I Left My Heart In Naples

The best thing to eat in Naples is the pizza. I ate at a lot of fine restaurants only because it was a business trip, but the pizza is out of this world. Hey, it's where pizza was created. For breakfast, enjoy a cappuccino and a warm "Cornetto" filled with chocolate. Some of the best sights to see is the Galleria. You won't be able to stand the beauty of it. It's near the Castel Nuovo which is the Castle of Naples. A great side trip, besides the beautiful towns of the Amalfi coast is the city of Caserta. Caserta is the home of the Royal Palace of Caserta. It puts the Castle of Versailles to shame. In Naples, walk down "spacca napoli" It's the main street that seperates Naples into 2 halves. You can stand in the middle and see out for miles. It's strange to see such a straight street in this town of mazes. Please, I urge you to visit all the little specialty shops and just take in the polluted but somehow fresh air.

Quick Tips:

It's not as dangerous as everyone makes it out to seem. Don't wear any flashy jewelery, if you must wear any at all. Keep your money in a safe place, don't keep it in your purse or you back pocket. Don't buy any electronics off the street. Most clothing stores will not allow you to touch the clothes. You must have the assistance of an employee. They are very helpful in getting your size and finding things that might suite you. "Entrata Libera," which is rarely written on some shop entrances translates literally into free entrance. It means that you can enter and browse freely. If you need assistance, you must ask.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around is by using the city buses. It's less than for a ride. A ticket is good for 2 hours once it's been validated by the machine on the bus. I wouldn't rent a car unless you're taking a day trip down the Amalfi Coast. Neopolitan drivers don't believe in red or green lights. For them everything means yield. It's whoever gets there first, even for the pedestrians. Of course nothing beats walking through the city streets filled with chatter and incredible smells that heighten your interest. At night you can walk, or take a taxi for longer distances.

Sorrento, at least an hour by train from Naples is located on the Amalfi Coast in the region of Campania. The restaurant is located in the Hotel. The view is fascinating. The restaurant has a balcony great for pictures as it is located right along the coast.

As I entered the hotel, there were two musicians singing Neopolitan songs in Renaissance costumes. The meal was exquisite. You must try the goat cheese on a basil terrine with grilled vegetables for your appetizer. It's incredibly fresh and much lighter than what you would expect. As the main course I enjoyed "Scialatielli," fresh homemade pasta with clams and eggplant. For dessert, I tried the lemon cream sponge cake from Sorrento. It really exceeded my expectations. As for the wine selection, I recommed the Aglianico 2000 - Cantina di Palma.

The restaurant is located on the beautiful Bay of Naples. You can take a stroll to the Castel del'Ovo in the near distance or down the boardwalk to a local pub afterwards.

The Bersagliera offers a variety of dishes. The menu was arranged by the house. For appetizers I ate a seafood. There was shrimp, squid, clams, mussels, anchiovies in olive oil, etc. For the first course, I enjoyed a delicious serving of seafood risotto. As for the main course I was served sole fish in a light sause. It was all incredibly delicious. We ordered prosecco for our apertivo (french: aperitif) and a complementing white wine for the main course.

The wait staff was friendly and there were lively musicians who sang in Neopolitan dialect and played the violin and the guitar. The atmosphere was very romantic and offered indoor and outdoor dining. I really enjoyed myself and the singer had a beautiful voice.

Afterwards we went walked along the water until we reached a happening night spot. There we danced, had a few drinks and got the courage to have "sanguinaio," a local dessert that looks and tastes similar to chocolate pudding, but also contains pig's blood. It's really good!

The Museum of the Capella of San Severo is located in the city of Naples. San Saverio was a famous philosopher. He was known for experiments on human corpses that he would purchase from the morgue. It is said that he created a liquid that embalms organs. In the museum you could check out the experiment. There were 2 bodies behind glass cases with only the organs and veins embalmed. You could see the red and blue veins as if the heart could still beat. It made quite an impression, especially since one body was of a pregnant woman. The caretakers are descendants of San Saverio. It is said that if this experiment were true he would have had to have made these people drink the embalming fluid while they were still alive. However, to date, the descendants refuse to allow anyone to test the experiment. The experiments are located in the basement of this church. Of course the church is a beautiful sight to see in itself. It also contains beautiful veiled statues by Prince Raimondo de Sangro.

Check out their website at www.ic-napoli.com/sansevero

You have to visit the city of Pompei that was destroyed in 79 BC when the volcano "Vesuvio" errupted. Pompei is about a 30-minute train ride south of Naples.

Before the volcano erupted, a gas oozed out, suffocating the citizens of Pompei. Archaeologists have dug out the city which is now a museum. Roam the city and feel what it was once like to live in an ancient city during Roman times. I definitely recommend that you ask for a group tour. You'll learn interesting facts. For example, while walking in the streets you'll notice carvings of penises in doorways and on the streets. It's a sign of good luck. Because of it's vulgarity it was later changed to the sign of a horn or a tusk.

You also have to visit the brothel. Because the city was visited by people of all nationalities back when the city was alive, the prostitutes would paint pictures of the positions they were known for at the top of their doors. It was their way of communicating with the foreigners.

The city of Pompei is a place for all ages. You can visit the city's amphitheatre and ancient bath houses. It's all very interesting. You'll also see moldings of real people. The volcanic ash disintegrated the bodies, but not until after the molten rock had dried. The archaeologists poured in cement into the ground whenever they located empty spaces and then they dug around them. What they produced were the shapes of human bodies and animals. You can still see their real teeth.

I would definitely give myself all day to visit Pompei and you still won't be able to see all of it. I recommend that you pack a lunch and bring plenty of water. There is a cafeteria, but it's not the finest cuisine and it's overpriced. I definitely want to go back again. If you go in the summer, dress comfortably. It's very hot and there's not much shade. It's also very dusty. Also, wear walking shoes.

You'll also note that most of the mosaics are originals, but the artwork are replicas. The originals are located in the Archaeological Museum in Naples.