Artfully Ann's Adventures

Travel - May 20 – Monday – Naples and Sorrento, Italy

We could tell as John and I stepped off the boat that Naples was a place we were going to have to come back to.  We had arranged for a bus and shopping tour in Sorrento and only saw Naples in the rear-view mirror.  

It has a beautiful harbor and a very interesting history.  Naples (Italian: Napoli [ˈnaːpoli] , Neapolitan: Napule [ˈnɑːpələ]; Latin: Neapolis; Ancient Greek: Νεάπολις, meaning "new city") is the capital of Campania and the third-largest municipality in Italy, after Rome and Milan. As of 2012, around 960,000 people live within the city's limits. 

The Naples urban area, covering 1,023 km² (395 sq mi), has a population of between 3 million and 3.7 million, and is the 8th-most populous urban area in the European Union.Naples is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world.  Naples also was the most-bombed Italian city during World War II. 

Much of the city's 20th-century periphery was constructed under Benito Mussolini's fascist government, and during reconstruction efforts after World War II. In recent decades, Naples has constructed a large business district, the Centro Direzionale, and has developed an advanced transport infrastructure, including an Alta Velocità high-speed rail link to Rome and Salerno, and an expanded subway network, which is planned to eventually cover half of the region. However, Naples is still characterized by political and economic corruption and a thriving black market, and unemployment levels remain high. 

Our bus trip from Naples to Sorrento took about an hour.  Sorrento is just 18 miles across the Bay of Naples, but the roads are very challenging and congested.  After hearing about both of these towns my entire life, it was interesting to actually understand their relative locations.  We passed Mount Vesuvius on the way.  Its top was covered with clouds.  Pompeii was also pointed out as we passed by.

 Vesuvius erupted and covered Pompeii many, many hundreds of years ago.  The stories were interesting.  However, looking at the geography and geology, and the unending urban development on the flanks of the volcano, one wonders if the disasters of the past will inevitably be revisited.  Additionally, some geologists now believe that the entire Bay of Naples may be the caldera of an ancient super-volcano, the same as Yellowstone is now viewed today.

Sorrento, Italy coast line

 Before being turned lose in Sorrento, we were taken first to a cameo factory/showroom to view original pieces of stunning beauty and price.  Italians have definitely not lost their touch for producing spectacular bling!  

We also stopped at a specialty furniture showroom that featured highly refined wood works: music boxes, wall hangings and a mind boggling collection of home furnishings, each made from Italian walnut, mahogany and exotic wood from around the world.  Our favorite was a simple round table of about 40 inches in diameter, made of perfectly matched pieces of Italian walnut, with 4 matching chairs, all for the tidy sum of $19,000.  The price includes shipping and insurance to the US, of course.   

 Sorrento is a charming village perched on limestone cliffs hundreds of feet above the Bay.  In typical European fashion, it has two or three main streets crossed by a maze of secondary streets, many of which allow no cars.  But, where allowed, traffic and “parking” on secondary streets resemble more than anything a vigorous game of bumper cars, spiced up with many hundreds of motor scooters driven by all, from kids to pensioners, each scowling at one another and giving each other typical Italian gestures of reprobation.  J 

We found great espresso and Italian beer and relaxed in a café on the main square of the village.  Tourists everywhere!  Not a native in sight except those forced to be there to take our money.  While a visit to this place is encouraged, you might want to hold off until the month of October or a bit later, or try the first half of April. 

Our next stop is Messina, Italy.  Hang on for the ride!

Good night from Naples!