There is no city on the planet like Naples! The chaotic buzz of the city has such an energy, and was at first unsettling after the tranquility of Matera. But we embraced it, and took a walking tour to check out this metropolis bathed in history!

Naples is unique in that many of the ancient buildings were not destroyed – instead, new buildings were just built into the old! Walking down a street you can see a multitude of architectural styles, and a Roman gate overarching a modern street. I’ve never seen anything quite like this before!

And the food! I’ve eaten the best pizza and ice cream in my life while in Naples. Hmmm, so good! Another very interesting sight is the Greek/Roman aqueduct underneath Naples. You can wander around the aqueduct and get an insight into ancient civil engineering. A fun fact – this aqueduct was also used as a giant bomb shelter for the city during World War II.

While in Naples we took a day trip to Pompeii. This is the Roman city that was destroyed and buried by the volcano Mt. Vesuvius. It’s quite a feeling to wander around the streets of a city that was destroyed nearly 2000 years ago. In one of the photos below, you can see a plaster cast of one of the victims of the eruption. It goes to show the respect we must still have for Mother Nature!

Next stop is Venice. Until then!

Shawn