From 2,000-Year-Old Pompeii to Pizza and Chaos in Naples

From 2,000-year-old Pompeii to pizza and chaos in Naples 🌋 Naples is a very different side of Italy from what we have experienced over the past few days. It is more chaotic, more run-down and far less polished, but at the same time it is an incredibly exciting city full of life, history and local atmosphere. As always, we made an early start and had once again rented a car. Our first destination was Pompeii, only around a 30-minute drive from the cruise port in Naples. In AD 79, Pompeii was buried beneath several metres of volcanic ash and pumice when Mount Vesuvius erupted. It was a disaster for the inhabitants at the time, but also the reason why the city is so remarkably well preserved today. The ash protected buildings, wall paintings and many of the belongings the residents left behind. It is truly impressive to walk through the original streets and visit homes, shops, bathhouses and theatres. There is even a large amphitheatre where gladiators fought. Beautiful mosaics and wall paintings can still be seen in several places. It is almost impossible to comprehend that you are walking through a city where people lived nearly 2,000 years ago. We did not have a guide, but instead used ChatGPT to tell us the stories behind the places we visited. It actually worked surprisingly well. Both children, but Villads in particular, were fascinated by the many short stories about gladiators, everyday Roman life and the people who lived in the houses. It made it much easier to imagine what life was like. Even I, who am not normally the most enthusiastic history buff, found it incredibly interesting. We spent around half the day in Pompeii, and I do not think we have ever visited an ancient city so extensive and well preserved. It really is a must if you visit Naples. The drive back to Naples took a little longer than planned because we took a wrong turn. Traffic in southern Italy is an experience in itself! 😅 Scooters appear from every direction, horns are used enthusiastically, and roundabouts and merging lanes are particularly challenging. At times, traffic rules seem more like suggestions. It is quite fun to drive here, though, and we have experienced far more difficult traffic on our travels. After returning the rental car, we explored Naples’ old town. There are narrow streets, washing strung between the buildings, scooters everywhere and crowds of people. We walked through Spaccanapoli, which cuts through the old town, and Via San Gregorio Armeno, known for its many small workshops. And Naples is, of course, the birthplace of pizza! 🍕 Some people would say that the world’s best pizza can be found here. We discovered an excellent local restaurant where enormous pizzas cost around €8–10 each. Two glasses of wine together cost just €5. It is certainly not expensive, and the pizzas were genuinely delicious. Another thing you quickly notice in Naples is Diego Maradona. He is everywhere—on murals, posters, pictures and souvenirs. He is still almost worshipped in the city, even though it is more than 35 years since he helped Napoli win the Italian football championships in 1987 and 1990. That says something about how much football means here. Prices are generally much lower than in the more tourist-oriented parts of northern Italy. You also see more poverty, dilapidated buildings and quite a lot of rubbish in the streets. Naples is certainly not a polished tourist city, and that may be part of what makes it so interesting. Naples may not be Italy’s most beautiful city, but it has plenty of character and is definitely worth visiting. The combination of Pompeii’s extraordinary history and the hectic life of Naples made this another excellent day on our cruise. 🇮🇹