Weekly Inspiration

All from Elizabeth and James F/W 2010.

xx, E

Napoli

Naples, Italy is not a typical touristic destination. On a good day, Naples is best known as the homeland of many Italian-American immigrants and the birthplace of Neapolitan pizza. Try Solania's for the best pizza in the world!! This all according to my friends of course, since I cannot chow down on the gluten-filled delicacy [insert sad face here]. Naples is best known for it's crime, garbage lined streets, and as the city most heavily bombed in all of Italy during WWII. Typical of Southern Italy, Naples is a free-spirited, colorful, energetic, cultural mishmash.


As one of the most important cities for Renaissance and Baroque art, Naples was an obvious destination for my Baroque Art History at Temple University taught by Ana Tuck-Scala. As we pulled up to our first stop at Palazzo Capodimonte, Professor Tuck-Scala announced that we should be extra cautious about our belongings today because there would be many school children around. It was a Friday and all the Neapolitan public school children, frustrated with lack of government funded, decided to go on strike. A transplanted native, my professor explained to us that this sort of thing is very common in Naples. Hmmphh wonder who got the idea first, the Neapolitans or the French?

I won't bore you with all the details about the museums, so here are the highlights:

• Caravaggio's Seven Acts of Mercy in Pio Monte della Misericordia which is a personal Caravaggio favorite
• Caravaggio's Flagellation of Christ in Palazzo Capodimonte
• Caravaggio's last known work, The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula in Galleria di Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano
• Guiseppe Sanmartino's stunning sculpture Veiled Christ in Chiesa San Domenico Maggiore
• Certosa di San Martino- an old Carthusian monastery that houses some of the most beautiful Baroque paintings I have ever seen. In the church there is also a painting that some believe to be one of Caravaggio's missing works. Not a popular tourist destination, but one of the best stops on the trip. Situated on top of a hill, overlooking Naples, it offers a fantastic view of the city (see below).

View from San Martino

Gesù Nuovo

Although it is not famous for being one of Italy's must visit city's, Naples is definitely worth a stop if you are on your way to the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, or Sicily. Downtown Naples has decent shopping, cheap prices, and even more knock-off designer goods. Check out the Galleria, its an exact replica of the Galleria in Milan.
xx, E

Munchenland: German for a Weekend

I headed up to Munich on my first overnight train in Europe Thursday night with a couple of friends. We thought we booked a private 3 person sleeper car, but when we got on the train we discovered we were actually booked in a 6 person sleeper car. Luckily for us, only one of the three strangers we'd be sleeping with got on the train in Rome and he spent the entire train ride in another compartment. We were already passed out by the time the other two cabin mates boarded the train in Bologna around 11 PM. This allowed us to host our own private party in our cozy compartment. A few other friends were also on the train to Munich for Oktoberfest, however they weren't lucky enough to be seated together, so we rocked out to some jams and feasted on Italian cheese, crackers, fruit, and a few bottles of wine before parting ways and hitting the hay. Despite my full belly and quenched thirst, getting a goodnight's sleep in preparation for weekend of too many one-liter brews was no easy task. 

Fresh off the train in Munich

We finally arrived around 9:00 AM Friday morning. The rest of our group didn't get in until later that afternoon so we decided to explore a few touristy spots around Munich and grab a quick bite to eat until everyone arrived.

This year, Oktoberfest was celebrating it's 200th anniversary. It was everything I ever could have imagined and more- a combination of a giant county fair with rides galore and 20+ beer tents. Besides the delicious authentic German food (think giant pretzels, bratwurst, frankfurters, schweinsbraten, and giant decorative cookies), there were carnival rides, roller coasters, and a giant ferris wheel. Important fact: the ONLY beverage served in the tents at Oktoberfest are giant liters of beer. At 8 euros a pop, beer was definitely not cheap, but a much better deal than you'll find at any fancy Western European night club and boy was it delicious!

at Hofbrau with friends Friday afternoon

Day 2, still at Hofbrau

Snacks with parents

The group I was with spent nearly all of our time in the Hofbrau tent, outside the Hofbrau tent, or trying to get in the Hofbrau tent. The Hofbrau tent is the official English speaking tent and a popular hangout for Americans, Australians, the Irish and the Brits. It was here that I ran into just about every single person I know who is abroad right now, it was definitely the place to be. Despite the apparent lack of Germans, tons of people were dressed in traditional Bavarian outfits: lederhosen for the men and dirndls for the ladies. I need a pair of lederhosen nowwww. They are absolutely adorable!
Facts about Oktoberfest:

• Largest public festival in the entire world
• Over 6 million visitors attend annually
• Isn't held in October! Oktoberfest traditionally begins the first Saturday after September 15
• 75% of attendees are Bavarian

Oktoberfest in Munich is something everyone should experience at least one time in their lives. Nothing can compare to Oktoberfest in Munich. It was definitely a trip I will never forget! Not only were the beers delicious, but so were the Germans. Makes me wish I studied abroad in Germany instead of Italy. Oktoberfest was filled with gorgeous, big, muscular German studs like I've never seen 'em before. Quite a nice change from the small and delicate, fashion-obsessed Italians I've been meeting the past month.

Happy singing Germans

xx, E