A Neapolitan Saint Patrick’s Day

It might be Saint Patrick’s Day, but it’s also my friend, Marcia’s, birthday. She and I were business partners in Los Angeles before I moved to France. We have always joked that we were “twin sisters of different mothers” because we have so much in common. (That in itself is a long story that you need not be bothered with.) To celebrate her birthday, she flew with me from L.A. to Paris last Sunday, spent the week with me in Paris, then Saturday we hopped an EasyJet from Orly to Naples.

Our week together in Paris was more apart than together as I was working feverishly to catch up while Marcia was visiting the city. Nonetheless, we had both lunch and dinner with friends so she could get a taste of my favorite haunts in the immediate neighborhood: Café Charlot, Le Petit Marché, Au Petit Fer à Cheval, and a new favorite, Kubri, a Lebanese newcomer that will knock your socks off.

Café Charlot has great “plats du jour” which is one reason I go there almost every day for lunch. Le Petit Marché has the best Magret de Canard in France. Au Petit Fer à Cheval is famous for its Confit de Canard and rightly so. And Kubri is drop dead delish regardless of what you order.

Magret de Canard at Le Petit Marché

Au Petit Fer à Cheval

A cabbage dish at Kubri

Then, we packed our bags and taxied to Orly Airport for an easyJet flight to Naples Saturday afternoon. It is the first time I’ve been to Naples, despite all the times I’ve traveled in Italy. In 1979, when my not-yet-husband and I crossed Europe by car, we bypassed the town to visit Pompeii, but avoided Naples. After all these years it’s tough to remember why we chose to do that. Naples’ reputation at the time was that it was “seedy,” so perhaps that’s what encouraged us to forego a visit there. On top of that, I seriously dislike pizza…so Naples has never been at the top of my list. How stupid is that?

If you read these Nouvellettres® frequently, then you already know how cultural differences fascinate me. The difference between the French and Italians is as wide a gap as between heaven and earth. You notice it the moment you board the flight—a mix of Italians and French and few of us “others.”

As one might expect, the French were reserved, quiet and circumspect, respecting the queues and protocol. The Italians, however, were loud and animated, thought nothing of forging ahead and breaking line, and generally unruly. The women sitting behind us on the flight were non-stop Chatty Cathys and loud, to the point that Marcia turned around and asked them to lower their voices. They were sitting on opposite sides of the aisle and yelling to one another. They refrained, for about two minutes, then they started up again without reserve. I just giggled to myself. Clearly, we were in for a wild ride in Naples!

We chose to stay in the Ciao Bellini B&B, in the historic center near Piazza Dante. This area is in the heart of significant landmarks such as the National Archaeological Museum, the Cappella Sansevero, the Duomo, San Gregorio Armeno, and the Complesso di Santa Chiara. It’s also easy access to public transportation, with a metro station just a few meters away. The B&B itself is located on the 5th floor in what once was the attic where the dressing rooms of the Bellini Theater were originally situated. It wasn’t at all expensive, but be prepared for it to be a bit quirky, with an elevator that won’t function unless you drop a 10-cent coin into a box resembling an old-fashion pay phone! The rooms flank very narrow halls, but are beautifully and elegantly renovated for a comfortable stay. Our room was named the “Sophia Loren,” although Marcia remarked, “I don’t think this room ‘screams’ Sophia Loren!” I agree. There is nothing about it that resembles Sophia.

We had a lot of special things planned for our four days in Italy. Marcia is a docent at the Getty Villa in Los Angeles. The villa is situated at the eastern end of the Malibu coast in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, and serves as both an educational center and art museum. As one of the two locations of the J. Paul Getty Museum, it focuses on the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. Its collection comprises approximately 44,000 antiquities from these civilizations, dating from 6,500 BC to 400 AD, featuring notable pieces like the Lansdowne Heracles and the Victorious Youth. Additionally, the campus houses the UCLA/Getty Master’s Program in Archaeological and Ethnographic Conservation. (In recent events, the Getty Villa narrowly escaped significant damage during the catastrophic Los Angeles fires, sustaining only minor harm. It’s closed temporarily as a result.)

The Getty Villa Museum

Marcia’s learned a lot about the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome, and has been talking about Pompeii and Herculaneum to her museum visitors for years, but never been there to see them both for herself. This was the main reason for the trip. As a birthday gift, we decided to indulge in a full-blown private tour by car from Naples of both sites with a professional guide. It was all arranged with Di Sarno Car Services, a local company that’s been offering Neapolitan tours for over 30 years. They were very helpful and accommodating. (Next week I’ll be able to give you a full report.)

In advance of the trip, we made reservations at a variety of restaurants. To scout them out, I asked ChatGPT: “What restaurants in Naples do you recommend if you hate pizza?” I happen to hate cheese and therefore pizza, so it was a fair question. And AI gave me lots of great answers. We booked restaurants close to the hotel that had good ratings. I couldn’t wait to indulge in Neapolitan pasta specialties and coffee—Kimbo brand from Naples being one of my favorites.

Our first night we dined at Osteria da Carmella literally steps from the B&B. It sat only about 30 people, was fully booked, and the door never stopped opening with people wanting a table. For a Saturday night…good luck without a reservation! For 96€ for two, we pigged out on an anti-pasti of stuffed zucchini flowers (Fiori di Zucca Ripieni), a Linguine allo Scoglio, a whole roasted sea bream (Orata alla Mediterranea), grilled calamari (Calamaro alla Brace), Italian broccoli, octopus salad (Polipo all’Insalata), a “caserta” dessert (a kind of sponge cake filled with ricotta), espresso and two glasses of regional wine (a Falernian white wine popular in the classical Roman period, produced from Aglianico grapes on the slopes of Mount Falernus, now Monte Massico, near the border of Latium and Campania). While every dish was delish, It wasn’t necessarily better than my go-to Italian restaurants in Nice, however, we were not disappointed…just looking forward to more and better.

Grilled Calamari

Sunday for lunch we chose a restaurant on route to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, “Re Lazzarone,” and then on to the museum where we had tickets for the afternoon. Today we have a private tour to Pompeii and Herculaneum—I’m leaving all that for next week’s Nouvellettre®, along with more dining-out reports and discovery of Naples and the Neapolitans!

Stay tuned!

SPECIAL NEWS ABOUT VISAS TO FRANCE

According to Immigration Attorney, Daniel Tostado, the VFS will no longer be processing visas to France as of April 18th, at which time TLScontact is going to take over.

For years, U.S. residents applying for French visas have had to go through VFS Global, a trusted partner of the French government based in Dubai. However, starting April 18th, visa processing will be handled by TLScontact, a Paris-based company, according to Insurte.com.

Currently, VFS Global operates 10 visa application centers across the U.S., including locations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. As VFS Global phases out its French visa services, TLScontact will step in with 10 centers of its own, located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. All visa applications will require an appointment.

According to recent data, France received 50,054 visa applications from U.S. residents in 2023, with an approval rate of 96.2%. Among all Schengen destinations, France remains the most popular for U.S. applicants, accounting for 29% of all Schengen visa requests—closely aligning with global trends, where 28.7% of all Schengen visa applications are for France.

With this transition, applicants will need to book appointments through TLScontact’s official website, pay visa and service fees securely, and provide biometric data at fully equipped visa centers.

Here’s where the authorities announce it.

Here’s where TLS announces it.

The VFS website doesn’t have any mention of it on their News section of their website; presumably because it’s a bad look to have lost the public contract!

The biggest change, however, is a price hike. A visa applicant used to pay 99€ to the consulate to process the visa, and about $33 to VFS to file in person. Now, it’s going to cost $220 to file in person with TLS (the applicant still pays 99€ to the consulate).

For immigration assistance, do not hesitate to contact our trusted attorney, Daniel Tostado. Visit our website for more information. Be sure to tell Daniel we sent you.

A la prochaine…