Italy – May 2022
Neaples is the Italian city which I‘ve heard the most contradicting reviews of. It‘s famous for its garbage problem and the mafia. But I‘ve also heard people raving about its energy and how the residents are actually hanging out in the streets and everyone is very easygoing. So I‘m quite excited for this journey to explore a new part of Italy. My first impression once I get disembark from the Flixbus at the bus terminal next to the train station: my friends from Milan were right.
This place is completely different from the north. I booked an Airbnb in the historic centre, just 20 minutes away on foot. I don‘t know if it‘s the morning commuters, but there sure is a lot of traffic. In Milano, Bologna and Rome you do also get some crazy Vespa drivers, but the way Napolitans race their scooters through the tiny alleys is on another level. There are often 3 or more people sitting on 1 motorbike and noone seems to ever have learned how traffic lights work. Since life does really happen on the streets here – in a very non-European way – that does look quite dangerous.
Another impression from my first afternoon walk around town is, that there is delicious food available everywhere, at any time and extremely low prices. Over the course of the next few days I spend most of my time eating and drinking. In the area around Palazzo dello Spagnolo I eat Pasta for 3 Euros. At Piazza del Plebiscito I go for a „Pizza Fritta“ – a fried pizza which kinda looks like Pizza Calzone.
One day I venture through the narrow alleys of the picturesque old town, where clothes are hanging from lines between the buildings. I also head up to Castel Sant’Elmo, from where breathtaking views of the city, bay and Mt. Vesuvio reward me for the steep ascent through winding streets (which is accompanied by the smell of gasoline, scooter exhaust and trash). On the way back down I opt for the scenic route and briefly stop at Villa Floridiana to soak up the mediterranean architecture and views of the orange trees lining the streets below me.
And one night I join a bunch of people from a hostel on their quest to find the best Pizza in the city. According to the queue, we did find the right spot in a narrow old town street. However, the waiting time is around 2 hours (and even longer because we don‘t realize immediately, that we have to put down our name). Fortunately, a kind soul is selling Limoncello Spritz at 2 EUR across the street, so we manage just fine.
Another day, I am set to explore one of the islands in the bay of Napoli. My number 1 choice is Procida, because I saw an Italian drama which took place there a few weeks prior to my visit. However, the small ferries there run irregularly and the island demands a tourist tax of around 20 Euros per person. Since the island is quite small too, that does not seem to be the right option for this day. So instead, I decide to go to Ischia. Read more about this trip here: Day trip to Ischia
That evening I return to the hostel quite late. But thanks to the European daylight saving time, I still make it to join the other guests for drinks at a local kiosk close to the water during sunset time. After 2 rounds of Aperol Spritz, we hit the old town alleys once again in search of some food. This night we end up at a pasta place. The quick dinner is followed by a spontaneous bar hopping tour, during which we somehow end up at a standing bar with Italian music from the 80s, to which everyone happily sings along – even tho none of us are close to fluent in the language.
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