Caserta, Italy in Pictures (near Naples) - Part II

Hello my friends! 

are some of you still on holiday like me or back to work? 

have you gained quite a bit of holiday weight like I have? 

well....this isn't a post about fitness and dieting as you can see from the title .-).

we just got back from up north and umbria 

(one of my favourite places). in italy, we're still celebrating, as tomorrow is a national holiday to celebrate "La Befana" (the feast of the Epiphany, 6th January). many cities celebrate with processions, reenactments, etc. so what is this holiday and why is it called "La Befana?" well, I'm glad you asked, cause' I had to look that up. epiphany commemorates the twelfth day of Christmas when the three Wise Men arrived at the manger bearing gifts for baby Jesus. if you want to read more about this holiday - it continues below....

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I was really itching to write a New Year's post about a review of this past year, but to be honest,  

I'm a bit lazy and that would take hours and hours of thought and contemplation. So, rather than bore myself and you with that, I am ringing in the New Year with a 

Part II of the Palace of Caserta - a look from the inside (as promised). If you haven't read Part I - click here.

on the opposite side of the entrance to the grand palace...we're not quite inside yet :-)

 a look at the verrrrrrrrrry long viaduct.

 the palace was filled with enormous, glittery, bright, and ostentatious chandeliers - 

the size of a grand piano.

 some breathtaking and astoundingly detailed alfrescoes - expected of palaces of 

such importance and prominence. 

unbelievably long corridors. 

i still can't believe that people actually lived here. 

 all the doors were of this size. sometimes I wonder why they made doors and furniture so large that they were more suited for giants rather than humans.

can you envision yourself eating on a giant, gilded, gold table?

18th century elevator (lift). 

 miniature 18th century elevator (lift).

 a bassinet made for royal infants. can you imagine your baby in this?

 a sleigh bed where the King slept (i assume).

i quite liked this bookcase from the 18th century as it reminded me of a Christmas tree.

the celebration of "La Befana" 

includes the tale of a witch, a.k.a La Befana, who flies around on her broomstick during the eleventh night bringing gifts to children in the hopes that she will find baby Jesus. she fills children's stockings with toys and sweets for good children and lumps of coal for the bad ones - sound a little familiar to you? that is why they don't hang up stockings like we do in North America for Santa Clause because the italian tradition is to do it on this day. if you want to know more about the origin of this holiday, click here. 

i hope you enjoyed part 2 of the Palace of Caserta and about La Befana. 

Part I - click here.

p.s. i'll be spending this weekend catching up on replying to all your Christmas wishes and comments.

Wishing you all a remarkable YEAR!

Love Reese