Naples
This is my third visit to Naples, and the first time that I have felt comfortable being in this incredibly beautiful and incredibly crowded city. Back in May 1990 Will and I spent three days here, visiting Pompeii and Capri on our own, but otherwise confining ourselves to the hillside neighborhood of our hotel after several near-incidents in central Naples with motorbike thieves, unscrupulous taxi drivers, poorly-functioning Metro, and unceasing traffic (not to mention that the trash collectors were on strike). We did enjoy some wonderful pizza, but also some very questionable "new" wine siphoned into our glasses directly from a hose behind the bar.
In October 2010, our cruise on Cunard's Queen Victoria stopped here for the day between the ports of Livorno in Tuscany and Tunis, capital of Tunisia. We ventured out ourselves in the morning to visit the nearby Pza Plebescito, with its monumental church and views of Mt Vesuvius, and Galleria Emanuel II, with its fine shops lining the sides of the glass-enclosed gallery. We also enjoyed a fine pizza at a small restaurant across from the Maritime Terminal and the ship. In the afternoon we joined a shore excursion to the ruins of Herculaneum, perfect for a warm fall afernoon. And while sailing from the harbor out into Naples Bay at sunset was delightful from the veranda on the ship, Naples itself was better remembered in photos than experienced first hand.
But today I spend several hours walking through the streets of the historical center, in the eastern part of the city, a neighborhood I have not previously explored. Perhaps because there are five large cruise ships docked at the pier and the city is overrun with tourists, local criminals seem to have taken the day off and left everyone alone. Many of the old streets surrounding the Cathedral and a number of other ancient churches have been pedestrianized and are lined with shops and cafes, as well as pizza stands on every corner. I even find a unique gift for Will at a local art studio: a flash drive in a credit-card sized plastic case with a drawing of Mt Vesuvius on the cover. Although the walk requires several uphill portions, returning downhill to the ship is much easier.
This was certainly a good visit to end the cruise. It even made me want to come back to Naples to watch that sunset again.
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| Drago d'oro: Via Monteoliveto |
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| Monteoliveto Fountain |
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| Facade of Church of Gesù Nuovo |
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| Basilica of Santa Chiara: Campanile |
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| Basilica of Santa Chiara: Cloister Gateway |
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| Cloister of Santa Chiara: Majolica Columns |
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| Cloister of Santa Chiara: Majolica Columns |
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