Naples - 9 April

Gritty, filthy and neglected are three words that first came to mind to describe Naples. Rubbish is pile high around the municipal street bins provided for residents. Stray dogs have ripped open the rubbish open the rubbish bags looking for scaps and the bags contents have spilled out on the footpaths and gutters. The building, like many cities, are coated in the grey grime of years of pollution adding to the overall filth. Graffiti covers everything including centuries old marble scultptures. The volcano Mount Vesuvius looms in the distance through the smog. There is something edgy about this city. Thankfully our hotel quickly reminds us of the style that can only mean that you have arrived somewhere in Italy. Burnt Orange is the colour scheme of the hotel. Of course our bathroom is marble from flooring to ceiling. The room is very spacious with a king size double (we had been sleeping in single beds pushed together on the cruise). Ron and I are getting quicker and better at orientating ourselves each time we arrive in a new holiday venue. Quick questions are thrown at the reception staff asking for the location of WiFi, restaurants and tourist information. Having spent the greater part of the day sitting and waiting for transport of various kinds, we throw the suitcases into the room and head out the front door of the hotel to explore the surrounding streets. On our previous visit to Italy we soon noticed how thin and stylishly dressed Italians were. Not in Naples. People are distinctly 'chubbier' here and there is a mixture of cutting edge style to down right dowdy. The streets are packed with Saturday evening shoppers so for dinner we find a quite corner in a restaurant and have our first real Italian pizza. The restaurant owner is kissing the hand of a young female customer and the pizza maker is across the square taking a smoking break. Ah Italia!