With a ticket booked for my 3 hour train ride to Naples, it was finally time to leave Florence after a fun filled few days. I had booked myself onto the afternoon train so I could stop by Annie’s place to say goodbye and head to see Suzy so she could take part in my Vegemite Challenge blog series before I left.
If you haven’t watched the video of Suzy trying vegemite you have to go and check it out. I’ve heard a few choice words used to describe vegemite but never the word insects.
Leaving Suzy to wash the taste of vegemite from her mouth I headed for the train station and onwards to Naples. As the train pulled away from the station I settled into my routine of writing, reading and researching my next destination. Having found myself going in a new direction to what I had initially intended I found myself now able to visit sites such as Pompei and the Amalfi Coast which I first heard of from some backpackers in Prague.
Arriving in Naples as the sun slowly crawled its way closer to the horizon I prepared myself for a challenge. I’d read reviews about Naples being dirty and statues left covered in graffiti as if nobody cared about their relevance anymore. Further more I expected finding my hostel was going to be even harder than when I had arrived in Florence.
This all became very true to me as I struggled to find a sign indicating what train I needed to catch let alone a working ticket machine. With all of the computer screens for the trains seemingly out of order I chanced it and jumped the first train that looked good and headed off into the dark abyss that is the underground train network of Naples.
As luck would have it a short time later I was walking up a local street in the right direction for my hostel. Finally after some 12 countries and almost two months on the road I was finding my inner compass, it’s just a shame it had to happen on the tail end of my journey.
Checking into the hostel I was greeted by what would best be described as a character of a man. I could see the time I was to spend here would be interesting to say the least. With my gear tucked away and directions to a local pizza restaurant I was off to sink my teeth into pizza direct from the streets of its birth and hopefully a couple of beers before calling it a night.
I want to hear more about this interesting man!
haha Andi I think that can be arranged.
Can’t wait to hear more!
Please tell me we’re going to hear more about pizza adventures!! And photos?! Please tell me there will be photos!!
lol Heather I need to check my iphoto library as towards the end I got less trigger happy with my camera. I’m sure there is one pizza shot in there somewhere.
Pizza from Naples? Heavenly!
Ayngelina, heavenly indeed. I lost count of the amount of pizza I ate there.
Naples – this a place I have dreamt of going to. I would like to go there and learn how to make the best pizza in the world. Looking forward to hearing more about the pizza more than anything mate.
Anthony mate I didn’t know what I was going to face in Naples. The pizza was definitely good and damn were they quick to get it on a plate. In saying that I was normally just ordering a margarita pizza as all the extra toppings seemed wrong while here.
Looking forward to hear the rest of this story and I’m sure that, besides the dirty streets and the statues covered in graffiti, you’ll find lots of great places worth mentioning. I’d recommend the castles (Castel Nuovo, Castel dell’Ovo or The Royal Palace, to mention just a few) and, of course, Pompeii.
Thanks Adrian. I did check out Castle Nuovo and walked past the Royal Palace. In that horse statue above I had the Royal Palace behind me.
Oh and Pompei, more of that coming in my next post.
Can’t wait to hear more about this pizza. And you just had to mention the vegemite again! I guess the world is getting to know just how bad it really is through my viewpoint.
aww Suzy I think your viewpoint was flawed as we never made it properly 🙂 Next time it has to be on hot toast with melted butter as well.
We backpacked in Naples a few years ago and on our first night there we stumbled upon a place with THE BEST pizza we have ever tasted. Of course, we got lost coming home, didn’t get a name, and couldn’t find it again (despite much searching) during the rest of our stay there.
Le sigh… your post brought it all back! 🙂
Christy I was told of a place I had to go for pizza but couldn’t find it either. Instead I stuck with the local restaurant my hostel owner had recommended.
Def agree with others……eagerly awaiting pizza photos and more! Would love see the character too, though my guess is he wasn’t captured on film (or digital) 🙂
hahaha Laura I’m not sure there are photos but I’ll attempt to capture him in a future post 🙂
I found the only good thing about Naples to be the pizza, unfortunately. I got attacked by 12 year olds with eggs, flour and silly string outside the train station. I took that as a sign that I shouldn’t be there. Such a shame, as I really wanted to like the city. I enjoy finding the good in cities other people hate, but… I’m on this bandwagon. Not a fan.
Abbey, while I’m yet to write about it I have to agree with you. The pizza was amazing but everything else just didn’t capture me like other cities have.
I’m so glad that you picked Naples over Rome! I’ve still not been although I have seen the Amalfi Coast. I really want to get into the culture of Naples and now that I speak a bit of the language interact with all the friendly people!
Me too Annie but I do need to make it to Rome at some stage. I told myself I’d learn a language when I got to Europe but so far I’ve not even had time to consider it. Still plenty of time for me I hope.