Well, I can finally say I have been to Naples. I don’t how many times I’ve been to the train station of Naples without actually exploring the city. My main reason was that I always had luggage with me and have been warned numerous times about guarding my belongings.
So this morning I left all my valuables (including my camera) on board and walked all throughout the city. I was fortunate to get my morning IPM covered, otherwise I would have been stuck on the boat the entire day.
Anyway, as I was strolling through the streets of Naples with clothes drying on lines outside all the buildings that look as though they’ll crumble any moment, three words came to mind to describe the city: vibrant, pulsing, gritty. And this was a Sunday morning! Nowhere near as chaotic as a weekday would be. I found an open air market that was more noisy and disorienting than the Grand Bazaar in Turkey! Everyone was shouting and pushing every which way performing a perfect dance of anarchy. It’s amazing how thuggish and tough the people look and all the old men look as though they could be Don Corleone – I don’t like to perpetuate stereotypes, but there are definitely signs of organized crime, even more so than Sicily. One good thing is that the trash crisis seems to have been solved, as I saw not a single piece of garbage on the streets.
I wondered to Spaccanapoli (I think that’s the right spelling) and had the most delicious coffee and sfogliatella of my life. I think sfogliatelle have become my favorite pastry in the world. For anybody who has never had the pleasure of trying one, I’ll try to do my best to describe it. I’d say the closest neighbor is a croissant, but it’s really nothing like it. The crust is flaky, but also very crisp and greasy. Inside is a mixture of sweet cream, ricotta cheese and just a hint of orange zest. Mmmm….delicious. Italians claim that the coffee in Naples is the best in all of the country due to something in the water. Nobody quite knows what it is, but I will certainly vouch that it is the best I have ever tasted. Unfortunately, my first Neapolitan pizza will have to wait until my next visit.
Naples is truly a welcome assault of all the senses.
On a side note, you’ll all be happy to know that I have gained 6 pounds since the beginning of my contract. I guess all my time in the gym is paying off.
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Glad the trash thing is better and you finally got to go there! My mom and sisters are in Norway this week, I decided to hold out and make my next abroad trip back to Naples someday. Got my instrument fixed at Steve's this morning - it feels great for the first time in years. Just think how the quarrantine is saving you days of being sick - those viruses are fast and brutal so keep cheery ;) ~ Heidi
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