Madeline
Naples was never intended to be a destination on our trip. It was intended to be just a stop on our Italy trip, after Barcelona. Pompeii and Pizza were the only things we were excited about. Everything else we heard was that it was dirty and crime ridden. I now am here to exclaim, neither of these are true.
Pompeii
Pompeii and Sagrada Familia were the only two places on my bucket list for this trip. And I am glad we went to both, as Sagrada Familia was amazing but Pompeii was the highlight of my trip. Pompeii is an ancient city in Italy wherein year 79 AD (that is not a typo)a volcano, Mt. Vesuvius, erupted, killing everyone there but preserving the the city to near perfection leaving it as one of the best places to walk around in ancient ruins.
If you go, do not go as a stand alone, be sure to get a tour guide as, although the sites are great, but the explanation around the sites made it even better. For example, I would have missed out on all the penises (yes, like man genitalia) all over the city or walked right past the brothel with the picture menu.
When deciding to go to Pompeii, there was also the option to hike up Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that started it all. Although I was interested in it, you can see it clear as day anywhere in Naples. In addition, this was not a trip that was designed for hiking, so we opted out. Later that night, we met up with some people we met on the tour who opted to climb the volcano. Their opinion was that we made the right decision. To this day, I do not regret the decision to do the Mt. Vesuvius hike.
Pizza and Food
As anyone who has watched Eat, Pray, Love could tell you, Naples is the capital of pizza, so that is all we ate. It started with a small pizzeria around the corner from our hotel. Into a food tour that ended with the oldest pizza in Naples. And ended with a pizza making class at Trattoria Medina, that made the trip to Naples worth it even if that is all we did. It was pizza noon and night, and since every time it was the best pizza I had ever had, I was not complaining.
Crime
Prior to making the trek across the pond, I heard that Naples is dirty and dangerous. Because of my fear, I researched Naples with a fine tooth comb, looking for the safest neighborhood I could find. Then when we left the airport and started to drive away in our taxi, I got nervous that all the nay sayers were right. The city was very industrial and unwelcoming.
As we neared our hotel, the city began to lighten. The people seemed to be smiling. There were plants and flowers. The hardness melted away, and I felt better about the decision to stay in the Chiaia neighborhood. Our experience remained as bright as our neighborhood until the time we boarded the ferry for Capri.
We talked about this topic to the same people we met on the tour and their experience was different. They had been held up at knife point just for an iPhone, no money, jewelry or wallets. We soon found out they were staying in the neighborhood we deemed as cold and industrial. I truly believe that this could happen anywhere which is why it is important to do research on the nicer neighborhoods and always be vigilant.
Final Thoughts
Naples was intended to be a stop on our way to Capri and Amalfi but ended up being a beautiful city. With a day trip to Pompeii, we spent two full days there, which was perfect. I am not sure if I will visit again, but if anyone asks if it is worth the trek, without hesitation, my answer would be, “yes!”
