Ciao Ciao Napoli...Part 1

This is the final night of my 6 day trip to Italy, the wind is blowing so hard that masonry is falling from the buildings nearby (well this city is old) and the air outside my hotel window is full of paper and plastic bags flying about, this is Naples a city that I've fallen for in the past 3 days.

Although my trip included a side visit to Florence and Pisa I won't dwell on either, I've been to Florence twice before and it needs no explanations and Pisa was a nice side trip though the weather really didn't work for me, I was drenched and it is very hard to be motivated about anything when all of your clothes are dripping wet.  The tower is what it is and I am glad I saw it.

The slightly tilted tower of Pisa 

So a few days in Florence catching up with a friend I've not seen in 3 years, a great hotel, Room Mate Luca where my friend Luca works. Florence is a great city to wander around, eat and drink (I had some great food in little Osterias in the city) in relative calm despite the crowds. The on Friday morning began my journey south!  I have been to Rome and Sicily but never to Campania and Naples and Pompeii were 2 places on my bucket-list though Pompeii was a lot higher up the list than Naples. The journey began on the Italian version of the TGV, the FrecciaRossa and it was great. I had a seat with no one either side of me at the end of the carriage and in 2 hours 50 minutes we arrived in Naples. My hotel was across the Piazza Garibaldi from the station but the whole square is roadworks, building work and a giant roundabout, it took me ages to get across the square but I expected Naples to test me.

My hotel was lovely, they gave me a huge room on the 2nd floor overlooking the square (the only downside) and after changing I headed into the Centro Storico, the very old part of Naples which the guide books say has been here for 2000 years or more, it certainly looked like it hadn't been cleaned for that long. The old centre of Naples is crazy, loud, dirty and exciting, it reminded me of the old part of Barcelona, very narrow streets, crowded, laundry hanging from balconies, churches next to bars, mopeds speeding past old ladies carrying groceries.  I even love the graffiti and street posters.

They love Sophia in Italy, her image is everywhere!

I wandered for a long time and finally sat down to eat pizza, the city is famed for inventing it and I wasn't disappointed.

One of the main streets in old Naples

The pizza was huge, tasty and cheap and the waiter in the restaurant was funny, he sang in the street to every passing girl, some smiled at him, some ignored him, he never gave up. I wandered around more to work off the pizza then headed back to the hotel to chill then head back into the old quarter at night.  The city does have a reputation for petty crime but I have to say the worst thing to nearly happen was to be hit on the head by a piece of brick that fell from a building in the wind.  Common sense is key, if you walk around advertising your expensive things then do not be shocked if they are stolen.  I have nothing expensive and have been to places with more pickpockets, Barcelona for one, and I relax but don't take risk.

Mural on a church wall in Naples old quarter

I enjoyed wandering around and sticking to the main streets but decided to explore further the following night but my 2nd day in Naples meant one thing, Pompeii!

On Saturday morning I headed to Pompeii, an easy train ride from central Naples.  You realize Vesuvius is so close to the city when you go to the top of any building or any high point. It really isn't very far and the lower slopes are now covered in Naples suburbia. 

Vesuvius from the Castel Sant'Elmo

Pompeii has been on my "visit" list since I was a little boy and read it about it at school or at the library (I don't think we did history that detailed at my school).  I chose not to do a guided tour, I wanted to wander around with a map and take the scene in, it is a big place and many of the streets are blocked off but the key things are easy to find.  I really wanted to see the casts of people who were killed in the eruption, macabre I know, but they really give a sense to what happened.

The ruins are better preserved than I expected, some buildings still have their 2nd floors and the mosaics and frescoes are still intact. It is amazing that the place lay under metres of ash for over 1500 years and they are still finding things. I spent 4 hours at Pompeii and even got sunburn which is pretty unusual in February. Here are the highlights of my visit to Pompeii.

I probably walked miles but I didn't notice, the place is fascinating, every twist and turn reveals an old house or shop or other building.  I could have spent a few hours more and perhaps I will return. 

I don't think I have ever visited anywhere so fascinating since I visited Ankor Wat in Cambodia. There were streets closed off for further renovations etc which may open when I go again!? And I recommend going in a cooler season, the weather was great for walking, I cannot imagine what summer would be like in Pompeii!?

I returned to Naples around 3pm to explore more of the city.

February 27, 2016