Summer Adventures!
Well, despite our best efforts (which apparently aren't very good) it's been a month since the last blog update. So here we go!
Shane was due for a work trip to Sigonella, Sicily at the end of June. That unfortunately was postponed, so no trips for the whole family just yet. He will be going in August, before school starts, but is scheduled to be working nearly every waking moment, so there isn't much point in going with him.
Instead, we've been exploring around the immediate Naples area, getting together with friends, and meeting new faces.
First up was a visit to one of the few workshops still making traditional copper goods, Porritiello Rame e Acciaio. It sits at the base of Mt Vesuvius and ships to other gift shops and retailers all over Italy. While they do have some machines for initially shaping the copper and buffing and finishing it at the end, the majority of the work is entirely by hand. They make pots, pans, oil dispensers and drainers, sugar/coffee/flour canisters, bowls, coffee pots, decorative containers, and just about any custom item you can want.
We watched them make a pan, and even though initially shaping the copper was done using a machine, the man still used his hands and body weight to work and bend the metal into place. The machine was almost more like using a pottery wheel to make sure the final shape was even. He then took it and added all of the dimples on the outside, turning and hammering everything himself. Next, the pan gets a layer of tin added to the inside by melting and rubbing it on like a thin layer of oil, dunking in a water bath to set it, and drying it thoroughly in a giant bin of sawdust.
Our next adventure took us to la Reggia di Caserta, or the Royal Palace of Caserta. The palace was built in the mid-late 1700s for the ruling family of Naples (Italy wasn't a unified country yet and had many smaller monarchies). It is the largest former royal residence in the world, and its grounds span 47,000 square meters. We walked it end to end, it's definitely BIG.
This was taken from almost the very back of the property looking toward the palace waaaaay in the distance. We logged A LOT of steps that day.
Before we get to the absolute grandeur of the palace, I must also mention (because what kind of Star Wars fans would we be if I didn't) that the palace was used for filming all of the scenes in Episodes 1-3 that take place inside the Palace of Naboo. So of course, we had some fun enjoying living out some Star Wars dreams as well!
The architecture, sculptures, art and finishes throughout the palace were breathtaking. There are very few words for just how stunning it all is. Many details of the design were modeled after the Palace at Versailles, and the sheer volume of marble used to build the majority of the palace is astounding. Interestingly enough, though, the floors in many of the chambers and side rooms were made of terra cotta tiles and painted to look like marble!
The columns inside this chapel had extensive gouging and damage from bombing during World War II. It was decided to leave the damage as a reminder, like a penance for Italy's involvement with the Nazis.
Every surface in the palace is finished and detailed, down to textured silk wallpaper and gilding on EVERYTHING. There were murals in every room, every ceiling had master-level paintings, mostly featuring figures from Greek/Roman mythology or relevant moments of the royal family.
A bathtub fit for royalty, complete with hot and cold taps!
The royal nursery
This is a good example of the faux marble, actually terra cotta, floors.
Wild 24 hour clock!
There was also a full theater complete with royal boxes, and a private altar where the King could receive the Pope.
And let's throw in some unbelievable Italian glass chandeliers for good measure.
After seeing every centimeter inside that we could, we headed outside to explore the grounds. There is a series of pools, waterfalls and fountains that stretches nearly the entire back length of the property, with statues lining all the main areas and even going off into side sections (that we did not get to that day).
Not there yet
Almost there
Last fountain and waterfall!
For Fourth of July, we enjoyed a free concert by Andy Grammer (!!!) and fireworks at Carney Park, the US's recreational park here in Naples that is inside an extinct volcano crater. We had the best time, and the kids are still talking about it almost a month later.
If you know us at all, you know sea turtles and conservation have been a huge part of our lives, especially Sara's, for a long time. It was hard moving away from the program and the people that have been so important for many, many years. But the universe has a way of putting you in the right place, and Sara has found the sea turtle people here in Naples! The language barrier makes it incredibly difficult to express all of the knowledge and expertise she has in the field, but she's finding her footing and gearing up for hatchings to begin this week! The program is managed by the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station (very much like a Dauphin Island Sea Lab of Naples) and sees only Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles.
Round out July with juicing lots of lemons, lots of swim time and just living la dolce vita. We've made friends with a family that lives just a couple of streets over so the kids are loving having friends so close again.
Now that we are settled into our home for the next few years, planning has begun for trips to Rome, Paris, London, and other European adventures, so look forward to that in future posts. We're also ready to start seeing familiar faces and having guests come stay! La Casa di Johnson is open for business!
And on a fun side note, our current favorite band to listen to is The Kolors. They're an Italian group with some really fun music, so go look them up and give them a listen!! (Our favorites are Un Ragazzo Una Ragazza and Karma) Audrey loves the songs, but they also get stuck in her head, so Olle loves playing them just to be annoying. Ah, classic sibling antics.
Ok, that's really it for now. Until next time!!
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