Naples & Vesuvius
Italy, Greece & Montenegro Diary - DAY 16 - 17th May 2018 :
The name Naples is influenced by the Greek word NEAPOLIS meaning NEW CITY. The city is the 3rd largest in the country (after Rome and Milan) though it is relatively new compared to its peers.
Though the name seems new, the city itself holds the renowned catacombs that date back to the 2nd century. The beautiful city has made its mark in a tourist’s book due to many reasons . It is home to seven most beautiful, ancient castles right out of history. The views of Mount VESUVIUS can be savoured from most parts of the city. It is the most densely populated city in Italy. Being a hilly city, the city’s transport infrastructure includes funiculars which are the busiest ones in the whole world due to its constant need to ferry people across heights. The biggest passenger port in the whole of Europe is found in this city. The city is renowned worldwide for its introduction of the most loved PIZZA. Most streets of Naples are too narrow and therefore are labelled as dangerous due to reckless driving, where drivers are seldom careful about pedestrians. So watch out if you are taking a casual walk ! You may be caught unawares.
DAY 16 - 17th May 2018 :
We left Rome early this morning to reach Naples centrale by train. Our plan was to stay put in the city for 4 nights and explore the nearby places each day.
The train ride was cheap and comfortable. We reached Naples by 12pm and had a 2 taxis pick us up and drop at the beautiful 4 bedroom airbnb house close to the Salvator ROSA metro station. It was a huge house with beautiful views of the Naples Bay and coastline.
We had the most delicious home made lunch and relaxed that evening. Later we took a short metro ride to the city centre and explored its streets. We had fun shopping. We were fortunate to find a street full of mid range, affordable products. We stepped in and out of shops as much as we could also trying a few local eats. Finally we got back home by late evening and had our home cooked dinner. We were getting set for a bright next day in the beautiful island of Capri
(Day 17 - 18th May 2018 - READ CAPRI FOR FULL STORY)
On our return from Capri we stopped by the CASTEL NUOVO for some photographs. Built in the 1200s the Castel, a medieval renaissance fortress, is a significant landmark built near the port of Naples. It was named NUOVO (new) Castel to distinguish it from the other existing castles in the city. When the French rule in the city ended and the Spanish rule began, the tower was renovated and built between the Mezzo tower and Guardia tower in remembrance of Alfonso of Aragon's entry into Naples in 1443. The entire scene was etched in a relief above the entrance, which can be still seen today. Today it is regarded as a tourist museum and an entry fee of approximately 6EUR is chargeable for a tour inside it.
Day 18 - 19th May 2018 -
MOUNT VESUVIUS
A beginning of an exciting day, we hired a taxi to get to Mount Vesuvius and visit the archeological site of Pompeii on a day tour. Leaving our accommodation at 9 am was no problem at at. It was only a one hour drive to get to the foot of Vesuvius. I remember having purchased tickets at the entrance for EUR6 per head and we were good for a climb to the top.
We stood MINISCULED in front of the Massive mountain, the one that stands with a beheaded top and can be spotted from a far away distance, making it a prominent landmark. The fact is that this mountain is formed out of 2 volcanoes which people seldom know. It is said that the when it erupted, it threw up debris that was equal to 250000 elephants per second. Today it is difficult to imagine the magnitude of devastation that this could have brought about. No wonder it destroyed the entire city of POMPEII. Though it brought about destruction, many people continued to live around the mountain due to the rich soil which is superb for the growth of plants. The ashes of the volcano proved rich in many minerals and created fertile soil. Variety of grapes, tomatoes are still grown here today. The spongy nature of the soil and surface act like natural irrigation sources that release water to feed the plants and vines.
The climb took us around 40 minutes one way. It was indeed an UPHILL task. Except for the annoying flies on the way at regular intervals, which kept our hands busy swatting, we had no regrets.
The views at the top were out of this world, spectacular ! We viewed the huge crater at the top with awe and were thrilled to witness smoke out of this active volcano. The deep crater formed by the Volcano in 79 A.D is massive. We could see that the top portion of the hill had been literally ripped off or rather, looks beheaded. The Volcano is still active. There is no lava visible inside the crater, though one can still witness the fumes and the smoke arising due to the heat of this active Volcano. The climb was all worth it. Not much of activity at the top except for the crater experience and of course the beautiful views of the bay of Naples. There is a small coffee shop here which also serves some snacks and sells souvenirs. We stopped by for some Coffee and a loo break.
The climb down was faster but still annoying due to the flies. The entire activity took around 2 hours and we reached the ground level by lunch time. We stopped for lunch before heading to the heritage site of POMPEII. Do not miss reading the Pompeii section for full story.