Slice of Napoli

While Pompeii was the main focus of our day on Wednesday, we had to change trains in Naples -- Napoli in Italian -- so on the way back, we decided to stop for a few hours to get a flair for the city.  The Train Station is not really close to the things we wanted to see, so we rode the subway to the Spanish Quarter area of the City.  The Naples subway was sleek and new and probably the nicest one we've ridden -- at least the section we rode.  We saw Castel Nuovo (pictured here) which dates back to 1282 and has an imposing view over the harbor.  We walked the narrow streets of the Spanish Quarter, where the vibrancy of Naples is so apparent.   The lanes are narrow -- too narrow for cars, so motorbikes are the norm.  We saw families sitting at their dining room tables as we walked by the open windows, and looking up, we saw people hanging their laundry out to dry.  You had small businesses such as produce stands and small restaurants interspersed with all of the homes and apartment buildings.  We truly saw a slice of Napoli life.

Walking one of the narrow streets of the Spanish Quarter

Napoli is also the birthplace of pizza, so we couldn't leave without sampling the local fare.  We found a busy sidewalk cafe on one of the squares and each ordered a pizza -- the classic Margherita.  Here the pizzas are small and ordered individually, and they are not pre-sliced.  You eat them with a knife and fork.  It was deliziosa! Molto bene!  Fortunately, we could walk off some of the carbs as we made our way back to the subway to catch the train back to Rome.