DOING ITALY IN FOUR DAYS: PART TWO

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Part Two....here we go!

Naples

All I can say is I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore! What a shock to the system. Why was I drawn to going to Naples in the first place? I honestly can't remember. I think it was because it was south, somewhere different and close to Pompeii? I remember my mum telling me several times before and even during the trip in Rome, that it was a very poor city. I took that statement with a grain of salt - I know my mum and her standards are extremely high so I thought she was exaggerating. Nope. 

So, what is Naples like? My first impression was, it's derelict, slum-like and not picturesque. Look at the skyline...it looks completely overcrowded. When I think about how close Amalfi (definitely on my list) is to Naples, how can a city look so squalid?  

 

After walking around for a bit, I thought to myself, sure, Naples is not the prettiest place to visit, but you know what? It has character. It also has a sense of community. Everyone lives in close proximity to each other. I guess you could say, they live on top of each other. I reckon people definitely hi-5 the person in the building across from them. I was shocked to see everyone's washing just hanging out for the world to see. But, what else are they meant to do? They don't have backyards and their balcony's aren't even large enough for a chair. 

So, what was great about Naples?

1. Pizza. Need I say more? Oh wait. Delicious pizza for only €4! 

2. It's not a tourist destination. Yes, I think that's a positive. It's somewhere different. You will hardly see english speaking tourists. It's great. No tour guides walking around with a flag. Just yourself, your camera and your curiosity.

3. It's close to amazing places like Sorrento, Amalfi and Pompeii. 

Would I go again? No. I experienced the chaos that is Naples for a day and that is enough! I'm glad I went, but that is that. 

Pompeii 

wow. wow. wow. 

What an incredible place! We ended up spending over 4 hours walking around the ruins.  There was so much to see, so much to photograph. In case you don't know, Pompeii is an ancient city turned archeological site after it was buried by volcanic ash thanks to the erupting Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Now, this volcano did not destroy the city, but left it relatively intact. I guess the volcanic ash preserved what was left of the city, which is quite a lot as you'll see in the photos and the video at the bottom of this post. 

What was amazing about the ruins is that you were really given an insight as to how the people used to live, how the town was laid out and sadly, how bodies were found once they were recovered from the many layers of ash. I did take photos of the preserved bodies, but I'm going to leave them out of this post. No one needs to see that. I think it's weird I even took photos of it. But it was mind blowing.

Majestic homes, beautiful marble and stone still in tact as well as amazing wall murals. It was like a treasure hunt, trying to find the most beautifully kept part of Pompeii. One thing that did cross our minds during the day was, we would be screwed if Vesuvius decided to erupt. 

Now, would I recommend Pompeii? 100% YES! You only need a day there, but it will be the best damn day of your holiday! One thing I'd recommend is to get an audio guide. Unfortunately, the entrance that we took (near the giant Colosseum-like amphitheatre...our mistake of going to that entrance), didn't offer guides. So if you find yourself at that entrance, get out of the line, make a left, walk 10 minutes until you are at the other entrance (note: cannot guarantee accuracy of my directions). 

Now, if you want a more thorough look at my experience in Naples and Pompeii, check out my video below. 

Ciao! x