Naples Port

There is absolutely no excuse to bypass what remained of the diverse ethnicity and cultures that lived here since it was founded by the Greeks in the 7th Century BC; hence “Neo Polis”, New City, said the Greeks. The historical center, also the national laundromat, is declared a UNESCO heritage site. So, it took several hours of wandering the heart of the old town, Scappanapoli, to admire the non-pop-culture Italian charm that foreigners romantically dream of. The highly unemployed city buzzed with vivacious energy, far different than other Italian cities.

As we wandered around the crowded cobblestone streets jampacked with obstructive residents presuming it to be their gardens, playgrounds or living rooms, we captured the essence of everyday life. It could have been a mere hallucination of “Napoli Sotterranea” the ancient underground city. It wasn’t though, it was just its undying soul.

Fruit and fish vendors, florists, children at play and loud conversations integrated well with the sounds of vespa engines, toots, animated conversations and street accordion players. We wiggled our way down narrow streets in fear of hit and run purse snatching Vespa riders. Nevertheless, we admired the many architectural facades of buildings, churches, theatres, palaces and colorful murals contributed by alternating conquerors.

For history enthusiasts or people who do NOT dig the outdoor ruble scene, the Archeological Museum on Piazza Museo is filled with large collections of Roman, Greek and Egyptian statues, artifacts and mosaics. Particularly, well preserved (color intact) remains of Pompeii, Herculano and Stabiae that were buried under approximately 20ft of ash when Mt Vesuvius erupted  in 79 AD.

In the afternoons, we’d head back to  Hotel Romeo, pronounced Rome-aye-O, because the whole city was on an afternoon break between 2-4pm.  Living it the good old fashioned way, rather than catching up with the rest of the country.

The glassy hotel Romeo, located in the best of both worlds, overlooked the Bay of Napoli and resembled a ship. Definitely worth it, and not only because we had an awesome stay, but the structure of the hotel designed by Phillippe Starck stood out, contrasted and blended in naturally with the ambiance.

Hotel Romeo

We hit Via Cristoforo Colombo and walked towards the more modern part of the city, Centro Napoli, with wider roads, uneven elevation, scattered parks and gallerias overlooking the famous Castel Nuovo. We wandered around the notorious Spanish Quarters that reeked of fish and its traders. Fish? We didn’t want fish!

It was the pizza cooked in wood burning brick ovens by real maestros. That’s ALL we wanted to eat. The simple ingredients of the Neapolitan pizza; tomato, mozzarella, and basil.You see, the guys up in the North brag about how they know their pizza, thin crust, multiple toppings blah blah. Nothing tastes as good as this. The city is flooded with great pizzerias, some of which have been around since the 1830s.I would go back in a heartbeat, because Neapolitans are proud and exceptional at preserving their heritage and did you just say pizza? There’s still so much to see. Time is NOT of essence because renowned for being lazy workers, it will take a few more decades to polish up the city.