it's been a while! i got back from my italian excursion exactly a week ago and have been enjoying philadelphia and all of the friends i left behind. i haven't forgotten about the blog, though! at least i haven't forgotton permanently...
after i finished up my classes in rome, my mother flew into town and we spent the next few days eating gelato and walking 15 miles per day to see all of the sights in rome. after we waited in line for an hour and a half to see the coloseum in the roman summer heat, we were ready for our next stop: naples.
from what i've heard about naples, it didn't seem like a pretty picture. the reputation of graffiti and crime make it a city that tourists often avoid visiting. there was no way we were missing the pizza in naples though, so off we went.
my initial impression of the city was so different than what i had pictures. the city is so lively and full of energy! drying laundry hangs from all the apartments, the roads are cobbled and impossibly narrow, everyone's nonna sits out on the stoop waiting for conversation and everyone knows everyone. strangely enough, it reminded me a lot of south philly. could this be the italy i'd been looking for all along??
aside from the sense of community, the pizza is obviously reason number one to visit naples. we tried pizza from da michele which was the best, chewiest, freshest pizza i've had in my entire life and sampled pizza from tiny pizzerias all over napless. we blissfully brunched on my favorite pastry, the sfgliatella, and tried to soak in the city. we only got lost in a shady part of town once, so we had nothing to worry about, right mom??
at the end of our first night in naples we experienced a concert in the square next to our apartment, which was 5 tenors singing elvis and U2 in their nice italian vibratos. the audience was of all ages and very confusing but we enjoyed the music with wine in hand as fireworks went off over the sea (happy fourth of july?).
while in naples, we stopped in pompeii which was so so cool. i learned about the brothels and the tiny phalluses carved into the ground around the city were meant to direct potential clients in the right direction. i wonder why i never read about that in my history textbooks??
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things i enjoyed:
da michele // where i had my first omg pizza moment in italy that left me in happy tears.
bourbon tunnel // much to my dismay this was not a tunnel filled with bourbon but rather an expansive underground tunnel system used as shelter from the bombs during world war ii.
augusta's // the best sfogliatella i tried in naples, which is a flaky pastry filled with sweet citrusy cream and chunks of candied fruit that i need some of right now
