The Royal Palace at Caserta
Big is a little word that can’t quite fit all of this palace in. Size is everywhere but still the giant proved hard to find by car.
We knew we’d reached Caserta but even though we were within metres of the palace we couldn’t see it. The area was a strange, any-man’s-land of straight roads and plain buildings.
Royal hideaway in Portici, near Naples
It was a warm day and we were on an old road in a corner of what used to be a royal park. It is now university grounds but still has that swish of palaces, intrigue and celebrity at play.
In front of us a smallish red building curved its face to catch views of Vesuvius and the sea. This, we were told, was where the king entertained his mistresses. Instantly the Italian guide had our attention.
The Phraser 