The smallest country in the world

When we walk past the border checkpoints of Vatican city we noticed that we are close to the smallest country in the world. Actually, it is encircled by 2-mile border with Italy. 

One week ago I went to Rome for job, and on the way back, in the early evening, I took two pictures of Vatican Square. Tourists weren't there, as the Italian government hasn't eased Covid restrictions yet.

Yesterday the Japanese restaurant, Kokusai, here in my town, delivered the food that we had at dinner. It was really delicious! We look forward to getting Japanese food once again next month.

The cups of Italian cappuccino here below weren't served in Vatican City and its surroundings. I already mentioned the nice waitress who like writing "Good Morning" ("Buon giorno" in Italian language) on top of milk surface. 

As it is known, cappuccino is an espresso-based coffee drink that originated in Austria with later development taking place in Italy. The cake in the picture below also is of North Europe origin.

Have a nice weekend! 

Underground Naples

A dear blogger friend from Oregon (US), Nicole, always enjoys reading posts about Naples (South Italy). That's why I show a few pictures which I took one month ago while I was spending my holiday in Naples (the 1st week of the new year). 

The 1st picture here below shows the Naples underground entrance. The underground city spreads below the entire old town, as the subsoil of Naples is crossed by a large network of  tunnels, tanks and old watercourses. The guides took us on a journey through 2400 years of history, marked by works of Greek and Roman periods, up to the modern age.

In the 4th century BC the Greeks gave life to the underground cisterns to cope with the water supply and to find the stones they needed for buildings.

During the WWII the underground cavities became shelters against aerial bombing.

The mysterious labyrinth of cavities is located below Naples historical alleys. 

 

The last picture below shows a path of the big urban green space, located in the middle of Naples, where I sometimes enjoy running and walking.    

Have a nice weekend and stay well!

Still in Naples, the Fontanelle cemetery caves

In 1656, after a plague had reduced Naples population from 400,000 to 150,000, a former quarry became a burial site. Another great accumulation of the indigent dead seems to have been in the wake of the cholera epidemic in 1837. According to the tradition of religion, the huge chamber, dug deep into soft stone, wasn't a consecrated soil.

In this unique site in the world, which is rich of history and legends, local women have been cleaning some skulls with the aim of assisting their souls in reaching heaven, in exchange for protection. Devotion to the skulls still exists today, as members of the local community think skulls may be able to deliver wishes.

Visiting underground Naples' cemetery caves is not a macabre experience or dark tourism. The Fontanelle cemetery (that's its name) is both an historical site to visit and a place for meditation.   

If you go to Italy, don't forget to visit Naples 💀👀💖