Naples - La Creme de la Crap!!

Naples, a city of 1.04 million people is located in southern Italy along the Bay of Naples and behind it looms the luminous and dangerous Mt. Vesuvius.

We decided to make a stop in Naples not only for the pizza that it is so well known for but mainly to use this as a base for our visit to the fascinating ruins of Pompeii.

Well the title of this posting has probably already given you all an idea of what our thoughts of Naples were. Naples was definitely “different” to say the least. If you like garbage infused streets, a not so safe environment where you feel like you have to clutch your bag every time you go outside, and like to buy anything and everything you could imagine from grimy street side vendors that seem to line every single corner and street in Naples, then this is the place for you.

Chris and I were shocked to say the least of what Naples had to offer. We arrived mid afternoon and already had a preconception from our previous research that Naples was known to be wily and scrappy and sometimes unsafe but that underneath all this there was an irresistible charm to the city. Not sure how far deep underneath we had to dig, but from what we saw and experienced, we didn’t find any charm to Naples at all. Perhaps it was also the fact that we were both not feeling well and had arrived to Naples with headaches, hacking coughs and stuffed nostrils…after only being sick once in the last ten and half months , the two of us attribute the colds to the lack of vino!! We haven’t had any for a few days and its during this time that we got sick….see, vino does do a body good!! Who needs milk?!?!?! (Definitely not Chunger)

We were lucky enough to find a decent place to sleep that was only minutes away from the train station at Hotel Speranza for 40 Euros a night with a private bathroom and T.V. I think we were happier spending more time in our room than we were out in the streets. The streets immediately surrounding the train station are quite the site. There’s the hustle and bustle of HUNDREDS (and I do mean that literally) street vendors trying to sell you things you could never have a use for or even think of wanting to buy, the sounds of the congested traffic as taxis, cars and mopeds all seem to be going somewhere in a hurry and don’t seem to care if a pedestrian is crossing the road or not (nothing a quick swerve can’t avoid) and the sights and smells of garbage just piled everywhere (on corners, in the middles of the street, and on the sidewalks). Add to that the shadows that seem to lurk around during the day and come out full force at night looking for something to do. Let’s just say it made Siem Reap in Cambodia and Brussels in Belgium look dang good!!

With a not so great first impression of Naples, we figured we’d give it a chance and were hoping that perhaps it was just this particular area and that the other more “touristy” areas of Naples would be better perhaps. NOT…no crème de la crème there either!!!

The rest of Naples is pretty much just like what we had encountered around the train station. Even the sights weren’t much to write home about. And the pizza you ask?? Nope, nothing too spectacular there either unless you like simple pizza. Naples specializes in margherita pizzas consisting of tomato sauce, olive oil, cheese and sea salt – a little too plain Jane for C and I. My mom makes better homemade pizza!!

Below are a couple and I do mean a couple of the shots we managed to take in Naples since most of the time we were hanging on to the camera for dear life.

Street crazy vendors trying to sell you everything under the moon

Well, at least this guy is a bit more original

Our time in Naples though wasn’t all at a loss. During our days there, we managed to do a day trip to the ancient Roman ruins of Pompeii – one of the most important archaeological sites in Europe as evidenced by the 2.3 million people that visit it every year. We spent an entire day wandering the ruins that were left behind as a result of the world’s most famous volcano disaster – the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The ruins that remain include temples, a forum, an amphitheatre, and streets that at one time were lined with shops and luxurious homes. Although you needed to use your imagination for some of the ruins, as we walked through them with our map and handy little guide in hand, it was easy to imagine what Roman life here must have been like before it was destroyed. And with the looming “beast” (as I kept referring to it as) always visible throughout our walk, it was hard to imagine how the 700,000 locals still live on the slopes of Vesuvius which is far from being extinct. Here’s hoping that the scientists are wrong and that the volcano remains dormant.

The Sanctuary of our Lady of the Rosary which dominates modern Pompeii - hard to believe that something so beautifully built is so close to something that was and still can be so destructive

The entrance to the church – it’s hard to see but at the very end above the main altar is the painting, the Virgin of the Rosary with Child, which is the subject of popular devotion due to the miracle that guaranteed its fame. In 1876, a young girl was cured of epilepsy after praying in front of the painting and to this day pilgrims from all over come to pay their dedication.

The ruins from afar – atop the bell tower in modern Pompeii

What used to be the Temple of Venus – this is one of those ones where you had to use your imagination – it once was one of the town’s most lavish temples but its position by the water made it the target of repeated destruction

The Roman basilica – this used to be the city’s law courts and exchange in the 2nd century BC

In the heart of what once used to be the centre of city life – the forum with the “beast” looming in the background

A beautiful shot of what once used to be so grand

The Temple of Apollo, one of the oldest of Pompeii’s religious buildings was one of the more well kept temples I found

What once used to be the Grand Theatre which was capable of seating up to 5,000 spectators – today holds probably that many visitors in one day

Looking through the one remaining triumphal arch that remains of the Temple of Jupiter

What remains of the oldest Roman amphitheatre that was built in 70 BC and at one time was capable of holding up to 20,000 fans cheering on their favorite gladiators

Oh what life must have been like down one of these old and ruined streets in centuries gone by…

Next, we’re off to the island of Sicily on a long 10 hour train journey to hopefully climb and visit (weather permitting) one of the most active and largest volcanoes in Europe, Mt. Etna.

Until then, hope all is well back home and that the rain isn’t coming down too hard.

Miss everyone,

Ravy the not so feeling well Roamer