memories of napoli

The contents purchased at the Queen's Dragon are long gone.
It was a gorgeous leather purse, the only thing I had truly wanted as a souvenir of the trip.
The Mediterranean cruise had been out tenth anniversary gift from my sane brother, the one I worked for. The 8-day cruise, with three stops in Italy, had been a perk from Johnson Wholesale Floors for my brother's store selling a large quantity of their wood.
That was my first trip to Italy, a country I had wanted to visit since I was twelve years old and enchanted by Roman mythology.
It was before I knew the background of my name.

The time was October of 2002.
Ordinarily, I would have been teaching that semester and wouldn't have been able to take the time off for the trip.
However, Mama had died the year before and I was taking some time off from that responsibility to the school.
Finishing the Spring semester of 2001, for the sake of my students from the Fall, I had exhausted me.
I'd had to bow out for a while after that stress.

So, there we were, Jeff and I, bopping around in the shops of Nice and watching the glass blower in Eze, France.
At the next port, off we went to Monte Carlo, Monaco, buying toothbrushes, visiting the tomb of Princess Grace, and watching the roulette wheel.
Then: Italy!!!
First stop was in Livorno, for a tour of a Tuscan vineyard - delightful!
Then to Roma, visiting the Coliseum, tromping around in the Forum - a dream come true!

And as we're exploring the wonders of the ancient heart of the city, he pauses.
"Hey, Baby, there's your name!"
I stopped in my tracks and came to stand by him.
"Where?" I asked, looking around for a plaque about the building.
"Up there," he said, pointing...
and there my name most certainly was!!!
I was amazed!!! I was awestruck!!!

DIVO ANTONINUS
DIVA FAUSTINA

Who were those people?
I had known I was named for my mother, being granted her middle name as my first.
But why had she received the name?
Well, it turned out that I had come by my love of Greek and Roman mythology and history through Mama's dad.
Yes, my one and only grandfather had been a huge fan of that, as he demonstrated by naming his first daughter Sybil Faustina and his second daughter Linda Penelope.
I wish I could say I recall talking about this with him... but I do not.

Where was I?
Oh, yes, the third stop in Italy: Napoli.
That was on our actual anniversary (October 24), so we took the side trip to the romantic isle of Capri. Limoncello! Wondrous vistas! Scary drivers on narrow, twisty lanes!
Upon our return to the safe harbor of Naples, we wandered the streets, in search of a leather handbag. The ones on the isle had been outrageously expensive. Surely the women of Naples had access to affordable purses?
Oh, yes, they did!
And I had found the perfect store to buy such a purse: the Queen's Dragon.
You know it was the name that dragged me in, right?
(smile)

Now, all I have to remember the purse is this paper bag and this photo. I wore that oh-so-fine, rich black, soft leather, double-strapped bag completely out, using the purse every day until it was too tattered to do so.
(As for the white skirt, bought specifically for the trip, I recently donated it to an artist.)
I have one more vivid memory connected with this store.
As soon as the clerk realized we were Americans, he asked for a twenty-dollar bill so he could show us a trick. Then what did he do? He folded it into the World Trade Towers, burning from the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Incredible.

As for the cruise...
we had a stop in Malta, with its limestone buildings and chalky air, before out return to Barcelona, Spain, and the flight back to the 'States.
How fortunate to have been able to return to Italy in 2012!
(smile)
I do hope my next trip will be sooner than 2022...