John Edward Cooper’s Notes

2025 Naples
2240 Humberside

Day 166 Sat 15 June Psalm 134, 146-150

Saturday 15 June 2013 — 05:42:24
View from the window of the hotel bedroom


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 05:42:24
View from the window of the hotel bedroom — detail


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 05:56:24
View from the window of the hotel bedroom

Did Day 158’s Bible reading (to 06:28), using headphones plugged into the “little feller” as I lay on the bed. Got up and did morning ablutions, ca.7am. When we went down for breakfast, we were the only ones there for a while. The likes of John and Kay flying to Heathrow had already gone at 6am. I’m not sure when those flying to Manchester were due to depart. There was just a handful of us going to Humberside this afternoon. We returned to the room, Janet packed our bags, and we were out of the room for the last time ca.9am. We deposited our bags with the others’ in the lobby, and sat there for a while before wandering out. We descended the hill on which the hotel stood, crossed the road before us, and continued downhill. Just to the right, we spotted a small church. Janet wasn’t going to go in at first, because the only head covering available was my sweaty Tetley hat, but she changed her mind and donned it. In size, seclusion and serenity it was reminiscent of the church we visited a year ago in Assenza di Brenzone, though this one was of modern construction. On the side walls, within, were rectangular clay tiles depicting the fourteen Stations of the Cross; the first three can be seen in the photo, below (left), and the fourteenth, below (right).


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:05:54
Chiesa di San Francesco


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:05:54
Chiesa di San Francesco — detail 1


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:05:54
Chiesa di San Francesco — detail 2


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:05:54
Chiesa di San Francesco — detail 3


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:09:02
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
1. Jesus is condemned to death


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:09:16
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
2. Jesus carries his cross


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:09:30
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
3. Jesus falls the first time


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:09:44
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
4. Jesus meets his mother


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:10:00
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:10:10
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:10:20
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
7. Jesus falls the second time


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:10:34
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:10:46
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
9. Jesus falls the third time


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:10:58
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
10. Jesus’ clothes are taken away


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:11:10
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:11:22
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
12. Jesus dies on the cross


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:11:58
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:12:26
Chiesa di San Francesco — Stations of the Cross,
depicted on clay tiles:
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb

There was a pile of paper-covered songbooks on a shelf, and I photographed the cover of the topmost one.


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:13:12
Chiesa di San Francesco — “Lodate al Signore”


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:18:26
Chiesa di San Francesco


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:18:26
Chiesa di San Francesco — detail

A mosaic above the front door showed two crossed arms protruding from clouds, illuminated with beams radiating down from a Latin cross just above them; the hands of both arms had stigmata; one arm was naked and one dressed in the sleeve of a brown habit. The statue in the churchyard was of a monk in a habit with stigmata-pierced palms facing forward — obviously St. Francis.


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:18:50
Chiesa di San Francesco — statue of San Francesco

We continued to the T-junction at the end of the road. Just across that adjoining road, there was a small (but closed) group of shops, below which, on the other side of them, was a park, and beyond that Tuscan farmland and hills.


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:25:20
Environs of Chianciano Terme


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:25:38
Environs of Chianciano Terme


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:26:22
Environs of Chianciano Terme


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:27:54
Environs of Chianciano Terme

Going left from the shops I took a short walk along a minor road that bore right from the main road till the hill of the old town came into view. Janet sat in the shade of the closed “Snack Bar” that was in the shopping centre while I did this.


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:33:42
Chianciano old town


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 10:38:24

The we walked back up to what I called above “the road before us”, where there was a row of shops, cafés, etc. We sat at the first one; Janet had a Coke Light and I a Lemon Soda followed by a small Becks draught beer.


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 11:39:30
The “Jolly Caffè” in Chianciano Terme


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 11:12:56
Visitor to the “Jolly Caffè” in Chianciano Terme

Then we went back up to the hotel briefly to double-check our departure-time — we chatted for a short while to two others of our party — then back down to the restaurant at the other end of the block, where the effusive proprietor or head waiter welcomed us. I had the last of several pizze this holiday. Janet had more Coca Cola Light and I had a 37.5cl bottle of red wine, not quite local Tuscan, but from the neighbouring region Umbria. He also served us, while the pizza was being prepared, with a plate of warm focaccia segments, two of which I ate, and two of which Janet wrapped up and took for me to eat later.






Saturday 15 June 2013 — 12:45:18
Lunch in the trattoria Marechiaro, Chianciano Terme


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 12:45:18
Lunch in the trattoria Marechiaro, Chianciano Terme — detail

Then, back to the hotel to await departure.


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 13:21:54
Awaiting departure at the Hotel Santa Chiara, Chianciano Terme

There were only eight of us, plus Jane and Agnelo and another holiday rep, on the coach. We made a couple of “comfort” stops en route. This time I did see the dome of St. Peter’s on the horizon, and also after noticing a road-sign for the “Cassino” turn-off I spotted the monastery on a distant hilltop (16:52). Janet was beginning to feel ill ca.5pm, despite having lain down, so she got me to talk to her and take her mind off it. Not long afterwards there was the second “comfort” stop, and she felt all right after that.


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 14:40:02
Hill town seen from the coach on the way to Naples Airport


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 15:37:18
First of a trio of hill towns seen from the coach on the way to Naples Airport


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 15:40:26
Rest of the trio of hill towns seen from the coach on the way to Naples Airport


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 16:52:06
Montecassino, seen from the coach on the way to Naples Airport


Saturday 15 June 2013 — 17:57:14
Vesuvius, seen from the coach in Naples on the way to the airport

We got to the airport not long after 6pm. We already knew that the flight would be delayed, but then came news of a further delay. Rather than stand around at the luggage check-ins it was suggested that we go upstairs, where there were seats. Initially, we were scattered, but Janet and I later went to where most of the others were sitting. Jane found out which check-in desk we’d be at, and later got us to go down there. Although this was some time before the desk opened, it was just before the people from Sorrento were due to arrive, so our party got in at the front of the line. I sat on the suitcase, trying not to put too much pressure on it. That’s where we said our final farewells to Jane. When our turn came at the desk we requested extra leg-room, expecting to pay for it, but we were assigned seats without charge. Then, relieved of heavy luggage, we went back upstairs to go through security, then on and downstairs for the boarding gates: quite a long trek. There was a control point between where we now were and the glass-partitioned area of two of the boarding gates, but we remained seated there and didn’t go through because all the seats appeared to be taken. I ate the remaining focaccia, which had been mauled through its paper-handkerchief wrapping, but not too badly, during the security check. Eventually, the flight before ours boarded, making seats in the partitioned-off area available, and we went through the control point. We eventually went out to the shuttle bus, and from there boarded the plane ca.10pm (local time), and got back to Humberside ca.1am (local time). The queue through passport control was dealt with quickly, then there was the wait at the baggage-claim carousel. I switched on my mobile phone and saw that there were two missed calls, from different numbers, neither of which were recognisably the taxi firm’s, but I guessed that that’s what they were. So I rang to say that we’d arrived, and was told that “John” would be there in a blue “Corsa”. When we emerged into the cold night, it wasn’t immediately obvious where we should go; there were no cars where we’d previously been dropped off — and then it started to rain. I couldn’t tell one colour of car from another in the artificial lighting, and didn’t know what the model called “Corsa” looked like, anyway. But “John” saw us and called to us. We got home ca.2pm, and wearily went straight to bed.

[2013]