The View From My Beer
Today I enjoyed a glass of Sicilian beer – Birra Messina at the Chalet Giallo. Each beer came with a complimentary bowl of yummy nibblies.
Naples
The city of Naples is known to locals as Napoli. It is Italy’s third largest city behind Rome and Milan. The city is spectacular because it is built into the side of some rather large hills, providing stunning views across the Gulf of Naples. Naples also lies at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, well known for the erruption in 79AD that buried the nearby town of Pompeii. The history of Naples extends back to the ancient Greeks that founded the city in the 8th Century BC. The name Naples was assigned by the greeks, meaning ‘New City’. After 3,000 years of occupation, it is starting a few signs of wear and tear!
Naples is also the home of one of my favorite foods, pizza. The very first pizzeria in the entire world, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, was opened in Naples in 1830. It still remains open today. Unfortunately I discovered this fact later. Otherwise it would have been a definite to-do item for my visit. I did get to enjoy a Neopolitan Pizza. They weren’t hard to find, there are an estimated 8,200 pizzerias in a city with just under 1 million people.
My Walk
Before undertaking today’s walk, I undertook some serious research. I purchased a ticket for the local hop-on-hop-off bus and took the entire route before deciding where the best place would be to get off and take a walk. I then went around again a second time before getting off about 70% through the circuit, leaving me with a 6km walk along the coastline back to the ship. It was again a spectacular coastal walk.
Port Naples
Our ship docked close to the city, right outside Castel Nuovo (New Castle). Built in 1279, it was once the home of the King of Naples. Back then the water lapped against the walls of the castle.
Bus Ride
Hop-on-hop-off buses are available in quite a few of the ports I have visited. I tend not to use them if I feel the major attractions are all within a compfortable walking distance. Today I was not too sure on what/where I needed to visit, but I felt there was a strong chance some of the attractions would be a rather long walk. I decided to invest in a bus ticket and take an initial ride around the tour circuit before deciding the best place to take a walk. If necessary, I could always get baclk on the bus at another stop and return to the cruise terminal.
It’s always hard to take good photos from moving buses, but the one hour ride did give me a good feel about the places I wanted to return on foot and take a closer look. As is often the case, it was the coastal walk back to the ship. It was about 5.5km each way, so I remained on the bus to get dropped off at my chosen stop. A 5.5km one-way walk was going to be a much better option to the 11km out-and-back trip I might otherwise taken.
Coastal Walk
The walk passed through one of the wealthier parts of Naples, with beautiful architecture and stunning views. Interesting things along the way including the small bare bones petrol stations found in the area, a tennis glub for the wealthy, and beautiful rocky beaches.
Naples City
On my return to the city area I had time to explore a liitle before it was time to get back on the ship.
Thoughts
While it lacks the well known attractions of Rome such as the Colosseum, the Vatican, and Trevi Fountain, Naples was a far more enjoyable place to visit. The buildings were much better maintained and the sweeping ocean views and the refreshing sea breeze provided many great places to just sit and enjoy the view.
Tourism creates something of a conundrum. It often provides a much needed boost to the local economy, which in turn can lead to better facilities. But it also bring crowds, noise, and in some cases a resentment towards travellers. I think I would chose a place like Naples over Rome to enjoy an authentic Italian experience. And there may very well be a lot of smaller places even better still. Its always nice to see major attractions such as the Colosseum and Vatican, but once you have seen those things the quality of a holiday can be enhanced by the charm and convenience that comes with getting away from major tourist traps.
