Napoli
This morning we moved from Sorrento to Napoli, via the circumvesuviana train – think 1980’s London tube rolling stock, a 1 hr 15 minute multi-stop journey to the centre of a Napoli, and a step into a whole new world. Napoli is big, bustling, chaotic and fun. It is the most densely populated city in Europe, it is tourist friendly yet maintains its authenticity. Oh, and it can be breathtakingly beautiful as well as grubby and grimy all at the same time.
Lunch was some street food of Pizza frita (nice) and a “croquette” (very, very nice) and after a drink to wash that down we headed up above the city using the funicular to take us from Piazzetta Montesanto to the Vomero hilltop district, were we took in some stupendous views of the city beneath us and Vesuvius in the distance
before walking our way back down through the Spanish district
After the eye-watering expense of Capri, Naples is much more affordable and we treated ourselves to this delicious punnet of strawberries for 1.50 euros
Images of Maradona abound, he really does have god-like status in this city. Here are some of my favourites
Another figure who appears (almost) as often as Maradona is the masked clown like character Pulcinella, who was created in the 1500’s. Traditionally a servant figure, he is considered the voice of the people and an immortal spirit of Naples. I did like this image of him socking it to Ronald McDonald which, I think, embodies the spirit of the city.
