Roanoke (CL 145) - Naval Cruise Book

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1'hz ruins of fponipcii had character Sil'CVdl of OHV fdl'0l'lIC Cl1ilVi,1CICTS ilHIOHg Ill! VHIH reasonable enough considering all things, you could buy the souvenirs you wanted-leather, cameos, gloves or silver. A few blocks away were the excellent shops of the glove manufacturers them' selves and of the Borsalino hat people, where quality goods could be had in a quiet enough atmosphere ol' shopping. Naples was known to the Riiaiwlcc as the starting point for a numher of tours, arranged hy the ship with our popular tour agent, Tours hranched out to Rome, to Pompeii, to Capri and to Vesuvius Though we were hindered from leaving the ship for two full days by the storm that churned the harhor into fury, nevertheless a lot of us went on these tours and returned to Naples feeling well satished In Rome we had the chance to malfe the Holy Year Pilgrimage, to tour the Vatican and to see Pope Pius XII. In Pompeii we walked through the ancient city and marvelled at the things explained to us hy our guide. Un Capri we let the heauty ol' the enchanted isle soak into us while we wished only that there were more time to stay. Scents at the Isl: of C apr:

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Bay of Naples, with Vesuvius in background City of music, flowers, and delectable food Restaurant Zi Teresa retains the charm of olol Italy N A P L E S Verdi, Veal, and Vino Naples is a charming city of paradoxes. Wide, clean boulevards cut through the city, but frequently they are intersected by cobblestoned alleys alive with odors, trash and lined with tenement houses, Expensive Mercedes and Fiats speed by antiquated taxicabs and horsefdravvn carts. Marbleffaced town houses and apartment buildings, once elegant homes of the rich, novv frequently shelter the poor in dimly lit, unheated rooms behind their faded pastel facades, The city is aglovv With brilliant flower stalls, yet only the tourists wear corsages. The Bay of Naples, surrounded by Vesuvius, Pompeii, Sor- rento and Capri, is an excellent harbor, famed for its prefwar shipping and its beauty on calm, sunny days 3 but the Bay is treacherous during storms, with svvamping Waves ten feet high, as the Roanolce dis- covered vvhen a storm followed her in the day after her arrival. Much of Naples has been rebuilt since World War Il to its former beauty, but human life carries on the tragedies of War. Destitute orphans scavenge the streets for cigarette butts, and it is a pathetic sight to see these thinffaced children beg' ging in front of the fashionable hotels. There is no resentment in their hollovv eyes when the expen' sively dressed guests step out of the thiclcfcarpeted lobby of the new luxury hotel, Albergo Vesuvio, there is just hunger and pain behind their out' stretched hands. Naples is Italy at her best and Italy at her Worst. No where in all Europe were we so beseiged as vve were in Naples by peddlers and hawlcers, salesmen and shortfchangers, guides and gyps, all attempting to sell or swap through the medium of handfvvaving, haggling and just plain hollering, a seemingly inexhaustible suppty of cameos, bracelets, jewel boxes, watches, rings, post cards and sou' venirs, tours and trips. All surged about us in a clamoring sea of salesmanship, through which We plowed resolutely on, knowing that Woe befell anyone who so much as hesitated at the cry, I giva you good price! He'd probably be found hours later sitting in the midst of a mountain of lcnick' lcnaclcs and trash, moaning softly to himself as he gazed mournfully at his empty poclcetbook. The center of Naples, so far as tourism is con' cerned, is Within the glassfcanopied expanse of the Gallery of Umberto, Where, at prices you felt were 14:48

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Roanoke tour party climbing the Back in Naples we found time to browse a bit and discovered one of the few places that still retains the charm of old ltaly to be Zi Teresa, a large ristorante on the edge of the Bay. A flight of concrete steps leads down from the waterfront boulevard to the open dining terrace on the bay. If the breeze is too stiff, you may dine inside behind glass doors. Not elaborately decorated, Zi Teresa depends upon only the blue water, warm sunshine and tuxedoed waiters for its decor. As you step down onto the terrace, to the left is a flower stall where an armful of roses can be bought unbelievably cheap. To the right is the sea' food bar offering oysters, clams, starfish, mussels or any other sea'food imaginable, caught nearby. After you select your seaffood cocktail, the maitre dlhotel, who speaks ltalian, French and English fluently, will escort you personally to your table, two waiters standing behind your chairs to seat you. You realize that it would be a sacrilege to spend less than two hours dining here, for the sun is warm, the breeze off the bay is fresh and cool., the view of Vesuvius is magnificent, and the violin music by the strolling trio completes this setting of leisurely dining-really an art at Zi Teresa. The poster size menu is in Italian, of course, but your waiters will suggest everything once you tell them whether you want veal or seaffood as your entree. Leave the rest of the meal up to the waiters, who will describe everything dramatically, with closed eyes and heavy sighs. And you neednlt worry about the prices for this proposed banquet, your bill won't be over 1500 lire QSZSOD for the works. The trio plays request numbers as they stroll from table to table, and periodically one of them st CPS to St. Peterls Cathedral in Rome will pass the hat soliciting lire for de music. It is quite a surprise to you when your waiter sud' denly bursts into song, while the trio is playing, perhaps, an aria from Verdi's Aida. He puts down the bottle of wine and the large white napkin to pour out his heart to Verdi. This melodic outburst is contagious, for another waiter on the other side of the terrace will join in, and the spontaneous duet will finally meet in the center of the floor, as the diners stop eating to listen to these beautiful tenor voices. Frequently a third voice will join in, either another waiter or an inspired customer who has enough music in his heart to break away from the delectable food. When the music stops, the waiters resume their duties of catering to you, intent upon making this a meal you will never forget. After your seaffood cocktail you will have Zuppa di Pesce, one of the thirty kinds of soup, containing lobster, clams, shrimp and even a few miniature octopi. Dry wine is a must with this soup. Then there follows the sphaghetti, followed by entree of tender veal cacciatori, or cold lobster, or a steaming platter of pizza. Your dry wine will be replaced with a red wine with the veal and pizza, and yOU will taste spinach as you've never tasted it before. At least an hour and a half later, your musical waiter brings fruit and cheese, or a richer dessert if you desire. You will linger over your strong, black coffee because the violins are playing YOUY favorite music, and you do not want to leave the leisurely charm of this last bastion of the Italy yOU have always dreamed of. Soon, however, you muSt climb the concrete steps to the boulevard, where children with rags wrapped around their feet will lift their sad brown eyes to you. You will be l3HCk in the ltaly of today. 1250