We were up early to clear out of Bari Casatita, our little home away from home. We agreed that it had been probably the best accommodation - among a series of good stays- in the trip.

The normally excellent information system on the platform at Bari Centrale was, as they say, fuori servizio, so we had no indication of when our train was expected, and where the carriages would pull up, or even if the train that arrived around the time was ours. A few well placed questions sorted out tat it was in fact the Rome train, so we hopped on. Inevitably we ran 'in titardo' so we missed our intended connection at Caserta. We had to wait about another 40 minutes for our train to leave for Naples for the 40 minute trip, time that was filled in watching a group of teenagers apply make up to each other on the platform - even though they seemed not to be waiting for a train. I'll put up a picture.

We let our Naples host know we would be late. Arrived in Napoli Centrale, and made our way underground into the metro station, with a different name( Piazza Garibaldi). To make matters more complicated the metro stations have a reputation as pieces of design, Andwandter Piazza Garibaldi had a very pop art feel to it. We worked out how to use the ticket machine without the "assistance " of the young pickpocket?! standing almost on top of us, and then survived the incredible crush to get on the train to travel one stop to Universita'. Whereas in Rome trains are every 4 minutes, here I think I read it is every 8 - not nearly enough if that experience is anything to go by! Just as we left the platform the train stopped suddenly. A woman sounded distressed but in the crowd we could not work out what had happened. A young guy near us stood on his seat to see but spoke dialect to his friends so we were none the wiser. Thankfully it moved on a few minutes later.

It was a few hundred metres walk to the apartment, where after a false lead from the portiere, we were met by Pete and Autilia, the owner's English/Italian parents. By about 1.30 we were settled in our spacious apartment on the fourth floor overlooking
what seems to be one of Naples' major banking streets. A grand vista from our balcony between the Castel Nuovo and Piazza Bovio. The apartment is one of a pair that shares a common entry way in which the washing machine lives. It has a table that could easily seat 10! The welcome was efficient, but lacked Enzo's warmth. We suspect that the owner, Daniel, whom we discovered has just relocated to England, may have been a bit preoccupied with other matters, as he had also been a bit slow on the email.

A quick check of Tripadvisor revealed a place called Mangia e Bevi nearby as being highly recommended. What a fantastic experience it was.

As we neared the doorway we got literally swept in with a hello, were we "in due", then there was a shout of 'Due, due, due' and we found ourselves seated with two other couples who had been washed in on the same wave at a table that seated six. ( Well actually seven, because before we had finished, they squeezed in one more!).

Waiters dressed in black T-shirts with the restaurant name flew by. One dropped menus with pens and little cards explaining we were to write our orders on them. ( In Italian. No tourists in sight today at least). Another dropped paper place mats. A third practically threw a basket with bread and cutlery with us. By then someone else had taken drink orders - red, white, water, beer as far as we could see. Anne and I puzzled our way through a menu of unfamiliar terms.We wrote our order, with no idea of prices, or how things worked. We learned by experience that Anne had ordered lightly battered zucchini and eggplant - our best guess item - with crumbed chicken fillet. I had ordered grilled sausage and roast potatoes.

Menus and order card swept away. Water arrived. Our four dishes arrived separately in a somewhat random order. At some stage the seventh customer arrived. Our dishes all declared fantastic. Simple, fresh and delicious. All around us shouting to make space for some of the new influx, and to clear after the old. Average stay about 20 minutes by my guess! Payment time. How much? 11 Euro! You couldn't cook it yourself for that really. We'll be back.

We then located the biggest supermarket we have seen in Italy - 2 stories and got in the usual supplies, and staggered back to the apartment for an evening of domestic duties and research for the next few days. The supermarket had a cheese/ deli counter with four men in hats serving a massive array of produce. I think I like Naples!! Oh, and found a way to switch on English sound on one of the TV channels, so watched an episode of CSI.

Cough report. Still going strong.