Capo di Monte: Palazzo and Park

Buon Giorno,
Mmmm.  A sip of fragrant Greco di Tufa.
I rode a bus both ways without incident, and I was able to help some of my fellow travelers.  It was a nice day out and did not involve antiquities for a change.
One thing the visitor to Naples should know--unless you are rich enough to take a taxi everywhere or fluent enough in Italian to summon uber--one cannot buy tickets on the bus.  The rider can get them at a Tabacchi, or do as I do and get them from the machine at the metro.  Touch the screen and pick your language. Pro Tip: Choose English.  In this case I got two tickets one to go and one to come back.  They are good for both the metro and city (not tourist) busses.
The bus driver does not have the attention to spare and possibly the English language skills to explain this.  He'll merely tell the ticketless passenger no go and dump them off at the next stop.  I, however, am willing to explain and help in gratitude for all them times I've been helped.
During the trip up we were packed in like sardines as we wound our way up the steep hill to its summit or "capo."  Naples was long the Italian Peninsula's largest city as it was the capital of an actual kingdom--ruled by foreigners--first the Spanish and then the French until Giuseppe Garabaldi kicked them out once and for all in the mid Nineteenth Century.
But during the long rule, these monarchs built palaces, and Capo di Monte is spectacular.  It's also huge, so we are talking about a project here, not a casual visit.  The Bourbons in particular were avid collectors, so it's essentially an art gallery.  Now I prefer period rooms, but I'll take fine art.  All the visual arts are represented.  The porcelain is impressive, and both European and Chinoiserie is on display.  I saw some fantastic tapestries from the Sixteenth Century in wonderful condition.  Most of the sculpture is figurines, but these are exquisite.  And paintings?  You bet.  Among the gems are works by the Caracci Brothers and Titian.  Caravaggio himself makes an appearance.  After walking though room after room of highly skilled and deeply felt religious works featuring serene Madonnas and dignified saints, and then coming upon Caravaggio's Flagellation of Christ, one gets a real sense of what a radical departure his work was.  It's not the violence.  Other artists also showed violence and suffering.
But somehow Caravaggio brings an immediacy and emotional resonance to the scene.  Part of the effect is having the figures close up and crowded.  Part is the dramatic contrast between light and dark.  But also there's the ordinariness of the figures.  We would know people like this.  We see them every day.  We can identify with them. Yes, Christ is handsome, but we know handsome men like him.  I hope this makes some sense.
After the art, one can take a stroll in the lovely park--with all the other folks enjoying Sunday afternoon.  The views of the city below are amazing.  But heat and fatigue caught up with me, so I found the bus home.
I had an ordinary--for here--dinner of spaghetti pomodoro, but in Italy it is so delicious and satisfying with a glass of red wine to go with it.  Nevertheless as your cultural representative and reporter, I feel a bit guilty of leaving you with nothing new or fun.  So let me offer a little something that I purchased a few days ago, and in doing so I am also fulfilling a request from a dear friend who especially adjured me to have the following.
Limoncello is--depending on your taste or capacities--an aperitif or digestif.  As its name suggests it is a lemon liquor and vodka based and sweetened with sugar.  It is strong and best taken in small doses if drunk straight.  You can get it in the United States, but you need to be careful because some nasty versions are for sale.  Stick to Villa Massala.  When I get it, which is not very often, I like to mix a little of the Limoncello with tonic water, for a sort of bitter lemon cocktail.
Ciao