July 31
I arrived in Naples feeling completely exhausted, but grateful to have made a last minute alternation to my journey which meant I spent the evening in a real bed (albeit in another hostel) by choosing to get the high speed train down rather than the sleeper, where I got to experience how beautiful the Italian countryside is as I made my way down the country. Had another series of events which didn’t go my way when I struggled to find the Airbnb I was meant to be staying in for the remainder of my time here, and then ended up paying €18 for sunscreen after I got missold some antibiotic cream when I actually wanted antiseptic cream in a pharmacy – and they wouldn’t refund me so I exchanged it for something else – yet this was actually the expensive end of typical for the area. I initially cursed myself for not being more observant but I was running a bit low on spoons after all the jubilations and tribulations of the past few weeks.
In spite of these setbacks I was still able to enjoy exploring the city, including the Church of San Lorenzo Maggiore with its impressive remains of a Roman market beneath it, then eating some street food, having some calamari with bebe cake, and then looking around the other churches (the cathedral was unfortunately shut but being Sunday it was probably only open for services), and taking in the atmosphere of the city, which was unlikely any other I had seen in Europe. The streets were narrow but with tall buildings on either side which let little natural light in, but whilst one may think that makes it grim it was actually a big boon during a very hot summer’s day. The highlight of the day was exploring the Spanish Quarter then riding on one of the cities several funicular railways uphill to arrive at St Elmo’s Castle just in time for final admission, taking in the views of the city and the Bay of Naples from the ramparts:
Top left: the Church of San Paolo Maggiore.
Top right and bottom left: Roman remains beneath the Church of San Lorenzo Maggiore.
Bottom right: Fresco adorning the roof of San Lorenzo Maggiore.
A typical Neapolitan street scene.
Exploring the Spanish Quarter.
Views of Naples from St Elmo’s Castle.
That evening, I freshened up and made my way to the Pizzeria Starita, which was recommended to me by my Airbnb host and was five minutes’ walk from there. It was a particularly renowned place and there was a wait for those wanting to dine inside. As I waited I was approached by four people who interviewed me for a blog they are doing, where they plan to try 100 different pizza places in Naples – and they even invited me to join them! They were very helpful in providing recommendations for starters, and I ended up going with a margarita for my pizza, people may think it’s the plain one but that is the iconic Neapolitan pizza and I had to have one in Naples. Having company, if only briefly, really made my day, and made up for the problems I had in the beginning, and I was all the more grateful to have come hear as a part of my final leg. Sadly I didn’t find out ask them where to find their blog and subsequent googling drew a blank, but in the unlikely event you are stumbling upon this and remember me, do let me know.
Pizzeria Starita – a legendary pizzeria which was worth waiting for!
August 1
Today I visited Herculaneum, the less known of the two towns that was buried in the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD, and indeed what inspired me to travel to Naples in the first place. Even though it’s smaller than the more well known Pompeii, it was impressive, and the downloadable guide helped me find context to the ruins, and it still took three hours to cover:
Just a small collection of the impressive remains of Herculaneum.
After Herculaneum I put the kybosh on the plan to get the bus up to the path up Vesuvius to the crater, knowing I would regret it in the extreme heat, and decided it was something to consider if I was in that part of Italy at a cooler time of year. So I got the train back to Naples and had ragu with aubergine from another place recommended by my Airbnb, then attempted to walk along the seafront, but found it was fenced off because it was the main port area, so ended up getting a bus to further along. It was actually quite charming there, as I walked along the coastline seeing several locals bathing in the water. I also came across some historical seafront buildings harked back to a time when young Europeans made it a stop on a Grand Tour of the continent:
After I had some roasted swordfish in the Spanish Quarter, I too the funicular back up to St Elmo’s Castle and sought a good spot outside to observe the sunset:
The sun had gone behind the hills at this point but it was still beautiful, I have always loved seeing the skies after dusk. After savouring the skyline of Naples in all its beauty I went back into the centre, and found a craft beer place where I savoured two delightful beers. Finally to end my time here, which again I felt came about way too soon, I had one last pizza from Naples, which was exceptionally tasty yet a mere €4, although it was just lukewarm by the time I walked with it back to the Airbnb. After that it was time to turn in cause I had to be on the train back to Milan the following day for my last full day on the continent on this adventure. Yet Naples is another place which I do very much intend to return to.