My food dreams come true- A weekend in Napoli and Capri
Friday July 20th was another one of those, “my heart is torn” kind of days. I was on a 4 hr train ride to Napoli, which I was so excited about, while Matt was driving to Georgia for one of his best friend’s wedding. There have only been maybe 6 moments in these 6 months where I have truly truly truly wanted to be in two places at once, and this was one of them. I hated that I was missing a weekend of celebrating the beautiful couple.
Anyway, I left work a smidge early and caught my train down to my food mecca, Napoli.
Listen. I love pizza. I don’t even care where I am in my health mindset at any given time- I love pizza. And eating a true Neapolitan pizza in Napoli had been one of my 2 set-in-stone goals for my time in Italy (along with seeing the Colosseum… that’s how important it was to me haha). I was almost giddy with my excitement.
Me pondering how many pizzas I think I can eat in 48 hours...
My boss in Milan had warned me that the pickpockets were particularly bad in Napoli, and as I started walking from the train station to my hostel, I could see where that could be true. I’m sure anyone from Napoli would not enjoy hearing this, but I started laughing because Napoli (at least the streets I was walking down) immediately reminded me of Bangkok.
The streets felt dirty with trash all over, there were actually ethnically diverse shops and restaurants, people were sitting in plastic chairs outside cafes just watching others go by, random fireworks were going off, the buildings were old and decrepit, even at 11pm the narrow streets were chaotic. I almost got hit by at least 3 motorcycles on a 25 minute walk. I truly loved it. It was unlike any other Italian city I had visited to date. It felt like an unruly and rebellious city in a country full of refined and judgmental cities. Now, you all know I LOVE all of the cities I have been to- they all have such unique characteristics and hold such amazing art and beauty and history. But it’s like all of those other cities are the oldest child, while Napoli is the middle child running away to be in the circus. Seriously, I laughed out loud walking through that night.
I was staying at the Naples Pizza Hostel (seriously). It is definitely more of a down and dirty basic hostel, but it is also incredibly cheap (about 16 euros/night). I had to buzz up through two doors in a residential apartment building to get to it. A group of guys were hanging out on the reception area couch, and two guys were sitting behind a counter… supposedly working haha. They immediately started joking around with me- one told me I didn’t have a bed and would have to sleep on the couch, and the other asked if I would marry his friend so he could get a Green card to the US. I knew I was going to like Napoli…
I headed to my bed which was in a room of just 5 people, no lock on the door, and my spot did not have an outlet nearby therefore I could not charge my phone. It was also hot with no A/C. There was a ceiling fan, but the other 4, now asleep, had not turned it on, so I did not want to be THAT guy and fumble to turn it on in the middle of the night. The Wifi was also pretty shotty, so I really had to go outside and use my data to send a message or call Matt. Oh well!
I woke up early (setting my phone to Battery saver in hopes it would last the night haha), and changed and went to the kitchen to grab something to eat and charge my phone in the outlet out there for 10 minutes. That was about all the time I could afford, though, because I had to leave by 830am to walk back towards the train station to meet my tour group!
Hi Chicken
I had booked an all day tour with City Wonders (through the Viator website) to go see Pompeii, go to a wine tasting with lunch included, and then go to the top of Mount Vesuvius. It was a bit expensive, about 145 euros, but includes the transportation, the guided tour of Pompeii, lunch and a wine tasting at a vineyard, then your ticket to Mount Vesuvius. We were gone about 8 hours or more, and I found it to be totally worth it.
We met in front of the “Starhotels Terminus” Hotel by the train station. Within about 10 minutes we were headed to the shuttle and on our way to Pompeii! Our guide was named Cesare (pronounced “chez-er-ay”) and he was humorous and absolutely delightful.
We parked at a gas station near the entrance then walked over and met our guide, Enrico, who called us “Family” all day (“now come closer, family, take a look at this…”). I think we got lucky that we happened to be there on a Saturday when no cruise ships etc. had arrived, so it was not crowded at all. Very lucky. Enrico was funny and dry, sometimes tried a little too hard to be funny and dry, and he kept looking at his phone ha. But it was neat! We walked in and saw two old theaters and the remnants of the ancient times “fast food” shops. We got to walk down the main roads, through an old villa with the tiling still in tact, and through one of the brothels. Pretty incredible.
For some reason I wasn’t quite as in awe as I thought I would be or as much as I was in Rome. Am I becoming jaded by seeing SO MUCH history and SO MANY ruins in a short period of time? Who knows.
Pompeii/ Vesuvius General Info:
Used to be a port city on the water, but when Vesuvius blew there was so much ash that it essentially pushed the water out a few miles
Pompeii was never hit by the lava of Vesuvius, just the ash, which is why it is so well preserved.
Pompeii used to be an Amsterdam type of city with 25 brothels within the city boundary
Vesuvius is famously known to have blown on August 24th, 79 AD around 1pm; this detail is known due to a surviving document left by Pliny the Younger describing the event
Vesuvius has actually erupted many times since then, including most recently in 1944
Vesuvius is considered one of the most dangerous active volcanoes in the world because 3 million people are living nearby
The rich actually had their own plumbing, but for the rest of the city there were fountains on many of the corners (35 in total) where they could fill buckets and pots for washing, cooking, etc.
You can still see notches in front of shops where they had sliding doors. SLIDING DOORS
The streets you walk on today are original and the set of parallel grooves you see are from donkeys pulling carts down the roads
The streets apparently flooded fairly often, so you will see regular raised boulders running perpendicular to the road which were used as stepping stone cross walks so folks could cross the street even when flooded
The brothel:
There are penises carved into the stone of the buildings and roads to direct people towards brothels.
The lower portion of the one we walked through is original, but the upper floor is a reconstruction to show what it may have looked like.
Many of the customers were sailors from lands far away that spoke a different language, so they painted “menu options” on the walls to allow them to choose what they wanted.
The rooms had beds made of rock to “keep the customers from falling asleep afterwards.”
The Main square:
Not only a place with shops but used as gathering area for the citizens and the Justice building and the main Temple to Jupiter are located here.
Baths:
There were 8 baths in Pompeii alone
The baths were more like spa centers with pools and gymnasiums and a massage area included
Men and women had separate bathing areas
We were able to walk through one of the baths and each side had a locker room area, a “tepid water” room, and then a jacuzzi/sauna room; the men had an additional “cold room” to cool down after the sauna
At least in this particular bath the water was fed in through the walls and a wood fire heated the water for the jacuzzi and sauna
The jacuzzi in the women’s bath we saw was perfectly preserved, really incredible
Even though I didn’t feel the immense and overwhelming feeling of history here as I did in Rome, it was still really incredible to walk down those streets and be in the same buildings that men and women lived, worked, and socialized in thousands of years ago.
We finished our tour and were given a little time to grab a snack or run to the restroom, then we were back to the bus and off again!
Our next stop was the Cantina del Vesuvio Vineyard at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. They are really special because 1) they are all organic, and 2) they do not distribute ANYWHERE, so the only way to get their wine or vinegars etc. is to either GO there or order directly from them and have them ship to you. One of the employees briefly walked us through some of the vines and explained the types of grapes they use and so forth. The soil is mostly ash, so the flavors of the grapes are very different and they actually do not have to irrigate. Ash apparently acts like a sponge so when it rains or when snow melts, the ash just absorbs it and then slowly releases it through the spring and summer back into the vines.
We then sat down on their porch and had an incredible 3 course lunch accompanied by the tasting of 6 different wines. I happened to sit at the end with an American couple, our tour guide, and a British couple so we talked the entire lunch. It. Was. So. Nice.
Back to the bus we went and off to Vesuvius! I think it was about a 40 minute drive. I talked to an Australian girl for a bit because she was also traveling solo, but we all mostly sat quietly enjoying the mild air conditioning because it was very hot out that day.
As we went up the mountain… volcano… we parked at a spot about 100 yards from the entrance of the walking path. I won’t lie to you… the path is STEEP and mostly loose gravel, but kind of fun. I did pretty well since I am used to hiking, but some of the other folks had to take a number of breaks at the corners of the switchbacks. It didn’t help that the sun was beating down either, but we made it to the top and were able to look IN the crater of Mount Vesuvius. Super, super cool. From the trail and at the top you also have this amazing view over the city of Napoli.
On a more enjoyably breezy day, I would have stayed at the top and sat and absorbed for awhile. Considering the heat and humidity, though, I absorbed for maybe 20 minutes and then walked back down haha. I grabbed a cold water at the little concessions stand at the entrance and sat on some steps talking to Cesare while we waited for everyone to gather.
It was finally time to head back. We got back to the train station maybe around 530pm or so. My phone was nearly dead by that point, so I trusted my memory and my 3% battery to get me back to my hostel haha. I took a couple of hours then to charge my phone, shower, change clothes, and chat with the hostel workers. I felt SO VINDICATED when he told me that the “proper” way to eat pizza in Napoli is to cut it in slices and EAT WITH YOUR HANDS. I texted Matt immediately. Big win for us, big win.
He also told me that he eats pizza almost every day and that it is “built into his DNA.” He said after a night where he fills himself to the brim with pizza, pasta, and wine, he actually feels HEALTHIER and SKINNIER in the morning. I was born in the wrong country….
I finally headed to a restaurant called Sorbillo’s, as recommended by Cesare, for my first Neopolitan pizza. On a single block there are about 3 places with “Sorbillo” in the name, so honestly not sure if I went to the correct one (I went to Antonio e Gigi Sorbillo’s but there is also Gino e Toto Sorbillo’s and Antica Pizza Fritta da Esterina Sorbillo’s), but I had a margherita pizza and It. Was. Life. Changing. I think if heaven on earth exists, it was in that pizza. I could practically hear the mozzarella angels singing in my ears while the basil fairies danced in the forest of tomato sauce. I exaggerate not. I could have died happy as I placed my napkin on the empty plate. The doughy crust, the sweet tomato sauce, the incredibly flavorful mozzerella. Perfetto.
After that I wandered the city for a few hours to try and take it in. I had decided to take the ferry to Capri the next day, so this was really my only opportunity to see anything in town. I saw the Neptune fountain and walked by two castles. Walking by the water at night was really pretty, too.
By 1) looking up and 2) doing a quick google search, I found a rooftop bar on the 12th floor of the Grand Hotel Vesuvio (the bar is called the Caruso Roof Garden). I decided that getting a high level view over the Castel dell’Ovo and out onto the water would be worth so I went up for one drink.
As I walked back towards my hostel I passed a ton of restaurants and bars, but at one point I passed a restaurant where a two person band was playing outside. I smiled as I heard the woman singing, but then just past the restaurant the road opened up into this big plaza called Piazza del Plebiscito in front of the Basilica Reale Pontificia San Francesco da Paola. There were kids racing, a couple on a date, families going for a night time walk.. all with this woman’s voice singing in the background. I stopped in my tracks and simply looked around and took in the Perfect Moment for a bit before continuing on.
I obviously then stopped for gelato at Il Gelato Mennella (I think this was also a suggestion by someone but total chance that I walked by it and stopped)…
When I made it back to the hostel, I stayed up for a bit to charge my phone and talk to Matt who was in between wedding festivities. Eventually I had to go to bed, though, because not only was I exhausted, but I had booked an early ferry to Capri for Sunday!
I woke up around 6:15am (ughhh), changed, packed, left my backpack at the front desk, and headed out towards the Calata Porta di Massa (the ship port).
I literally have no clue what this is....
The voucher they had emailed me after purchase (online.. Pretty sure I googled “ferry from napoli to Capri” but I ended up buying my ticket through “OK Ferry”) stated that I needed to go to a ticket office and exchange it for a valid ticket. I don’t know if you know this, but Napoli is actually a really big city, and a LOT of boats come in and out, so the port is actually quite large. That said, finding the appropriate ticket office took me a moment :-) Luckily I saw two other girls walking around and ask a guard where to go. I followed suit and asked the same gentleman who pointed the way. When I got there, I was then able to actually use a machine to transfer my voucher to a ticket.
After that, I really only had to wait a few minutes before I walked onto the ferry for a 7:55am departure!
I was tired but excited. I had added Capri to the agenda last minute because everyone I talked to had such amazing things to say about it (Capri and the Amalfi Coast both).
There are two different types of ferries that go between Napoli and Capri, fast and less fast. The fast takes under an hour, the less fast takes just over an hour haha. I took the less fast out and the fast back. I had not had time for breakfast, so I grabbed a donut and an espresso from the bar on the ferry and went to the small top deck area to eat and enjoy the view. Unfortunately, other people also wanted to enjoy the view, and it was also really hot out, so my vibe was quickly killed. I finished my donut and headed back downstairs where I could sit in the air conditioning hah.
When we docked in Capri, I knew I had limited time before my 3:25pm ferry back. So first, I immediately found the ticket counter and swapped my return voucher for a real ticket. I felt very smart and proactive for Future Leslie, and the ticket counter here was much easier to find. Second, I headed straight for my priority activity- the Monte Solaro Chairlift. I had read about it some online, it looked fun and unique, and my friend Jenny said it was a must, so for me it was no brainer. I plugged it into my map, and it said it was about a 30 minute walk to the bottom of the lift- perfect. No problem. What could go wrong…..
And then I accidentally climbed partway up a mountain.
I did not pay attention to the topography of the map I was looking at, just the path. It started slow… walking up the sidewalk of a road going up a small hill. Then some stairs and another small hill. Then stairs. And more stairs. And steeper stairs. And steeper stairs. Then stairs stairs stairs until I was halfway up Monte Solaro and drenched in sweat. Turns out I accidentally climbed up the “Phoenician Steps.” These are steps that are believed to have been built (by the Greeks actually, not the Phoenicians) in the 6th or 7th century B.C. They used to be the only way to access Anacapri. Whaaaatttttt??? And they had some amazing views along the way.
A lemon tree! Apparently they grow all over the island.
After making it to the top, I was immediately greeted by a tour group where the guide was talking about the steps and saying, “My grandmother thinks it is obligatory to climb the steps, but they’re pretty tough, so you can just take a picture,” as I am standing there panting and disgustingly sweaty. Yep, pretty tough.
I continued on past the Villa San Michele and a great number of shops towards the chairlift. A ticket to go up and return is only 11 euros/person, and they run from about 930 to 5pm in the summers. They have essentially built a ski lift up to the peak where each chair is made for just one person so it feels like an amusement park ride. It might sound silly to some of you, but it was honestly a lot of fun! And such a neat perspective of the island.
At the top I unfortunately ran into cloud interference again, so the view was minimal but still peaceful.
They have built a small garden courtyard and a restaurant up there if you would like to grab food or ice cream. I did not partake but heard it was a bit expensive
With the view obstructed and no desire to eat there, I headed back down haha.
My next goals were to eat some seafood and/or something with lemon (the lemon trees!!) and to get Capri sandals (Jenny told me it was a thing, and then seeing the shops confirmed my desire to buy a pair. There are shops all of the island where … cobblers?... are piecing together sandals, customized in some way to the buyer, right in front of you. Pretty neat)
I wandered through the shops again and found a place that looked approachable. I asked a woman how it all worked, and she told me to pick a style I liked and the color of the leather, and they would make it for me! So I picked what I wanted, we picked a sole that would fit my feet, and told them I would be back after lunch!
I wandered some more and then ended up eating at a place called Trattoria Il Solitario. They opened at noon, and I went… right at noon… so I was the only one in there for a bit, but I didn’t mind. The lady working was very sweet and was happy to seat me. I received no dirty glares for eating before Italian lunch time haha. She also helped me to pronounce a word in my order hahaha. The food was delicious, the garden patio where I sat was unique and beautiful, and I felt very pleased with my decision.
After lunch I went back to get my sandals “fitted” (they really just cut the final strap that buckles the sandal to fit my ankle and then punched the holes in… but… custom enough I suppose). They were 75 euros, so… definitely not a cheap souvenir… but I actually love them. I am writing this post over one month after I purchased the sandals, and I can confirm that I have worn them many times and that they are very comfortable, light, and cute.
At that point I headed back down the Phoenician stairs (mainly I didn’t know how else to get down and had no desire to find a taxi or something). They ARE very steep, and a little slippery because the stone is so worn, so if you are going down be very careful.
Now, Sunday afternoon on these trips are typically when I tire out and my motivation is lost. This Sunday was no different. I got back down, and frankly had no desire to do anything but get some gelato and sit. So that’s what I did. I got some delicious gelato at Il Gelato Al Limone, sat inside and ate it, and then went back out towards the water and sat watching the pigeons and seagulls and boats and children. I honestly think I sat for an hour doing nothing but watching. It was finally time to catch the return ferry so I climbed up, grabbed a top deck seat near the railing, and basically napped on my arm the whole way back hahah. I was soooo tired.
When we docked back in Napoli, I had about 2 hours to walk back to my hostel, clean up and change, grab an early dinner, and then walk back to the train station. Luckily, I was able to do it. I grabbed only my second Neapolitan pizza at the favorite suggestion of my hostel worker- Antica Pizzeria dell’Angelo. Although it also made my mouth water and probably made me make, “Mm mm mm” sounds out loud, it was not QUITE as life changing as Sorbillo’s for me. But regardless my heart and my stomach were suuuuuuppper happy.
And then I left. My last trip in Italy. My last [planned] city to visit besides my upcoming vacation. My last fast train. I actually got a little emotional.
I know Italy has been difficult for me, and some of my posts may not have shown a strong attachment ha, but my “positive mindset resolution” was really what I needed to look at everything I have done, the challenges I have overcome, the confidence I have gained in a new light. I may not want to live in Milan for the rest of my life, but I will forever appreciate the opportunities it has provided and the things I have learned here. So yea, I got a bit emotional.
See you soon <3