Two weeks ago I left Leeds and took a bus to Liverpool where I met up with 5 other girls that were going to Italy with me. We spent the night in a Holiday Inn Express and woke up bright and early for an 8:25 am flight to Naples. We arrived in Italy around noon and set off for our hostel on a bus that was a good 15 passengers too full. And of course we were the last ones on the bus so I was forced to stand uncomfortably with my 40 pound bag strapped to my shoulders for what seemed like a never ending ride. But who am I to complain, I was in ITALY!
Soon after we settled into the Hostel Bella Capri we set off on a journey to find the best pizza in Naples. If you do not already know, Naples is the birthplace of pizza so we were bound to find an amazing meal. The book "Eat Pray Love" suggested a restaurant called Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, so that is where we went. Outside of the restaurant was a crowd of about 30 people waiting to get a seat at this infamous pizzeria. It was going on 3:00 pm and we were starving but we waited an hour or so to be seated. The secret recipe of Michele has been passed down five generations and they only serve two types of pizza, "Marinara" and "Margherita". Surprisingly it was mostly locals at the restaurant and those that we talked to raved about the place, some refer to it as "the sacred temple of pizza." All of us ordered the Margherita pizza with extra cheese. Mmmm I get hungry just thinking about it. It wasn't like any pizza I have ever had. It was soft and mushy in the middle, you have to use a fork and knife to pick it up and then it just melts in your mouth. We each ordered our own pizza and devoured the whole the thing, and for only 5 euros it was more than worth it.
Seriously, check it out. http://www.damichele.net/
We had less than one day in Naples so after the most amazing pizza in the world, we needed to walk it off. The other 5 girls, Cat, Laurel, Rachel, Lauren, and Natalie and I went walking through the city and came across the Castle dell'Ovo that was on the harbor and had a beautiful view. We took our time and just admired the city from the top of the castle until dusk. Though we felt very relaxed, Naples is all about hustle and bustle. Everyone was in a hurry and the traffic was chaotic. Do they even have traffic laws in Italia? We were almost ran over several times, and we were on the side walk! The vespa drivers were nuts! The owner of our hostel warned us about them. It is often that purses are snatched when there are two guys on a vespa, the one on the back can grab your purse then they speed off! After we heard that we strapped our bags to ourselves tight and under our jackets. Also we soon realized how forward Italian men can be. We would be walking down the street and get whistled and yelled at, we definitely felt a little out of place!
After a good nights sleep I woke up early and went back to the Castle dell'Ovo with Matt, Ted, and Kyle. They had arrived around midnight the night before and didn't get to see it so I posed as their tour guide. Did I mention we could see Mount Vesuvius from anywhere in Naples?! It is the most famous volcano in the world and possibly the most dangerous! For those that don't know, it buried Pompeii in 79 AD and it is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last one hundred years. Also it is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world with close to 3 million people in its path! Luckily we escaped Naples before any eruptions, wheew... close call.
Later that day all 14 of us Americans hopped on a ferry from Naples to Sorrento, our destination for the next week. The sun was shining, the temperature was warm, the view was beautiful, we were in good company, and we were in ITALIA! Wow, a dream come true!
Napoli should play "That's Amore" on repeat throughout the streets. It was certainly playing in my head the entire time...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtmsIq0-T54&feature=related
"In Napoli where love is king
When boy meets girl here's what they say
When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella
When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool
That's amore
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli
That's amore"
I am so glad this trip has introduced you to Dean Martin. I can just hear him singing throughout the street of Naples and beyond! I'd love some of that pizza...do they deliver?
ReplyDelete