Realistically it was lucky we started in Napoli and then went on to Rome- the perfect upgrade in Italian cities!
however, Napoli does have some sights and is worth bumping around in for a day or so. Also, because it is a pretty cheap place to stay, as well as eat, it would make a great home-base for exploring the Amalfi coast and ruins.
On the second day (we visited Pompeii the day before) we took the day to explore Napoli by foot. Our hostel was about a 15 minute walk from the "old city".
AS a start, we walked to the seaside, to a Spanish castle. The castle is the oldest in the city (there is another much more enormous one closer to the city centre), and was build, obviously, by the Spanish as they at some point sought to have power in Italy. I am not sure of the exact history, but the castle was open to the public. It was fascinating because the castle has just become part of the city streets. You just turn left and enter the castle. You can then wander on a road all the way through, where you can see bits of the original castle, extensions made in later periods, and modern day shops that rent space there. And no, they were not touristy shops, but shops that just happened to be in an ancient castle.
This is part of my series on the 9 days Rhys and I spent in travelling on the cheap in Italy across Naples and Rome- you can read about the whole trip here:
however, Napoli does have some sights and is worth bumping around in for a day or so. Also, because it is a pretty cheap place to stay, as well as eat, it would make a great home-base for exploring the Amalfi coast and ruins.
On the second day (we visited Pompeii the day before) we took the day to explore Napoli by foot. Our hostel was about a 15 minute walk from the "old city".
AS a start, we walked to the seaside, to a Spanish castle. The castle is the oldest in the city (there is another much more enormous one closer to the city centre), and was build, obviously, by the Spanish as they at some point sought to have power in Italy. I am not sure of the exact history, but the castle was open to the public. It was fascinating because the castle has just become part of the city streets. You just turn left and enter the castle. You can then wander on a road all the way through, where you can see bits of the original castle, extensions made in later periods, and modern day shops that rent space there. And no, they were not touristy shops, but shops that just happened to be in an ancient castle.
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| ramparts |
We then continued into the city and visited a few plazas of graffiti and historical buildings. We also got to try out our first gelato of the trip!
It seems like Napoli has amazing potential, but the general squalor makes it less scenic. I think one day it could be a tourist heartland, but that is part of what makes it a bit charming. I never felt unsafe, I just wished the monuments weren't coated in graffiti etc. However, since it is less of a tourist area, it meant that it was missing lots of typical tourist trappings. For instance, we didn't see any chain stores at all - no Starbucks, no McDonalds, and no Pizza Hut (actually I highly doubt any pizza chains like that would ever survive in Italy).
We also spent about half the day in the Museo Archeologico looking at ancient roman statues, mosaics, and paintings (Which you can read about in my last post). But the best part about Napoli was the food, oh the food! Which I will tell you all about in my next post!
This is part of my series on the 9 days Rhys and I spent in travelling on the cheap in Italy across Naples and Rome- you can read about the whole trip here:
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