Random-Acts-of-Kindness have once again been passed on at the Carrefour Express. Friday, October 5 was an auspicious day on my Italian vacation for many reasons. I had successfully mastered the public transportation system in order to get across town in Naples which included a funiculare (cable car) ride and a train ride interspersed with about a mile-and-a-half of walking up and down over steep cobblestone streets to reach the heart of the historic district. And by “mastered” I mean that I no longer needed to consult a map or to ask anyone for directions.
From the train station stop at Piazza Cavour, I walked down Via Fiora to Via Duomo to Via Tribunale to the San Lorenzo Maggiore Church (with its subterranean archaeological scavi of the original Graeco-Roman city laid out along a road lined with bakeries and wineries) and its adjacent museo, then on to Chiesa Maisello followed by a stop at San Dominic Maggiore Church (containing 45 coffins of Aragon princes and other nobles), continuing to Sant’Angelo a Nilo (with its marble tomb of Brancaccio made in Florence by Donatello) and then on to Cappella San Severo. (The 17th– and 18th-century marble sculptures here are breathtaking – Sammartino’s “Veiled Christ” – with its marble veil so realistic you are tempted to try to lift it – , Queirolo’s “Disillusionment” with its rope net carved out of a single piece of marble, and Corradini’s “Modesty” (more erotic than modest!) This church had a “bonus” display on the lower level – two meticulously preserved human circulatory systems crafted by Prince Raimondo de Sangro.
Then, I accidently came across the 17th-century Cult of the Purgatory Church with its Black Altar and Winged Skull sculpture in the upper church, and preserved bones and skulls in the lower church. I walked past all the colorful vendors on the narrow streets and noticed that it was almost time for my all-day transportation ticket to expire (at the end of six hours). So, after this great day of sight-seeing, I quickly began to make my way back to the train station at Piazza Cavour.
I had noticed the Carrefour Express Supermarket located nearby the train station on my way down the street, so I thought I would have time to pick up a few items on my way back. My previous excursions to the Carrefour Supermercado had proven to be quite adventurous, but I didn’t anticipate anything out of the ordinary with this quick stop.
Of the two items I searched for, I only found one – a small bottle of Coke (which I didn’t really need, but walking around town in the hot sun had inspired a soda craving!). I ended up in a rather long, slow line at the checkout and was getting impatient
