Shangri-La? It's Just North of Philly!

Scenes like this border many roads in Bucks County.

It's not named after a famous writer, although Pearl S. Buck did live here, or after the deer you'll see in the protected green spaces lining the road, or even after the bushels of "bucks" it takes to be able to afford a house here.  This idyllic spot in Pennsylvania is called Bucks County after William Penn's home county in England--Buckinghamshire.

But a more accurate name for this place might be Eden.  Forget Mexican beach hotels or Costa Rican mountain resorts; if you want to get away, a much more accessible Shangri-La can be found right here in the United States.

Although just an hour's or so drive from Philadelphia and New York, it might as well be on another continent--it's that far removed from those bustling cities.  Here, nature reigns with Monet-like backdrops of lush greenery with deer loping across the fields, and quaint towns with gingerbread houses hugging the sides of the twisting roads. 

Even the bridges are so narrow that Tom tucked the side view mirror against the car before we started across.  I don't think signs posted a speed limit, but no one was foolish to drive faster than five miles an hour on this bridge crossing the Delaware River.

It is here, where the Delaware River divides Pennsylvania from New Jersey that you finally understand why New Jersey has the moniker, The Garden State.  As difficult as it is to believe gardens exist anywhere in the state when you are on the turnpike approaching Newark, this area adjoining Bucks County makes you a believer in miracles.  It is as lush as Newark is industrial.

This two-county area straddling the river (Bucks County in Pennsylvania and Hunterdon County in New Jersey) is ripe with possibilities for exploration--to name only a few, there are the Doylestown Mercer Museum, a six-story castle housing American artifacts; the eclectic shops and restaurants in the charming little towns of New Hope, PA, and Lambertville, NJ, (Actually, most any town in this area is worthy of your time.); Washington Crossing Historic Park; and tubing trips down the Delaware River.

Two Buttons

For those with a literary bent, the Pearl S. Buck house is a must-see.  And, if you're a fan of Elizabeth Gilbert, author of The Last American Man and Eat, Pray, Love, to name only two of her books, you will want to visit the store she and her husband opened in Frenchtown, New Jersey.   

Sorrento on $85 a Day – Pizza and Penises

Doorbells Used in Pompeii and Herculaneum

David and I both wanted to go to Naples. The National Archaeological Museum houses most of the art, floor mosaics, architectural details, and household items removed from Herculaneum and Pompeii, leaving, as David said, the lava/ash covered cities as simple shells while the true “life” of those cities is displayed and protected in the Museum, one of the world's best. Of all the magnificent places we planned to see on the trip, this is the one David anticipated the most.

I wanted to go to Naples for the pizza.

Not just any pizza. I wanted to taste the stuff Liz Gilbert rhapsodized about in her book Eat, Pray, Love. When her friend heard she was going to Naples for the day, he told her she had to eat at Pizzeria da Michele. No matter what happened or what else she saw in the city, she should not miss this pizza; if she didn't go, he wanted her to lie and say she did.

We're not the only people to make the trek to this unprepossessing pizza spot just a few blocks from the Napoli Centrale train station. Movie stills from Eat, Pray, Love of Julia Roberts, with slice in hand, decorate the walls, and diners have their photos taken with the owner. When we left, the line stretched across the street.

And the double-mozzarella Margherita pizza? It's runny and impossible to pick up and eat using your hands (Julia Roberts can evidently do things mere mortals cannot.), but it is good. I kept wishing we'd ordered two instead of splitting one order.

But it's not my favorite pizza. Liz Gilbert's preference is fine, but give me thick, Sicilian pizza that has some heft to it. It's weighty stuff with a thick, airy crust and a medley of tomatoes, spices, and cheese on top. The best, of course, is in Capri at the Salumeria Rosticeria. I first tasted it seven years ago and found it again on this trip. Pizza like this you don't forget.

I could have lingered at the restaurant, but David was anxious to see the Museum and it was immediately obvious why this place was so important to him. The mosaics and wall scenes are remarkably detailed and colorful. The sculptures and bronzes are impressive and varied with many of the gods and goddesses represented. I was in awe that people could have created such fragile, delicately hued glass vases and jars almost two thousand years ago, because many of the pieces are masterpieces of craftsmanship. But the area that really astonished me was the section devoted to erotic art.