There were quite a lot of things about Naples that had me spellbound: all the fireworks every evening around the bay, children driving scooters, the amount of fried food and something that might be typical for the Quartieri Spagnoli, at least I didn´t see them in that amount somewhere else: shrines!
They are everywhere! Small, big, old, new, kitschy, nice, full of pictures and so on – there must be hundreds of them in the spanish quarters…
Whenever you´re in Florence you don´t want to miss one of the oldest and probably most beautiful pharmacies of the world! La Officina Profumo Farmaceutica Santa Maria Novella – founded shortly after 1221 by Dominican friars who made and sold balms, medications out of medicinal herbs grown in the monastic gardens.
In 1612 the pharmacie was well know even outside of Florence and opened to the public.
The Old Apothecary, now a herbalist’s shop, was used for the sale and display of products between 1612 and 1848, while the historic Sales Room, restructured in 1848, was the place in which the company’s customers were welcomed when the increasing fame of the pharmacy made the provision of a room for entertaining customers a must. (Museums in Florence)
Today they offer a wide range of products from soaps to colognes, medical liqueurs made after the old recipes. Even some fragrance quite similar to the “acqua della regina” once created for the loyal costumer Catherine de’ Medici.
I just knew I wanted to go somewhere with one of the ferries and let fate decide where to, the first ferry that was going to leave the harbour of Naples would be mine. Little did I know that there were that many different companies and ferries leaving all the time – nevertheless I ended up on a boat to Capri!
And as I love boating I stepped on the next one the minute I reached Capri – or almost at the same moment. Unfortunately it was to windy for the grande tour around the island and to the Grotta Azzurra, but the small tour to the four Faraglioni was beautiful and the blue grotto will be thee next time.
While cruising I spotted some dream houses on top of Capri… and wished to be on one of these little boats…
Or just dive into the ocean – that colour!
Saying hello to the faraglioni and the boat turned around going back to the harbour.
After a short walk around the harbour, a little limoncello granita, I spent the next hours at one of the little beaches – swimming with a view!
Back to Naples and being greeted by Vesuvius bathed in golden evening light – almost too kitschy.
