Dirt, history and beauty... yes, all of the above!

Have you ever been in a place so dirty that you feel it sticks to your skin and though you scrub it won't completely come off? That's how I felt in Naples. I stepped out of the train station into the biggest scene of chaos I have ever witnessed. Cars and scooters were zooming around everywhere, paper covered every inch of the pavement and it was just dirty beyond belief. Still, I thought to myself, maybe it's not so bad, it could just be a rough spot. It didn't help that it took me about an hour to find my hostel in all the noise and general hectisism...

Beware of the Dog

Naples tested my patience and emotional control severely. For one, you have to be constantly and absolutely aware of your belongings every single second. And I always was a country girl, so Naples' grime, cars and people didn't really strike me as 'energy' at all.

Piramus and Thisbe

But it also wasn't all bad. I saw some Roman aquaducts whilst in the city, and since I've been fascinated by them for a while it really tickled my interest. Some of the small alleyways in the (pedestrianised!) Old Town is rather cute. And once I reached the waterfront, I no longer felt like I might have to strangle someone.

I used Naples as a base to explore Pompeii, Paestum and Capri. Pompeii surpassed all my expectations, because how often do you get to walk in an excavated city? A big one at that, at least for 79 AD! Some of the pictures on the walls in the houses were very well preserved, but the plastercasts of victims was downright freaky - you can even make out their expressions.

Plastercast man

Paestum is this great 'town' which is basically just a field with 3 Greek temples and some other remains. It felt good to get away from all the crazyness to a place where there were very few tourists.

Capri I never planned to go to, but due to a ferry mishap, I ended up spending another night in Naples, and filled the intervening hours with a visit to this beautiful island. The Blue Grotto was fantastic, although I got rather sunburnt and nauseous sitting in the boat waiting for our turn to go in.

Two things I learnt:

1. In Naples, you will not cross any road by waiting for someone to stop and let you pass. Just step into the road and hope - they will either stop or just zoom around you. But NEVER stop walking - it is the most dangerous thing you can do, because that just confuses them.

Pompeii from the hill

2. Practice your evil look, and give it to all the lascivious starers. Even if you are dripping with sweat and covered in grime, someone is bound to still say 'ciao Bella' as you pass - and it's no compliment either.

Temple at Paestum