Linda Bilodeau's most recent book, The Wine Seekers takes place in Italy. These blogs are a summary of her research trip.

From Rome we decided to venture to Naples. I was told quite a lot about Naples from tour guides, it wasn't safe, it was dirty, I shouldn't venture there alone-all of which I found untrue. However, because of time constraints, we decided to hire a guide for the day. Early in the morning, we boarded a train in Rome, the idea being we'd spend the day and early evening touring Napoli as the natives call it.

We arrived just as the weekly market was in full swing, and from the train station, we made our way through a sea of bodies purchasing vegetables, fruit, bread, pasta, cheeses, and clothing. Tables and stands created the maze one had to meander through and if we hadn't been on such a tight schedule, I might have spent more time wondering through the market.

Our guide, a native of Naples, took us first to Piazza Del Plebiscito, the main city square which is bounded on the east by The Royal Palace and on the west by the Church of San Francesco Di Paola. The skinny streets and side alleys running off this square created a nice back drop for a lot of aciton in The Wine Seekers.

We then made our way to the edge of the city and viewed the lovely Castel Dell'ovo and lively Naples bay. As Nicola Romolo, the main protagonist in The Wine Seekers, walks with his uncle through the streets of Naples, he learns the tale of this castle and the miracles of San Gennaro who was Bishop of Naples and martyred here in the 3rd century. Little Italy in New York still celebrates this saint's feast day every year with parades and the miraculous changing of his blood to liquid. (Read more about this in The Wine Seekers)

Naples is known for Pizza Margherta. The ingredients of this dish and temperature of the wood burning ovens it is cooked in is regulated by city law. Lemoncello a sweet liquor is a delicious and refreshing after dinner drink. Gelato and espresso can be found on every street corner and if you're really in the mood for sweets, try a baba rum cake, guaranteed to sweeten any mood. Of course the cities most famous dish is Spaghetti Ragu made with a fresh tomato sauce and meat either served with the spaghetti or on the side. The ragu sauce is lovingly known as Italian gravy since it tends to be thick and flavorful. But there is no such thing as "jar" sauce here, all ragu is made fresh for dinner or lunch.

As we strolled along, our guide warned us about the Camorra and their strange rituals. She related many told tales about the infamous mafia, most of which you can find in The Wine Seekers. I enjoyed our tour of Naples and incorporated much Italian folklore from the history of this city into The Wine Seekers.

I hope you will read it to get a very special taste of what this Italian city is like.

Best Linda Bilodeau
www.lindabilodeau.com
The Wine Seekers is available at www.amazon.com or at your local bookstore.

The Wine Seekers is now available on Kindle at www.amazon.com