Naples, Italy

On first impression, Naples is an overwhelming city, especially when you just "wing it" like I do sometimes.  On the plane I did some research and decided I was going to spend one day in Pompeii, one day in Sorrento/Capri, and one day in Naples, catching all the major attractions.  You can get to a lot of places by train or ferry from Naples, so this seemed easy to me.  However, I did not realize the size and diversity of Naples and felt very confused when I first arrived.  I was also staying in an area that was close to the train station, but too far from the center of town for me to easily walk to restaurants and shops.  Getting myself oriented took the entire afternoon and evening after I arrived!

Another colorful city, I realized the beauty of the city on my second full day in Naples.  I created my own walking tour of the city, stopping at as many places of interest as I could.  To start, I took the metro to Posilipo, just north of downtown and near the port, where colorful homes fill the hillside, little cafes line the promenade, and boats come in and out of the harbor.  Many people were relaxing on the waterfront and enjoying the nice weather at the little beaches located there.

From there, I walked along the water all the way to Saint Lucia, a fort and smaller marina with restaurants on the water and beautiful views of the city.  Close to here is the Piazza del Plebiscito, a huge space for people to gather for things like concerts, and the location of the Royal Palace and the church of San Francesco di Paola.  Right in the Centro Storico, I walked up and down the streets and through the Piazza Trieste e Trento, the place to be with bars and cafes all along and the start of the shopping area.  I loved this area of Naples and wish I had more time to spend there.

The historic center is filled with shopping and a wonderful combination of old brick roads, winding there way around the old multicolored buildings and modern and extravagant structures.  Many other attractions are in the city, such as Catacombe and Duomo di San Genanro.  I simply ran out of time to visit these places.  Naples is a city with a lot of history and what is underneath the city is worth seeing, too.

Naples is known for pizza, so that's all I ate when I dined there.  The most memorable was L"Antica Pizzeria de Michele.  Apparently it was the place featured in the book "Eat, Pray, Love" and I found it through Yelp reviews.  There are seriously only 2 types of pizza and 4 drinks to choose from.  I opted for the double cheese margarita pizza and a Coke.  WOW!  It was the thinnest crust, still a little doughy, and the flavor of the cheese was so good.  Something about having a coke to wash it it down with made it all perfect.  Here, you sit wherever you can - any open seat, with anyone.  I got there just before a huge rush and had a little time to watch the chef make some of the pizzas, throw them in and out of the oven, and pass them to tables so quickly it seemed impossible.

Sites Along My Walking Tour

Galeria Umberto I

New Castle

Piazza del Plebiscito

If you can, I recommend staying near the water and close to the historic center.  I stayed very close to the central train station for the ease of traveling to other cities, but did not enjoy the area surrounding the hotel as much as the other part s of the city.  At night, walking alone felt a little uncomfortable and there were few options for dining and shopping.  To get to these area, it was a minimum of a 20 minute walk from my hotel.