Our hotel in Naples was in a rough area. Many homeless and people living with addictions made their homes nearby, an it wasn't a place we wanted to linger.
"Eat pizza, of course" I said. And so that's what what we did.
To get the full experience we went to the place it was born. In a small sidewalk cafe tucked away, was the birthplace of the Margarita pizza. To understand pizza culture in Naples, you must understand the regulations. To be an authentic Napolean pizza, the dough spinners must apprentice for seven years before flying solo. The crust must be made with a special brown yeast, and spun to a specific thickness and diameter. It must be cooked in a special wood stove on bricks, and the crust must puff out. The middle of the pizza should be soupy and soft.
Brandi, the cafe we went to did not disappoint. We got the full pizza experience. In 1889, the patriarch of the restaurant was asked to make pizza for the king's daughters. He made three different ones. He asked one of the daughters, princess Margarita, what her favorite was. She liked the one that had the colors of Itiali, white mozzarella cheese (made from buffalo), red tomato sauce, and basil leaves. The owner named the pizza after her and that's now the famous Margarita pizza came to be. So we ordered that, and a pizza marina, a pizza with garlic and spices but without cheese. They were both very delicious and we ate until we could hardly move. By bedtime we were still both full from our pizza lunch!
Aside from the amazing pizza adventure, Naples is a hectic historic town on the coast of the Tihrranean sea. The most famous tourist destination in Naples is the ancient preserved city of Pompeii, a roman settlement that was devistated in 69AD when mount Vesuvius erupted, killing about 2,000 people out of the towns 20,000 inhabitants that were unable to get out. The city has been an amazing archeological discovery because it has allowed scientists to see how homes were set up, and learn alot about ancient life. We thought a visit here would be the perfect way to cap off all the ancient ruines we have seen as we head further north.
The city itself is huge. To see everything would take a few days. Walking into the front entrance we were struck by the city's expanse. There were long streets carved out between stone buildings. And it felt very much like a stroll through a town. However, It was not quite how we imagined it, as most artifacts have been removed and so much of what is left are walls. It was still very interesting. The most fascinating part was the ancient coliseum, which is in better shape than the one in Rome, although smaller. It was almost empty when we were there, and was really haunting.
Afterward we headed to the storage area to finish of the day and saw the famous plaster casts, which was the most sobering part. When the eruption happened, people were buried by hot ash that hardened around them. As the site was excavated, the explorers found empty cavities in the rock with bones at the bottom. One of the directors had the idea to pour plaster casting into the pockets, and when they were hardened and removed the result was shocking. A perfect mould of the person came out, revealing their face, clothing folds, and position at the time of death. One man sat upright covering his face. One woman was lying down covering her head. It made the whole thing very real.
After a day of light-hearted sight-seeing, the casts were a good way to remember the sacrifice for our knowledge and enjoyment. However, the monument at Pompeii put it best. It said Pompeii will not be remembered as a city that died, but one that continues to live as the lives of the people who lived there continue to bring joy to scientific discovery, and will live on in our hearts and imaginations. Very fitting I think.
On our last day we walked through Naples, visiting some churches and walking the old city quarter, which was beautiful. Steve said Naples has been his favorite so far, because it is so historic, and was very authentic feeling.
We really enjoyed our stay in Naples, and were excited to continue seeing the sights of Europe!
Next stop: Florence!
Pompei:
Margherita pizza!
Naples:
Florence was my favourite part of my whole trip. I actually went there twice, with a stop in rome in between. Check out the live music on the sweet bridge. A lot of buskers, tons of fun.
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