Off to Naples for a Weekend.

For the first weekend in Italy, we decided to take a trip from our small town and head to Naples. What’s in Naples, you ask? Absolutely nothing. It’s actually the worst city I’ve ever been in. It’s really run down and everywhere you go is sketchy and dirty. The reason we went to this run down town is because this is the nearest city to Mount Vesuvius and the iconic Pompeii. Pompeii is the town that was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius but uniquely; it was completely preserved in volcanic ash. I had always wanted to go and I was so eager to go see this town and hike the volcano. Unfortunately, two days before we planned to go, we found out Vesuvius was on fire. Which was certainly a damper. We quickly made alternative plans to avoid the fire and headed to the lovely little island of Capri.

To start, we got to Naples by FlixBus. From Porto, this is a 5.5-hour bus ride so we got to Naples around ten and took a taxi to our Airbnb. There's a saying in Italian, "Vedi Napoli e poi mouri" which means See Napoli and die, meaning that there's nothing more beautiful that can top this city. And this is hilariously misleading. Naples is a pretty run down and trashy town and our accommodations really reflected that.

We were in a gated apartment complex so we were safe and all but it definitely left something to be desired. I viewed it as a unique way to experience the reality of how people in this city live. The terrace overlooked our narrow street where we could see tall apartment buildings concentrated closely and the windows and clotheslines of all our neighbors. All the other girls I traveled with were mad about how trashy the apartment was and a few even left to stay in a hotel (which I can’t imagine is any better) but I was just humbled to see how the people live in the city rather than getting a mint on my pillow. Everyone wants different things when they travel so that’s just my personal opinion. But we weren’t really here for Naples. Like I said before, I was most looking forward to Vesuvius and Pompeii but after my day in Capri, I wouldn’t at all say I was disappointed.

So Mount Vesuvius is the volcano that erupted in 79 AD and destroyed the city of Pompeii. This wasn’t the only city that suffered from the eruption but it is the most noteworthy because the city is completely preserved by the volcanic ash that covered the city centuries ago. For me this is an amazing opportunity to examine the destructive power of the natural world—seeing how nature can destroy an entire village in a flash and then simultaneously preserve that moment for centuries. And then having the ability to hike up the volcano that possesses all this power would have just been the most amazing experience for me. But despite how emotional I am about it, I can’t cross it off my list yet.

Our last minute substitution was the Island of Capri. And in hindsight I think I’m glad everything turned out the way it did. I’m definitely going to come back to Pompeii but if I hadn’t gone to Capri this weekend, I don’t think I ever would have returned. And for that, I’m grateful. Capri is one of the three islands off the coast of Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea. By boat, it’s 45km or a 30-minute boat ride. The island is a block of limestone that measures 3.9 by 1.8 miles and reaches 589m (1932ft) high. The best view of the island is of course not on the island but from the sea. The port is full of people who want to sell you boat tours. We found a good one and took to the sea! We took a two-hour boat ride that included time for a swim in the amazing water. You’ll have to check out my photo gallery for all the amazing angles of the island and the water. I can’t even count how many times I commented on how beautiful the water was. It’s so clear. Where we stopped to swim, our driver told us that it was 5 meters deep but we were able to see the bottom. Seriously the best swim. The water is extremely salty—way more so than the Atlantic Ocean. I don’t exactly understand how it can be so profoundly more concentrated even though oceans connect. I am clearly not sure how the science of oceans works. I’ll have to work on that one. Anyway, after the boat tour we spent the rest of our time shopping and eating before heading back.

Naples is known for their pizza. Italy is notorious for pizza in general but Naples is the capital, so of course we had to see what all the hype was about. We had ourselves a Google for an amazing restaurant near us and we couldn’t have been luckier. We basically ate in a cave (in a good way!) where there are arched, stone walls and a natural cool temperature. Seven American girls stepping in got us quite the attention. No seriously, at one point there were seven workers at our table introducing themselves; and this was a pretty small place so I’m pretty sure that was all the workers… And sure enough, the pizza was amazing! For only five euros we each got a pizza that could have fed three comfortably.

The next day, we split up to do some shopping or to see a museum. And of course I'm such a nerd and went directly for the museum. We went to the Museo Madre which is a modern art museum displaying the exhibitions of various artists. Usually I just don't get this kind of art but I actually really enjoyed myself! The best part was the fact that we were able to climb onto the roof and see the city from a higher view. It was the best view of such a repelling town-and we were able to see the ocean and Mount Vesuvius so what else could you ask for!

Naples could be so much more than it is but as it stands, it’s a good place to avoid traveling. I’ll certainly be back to for Pompeii but now I know what to expect from the city. Consider yourself warned!