I visited Naples as part of a cruise holiday around popular mediterranean destinations. I had high hopes, the city, its architecture, its ambience. Above all I was desperate to taste authentic, italian pasta, naples style.
I was travelling alone for the duration of the one week cruise but was determined this should be an advantage rather than a pitfall. When the ship docked in Naples I went immediately ashore to enjoy the city and to find myself some beautiful views as well as a nice lunch in an authentic italian restaurant.
The views were impressive, I walked (probably the long way round) up to the highest point I could find. My journey took me up steep, and very busy, narrow roads. When I looked down at the view
from the top it was as if all the oldest buildings of Naples were crumbled and scattered down the hillside towards the sea. From my vantage point I could see all along the coast line and could easily pick out our My Travel cruise ship waiting in port.
Reaching the top of the hillside to appreciate the view was not an experience I would like to repeat! Motorbikes, cars and compact buses stream through the narrow, winding streets where tourists and locals wander. There are few alcoves or doorways in which to hide, and even the most direct eye contact with the driver of the oncoming vehicle does not deter these hot blooded Italian drivers!
Getting in and amongst the thick of the inner parts of the city brought its dangers but also demonstrated that some of the stereotypical things we tend to associate with Italians are at least partly true. As I walked through the streets there were often families sat by open windows, or more perilously, sat outside their houses. Often as I walked past I would try to mind my own business as arguments errupted and endured, men and women of all ages shouting and balling at one another using passionate language of colours and tones I could only imagine the meaning of. Their arms wold wave around in the air, feet would be stomping around, but strangely, this was always accompanied an atmosphere which told passers by that this was entirely normal, Italian, behaviour.
Once I had navigated my way back down from the beautiful view (a different way I might add) I felt strangly comfortable and ready to take on the task of finding a restaurant for the best pasta lunch of my life. I wandered through a number of piazzas, past jewellery and shoe shops I didn't dare enter due to the prices on display in the window. I saw people musing around on their lunchbreaks, often wearing the chic-est clothes accompanied by very elegant hairdo's. I started to feel a little out of place in my asda flip flops and tkmaxx discounted sunglasses!
I found a place, out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the main squares, with chairs and tables laid out on a sufficiently wide pavement area to allow me to enjoy my lunch without worrying for my safety. I sat a table or two away from a large Italian family group, soaking up their accents and enjoying the aroma and sights of the food they were served.
I ordered pasta carbonara and waited with bated breath for its arrival. Just when I thought I'd been forgotten, out came a dish of creamy pasta. This is where the fantasy ended, however. The pasta was cold and mixed with unseasoned cream. The ham, far from being italian cured, or even cooked, was almost like spam. I ate what I could (mostly driven by hunger), paid and left.
Thankfully whilst I tried to find my way back to the port area I stumbled across an ice cream shop hidden down a side street. What I thought would be a small, perhaps family run shop turned out to be a very up -to-the-minute, well stocked ice cream palace! There were so many flavours to choose from I could feel my nerves starting to kick in as the lady behind the counter continued to stare at me, waiting for my order. I made my choice - chocolate - and was prompty rewarded with an overflowing waffle cone. I made my way back to the boat trying not to spill a drop in the heat. The taste was amazing! I came back onboard and went straight to my room to change my pollution riddled clothes. On walking through the door and seeing myself in the mirror I realised I had failed on not spilling any of the ice cream. It was all over me!
All in all, I am happy to say I've been to Naples, however, the best sights were definitely as we pulled away from the port later that evening. As the sun set behind the outline of the city's architecture the view was perfect, and above all, I couldn't smell a thing!
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Sep 30th, 2005
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