Napoli Walkabout

For me, Napoli is one of the great walking cities in the world.  Like Bangkok and Lisboa, Napoli is a city the defies even a well-honed sense of direction.  And like those other great cities, Napoli is so much fun to get lost in, it is worth the getting lost.  Napoli is also a steep city, full of near vertical hills, sheer drops, elevated roadways over sunken neighborhoods and dead-ends.  When the going gets too steep, the smart walker drops a Euro ticket fare and climbs aboard one of the funiculares that rattle their way up the steepest hillsides.

The funiculare that climbs from the Historico Centro up to one of the hilltop Castellos.

All of that walking will put the hunger on a Brother.  Fear not.  In Napoli, only fools go hungry.  One is never more than a stones throw from a cafe', an espresso bar, a gelateria or the fried pizza carts.  Street food, southern Italian style.  For five Euro, a weary walker can get a big paper cone full of fried treats including fired risotto balls, and polenta cubes.  If that won't keep you on your feet, you should just throw yourself in front of a scooter and be done with it.

Speaking of scooters, there is another game that goes with walking the tiny passageways of the old city.  The game is dodge-scooter.  Many of the walkways are too small for autos, but big enough for scooters The two-stroke missiles are piloted by kamikazi maniacs that are probably texting as they attempt to weave through pedestrians on slick flagstone pavement.  The toot-toot horn means "Hey, Paisano, ready or not, here I come."  It's best to move quickly and towards the nearest wall.  There is always a wall.  Imagine walking through a narrow slot canyon while Greek gods shoot big mechanical dogs Willie-nilly down the same slot you are tramping in.  Fun, fun, fun.  The pizza delivery scooters are particularly insane.

Here is a view of a larger street in the old city.  Naples is a frenetic and noisy city, vibrant and dirty and beautiful and fun, all wrapped with a big foodie bow.  I really, really like it here.  I very much hope that I will have the opportunity to return.  It is less than a two hour flight from Vienna so I don't suppose I will be able to stay away.  

I am writing this from a little hotel on the Amalfi coast, but through the miracle of Blog Time, you readers are still in Naples.  Enjoy!!  Go have a Pizze!  Ciao for Now!