Because of my schedule working out for May, I was able to fly to Naples to meet up with Anna, Aimee and Jay for a few days amidst their european adventure. Thats one of the main things I love about being based on this side of the world, everything is so close and easy to get to. Due to this, getting to Italy is a pretty straight forward task. You can either fly there direct or get the train. I ended up doing a combination of the two. Flying from London to Rome worked out better with flight options and departure times so connected through there onto the train to Naples central via Rome central. Turned out to be far easier than I was expecting. I love it when a plan comes together.
I hadn’t been to Naples before, so didn’t really know what to expect from the place. I had heard mixed reviews, as not many people I had spoken to stay in the city itself due to its geographical proximity to the Almafli Coast. I now understand why this is the case. In my opinion there isn’t really that much appeal to the city centre, but plenty to the surrounding areas.
After chatting to fellow travellers in the hostel that night, it seemed that Naples was one of those places that you either loved or hated. I didn’t want to dislike the place, but was finding it challenging to find things to feel a positive connection to. During this trip I came to the realisation that its not just the place that makes the adventure exciting and memorable, its the people you get to spend the journey with.
We all started the new day slowly, going for a spot of shopping and a take away breakfast before exploring the city centre in more detail. Starting by stumbling upon a wedding in one of the main cobbled squares and closely followed by pizza! Naples, much like the rest of Italy, is great for food. I had some of the best pizza and pasta during the trip there. Our afternoon was full of history with a trip to Pompeii. The grounds themselves are much bigger than I expected, but the history within the place is amazing. We spent a few hours there, walking through open squares and small cobbled alleyways. Walking around the grounds at sunset was magic, and was one of the highlights of the trip. Most of the visitors had left at this point so it was quiet and calm, giving a greater appreciation for the place.
One thing to keep in mind if using the bus system in and around Naples…it doesn’t adhere to any timetable. You just have to wait and hope for the best. This proved challenging one afternoon on the way to go kayaking around the coastline. Its still a miracle that we found the place and got there on time! It was recommended to us by the place we were staying, and once we got there it was great. Being back in the water again was perfection. Once again, it made me realise how much I had missed being beside the water again.
Our last day in Naples, was my favourite one. We were up early to get a bus down the coastline to the starting point of the hike ’Path of the Gods’ that would take us from Agerola towards the end point of Positano. I would recommend this hike to anyone. It is 9km total distance and took us about four hours to complete. Because of the elevation of the town above sea level, it begins in the clouds. Once you work your way into it, the coastline begin to become visible showing off the most incredible views. These continue all the way down to Positano where we relaxed on the beach for the rest of the day. Perfection.
Sending hugs and smiles,
Vanessa
