After four days in Barcelona, we moved on to the Italy portion of our trip. We arrived late in the airport of Naples, and figured out the bus system to get ourselves to the hostel. Maybe I was just tried, but the vibe in Naples was great for me.
Kinda rundown? Yes.
Busy, with an alarming ratio of cars (many) to crosswalks (none)? Yes and yes.
Overrun with impromptu markets and booths for counterfeit boutique brand goods? Yes, to all of the above.
Those descriptions may not paint a flattering picture, but despite all its drawbacks, I loved the feel of Naples. My affinity for the city may have been due to the serious local regard for good food. Of course, by “good food” I really mean “good pizza.” And by “pizza” I mean “oh-wow-so-this-is-what-it’s-supposed-to-taste-like-good pizza.”
Nicole and I got to our hostel at 10:30 at night, starving after six hours of travel from Barcelona. Asking at the front desk for a pizzaria recommendation, the man checking us in at the hostel suddenly had wide eyes. Looking dramatically between us and his watch, he asked “Pizza..now?!” Pulling out a city map, he began enthusiastically marking locations nearby and urging us to hurry, explaining that most places would begin closing at 11. With a final instruction to “return later for more information about the hostel,” he handed us the room key, made sure we knew the directions to the pizzeria, and ushered us quickly out the door.
This pizza did not disappoint. Thin crust, three kinds of cheese, fresh basil…and all about the size of a large serving platter. We devoured our pizzas and returned to the hostel for a full night of sleep.
On Tuesday, we went to Pompeii. You may have heard of it…big city, then a volcano, then no city? Yes, we went to that Pompeii. It was just as hot, crowded, and dusty as we had been warned — but so, so amazing to visit. The ruins and art are still visible, and it’s breathtaking to be able to walk through remains that so clearly tell the stories of the people living here when Vesuvius erupted.
We were wiped out after four hours of walking through the ruins, although we probably only saw around half of the total sights in the area — if that! From an archaeological and historical perspective, Pompeii is truly special. And definitely not to be missed.
And following Pompeii, we headed to the central destination of Italy…Rome!
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