favorite bars - ever, period, full stop. Located on top of the Bastione San Remy in Cagliari, Sardinia, Caffe degli Spiriti offers great views, contemporary surroundings, and a delightful sense of fun. My favorite way to enjoy the Caffe is to order a glass of wine and lounge in one of the rope hammocks in back - a particularly romantic option if you're squeezing up against the one you love.

Looking out over the city is beautiful by day, but even more gorgeous by night, and as the night wears on, Caffe degli Spiriti rapidly becomes one of Cagliari's hottest hang-outs. Go early to claim the good spots, and settle in with a bottle of Sardinia's signature red wine, cannonau. It depends a little on who's serving - and how cute the customer is - but a bottle of wine will often come with a selection of local cheeses and cured meats. Sit back and enjoy the delicious traditions of Sardinia - in one of its chicest bars!

Food: No full menu but the bar snacks are great
Atmosphere: Chic, contemporary, fun
Price: Reasonable (20 euros for a bottle of good wine)
Bottom Line: A sexy spot to party the night away

A lazy afternoon at the Caffe - by midnight, it'll be packed!

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Favorite Places: The Bastione San Remy, Cagliari

On top of the Bastione San Remy

A recent thread on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree asked: "Sardinia where to go?" It got me thinking about the fact that I haven't written much about Sardinia yet, even though it's one of my favorite destinations and I find frequent excuses to return to it. I don't know what I love most about Sardinia. Maybe it's the historic but lively cities. Maybe it's the vast empty landscape dotted with ancient ruins... and flocks of sheep. Or maybe it's the exquisite culture of food and wine that ranges from Michelin Star-winning restaurants to delicious home cooking to the utterly bizarre (care for some snails baked in salt? calf thyroids? cheese with worms?).

Heading to the top of the  Bastione

So I decided it was time to write about Sardinia and at least begin introducing readers to one of my Favorite Places. My favorite city in Sardinia is the island's capital, Cagliari, and one of my favorite spots in Cagliari is the beautiful Bastione San Remy. The Bastione is an 18th century fortification built on top of Cagliari's old medieval wall system, originally constructed 400 years earlier. Now the Bastione serves as a beautiful look-out point from which to admire Cagliari's colorful rooftops, winding streets, and blue harbor. If you head up the Bastione's broad double stairs from Piazza Costituzione, you'll find yourself in a grand piazza. All around you stretch gorgeous views: to the south is the sea with its harbor full of cruise ships, to northwest is Cagliari's lagoon with its complement of pale pink flamingoes, and to the north, up yet more flights of stairs, rises the castello itself, Cagliari's old fortified city where you'll find one of its great cathedrals as well as its archaeological museum.

Enjoying the sun

There are plenty of benches on the Bastione if you want to sit in the sun and admire the palm trees, and there are cafes at the edges of the piazza if you need a refreshing cappuccino after climbing the stairs. If you visit the Bastione on a weekend in the summer you're likely to find an artisan market selling jewelry, sculpture, and hand-made t-shirts. And if you're looking for nightlife, the Bastione is a great stop. At night its cafes fill up with Cagliari's glitterati and occasional events like Argentine tango in the piazza keep things lively.

Napoleon's cannonballs

A final amusing note about the Bastione should appeal to history buffs. When you visit the Bastione, take a good look at the pink building you can see in the background in the picture above. The careful observer will spot three cannonballs still embedded in the wall - a small souvenir of the Napoleonic Wars.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Beauty in the Beast

The crushing loneliness of a Medusa in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

The Best of the Bazaar: Colorful Gloves in Florence

Leather gloves from Florence against a colorful silk scarf from Syria.

Traveling in Italy has permanently shifted my style toward the colorful. American clothes can be so drab, at least if you're past the age where you're shopping in the junior's section. My inner Italian rebels at the color choices she's offered in American clothing stores: black, brown, camel, beige, cream, denim... at best, she may hope to find hunter green or mulberry or red (if it's around the holidays).

That's why I find myself gravitating toward bright accessories when I travel - a khaki trench coat is just more fun if you dress it up with an orange silk scarf and blue gloves. But where can you find nice blue gloves? In one of my all-time favorite shopping destinations: Florence.

From designer stores to chalk artists, charming fountains to gorgeous architecture, it's easy to stumble onto beauty in Florence. The markets are no exception. There are several around the city and they're full of gorgeous scarves, jewelry, clothes, and a Florentine specialty: colorful and sumptuous leather.

Leather handbags in the Market of San Lorenzo

Any kind of leather you want is available in the markets of Florence: jackets, handbags, shoes, belts, leather-bound journals, and - of course - gloves. The gloves are my favorite. Not only are they an elegant accessory, the variety they come in is practically infinite. In the Market of San Lorenzo, the largest of Florence's markets, you can find gloves in every color from lime green to canary yellow to my selection, turquoise blue - and those are just the solid colors! Other common options are black with red piping, multi-colored pastel patchwork, and fingerless driving gloves with chestnut leather palms and crocheted cotton backs.

Not only are the gloves gorgeous, they're extremely affordable. My pair, which are unlined, cost 14 euros, which is pretty standard for outdoor market prices. A few euros extra will get you the silk-lined variety, and there are also fleece- and fur-lined options. Whether you love gloves for their bygone-era drama, are trying to find a match for an unusual scarf, or just appreciate fine leather, a pair of Florentine gloves is a fitting souvenir of this beautiful city.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Sixbeds Hostel, Rome, Italy

All the bits of paper are thank you notes

Really great budget accommodation is hard to find. Generally, you have to give something up. Maybe it's convenience or cleanliness or service, but chances are if you're spending less than 60 euros, you won't have a remarkably pleasant stay.

That's what makes Sixbeds Hostel in Rome an absolute stand-out in budget accommodations. Sixbeds has it all: it's clean and comfortable, it's located close to the train station and directly next to a major subway stop, and it provides important amenities like bed linens, towels, and in-room safes. It also provides the little extras like a book corner where you can pick up a book for the road or leave one you're finished with.

Most importantly, Sixbeds provides the big extra, which is fantastic service. Recognized by Hostel Bookers for the excellence of its service, Sixbeds goes out of its way to help you make the most of your time in Rome. When I arrived, even though I was only in town for one night, Max - Sixbeds' gregarious owner - sat me down with a complimentary map of the city and showed me how to get to all of Rome's famous monuments. He asked me what I had seen before and told me about new places I'd never been. Then he provided me with the train schedule for the following morning so I would be sure to get to the airport on time. I couldn't believe how helpful and welcoming Max was.

The book nook at Sixbeds

When I left Sixbeds, I left Max a thank you note. His walls are already full of them, but I hope mine is now up there, too. Being welcomed in a foreign city makes all the difference in the world to a tired traveler. I speak Italian and have spent over a year living in Italy, and I was still grateful for Max's help. If you're heading to Rome for the first time, I can't emphasize enough that you should stay at Sixbeds.

Size: Small (one single, one double, one triple)
Rates: Budget (a single room cost 40 euros a night)
Bathroom: Shared
Breakfast: Included
Cleanliness: High
Convenience: High
Languages spoken: English, Italian
Service: Outstanding!!!!
Overall rating: 10

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

The Best of the Bazaar: Carthusia Perfumes

Traveling overseas has enriched my life in a lot of ways. It got me to finally learn a second language, taught me that I really do like seafood if it was pulled from the Mediterranean the same day I eat it, and gave me a sense of capability and independence that comes to my rescue on a daily basis. Shallow though it may be, however, one of my favorite benefits of traveling is what it's done for my style.

I grew up in a small town in the Midwest, which means for the first eighteen years of my life I was unaware of anything more fashionable than a GAP sweater. My first trip to Europe was like walking into a fine arts museum for the first time. All at once I realized that the world contained more kinds of beauty than I had ever imagined, and just as immediately, I wanted to be a part of it.

Fortunately for me, the vastness of the global bazaar means that even a penniless writer can find great style on a modest budget. And to bring these great finds to light, I'm starting a new series of blog posts: "The Best of the Bazaar."

My first great find for The Best of the Bazaar is Carthusia perfumes. Carthusia is a tiny company that makes exquisite perfumes using flowers and herbs indigenous to the island of Capri. The medieval formulas for these perfumes were discovered in a Carthusian monastery in 1948, and the perfumes are still being made in limited batches that allow the preservation of the ancient production techniques. Women's perfumes contain essence of Capri wild carnation, while men's fragrances contain essence of rosemary from Monte Solarno.

In addition to being a unique expression of Capri's terroir, Carthusia perfumes are intoxicating. My favorite is Ligea La Sirena, a sensual, sweet, musky fragrance based around scents of mandarin and wild white rose. The fragrance wears beautifully and is long-lasting, so an application in the morning will keep you smelling lovely until the end of the work day. I wore my Ligea constantly while traveling - perhaps you can tell by the fact that I left a sweaty finger print on my bottle's label.

Carthusia perfumes are affordable as well as elegant. A 0.85 ounce bottle - which will last for ages due to the perfume's potency - is only 13 euros if you opt for the version without the built-in atomizer. Carthusia can be purchased online, but is more fun purchased while wandering down the sun-drenched streets of Capri (Via Federico Serena and Via Caremelle), Sorrento (Corso Italia), or Positano (Via della Tartana).

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

A Piece of Pisa

I promised I would fill you in on what I did while I was AWOL, so here's my first installment. I spent a few weeks in Florence during my mysterious absence (not so much mysterious as lazy, but I'm trying to spin it in my favor). More on Florence itself later, but you know what makes a fabulous and easy day trip from Florence? Pisa.

You can get to Pisa (Pisa) from Florence (Firenze) by spending an hour on a train departing from Santa Maria Novella, the main train station in Florence. Direct trains depart every half hour, but watch out - there are also regional trains that stop at every single station on the way. A regional train will still get you to Pisa, but it will take an hour and a half instead of an hour.

Pisa is a beautiful, quiet city with pedestrian streets full of shops and cafes, so it's worth spending a day just looking around. If you're dead set on getting to the famous tower, however, walk straight out of the train station and just keep walking. You'll soon find yourself facing the river Arno. Cross the river and then, if you're adventuresome, head off into the charming streets and bear slightly left - you'll stumble into the tower before you know it. If you feel like playing it safe, turn left after you cross the river and follow it until you see Via Roma on your right. Via Roma will take you directly to the Piazza del Duomo, the location of Pisa's beautiful cathedral, baptistry, and of course the Leaning Tower.

All of the monuments in the Piazza del Duomo can be visited, but access to the tower itself is a little tricky. If you want to go up in the tower it's a very good idea to book a ticket online before you go. This will allow you to avoid lines as well as ensure that you get a spot on one of the tours. Entrance to the tower is possible only with a guided tour and tours tend to sell out during the summer.

Other Pisa attractions not to miss include the beautiful Gothic cathedral Santa Maria della Spina on the banks of the Arno and the Museo delle Navi Antiche di Pisa, which houses a variety of Roman artifacts and more than ten fantastically preserved ancient ships that were discovered by accident in 1998.  And, of course, if you can't get enough of medieval art, you should check out the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

Ciao Italia, Bonjour Paris!

I'd been living in Italy for almost five months when I left Florence for Paris. I've spent a lot of time in Italy in years past, so living there comes naturally. I speak Italian well, if not with perfect fluency, and even holding long conversations about topics like politics or philosophy no longer fills me with dread. I know where to go in an Italian city to find what I need, and that isn't as straightforward as it sounds. For example, it took me several months to figure out that contact solution is purchased at the optometrist's shop, not at the grocery store or pharmacy.

Despite the fact that I've gotten very comfortable living in Italy, it didn't occur to me that I would experience culture shock coming to France. It didn't occur to me when I got off the plane, either. On my short bus ride into town, I started looking for things that were different. The architecture had changed, but that didn't immediately make me think "culture shock." Many of the differences I observed were even more superficial: advertisements for San Pellegrino got replaced by advertisements for Perrier. And some sights, like the big Pfizer building on the outskirts of town, reminded me not just of "home, Italy" but of "home, America."

The surprise really hit me when I got off the bus and set off with my luggage to try to find my apartment. My inclination was to stop someone and ask "dov'e Rue Daguerre?" but I realized with a start that I couldn't do that. This was Paris. People spoke French, not Italian. And suddenly the shock set in. I wasn't a local anymore. I didn't fit in. I didn't know how to do this. I didn't know where anything was. And worst of all, I had only English and the kindness (and thorough linguistic training) of others to rely on.

I did manage to find and enter my apartment, but I was an embarrassed mess by the time I did. It felt so.... so... American to expect people in a foreign country to speak my language. Many times I accidentally started speaking Italian, which felt even dumber and more embarrassing than speaking English. By the time I dropped my bags on the floor of my new home I was flustered and distressed. I had gotten so used to being able to navigate easily in a foreign country that I had actually forgotten what it felt like to be foreign.

If I thought back, though, I remembered this feeling. I remembered what it was like to arrive in Athens, for example, and how proud I was when I started being able to order food and ask for directions in Greek. I remembered when I first went to live in Italy and the simplest customs were mysterious sources of anxiety. And I remembered that I loved that feeling in a weird sort of way. I loved the discomfort and the challenge of having to learn how to do everything over again, starting at square one. There is a difference between traveling and living abroad, and I had been living abroad for so long that I had forgotten what it was like to travel. Maybe it was good for me to once again feel pushed outside my comfort zone.

So I braved the rain (it was pouring), bought a phrasebook, and began.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding