Honeymoon - Italy, Naples (Napoli)

I like Naples - but it was my least favorite port. The weather was the worst in Naples because it rained on us. The city was HUGE and dirty. There was trash and graffity and stray dogs all over the place. I had to laugh because the dogs were professional beggers. Seriously. They knew just how to look at you with puppy eyes and cross their paws like they were being polite about their request for food. But back to the trash, I finally realized that it wasn't the people who were messy, but the lack of trash bins for people to dispose of their trash. The trash bins we did find were overflowing. City officials are slacking over there in Naples. I kind of regret not going on an excursion to Pompei/Sorrento or the Capri Island.

Negativity aside, Naples had some gems to discover, and it needs a little compassion as it was the most bombed city in Italy in WWII. It has volcanos on its horizon. It still has tons of history, charming small streets, and a pastry I would travel across the world again just to eat.

First stop of our day, the Castel Nuovo, where the early kings of the Kingdom of Naples lived.



Next we headed to the harbor for a picture. We walked in a park and landed in the Piazza del Plebiscito, the largest piazza in Naples. This piazza is where the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) and the Church of San Francesco de Paola (reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome) reside. The church was so big it didn't fit in the frame of my camera. It was dark in the piazza and I was so mad about the graffiti on the church. You Italian adolescent punk butts who defame buildings I want to photograph. Ugh!


We then walked toward the Castel Dell'Ovo, the residence of the kings before the Castel Nuovo was built. You have to feel bad for the Castle and its royal abandonment. Just like you have to feel bad for the firstborns of this world, having all the attention and focus of their parents until the sibling is born. Apparently, newlyweds often take pictures here. How appropriate for our situation. Here is Cody posing by the Castle and us on the small causeway connecting the castle to the shore.


Next we enjoyed ourselves just walking along the coast line. The sun left us around this time and the skies turned dark. Cody loved the fisherman with the cats pictured below. This old man was whistling his little heart out while he fished purely for the benefit and enjoyment of his cats. Each time he caught a fish he would utter a distinct whistle sound and his cats would all come to attention. He would then put the fish on the rocks and the cats would go to town. So bizarre. And apparently strangely fascinating to Cody. He had us watching this guy for at least 15 minutes. In one of these photos you can see one of Naples volcanos in the background.


Next we headed to the Piazza Trento to see the Galleria Umberto and the Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest and largest Opera house in the Italian Penninsula. The Galleria was so fun with tons of shops, lovely cement ceilings on the exterior, and lovely glass ceilings on the interior.


Next we went to the Guglia della immacolata in the Piazza Del Gesu Nuovo, built in 1750. We only went to this pinnacle because our map highlighted it. It was cool, but strange. We're such followers - we just do what our maps tell us to. Apparently it was built so that people could worship the Virgin Mary without having to go inside a church, which there is a church in the piazza beyond the pinnacle to the right. People surely can't be so lazy as to not walk two feet to the church, right?


This second pinnacle is the Spire of San Domenico di Guzman and is an authentic "plague column" in that it was constructed after the plague of 1656.


Naples is known for having nativity scenes for sale. Streets and streets are dedicated to the selling of nativity items. It felt like Christmas was coming while walking through these streets. And it was, because we were already in November. But the streets are still full of nativity decor in mid June.


Next is the orange Chiesa di San Lorenzo Maggiore.


And the red Church of Saint Angel of the Nile, built in the 15th century.


Here are pictures of Chiesa dei Giralamini a church and monestary in Naples. It has a marble facade and was constructed in the 16th and 17th centuries by architect Giovanni Antonio Tosio. I honestly can't tell you if these interior shots go with this church. Pathetic. I know. But, I have a lot of pictures are there were a lot of churches in Naples.


Now for the Cathedral of Naples (Duomo di Napoli). Completed in the 14th century, it is the main church in Naples.


Santa Maria del Carmine (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)church was very different. It was founded in the 13th century and the bell tower is very visible at 75 meters high. We were able to go inside the church and get out of the rain which was lovely. It was our refuge in a real sense.


Here are the last photos of the day - ending with me eating my most delicious pastry (I shared it with Cody). We should have taken a close up of it, but I didn't even though it looked cool. Poor Cody passed up on pizza earlier in the day and was craving it before we boarded the ship. So we decided to walk around a bit more to try and find a place that Cody wanted - but disappointed - nothing compared to the pizzeria we passed up on earlier in the day. So sad. Sorry babe.