Introduction to Naples

From everything I'd heard about Naples before setting out on this trip, I was worried it would be a bit of a dump. However, I could not be more pleased to be wrong.

Naples is a bustling city, filled with passionate people and fabulous food. Sure, it's not quite as picturesque as Florence or Venice, but the buzz and hum of the city is so vibrant, a real joy to experience.

After disembarking the ferry and hiking up a hill to see the city under Mount Vesuvius' morning shadow, I went on a walking tour of Naples. During the tour, the guide took us to all of Naples' highlights while weaving the tale of this city's history - its Greek origins, followed by Roman rule, Ottoman invasion, French monarchs, Spanish monarchs, through to it becoming the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and eventually becoming a part of Italy during the Risorgimento. It was a very interesting tour and really highlighted the historical complexity of this part of the world.

After this tour I went in search of the food that put Naples on the map. Never mind Malta's rabbit stew or Sicily's arancini, the one signature regional dish that I have been most looking forward to on this trip was a real, authentic Neapolitan pizza. Finding a restaurant that serves the best pizza in Naples was by far the most research I did into any one individual aspect of this trip, and it was so worth it. I ordered a Margherita, the absolute classic, and as you can imagine it hit the spot directly in the bullseye.

After checking into my hostel, I then set off to a long-lost city, known only from passages in history books following a volcanic eruption that destroyed it in 79 AD, but it's not the city you might expect...Read more