Thoughts about Naples
Jul 6th, 2005, 11:30 AM
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Thoughts about Naples
I just returned home from three weeks in Bella Italia. (Once the jetlag wears off, I'll be ready to go back again 8-) ) One of the places that I visited was Naples. I had heard good things about Naples, and I had heard bad things about Naples. Here is my €0.01682 worth: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
0. Naples is well worth going to. First and foremost, it's not overrun with tourists like Rome, Florence, Venice, and Sorrento/AC. Secondly, it's not a city in which to relax, but rather one that is invigorating. The city of Naples itself is the main attraction, even though it contains many wonderful cultural facilities and destinations. Accept the noise and chaos as part of the admission fee for coming to Naples.
1. Neapolitan drivers don't violate the laws of physics, they just test their limits. The taxi driver who took us from Napoli Centrale to our hotel on Via Chiaia drove on the correct side of the road, the incorrect side of the road, the trolley tracks, and I think the sidewalk at least once. He cut off Carabinieri twice, blew the horn (meaninglessly, given Neapolitan traffic) whenever he felt like it, and avoided killing at least 4 people.
2. Despite what I just said, as a pedestrian, lose your fear of traffic. Cross the street whereever and whenever you can. As long as drivers can see you crossing the street, they will stop or at least avoid hitting you. Don't do anything stupid, mind you, but do be deliberate and decisive. Stare down the drivers as you cross the street and pretend to challenge them to stop.
3. Walk the side streets, back streets, and alleys of Naples. I'm not saying to go into tough neighborhoods, but DO get off the main streets and into "real" Naples. Say "buon giorno" or "buona sera" to the people sitting in their doorsteps. Two times in particular it was worth it. The first was when we were walking Via Spaccanapoli (that's not the true name of the street: the street that Spacca-s Napoli changes names about 5 or 6 times, but for reference purposes, I'll call it Via Spaccanapoli) and came across a old, old woman selling lemon granita for €0.50. This was real lemon granita with lemon zest and not a lot of sugar so it was quite refreshing. She had a granita machine on the part of Via Spaccanapoli east of Via Duomo, in a part of Spaccanapoli that wasn't on the main tourist route. The other time was when we went to supper on some side street off Via Chiaia. There was no menu, and the owner/chef/mother told us that she'd take good care of us. She asked us a couple of basic questions about the sauce for our primi piatti -- our choices were bolognese sauce, something that I've forgotten, frutti di mare, and vongole e zucchine -- and that was it. She gave us 3 antipasti of prosciutto on top of a big ball of bufala mozzarella, then a whole collection of sauteed vegetables -- made the way my father remembers his Neapolitan mother making them -- and then our primi. Those, water, a half-liter of white wine, a slice of watermelon for dessert, and 2 glasses of limoncello, cost only €60.
4. Pizzeria Da Michele is as close to heaven as you'll get while you're alive. PDM, located on Via C. Sersale, a street in the eastern end of Spaccanapoli that connects Via Spaccanapoli with Corso Umberto, serves only pizza marinara, pizza margherita, coke, water, and beer. An normal-sized pizza will set you back only €4 and is so beautiful in its simplicity. When we arrived right around 12:00 for lunch, the place was packed with Neapolitans -- we were the only stranieri there!
5. Don't try to fight Naples, or the Neapolitan way of doing things. You'll lose and you'll lose badly. Just go with the flow. The proverb "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" applies even more strongly in Naples.
6. Sfogliatelle Mary in Galleria Umberto. Learn it, live it, love it.
7. Caffe Mexico in Piazza Dante. Learn it, live it, love it.
8. Visit Castel Sant'Elmo in the Vomero neighborhood. For the next couple of weeks, there will still be a showing of about 100 of M.C. Escher's drawings, including all of the favorites that are made into T-shirts and calendars. Even after the Escher exhibit closes ("Nell'occhio di Escher" is the title), the views of Naples proper and the Bay of Naples in general from the top of the castle is unbelievable.
9. Maybe it's because I was there during siesta, but the Vomero area between the top of the Funicolare Centrale and Castel Sant'Elmo was a different Naples than the centro storico at the base of the hill. It was quiet, clean, and unlike the chaos and noise down below.
10. Napoli Centrale train station is a story unto itself:
(a) As soon as we stepped off the train in Napoli C.le when we arrived, looking like typical American tourists with lots of luggage, some "porter" (ahem) saw us and asked us "Sorrento? I carry your luggage." Since we were going to the taxi stand and not Sorrento or the Circumvesuviana, we had no use for the guy anyway, but it was just as well that I had learned about the "porters" who offered to carry luggage in exchange for a hefty tip here on Fodors and was prepared for them. A couple of minutes later, some other con artist asked me "Taxi meester?" and got the same unprofitable result of me ignoring him.
(b) While I was waiting for my train, I was sitting in the McDonald's drinking a Coke (just a Coke, not a hamburger or anything!). I saw one of Naples' "enterprising young citizens" enrichening herself at the expense of some unlucky tourist. While I didn't see her actually pick someone's pocket, I did see her run out of McDonald's with a wallet clutched in her right hand (that, coupled with her age, was evidence enough for me). She returned two minutes later to case her next victim. Shortly thereafter, I left McDonald's. After I had left, I saw her a third time a few minutes later in the platform area with Mamma, and they were both casing their victims.
(c) Shortly before the pocket-picking scene, a homeless person/con artist/part of a pocket-picking team came up to me where I was sitting in McDonald's and asked for money. I was able to tell him "Va via!" with a dismissive wave of my hand.
11. Sfogliatelle Mary, in case you forgot.
12. The first night we were in Naples, we walked along the waterfront in the Santa Lucia area (near Castel Ovo). Other than a couple of homeless people, we didn't feel threatened or unsafe. The whole time we were in Naples, we were prudent -- wallets in our front pockets, not carrying much cash or credit cards, put everything into the hotel safe, kept watch for schemers and pickpockets, etc. -- to try to minimize our risk of becoming victims of petty crime, but at no time did we feel unsafe, threatened, or in danger. Granted, we didn't venture into areas like the Spanish Quarter or the port area, and we kept our eyes open in Napoli Centrale as described, but everyone walking on the streets just seemed to be going about their everyday routines and minding their own business. Like I said: don't try to fight Naples, just go with the flow.
13. Sfogliatelle Mary, in case you haven't gotten the hint.
0. Naples is well worth going to. First and foremost, it's not overrun with tourists like Rome, Florence, Venice, and Sorrento/AC. Secondly, it's not a city in which to relax, but rather one that is invigorating. The city of Naples itself is the main attraction, even though it contains many wonderful cultural facilities and destinations. Accept the noise and chaos as part of the admission fee for coming to Naples.
1. Neapolitan drivers don't violate the laws of physics, they just test their limits. The taxi driver who took us from Napoli Centrale to our hotel on Via Chiaia drove on the correct side of the road, the incorrect side of the road, the trolley tracks, and I think the sidewalk at least once. He cut off Carabinieri twice, blew the horn (meaninglessly, given Neapolitan traffic) whenever he felt like it, and avoided killing at least 4 people.
2. Despite what I just said, as a pedestrian, lose your fear of traffic. Cross the street whereever and whenever you can. As long as drivers can see you crossing the street, they will stop or at least avoid hitting you. Don't do anything stupid, mind you, but do be deliberate and decisive. Stare down the drivers as you cross the street and pretend to challenge them to stop.
3. Walk the side streets, back streets, and alleys of Naples. I'm not saying to go into tough neighborhoods, but DO get off the main streets and into "real" Naples. Say "buon giorno" or "buona sera" to the people sitting in their doorsteps. Two times in particular it was worth it. The first was when we were walking Via Spaccanapoli (that's not the true name of the street: the street that Spacca-s Napoli changes names about 5 or 6 times, but for reference purposes, I'll call it Via Spaccanapoli) and came across a old, old woman selling lemon granita for €0.50. This was real lemon granita with lemon zest and not a lot of sugar so it was quite refreshing. She had a granita machine on the part of Via Spaccanapoli east of Via Duomo, in a part of Spaccanapoli that wasn't on the main tourist route. The other time was when we went to supper on some side street off Via Chiaia. There was no menu, and the owner/chef/mother told us that she'd take good care of us. She asked us a couple of basic questions about the sauce for our primi piatti -- our choices were bolognese sauce, something that I've forgotten, frutti di mare, and vongole e zucchine -- and that was it. She gave us 3 antipasti of prosciutto on top of a big ball of bufala mozzarella, then a whole collection of sauteed vegetables -- made the way my father remembers his Neapolitan mother making them -- and then our primi. Those, water, a half-liter of white wine, a slice of watermelon for dessert, and 2 glasses of limoncello, cost only €60.
4. Pizzeria Da Michele is as close to heaven as you'll get while you're alive. PDM, located on Via C. Sersale, a street in the eastern end of Spaccanapoli that connects Via Spaccanapoli with Corso Umberto, serves only pizza marinara, pizza margherita, coke, water, and beer. An normal-sized pizza will set you back only €4 and is so beautiful in its simplicity. When we arrived right around 12:00 for lunch, the place was packed with Neapolitans -- we were the only stranieri there!
5. Don't try to fight Naples, or the Neapolitan way of doing things. You'll lose and you'll lose badly. Just go with the flow. The proverb "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" applies even more strongly in Naples.
6. Sfogliatelle Mary in Galleria Umberto. Learn it, live it, love it.
7. Caffe Mexico in Piazza Dante. Learn it, live it, love it.
8. Visit Castel Sant'Elmo in the Vomero neighborhood. For the next couple of weeks, there will still be a showing of about 100 of M.C. Escher's drawings, including all of the favorites that are made into T-shirts and calendars. Even after the Escher exhibit closes ("Nell'occhio di Escher" is the title), the views of Naples proper and the Bay of Naples in general from the top of the castle is unbelievable.
9. Maybe it's because I was there during siesta, but the Vomero area between the top of the Funicolare Centrale and Castel Sant'Elmo was a different Naples than the centro storico at the base of the hill. It was quiet, clean, and unlike the chaos and noise down below.
10. Napoli Centrale train station is a story unto itself:
(a) As soon as we stepped off the train in Napoli C.le when we arrived, looking like typical American tourists with lots of luggage, some "porter" (ahem) saw us and asked us "Sorrento? I carry your luggage." Since we were going to the taxi stand and not Sorrento or the Circumvesuviana, we had no use for the guy anyway, but it was just as well that I had learned about the "porters" who offered to carry luggage in exchange for a hefty tip here on Fodors and was prepared for them. A couple of minutes later, some other con artist asked me "Taxi meester?" and got the same unprofitable result of me ignoring him.
(b) While I was waiting for my train, I was sitting in the McDonald's drinking a Coke (just a Coke, not a hamburger or anything!). I saw one of Naples' "enterprising young citizens" enrichening herself at the expense of some unlucky tourist. While I didn't see her actually pick someone's pocket, I did see her run out of McDonald's with a wallet clutched in her right hand (that, coupled with her age, was evidence enough for me). She returned two minutes later to case her next victim. Shortly thereafter, I left McDonald's. After I had left, I saw her a third time a few minutes later in the platform area with Mamma, and they were both casing their victims.
(c) Shortly before the pocket-picking scene, a homeless person/con artist/part of a pocket-picking team came up to me where I was sitting in McDonald's and asked for money. I was able to tell him "Va via!" with a dismissive wave of my hand.
11. Sfogliatelle Mary, in case you forgot.
12. The first night we were in Naples, we walked along the waterfront in the Santa Lucia area (near Castel Ovo). Other than a couple of homeless people, we didn't feel threatened or unsafe. The whole time we were in Naples, we were prudent -- wallets in our front pockets, not carrying much cash or credit cards, put everything into the hotel safe, kept watch for schemers and pickpockets, etc. -- to try to minimize our risk of becoming victims of petty crime, but at no time did we feel unsafe, threatened, or in danger. Granted, we didn't venture into areas like the Spanish Quarter or the port area, and we kept our eyes open in Napoli Centrale as described, but everyone walking on the streets just seemed to be going about their everyday routines and minding their own business. Like I said: don't try to fight Naples, just go with the flow.
13. Sfogliatelle Mary, in case you haven't gotten the hint.
Jul 6th, 2005, 12:20 PM
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Thanks, tdyls. We just returned, as well, and I couldn't have said it any better. We spent three nights in Naples, in the heart of the centro storico, and really could have used some more time there.
Sounds like we had many of the same experiences, down to the quiet of Vomero in the afternoon (we got lost looking for the funicular) and the Escher exhibit. However, it looks like we made a big mistake in not making it to Sfogliatelle Mary!
We were warned so many times in the week and a half before we got to Naples, that we almost arrived there wondering if we'd made a mistake. Absolutely not. Naples provided some of the most memorable highlights of our trip. With the right approach and attitude, there is much to experience there.
Sounds like we had many of the same experiences, down to the quiet of Vomero in the afternoon (we got lost looking for the funicular) and the Escher exhibit. However, it looks like we made a big mistake in not making it to Sfogliatelle Mary!
We were warned so many times in the week and a half before we got to Naples, that we almost arrived there wondering if we'd made a mistake. Absolutely not. Naples provided some of the most memorable highlights of our trip. With the right approach and attitude, there is much to experience there.
Jul 6th, 2005, 12:47 PM
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Naples originally was going to be exclusively a daytrip up from the Cilento area south of Salerno, where we were renting an apartment. The plans then changed such that we'd spend the night in Naples en route to Cilento, and then daytrip back there if we wanted more. Then we found out that there would be a train strike, and, about a week before we left the US, learned about the Escher exhibit by accident, and that forced us to spend another night in Naples (the 6/23-6/24 strike was during the time we were going to travel to Naples for our 1 night).
Naples was well worth it, and I wished that we had spent more time there. It turns out that it would have been exceedingly difficult to daytrip from Cilento to Naples anyway: it requires a minimum of a 1-hour train ride *and* a 30-minute drive to/from Agropoli train station each way, so doing that plus trying to fit in Castel Sant'Elmo, Sfogliatelle Mary, Spaccanapoli, pizza, etc., in half a day would have been impossible.
Naples was well worth it, and I wished that we had spent more time there. It turns out that it would have been exceedingly difficult to daytrip from Cilento to Naples anyway: it requires a minimum of a 1-hour train ride *and* a 30-minute drive to/from Agropoli train station each way, so doing that plus trying to fit in Castel Sant'Elmo, Sfogliatelle Mary, Spaccanapoli, pizza, etc., in half a day would have been impossible.
Jul 6th, 2005, 01:01 PM
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I am so happy to read a positive report on Naples. I totally agree with your idea of not trying to fight Naples or the people because you will either lose or have a nervous breakdown. It takes a little bit to get used to the beat of their life and to start dancing in step with them. It is so rewarding when you do!
Jul 6th, 2005, 01:12 PM
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You've summed it all up perfectly, and I agree with everything you've said.
Our first night dining in Naples we sat outside along a fairly busy street and were taken with the fact that all the cars we saw seemed well scratched or dented. For an hour or so we decided to see how many cars we could find that weren't scratched or dented. This game proved boring and impossible because as we soon learned -- there are NO cars in Naples that aren't scratched or dented!
Our first night dining in Naples we sat outside along a fairly busy street and were taken with the fact that all the cars we saw seemed well scratched or dented. For an hour or so we decided to see how many cars we could find that weren't scratched or dented. This game proved boring and impossible because as we soon learned -- there are NO cars in Naples that aren't scratched or dented!
Sep 20th, 2005, 03:16 AM
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Thanks for this - good info, as I am hoping to visit Naples soon.
So what is Sfogliatelle Mary ? I know what sfogliatelle are (we can get them in Edinburgh !) but was is SM ? A bakery shop ?
Didn't you find it too hot to be in the city then ? I am trying to work out the best time to go, ideally nice but not too hot for lots of pavement pounding - thinking maybe April.
So what is Sfogliatelle Mary ? I know what sfogliatelle are (we can get them in Edinburgh !) but was is SM ? A bakery shop ?
Didn't you find it too hot to be in the city then ? I am trying to work out the best time to go, ideally nice but not too hot for lots of pavement pounding - thinking maybe April.
Sep 20th, 2005, 04:44 PM
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Sfogliatelle Mary is a full-service bakery on a side street off Via Toledo near Piazza Trieste e Trento. It has a "branch office" that serves sfogliatelle and a couple of other Neapolitan pastries in the Via Toledo entrance to the Galleria Umberto. They're always fresh out of the oven at the branch office.
In mid-June, Naples was warm and humid. Highs generally were around 30C (mid 80's) at the time. There usually was a seabreeze, though, so the weather was tolerable.
In mid-June, Naples was warm and humid. Highs generally were around 30C (mid 80's) at the time. There usually was a seabreeze, though, so the weather was tolerable.
Nov 21st, 2006, 02:46 AM
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Another vote in favour of Naples which we did visit in June - http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34830452
