Jan 5

After a comfortable night, we were all set for a free walking tour. While the forecast was not for rain, it looked like a fifty fifty proposition. So we went armed with raincoats and brollies, but were blessedly free of caps, scarves and down jackets in the fifteen degree plus heatwave. You could tell the locals, because they had scarves and beanies on!

The rendezvous point was the Castel Nuovo, which we can see from one of our grand balconies, so it was easy to find. The castle looks out over the ferry terminal, and must have been a most imposing obstacle to likely invaders in years gone by. These days it has an extra ring of protection as the main road between us and the castle is in the midst of deep excavation, perhaps for more of the as yet unfinished metro?

In any case, as the appointed hour came and went - there were no bookings for this one - there was no sign of a guide. One of the guys who had been trying to sell some of the ubiquitous Neapolitan corni - the little red items that look like chillies but are laden with deep Freudian and pagan symbolism very kindly explained that the guide had a sick relation but would certainly be here tomorrow. We decided to opt for plan B, which was an unguided walk through a couple of the main streets - the Via Toledo and the Spanish Quarter, and the collection of differently named streets that make up what is known as Spaccanapoli - the Naples split. Via Toledo proved to be just another shopping strip, but the many small offshoots looked rather interesting. Some seemed narrow enough for people to shake hands across balconies. Noted for further exploration. Spaccanapoli is clearly Naples version of Sydney's Rocks - a tourist magnet which provided everything from Chinese imports to local art, and from genuine local specialties to what seems to be the latest craze here - toasterias. A toasteria sells- you guessed it- various types of toasties! This in a country where the pop up toaster has yet to make an appearance!

Wandering along the narrow street, dodging, or being dodged by the occasional motorino, it is clear that, unlike the Rocks, or Venice's narrow calles, this is still an area in which real people live- in their thousands. Overhead the little daylight can be blocked by the underwear, shirts, linen and jeans of all the residents on the ever present clothes drying arrangements, some more sophisticated than others. Local cucina povera , much of it composed of a thousand variations on fried dough, sends its tempting odours into the streets and alleyways. Every 100 metres or so there is another peddler - African or sub-continental- trying to sell the products of the month- handbags, hats and gloves, cell phone chargers and selfie sticks being prominent. Between these are the beggars. To my shame, they have already become nearly invisible to me.

We both agreed that there seems to be a tremendous energy about Naples. Even on the train on the way in we noticed that the unrelieved greys of the buildings we have seen elsewhere in Italy on this trip have given way to a wider spectrum. Street sellers are more animated. The use of dialect is far more evident. In the older parts of town (not where our apartment is) there is a lot of life on the streets. The scooter is far more in evidence in the back streets.

We wandered for hours, until our poor little feet could wander no more. Oh - did I tell you that my cough seems to have gone the way of the down jacket in Napoli's warmer air? As seasoned wanderers, we knew not to fall into any of the tourist traps on the Spaccanapoli, so headed homewards with the full intention of having a rather late lunch somewhere along the way. Somehow, our footsteps took us right past the front door of the star of yesterday's blog, Mangia e Bevi. Actually, right THROUGH the front door. In the spirit of adventure we tried a few new things. Gnocchi for me, turkey on spiedini for Anne. And a half litre of the house red, with yesterday's star, the battered eggplant and zucchini and a guest appearance by carrots and beans. In and out in the same cyclone of activity for 14 Euro this time!

Somehow we managed to pick up a couple more items from the supermarket closer to home, and staggered in for a siesta and some serious planning for the rest of our Naples stay. We were trying to juggle weather forecasts that seemed to change every 12 hours, with indoor vs outdoor choices and modes of transport. On our list are Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius, the Archeological Museum, the Amalfi coast and the walking tour that we missed today. Oh - and a pizza making class taught by an accredited teacher for the association of real Neapolitan Pizza. Watch this space to see how all this works out. Before we settled in for the night we had booked a bus tour to the Amalfi Coast, deciding that this would be the simplest way to cover the territory where the views are the main thing - and trusting to the weather Gods. We also firmed up for our pizza making class, and found a local bus that would go from near our place right to the car park at Vesuvius. It looked like train was the best option for Pompeii and Herculaneum. Let's see how our schemes work out!