If you guessed that they are all things you think of when you hear the word Naples, then you’re right! At least for me, I suppose. One great thing about the Fulbright Program, and especially in Germany, is that there are some long vacations throughout the year planned that allow you to travel a decent amount. We recently had our fall break here in Lower Saxony, giving students and teachers a little more than two weeks off from school.
With these two weeks I had already planned a trip to Spain and Italy, the focus of this blog post being on Naples. I had already been to Madrid in September before this program had officially started, and it’s a great city, but Naples is something different.
One of the things that you notice immediately upon leaving the airport is that driving in Naples isn’t like driving around most of Europe. Lines on the road are mere suggestions, right-of-way upon entering rotaries is disregarded, and the sound of horns honking can be heard quite frequently. I went to Naples with a friend of mine, and when we were picked up by our AirBnb host, he asked if either of us had been to India, which I have, and he compared traffic in the city to that of big cities there. It was clear that this was the case. As cars tried to find their way through the heavy traffic near Piazza Garibaldi, some people on motorbikes swerved through the madness and continued on their way.
The AirBnb was located near the Piazza, and from what we had heard, it wasn’t supposed to be the safest of areas. The buildings seemed a little run-down on the outside and trash was scattered in the streets. However, we came to find that the area wasn’t as notorious as it seemed, especially if you are aware of your surroundings and know where you need to go; one can definitely stay safe in this city with general common sense. The location made the AirBnb a little cheaper, which was a plus, and even though it was very close to a very busy train station, it was removed enough to feel as though you were staying in an area with more locals than tourists.
As we began exploring the city, one thing became clear to us: Naples didn’t have the feeling of many European cities. This city is one with an incredibly long history and has been under the rule of many different kingdoms and empires. There are several small streets and alleyways for people to explore, and the buildings still look pretty run down on the outside. Shopkeepers shout from their stores to try to attract business, pizza-makers shout up to regular customers across the street to let them know that their order is ready, and motorbikes make their way through the streets crowded with tourists constantly honking at them in order to get their attention to tell them to move. Buildings were also riddled with graffiti, and even though it’s seen sometimes as damage to someone’s property, the fact that most buildings had some type of graffiti on it added to the city’s personality.
Our AirBnb host was right. Traffic was certainly like that of Indian cities, but the feeling of the city didn’t feel European either. I thought it could have just been a Southern Italian thing, and I haven’t explored that much of Southern Italy to really know, but when I checked out Sorrento, a town on the Amalfi Coast, in the same trip, the streets were much cleaner, and the environment was less hectic. The best way that I could describe the feeling of Naples is if I were randomly dropped there, and not knowing I was in Naples I were asked where I was, I would probably say some city in the Middle East. It had such a unique feel to it that I couldn’t describe it in any other way.
The one thing that was definitely Italian was the food. There were plenty of options around the city for cheap pizza; the classic Margherita at most places only cost 5€, and the quality was amazing. We were only able to try three different places, each priced around the same, and our favorite wasn’t one recommended to us by our AirBnb host, but rather one we found right around the corner from us called Pizzeria Carmnella. If you’re ever staying near Piazza Garibaldi, it is a must to go there (just don’t try to go on Sunday, they’re closed then!).
We also found some other great places for pasta and didn’t really follow the ones recommended to us by our host, and I think it’s fair to say that as long as you don’t go to a trattoria that looks super touristy or that looks like it serves quickly-made food, you’ll probably have a great experience while you’re there.
In the end, we had a really great time in Naples. The only day we had planned was our excursion day to Pompeii and Sorrento on Saturday, and the other days were spent walking around different areas of the city just exploring the streets. Each part of the city had something new, and it was all very exciting. I think that’s a great thing about traveling to somewhere new. It’s nice to have some plans, but then also leave things wide open to wander around and explore. You might stumble across something you might not have otherwise come across.
Teacher Tommy's Travels 