Napoli

Napoli made quite an impression on us.  On our way there, we were warned on two separate occasions.  One guy said that the people of Napoli were scam-artists and pick-pockets.  We dismissed this advice as unfair pidgeon-holing of a whole city's worth of people.  Then the EuRail employee warned us to keep our berth securely locked on the overnight train ride headed to Napoli, which did not promote a good night's sleep.  

According to him, criminals sometimes board the train at one of the stops along the way to rob people while they slept.  Thankfully, we didn't encounter any petty crime or danger at all, on the train or in Napoli.  Yet the disparity between northern Italy (Milano) and southern Italy (Napoli) was shocking.  Napoli gave off an impoverished vibe; it's gritty, grungy, loud, crowded... sirens blaring constantly.  One of the world's most important port towns, it was also the most heavily bombed Italian city during WWII.  Was this why there were so many decrepit and dilapidated buildings...?  Every street corner was mounded with garbage - black bags, old bathtubs, food detritus.  Apparently there was a garbage crisis when we were there.  We didn't take any photos of Napoli itself, other than a couple snapshots of food - partly because it didn't stop raining the whole time, but partly because it was hard to get inspired.  

Pizza with tomato, mozzarella and ham

In fairness, there were a few saving graces for Napoli.  One of them being the historic centre, full of ancient crumbling churches, and the typical narrow cobblestone streets.  We browsed an outdoor market, and being close to Christmas, many shop owners were selling beautiful handcrafted nativity stables made of rustic pieces of wood, moss and twigs.  


Another major redeeming quality was the food.  We savored the best cappuccinos of our lives; masterpieces of darkly rich espresso topped with silky foam.  These were ordered and paid for at the counter, then drunk standing up at the coffee bar with the locals.  And we were thrilled to find that the pizza in Napoli did deserve its reputation.  Thin crust dough is spread with flavorful tomato sauce and dotted with quality ingredients.  The initial thought is the toppings are sparse, compared to North American standards.  Yet after experiencing an Italian pizza, with sliced mozzarella, tomato and ham, the reason for the simplicity is understood.  Two to three minutes in a wood-fired brick oven and the pizza emerges, bubbly and slightly smoky, ready to burn the roof of your mouth if you're too hasty!

all it takes is 60-90 seconds and the pizza's done!

I couldn't help but agree with Aron when he described Napoli to be "third-world ambiance; first-world prices".  Yet, despite its flaws, there is something about this city that remains oddly compelling.  It's hard to put my finger on it...