its light illuminates the lovely bay, gilds the heights of Sant' Elmo
and the roofs of Chiaia, which curves beneath. The docks and
shipping lie further on, and beyond them rises the giant form of
dread Vesuvius. Little wonder that lovers of panoramic scenery go
into raptures over this scene. If it is not "See Naples and die," at
any rate it is "See Naples and never-more forget." The words of the
well-known boat song come unbidden to one's lips:
O dolce Napoli!
O suol beato!
Ove sorridere
Vuole il creato;
Tu sei l' impero
Dell' armonia;
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!
O lovely Naples!
Favoured ground.
Where smiling Nature's
Charms abound;
The native home
Of beauty thou:
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!
It takes a deal of ceremony to get a big ship like ours docked, and a
deal of patience to wait on an empty stomach for the word to land.
At last we are ashore, through the custom-house, and on our way to
the Convent of the Soeurs de L'Esperance, No. 10 Via Santa Teresa,
Chiaia. We say Mass at 11.30 a.m. in the Church of St. Teresa hard
by, which, with the adjoining monastery is in the hands of the
Discalced Carmelites. In the afternoon we take a walk on the
esplanade, which runs along the bay, visit the Aquarium, mount the
hill to Sant' Elmo, and from that commanding height gaze upon the
city, the bay, and the broken ranges of mountains that stud the
coast. The native band of Chiaia, a great but inharmonious concert
of crowing roosters, awakens us next morning long before the dawn,
and by 10.30 we are getting our last glimpse of cloud-capped Vesuvius
from the window of the Romeward-bound train.
* * *