The wet, yet wonderful city of Naples.

So I’m back from Naples, and after a good night’s sleep, I have mixed emotions. Firstly, I’m glad to be home and back in my own bed (I assume most people are when returning from abroad?), but I simultaneously want to go back; to see more, do more (and of course, eat more!) Four days really isn’t enough.

The Theatre of Pompeii.

Despite leaving Naples with a larger list of things to do and places to see than when I arrived, I’m grateful that I managed achieve two of my three personal goals for the trip: visiting the ruins of Pompeii, and reaching the peak of Mount Vesuvius. However, for some reason the National Archeological Museum of Naples is closed on Tuesdays? No idea why. So we just didn’t have the time. Anyway, I digress. The ruined city of Pompeii was everything I thought it would be and more. A lot bigger than I expected too. I could have easily spent all day walking through the streets, reading all the information, indulging in the architecture, and just appreciating the shear mass destruction that occurred nearly 4000 years ago. However, due to unforeseen torrential rain (and I mean torrential*), hail and thunder and lightening, we probably only saw about half of the city before we were completely drenched. Having said that, it did make the experience even more memorable.

By this point you may (or may not) be wondering who I am referring to in regards to “we”. I went to Naples with my dad. I initially planned on going alone, for some reason, but I’m very glad he decided to join me. It was a better trip because of it.

My dad. 35mm.

The next day, however, it was all sun (thankfully) as we climbed Mount Vesuvius, which was perfect, allowing us to see the beautiful landscapes of Naples. After getting a minibus to roughly 1000m, we walked the remainder, reaching the peak and looking into the pit of this still active volcano. The views were incredible. Plus as we began our descent, the sun began to set over vast hills and coastline of Naples. To quote Bruce Nolan: “B-E-A-Utiful”.

Climbing Mount Vesuvius.

Despite these two unforgettable experiences, there is still so much more of Naples I wish to see and experience, and it was only once we were there that we truly learnt about what Naples has to offer. Research and planning can only take you so far, you learn more by doing.

Firstly, the Ruins of Herculaneum, another fascinating, yet haunting sight, is located in Ercolano; a beautiful and colourful town along the coast of Naples, and is only a few stops outside of the city. Herculaneum, like Pompeii, suffered the same of Vesuvius, but isn’t as well known. We only discovered this because we decided to take a walk whilst we were waiting for our minibus. Additionally, Sorrento in still on my list of places to see, and is on the same line as Ercolano (home of Vesuvius and Herculaneum) and Pompeii, making it a very accessible and desirable destination.

I’ve done two of the main ‘touristy stuff’, but next I want to see more of the city and experience more of the Neapolitan culture, eat more of their wonderful food, and of course, take more pictures.

Ercolano. 35mm.

What else can I say. Naples is a beautiful city, with lots to offer. I’ve only experienced a glimpse, and I wish to return as soon as possible, preferably in the summer though! This will hopefully be the first of many short trips this year, and if I do, you know where to find me.

*The rain was so heavy that my so called “reliable” Olympus DSLR of eight years (my words, not the manufacturers) has ceased to exist. RIP. The silver lining is, however, that as anyone who read my first entry knows, I am terrible when it comes to buying new things. This buying-a-new-camera-saga has gone on long enough, and mother nature has clearly made the decision for me. If this isn’t a sign to buy a new camera then I don’t know what is. Moreover, my dad oddly enough also broke his camera. He slipped as we were coming down Vesuvius. Don’t worry, he’s fine. The camera is not. RIP. Fortunately for both of us, we were able to retrieve the images from both cameras, and I used my phone and my 35mm camera for the remainder of our stay.

“How do you like them Naples?”

So yeah, I actually booked a trip somewhere, somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for a long time; Naples. Ever since sharing a house with an Italian student at University, and hearing about the Neapolitan culture and the beauty of Sorrento (as well as being interested in Archeology as a young child*), I decided that Naples was a city I would definitely visit in my lifetime.

Start blog: -check-
Visit Naples: -check-
Find rewarding career: -pending-

A rough itinerary for this short visit includes, but is not limited to: the Ancient Roman City of Pompeii, the Vesuvius National Park and the Naples National Archaeological museum. You know, the typical ‘touristy stuff’. The outbound flight is at 13:15 tomorrow (Monday, 2nd) and I cannot wait. Hopefully the weather holds up, especially upon top of Vesuvius; a sight I would not like to miss.

Despite leaving it late, I achieved what I set out to do in my last post. Well, almost everything. I am still yet to buy a new camera. After weeks, possibly even months of being indecisive and talking myself out of buying every camera I look at, letting each minor flaw disrupt my decision making, I finally decided on a camera! So I’m standing there, in a certain electronics store/ Indian takeaway, and I’ve made up my mind. I approach a member of staff, point out the camera I wish to purchase, only to be told it was out of stock. The moral of the story is: if you want something, do it right away, don’t hesitate, as not all things can be restocked. (Too cheesy, or surprising philosophical?) Anyway, so long story short, I’m taking my old, yet reliable Olympus DSLR, as well as my even older, but unreliable Olympus SLR 35mm camera.

See ya in a couple of days!

*I’ve always had weird hobbies and interests, from stamp collecting, to timing myself solve a Rubik’s cube.** But one of my earliest passions was history, specifically the study of the Egyptians, which may or may not have stemmed from watching ‘The Mummy’ (1999) a million times***. Irregardless, I had a fascination with all things Egyptian, most particularly trying to read and write hieroglyphics. I loved creating my own phrases and attempting to read old Egyptian passages, believing that I might one day solve a 5000-year-old mystery hidden in the text. Moreover, I loved the idea of going for walks with a metal detector (but in reality, more often than not just in my back garden) hoping I might find a priceless artefact that would cement my name forever more in the history books.

**Note: My quickest recorded time is 41 seconds, a mere 36 seconds slower than the world record.

***Disclaimer: I have not seen ‘The Mummy’ (1999) a million times.