Gelato Glitz Series: Napoli and Pompeii Await

Note: This post was originally published on June 10th, 2015.

Train Journey from Rome to Naples

Our transition from Rome to Naples was short and sweet. Despite the smooth and quick train ride where we reached top speeds of 250 km/ hr, the change from the glamorous and posh Rome to the comparably shabbier and poverty-stricken Naples was very striking.

As far as our accommodations, we didn’t quite strike gold with the apartment we chose (Airbnb for us instead of hotels), but it was still a nice place to stay! In fact, the bouncy and lively colors of the place have made our stay thus far quite comforting! Our front door- pictured below- was adorned by countless ornaments, mirrors, antiques, art pieces and postcards. 50+ Magnets also liven the hallway! 

The natives we have encountered in Naples are far friendlier and earthy, down to earth and -perhaps I am generalizing too much when I say this- friendlier than the peoples we have encountered in other Italian cities. They go out of their way to interact and be merry. It is definitely my favorite city thus far!

A Quest to find our AirBnB

When we had disembarked our fast speed bullet train we were met by the dusty and smoky Naples Central Train Station. Almost immediately, we were inadvertently caught in the daily mad afternoon rush: couples, schoolkids, students, families, the elderfolk, and tourists on holiday scrambled to locate their next mode of transport. For us, this meant carefully finding the exit and looking for the metro to get to our local station near our home. We were prepared with our address, the name of our host, Matteo, and some chips and tiramisu from a bakery in Rome. We had already gobbled the (tasty!) hotdog bun sandwiches with local pesto spread on them. 

But back to our train journey in Naples: Imagine our challenge dragging a 50 pound suitcase with two handbag purses slung across our chests while being smushed and pushed through a crazy crowd. Finally after we had navigated through this great maze, we found the metro and rode on it for about 30 minutes before we got off at the local metro and began ascending the sidewalk in search of our apartment.

I took a breath in and realized that 90% of Napoli’s populace smokes. Outside, it was steaming hot, and the full sun was reminiscent of an Indian summer. Later, checking weather.com we learned that it was 80 degrees and about to rain, though there was no sign of it yet. 

Less than 10 minutes had passed, before  we were all aching and gleaming with beads of sweat. Shriyash was half groggily dragging his suitcase donning his touristy blue cap to block the sun. We inquired a bit as to where our address was, but without luck, as most people spoke Italian exclusively. So, we began heading in the general direction, snaking through the crowd. Suddenly, we heard a  portly middle-aged Italian man shout, 

“Matteo! Matteo!” 

He looked toward us with a sparkle in his eyes, and reached his hand out toward my father. We were all so flustered by this time, however, that it took us a few seconds to realize that this was our host himself!! After the brief streetside introduction, he led the rest of the way uphill, and turned left into an alleyway. A yield sign marked the corner. Once we reached the small two-roomed second floor apartment, Matteo gave us a tour. He hardly spoke any English so he made do with gestures and enthusiasm.

An Evening Stroll through the City

Once he had left, we settled in and by the time we had all refueled, we decided to head out to explore the city . A synopsis of our evening stroll: we got lost, got kicked out of a neighborhood because it was on  private land, saw the glittering city skyline and the Mediterranean coast from the distance, and spent way too long grocery shopping, succeeding in buying freshly frozen ravioli, bread rolls, pesto sauce, spaghetti, and a smattering of fried, baked and sweetened pastries. That evening, while gazing in awe at the night sky, we caught a glimpse of the volcano towering over our humble home that had created a legacy in the community during ancient times : Mount Vesuvias.

We ate ravioli that night, which we cooked ourselves, smothered with creamy alfredo sauce, and some wine and Tiramisu for dessert. We were all in bed dreaming of Gelato, the amalfi coast and future adventures by 10 PM. 

Pompeii: The Lost City

Though we had a late start to the day, we decided that our first (of three days) in Naples, would be spent in Pompeii. This was a thriving city in the ancient Roman empire, which succumbed to its fate in 79 AD, when Mount Vesuvias, an active volcano, erupted and buried escaping victims alive. The Tragedy would hardly be a spectacle today if that was the end of the story. For, the city disappeared from the record books for over a century. It was not until the 15th or 16th centuries when kings began excavations of the forgotten city, discovering it for the first time since the mysterious rumbles had snuck past the Pompeiians and then led to the fateful tragedy that locked their fates and led to many of their horrible deaths. 

Two great tragedies had always fascinated (though also frightened) me throughout my young life: 1. The sinking of the Titanic and 2. Pompeii ( a close third would be The holocaust)

So you can just imagine my excitement about the chance to walk through the city of Pompeii, where 2000 years ago, the citys residents were buried by ash, where leaders and peasants mingled, artists and sculptors left traces in yards and gardens and buildings and artifacts could still be viewed. Seeing the city was a treat and a history lesson for me. We spent the afternoon- after the bumpy hour long train ride that transported us from Naples Cantrale Stazion to Pompeii- putting ourselves in the place of ancient Romans as we explored the city thoroughly, viewed exhibits of how life had been during that era, and saw surviving art frescos, tools, statues and (restored/revamped) gardens and homes mimicking those from before the eruption. It was a history geek’s heaven! The city itself is a maze of trails, neighborhoods and construction zones: there seems to always be some exhibit that is being built, more discoveries being made and more trails/ roads being fixed. There are over a hundred sites, including homes/extravagant villas, victims bones which have been caked in plaster casts to depict the agony the victims found themselves in a few moments before their deaths and art from the era. Getting lost was hardly rare: it was only a question of where and when we got lost, because the streets and landmarks, the cobblestone streets and yellow clay houses, townhomes and shacks blended together seamlessly. Still, I found the entire adventure informative and very enjoyable. Only pictures will do it justice, so enjoy!

Pompeii Photo Gallery

Window Shopping and Dinner in Naples

After our fill of acting like archeologists, we left Pompeii on the evening train to Napoli Centrale Station and did some window shopping, stopping to exchange a few words with a craftsman who operated a small shop selling magnets and trinkets fashioned out of clay. At this time, he was creating a tray of red peppers (bought, I presume by superstitious old ladies, to ward off evil). He explained the process by which he crafted the art. He had even made wooden models of houses which he exhibits during Christmas. It was beautiful and very impressive, and I thought that my aunt, who is an artist, may have enjoyed seeing the exhibit.

After our stroll we decided to eat at a highly rated Pizzeria called Gino Sorbillo– the pizza was absolutely mouthwatering!!! It opened at 7 PM and people began pouring in momentarily. Before long, the cozy restaurant was bubbling with energy! We started by ordering the “special guest” pizza which was a fried dish filled with ricotta and italian spices wrapped in a film of fried goodness. It was similar to a calzone. This was followed by three pizzas: Benito, Margherita, and Marinara, all classics. 

Naples is notorious for being the birthplace of pizza, and fishermen actually first christened it as a breakfast food. The pizza at Gina Sorbillo was vibrating with spices – the Marinara pizza actually was my favorite one, and it lacked any bits of cheese! The key was the flavored crust. The taste was beyond anything Italian I had ever tried! 

The shop down the street from Gina Sorbillo supplied the fried calzone, and I managed to tape part of the cooking process, as well, which was fascinating.

So that was day 10 and 11! We saw breathtaking views of the Mediterranean at Amalfi Coast yesterday and are heading to Capri Island today!

Until then……… Ciao! 

xoxo,

Supriya