Love will tear us apart
Naples
Our first stop on a 2-week tour of the Gulf of Naples was the city of Naples itself.
We had the usual preconceptions of the city from being engrossed in the fabulous Gomorrah TV series, which wasn't made by the Italian tourist board I should add. And also from friends who had previously visited. Yes it was a fabulous city, but be careful.
The fun started on the exhilarating taxi ride from the airport. Traffic lanes have little significance in Naples, and weaving between cars and scooters appears mandatory for all road users. At one point our taxi driver decided to have a chat with his fellow taxi driver driving alongside through their open windows at 30 miles an hour. And then a scooter whizzed between them! How rude.
I love scooters, and Naples buzzes relentlessly with the sound of them. Everyone of all ages, from children to old couples think nothing of going tandem, or loading up with shopping and dodging through the busy streets. It's something you do get used to, but for the first couple of days it can be a little nerve-wracking as they appear from everywhere and nowhere!
We were based near the seafront and found ourselves making a nightly stroll along Via Partenope as part of our holiday routine. It's a nice place to grab a beer with a view of the Castel Dell'Ovo (The Egg Castle) and watch Naples life unfold in front of you. It's popular with all Neapolitans and at the weekends it's all about the passeggiata, where locals don their best outfits and parade along the seafront for no no other reason it seems, than to be seen, eat ice cream and socialise.
The hectic old town, Centro Storico is based around two streets, Via del Tribunali running parallel with Via San Biagio Del Libra. The natural conduit between them is Via San Gregorio, which houses shop after shop of nativity scenes and superstitious artifacts that are integral to Naples culture. The old town is a bustling, energetic place and if you want to understand how the Romans lived 2000 years ago then you don't have to venture further than here. Loud, busy, chaotic, lewd graffiti, shops selling everything, narrow streets, fast food, and intense heat. Replace chariots with scooters and you've pretty much got it.
The old town area of Naples is also home to some very different tourist experiences. The small Museo Cappella Sansevero houses the Veiled Christ marble sculpture by Giuseppe Samartino which dates back to the 1750s. This wonderful statue shares it's home with crazy exhibits of bodies mechanics (innards!) making for a very peculiar museum combination, highlighting the Neapolitan obsession with the macabre.
There's also a shrine (of sorts) to the footballer Maradona, fondly remembered for winning the title with Napoli.
But the absolute must see of the old town is subterranean Naples. Naples is a city built on an invisible city. There are several tours based in the old town to explore underground Naples. Within minutes you descend hundreds of steps and find yourself in Greek aquaducts and looking at Romans wells, all connected as part of an extensive network of tunnels for an underground water system built thousands of years ago and surviving to this day.
In more recent times the tunnels were re-purposed to protect the people of Naples from the allied bombing, and there are plenty of artifacts and artists contributions to commentate this part of the Naples story.
It is a fascinating, vast labyrinth of huge open spaces and claustrophobic tunnels, and we only saw a tiny section on our excellent tour. The finale took us into a typical Naples apartment frozen in time from when the residents discovered sections of a Roman theatre in the wine cellar. Incredible.
To grab some air and take a few hours to escape the madness of central Naples, take the funicular to Morghen, which lifts you high above the city and offers spectacular vistas from the sea to Versuvios.
Once refreshed descend the Spanish steps and walk back through the famous Spanish quarter to enter the fray once again.
A highlight of our few days in Naples was the simple walk along the seafront to Mergellina.
It was a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The views of the Bay of Naples are superb and we walked past local fishermen selling their day's catch next to their boats, it is a beautiful way to spend a morning.
For our last evening in Naples we ventured to one of the many wine bars amongst the designers shops in Chiaia, and the area had a nice, lively atmosphere. We took a street elevator en route to Restaurant Osteria della Mattonreella, a small traditional Neapolitan restaurant. You even had to knock on the door to gain access. It all added to the wonderful experience.
Looking back through the pictures I took in Naples, they seem to be more about the people than the place. And that was the beauty of Naples. It is what is is, and the people make no bones about that.
So the last photo from our final evening stroll along the seafront sums it up nicely.
We made our way along Via Partenope, late at night and came across crowds of couples, ballroom dancing in the streets. They love their city and we had fallen in love with Naples.
How can you not?
Next stop, Capri.x
Our first stop on a 2-week tour of the Gulf of Naples was the city of Naples itself.
We had the usual preconceptions of the city from being engrossed in the fabulous Gomorrah TV series, which wasn't made by the Italian tourist board I should add. And also from friends who had previously visited. Yes it was a fabulous city, but be careful.
 |
| Centro Storico, Naples |
The fun started on the exhilarating taxi ride from the airport. Traffic lanes have little significance in Naples, and weaving between cars and scooters appears mandatory for all road users. At one point our taxi driver decided to have a chat with his fellow taxi driver driving alongside through their open windows at 30 miles an hour. And then a scooter whizzed between them! How rude.
 |
| Scooters, Naples |
I love scooters, and Naples buzzes relentlessly with the sound of them. Everyone of all ages, from children to old couples think nothing of going tandem, or loading up with shopping and dodging through the busy streets. It's something you do get used to, but for the first couple of days it can be a little nerve-wracking as they appear from everywhere and nowhere!
 |
| Castel Dell'Ovo, Naples |
We were based near the seafront and found ourselves making a nightly stroll along Via Partenope as part of our holiday routine. It's a nice place to grab a beer with a view of the Castel Dell'Ovo (The Egg Castle) and watch Naples life unfold in front of you. It's popular with all Neapolitans and at the weekends it's all about the passeggiata, where locals don their best outfits and parade along the seafront for no no other reason it seems, than to be seen, eat ice cream and socialise.
 |
| Via Partenope, Naples |
The hectic old town, Centro Storico is based around two streets, Via del Tribunali running parallel with Via San Biagio Del Libra. The natural conduit between them is Via San Gregorio, which houses shop after shop of nativity scenes and superstitious artifacts that are integral to Naples culture. The old town is a bustling, energetic place and if you want to understand how the Romans lived 2000 years ago then you don't have to venture further than here. Loud, busy, chaotic, lewd graffiti, shops selling everything, narrow streets, fast food, and intense heat. Replace chariots with scooters and you've pretty much got it.
 |
| Via San Gregorio, Naples |
The old town area of Naples is also home to some very different tourist experiences. The small Museo Cappella Sansevero houses the Veiled Christ marble sculpture by Giuseppe Samartino which dates back to the 1750s. This wonderful statue shares it's home with crazy exhibits of bodies mechanics (innards!) making for a very peculiar museum combination, highlighting the Neapolitan obsession with the macabre.
There's also a shrine (of sorts) to the footballer Maradona, fondly remembered for winning the title with Napoli.
 |
| Football, Convitto Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele II, Naples |
But the absolute must see of the old town is subterranean Naples. Naples is a city built on an invisible city. There are several tours based in the old town to explore underground Naples. Within minutes you descend hundreds of steps and find yourself in Greek aquaducts and looking at Romans wells, all connected as part of an extensive network of tunnels for an underground water system built thousands of years ago and surviving to this day.
In more recent times the tunnels were re-purposed to protect the people of Naples from the allied bombing, and there are plenty of artifacts and artists contributions to commentate this part of the Naples story.
 |
| Subterranean Naples |
It is a fascinating, vast labyrinth of huge open spaces and claustrophobic tunnels, and we only saw a tiny section on our excellent tour. The finale took us into a typical Naples apartment frozen in time from when the residents discovered sections of a Roman theatre in the wine cellar. Incredible.
 |
| Centro Storico, Naples |
To grab some air and take a few hours to escape the madness of central Naples, take the funicular to Morghen, which lifts you high above the city and offers spectacular vistas from the sea to Versuvios.
Once refreshed descend the Spanish steps and walk back through the famous Spanish quarter to enter the fray once again.
 |
| Naples |
A highlight of our few days in Naples was the simple walk along the seafront to Mergellina.
It was a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The views of the Bay of Naples are superb and we walked past local fishermen selling their day's catch next to their boats, it is a beautiful way to spend a morning.
 |
| Fishermen, Mergellina, Naples |
 |
| Mergellina, Naples |
For our last evening in Naples we ventured to one of the many wine bars amongst the designers shops in Chiaia, and the area had a nice, lively atmosphere. We took a street elevator en route to Restaurant Osteria della Mattonreella, a small traditional Neapolitan restaurant. You even had to knock on the door to gain access. It all added to the wonderful experience.
 |
| Restaurant Osteria della Mattonreella, Naples |
Looking back through the pictures I took in Naples, they seem to be more about the people than the place. And that was the beauty of Naples. It is what is is, and the people make no bones about that.
So the last photo from our final evening stroll along the seafront sums it up nicely.
We made our way along Via Partenope, late at night and came across crowds of couples, ballroom dancing in the streets. They love their city and we had fallen in love with Naples.
How can you not?
 |
| Dancers, Via Partenope, Naples |
Great read and some lovely pictures too.
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated.
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