So today the weather was once again conducive to doing as opposed to doing nothing........We have got the bus and train travel down to a fine art so decided to head to Naples ( at the expense of climbing and looking into a volcanos mouth I must add!!) It was something we had to do what with the saying 'See Naples and die'. apparently this is a reference to the city which is so beautiful, there is nothing to top it and therefore no reason to go on living. You've seen it all.
The world traveler Humboldt in the19th Century made the statement that, Salzburg, Naples and Constantinopel (now Istanbul) were the most beautiful cities in the world. He saw a lot, but of course it was one man's opinion and perspective.

We arrive in Naples and immediately follow the main route into town, reluctantly i did not purchase a map as we were just going with the flow and following our noses......( big mistake, huge in fact!) we passed some great clothes shops all very reasonably priced and after a flip flop purchase we embark on finding the 'beautiful Naples'. We wandered and wandered round the graffiti, littered strewn streets and both wondered if we had missed something........ We found a map ,now if you ever go get a map, and the tourist information. Much to our horror we were in the beautiful part of Naples granted there were a few nice churches, the standard cathedral and museums but really........... Mystified and perplexed we headed to a bar to contemplate our next move... We ordered our Aperol Spritzers and decided there was only one thing to do.... Yep let's have our pizza and get out of here. Once again after research ( it is the birth place of pizza) we head to the antica pizzeria da Michele, this is the pizzeria that Julia Roberts went to in Eat, Pray and Love. They only do 2 types of pizza the Margarita and marinara one with cheese and one without plus there could be a 2 hour wait.... Feeling enthused for the first time today we head off with a spring in our step and me with a big grin thinking of sitting where JR sat!!
Could this day get any worse we get there and NOOOOOOO its shut until August 23rd ( more on why in later blogs). We visit another pizzeria and yep the pizzas were good and so was the mafioso activity.... Can't say too much as might end up with a horse head in our bed but the city took another decidedly seedy turn for the worse so we paid the 'conto' and ran.....
Now each to their own but we just didn't get it and personally there are better cities to visit before you die............We wish we had seen the mighty Vesuvius close up but we will one day as we have already decided we will be back this way but just not to Naples.