We arrived late morning to Naples (Napoli) by train. As we exited the station I noticed people were everywhere! There was a buzz around us and I was looking in all directions. I had booked a hotel near the train station, so it was a short walk to our destination. Did I mention there were cars and motorcycles everywhere? People were selling things on the streets and sidewalks and it was loud. We had definitely arrived to orderly chaos after spending a week in mellow Tuscany.
Were my kids out of their comfort zone? COMPLETELY. Was I on alert? TOTALLY. I enjoyed the dicey neighborhood where we stayed, unlike my kids who did not! If I could do it over I would have stayed in a different location for them, but I sure loved our hotel. Our beautiful room was on the top floor of the building and had an amazingly huge balcony that boasted views of the city below and a castle in the distance!
Our amazing balcony had a great view of sunset
My kids did not want to leave the hotel for their “supposed” safety, so instead of taking the subway to search for fried pizza I scheduled an Uber that quickly brought us to the Spanish quarter (Quartietri Spagnoli). I could not find the pizza spot I had researched, so we ate at another restaurant that had outdoor dining. The kids had Neapolitan style pizza while I tried fried pizza. It was sooo yummy!!!! After dinner we wondered the Spanish quarter and headed back to the hotel with another Uber.
The pizza is amazing in Naples! The restaurant we ate at is pictured above.
I Quartietri Spagnoli
After enjoying some time on the balcony, I told the kids that I was going to Ercolano (Herculaneum) with or without them by Circumvesuviana (local train). They did hesitate about going out, but ultimately agreed to go with me. Having visited Pompeii previously, I welcomed the opportunity to visit a different Museo Archeologico site to see this preserved town that did not survive the lava flow of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The children enjoyed the visit and I liked that Herculaneum was small and easy to navigate without a guide.
Ercolano, also known as Herculaneum (ancient town destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius)
On our walk back to the train station it began pouring rain. We stopped for dinner to fill our bellies and to dry off. Our meal was great. After dinner we walked back to the train station and returned to Naples with the round trip tickets that we had purchased before we began our day trip.
Dinner in Ercolano.. delicious
Waking up the next morning we headed to the port for the ferry to Sorrento. We were late, but our taxi driver sped to the waterfront where we were welcomed to complete chaos with lines and people everywhere. We were not late after all!!! I grabbed a hand-held fan and a bottle of water from my backpack and waited to board the ferry.
We left shortly after and I must say that this short visit to such a lively city only made me want to return for more! It was my second trip to Naples, and I once again was only able to scratch the surface of this city that has so much to offer.
Molo Beverello Port, Napoli
Welcome to Sorrento
Living and Dreaming in the South Bay 