Naples, what a city!

Naples, Italy is one of those places that you love and detest all at the same time. You love it because it is filled with all kinds of history, statues, art, shopping, leather, cafes and more. You detest it because the statues have graffiti on them, the pickpocketers are ever-present, the trash is prevalent, and the driving is like playing bumper cars.



Ultimately, it is filled with so much history and character. Yesterday, rather than watch football and eat turkey, we strolled around Naples and ate pasta - a true Italian-style Thanksgiving. We popped into a beautiful old chathedral called Gesu Nuovo and I just so-happened to know the 84-year-old priest giving the mass (he is our neighbor's spiritual guide and I met him in their kitchen a few weeks ago). So, Charlotte and I participated in the mass and during Communion, I slipped in a little "Bonjourno, Padre Francesco" and receiving the Eucharist. He didn't respond, but I think deep down he may have recognized me but wanted to remain professional (either that or he was thinking who is this nutty lady trying to chat with me during the Eucharist!).



We also saw one of the most beautiful sculptures I've ever seen. If you ever come to Naples, you MUST go see "The Veil of Christ" (Capella Sansevero by Antonio Corradini ). This is one of the most under-rated pieces of art I have ever seen. It resides in a small chapel on a hidden alley that you would NEVER stumble upon unless you were actively searching for it. In fact, we walked right past it, because there was only a small sign for it. As I did some research on this sculpture, I found that artists call it one of the "greatest pieces of artwork in the world" and that it was second only to Michaelangelo's Pieta in Rome. It is truly unbelievable and magnificent. Perhaps only a handful of times in your life, you find a piece of artwork that touches you in a spiritual, mental and actual physical manner. This is one of those pieces.