It feels like I left Naples a million years ago. It's really been a little over a week but I've been having a blast in Sicily.
So where to begin telling you about Naples? Let me quote my guide book:
So where to begin telling you about Naples? Let me quote my guide book:
"It is dirty and overbearing; it is crime-ridden; and it is definitely like nowhere else in Italy."
Well shucks, they just described Richmond. I need to check it out. I catch a train there and am thrust into another world. The city is a chaotic maelstrom of scooters zipping through traffic, cars honking their horns, and seedy street vendors trying to sell you the finest of knock off merchandise. And trash. So. Much. Trash.
This isn't an isolated example
I walked on a carpet of trash and past screaming vendors to get to my hostel. This was definitely a different country. People described Sicily as "Africa" to me. To me, this had to be Africa. Everything was dirty, smelly, and anarchy ruled supreme. I was loving it. This was an entirely different experience than I have ever had elsewhere. Despite the third world element to it I never really felt in danger of anything more than being pick pocketed, but I used commonsense and tried to keep my thousands of dollars worth of camera gear out of sight.
As soon as I left the hostel I started to get the hang of crossing the street; that is you just walk through moving traffic. You don't want to waste your time at a crosswalk because nobody there stops for traffic lights. The drivers don't honk at you, they eventually slow down, and the scooters just go around you. As far as things to see in Naples there isn't much. However, Naples is home to the best pizzas. And the undisputed top of the pizza shops in Naples is Da Michele. A few convenient blocks from my hostel. After many trials I can assure you it is indeed delicious. The Margherita was my favorite. Some sauce, a little Mozzarella, and a couple leaves of basil and I was in heaven. One day some girls from South Dakota and I went to a beach spot about 45 minutes outside of Naples. Sadly no pictures because I didn't feel comfortable leaving my camera alone while we were in the water. That oh so warm, clear water that I have been acquainting myself with frequently as of late. I'll have some pictures of the beaches in the next post. Just know it was postcard worthy with the blue water, cliffs, and grottoes that begged to be explored. Leaving the beach I saw how Neapolitans get on the tram, one buys a ticket and as many people as is possible rush through while the doors are open. One particular instance the doors trapped a girls head at the temples like a vice after she failed to make it through in time. The ticket operator grinned and let her scream for 5 minutes before releasing the doors and another flood of people to rush through them. That was a theme I noticed about the south. They were very bent on circumventing the rules. Even the little ones like train tickets. Other times shop owners would be rude like you are imposing on them for coming into their business. That's not to say everyone in Southern Italy is lazy and rude. I met loads of people who were extremely happy to help out and would just walk you to the grocery store rather than just give you directions. This theme continued down through Sicily but skewing more towards the friendly side and not the rude side.
My last day in Naples I went to Pompeii. It's a lot bigger than you would think. It took me the better portion of a day to explore it all. There were lots of buildings in various states of destruction. There was lots of sun as a ruined city doesn't provide any shade and the original Roman roads were hot enough to cook eggs (or me) on. I caught a ferry to Sicily that night and slept on a cushioned bench in the common area with one arm hooked through my camera bag above my head and my back pack full of dirty clothes on the floor next to me. Ten hours later I arrived in Palermo.
As soon as I left the hostel I started to get the hang of crossing the street; that is you just walk through moving traffic. You don't want to waste your time at a crosswalk because nobody there stops for traffic lights. The drivers don't honk at you, they eventually slow down, and the scooters just go around you. As far as things to see in Naples there isn't much. However, Naples is home to the best pizzas. And the undisputed top of the pizza shops in Naples is Da Michele. A few convenient blocks from my hostel. After many trials I can assure you it is indeed delicious. The Margherita was my favorite. Some sauce, a little Mozzarella, and a couple leaves of basil and I was in heaven. One day some girls from South Dakota and I went to a beach spot about 45 minutes outside of Naples. Sadly no pictures because I didn't feel comfortable leaving my camera alone while we were in the water. That oh so warm, clear water that I have been acquainting myself with frequently as of late. I'll have some pictures of the beaches in the next post. Just know it was postcard worthy with the blue water, cliffs, and grottoes that begged to be explored. Leaving the beach I saw how Neapolitans get on the tram, one buys a ticket and as many people as is possible rush through while the doors are open. One particular instance the doors trapped a girls head at the temples like a vice after she failed to make it through in time. The ticket operator grinned and let her scream for 5 minutes before releasing the doors and another flood of people to rush through them. That was a theme I noticed about the south. They were very bent on circumventing the rules. Even the little ones like train tickets. Other times shop owners would be rude like you are imposing on them for coming into their business. That's not to say everyone in Southern Italy is lazy and rude. I met loads of people who were extremely happy to help out and would just walk you to the grocery store rather than just give you directions. This theme continued down through Sicily but skewing more towards the friendly side and not the rude side.
My last day in Naples I went to Pompeii. It's a lot bigger than you would think. It took me the better portion of a day to explore it all. There were lots of buildings in various states of destruction. There was lots of sun as a ruined city doesn't provide any shade and the original Roman roads were hot enough to cook eggs (or me) on. I caught a ferry to Sicily that night and slept on a cushioned bench in the common area with one arm hooked through my camera bag above my head and my back pack full of dirty clothes on the floor next to me. Ten hours later I arrived in Palermo.
A lot of cathedrals are just the Duomo
(which is cathedral in Italian)
A bone from somebody important I reckon
Cramped streets of Naples
Inside the courtyard at Santa Chiara
Lemon trees in the courtyard
Chaos
Looking over the bay. It was perpetually hazy. Not sure if it's naturally like that or just because of smog. Probably the latter.
Gesu Nuovo with it's facade of pyramids made out of lavastone.
Rental scooters for kids at the bay and a police car to the left.
A ruined buffet of sorts
Plaster casts made from naturally occurring molds of people that were buried alive in ash and soot.
There's a bad joke somewhere in this emergency exit sign located in Pompeii.
Rebuilt amphitheater
Bye Naples
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