My first impression of Naples was not the best: chaotic, congested traffic left the downtown air smelling of gas fumes; and the streets are dirty and littered. Despite this, Naples has a charming and friendly atmosphere; the city feels lived in.

The hostel I was staying in –Naples Experience– is truly amazing. A courtyard and a common area with games, tables, and a spacious kitchen. The staff were friendly, and there were many travellers I met and went on adventures with. The night I arrived, I had already gathered a group of travelers, and we made plans together.

Me and my new friends in Naples
The gang's all here

Each evening, free dinner was provided at the hostel. Always delicious, prepared by a lovely italian nonna. Afterwards, there would be hostel events, and games. The world cup was in progress, so it would get pretty noisy while the game was on.

After my short time in Naples, it has earned a spot in my favorites, and I definitely would like to visit the city again.

Food Tour

Michele –a local who lives in Sorento– took a group of us on a FOOD TOUR. He knew all the best street food places, so it was a day packed with the most delicious food. We of course started the day off with espresso at a little cafe.

As a mid-morning snack we grabbed some frittatinas, which are deep-fried macaroni and cheese with pork in the center.

For lunch and dinner, we tried two types of pizza:

  • Pizza portafoglio - a small neapolitan pizza folded in half, designed to be eaten on the go.
  • Pizza fritta - a sort of deep fried pizza pocket
Me pulling a long string of cheese from my pizza portafoglio
Michele is impressed

Between the two, I think the portafoglio was the best: it keeps the wood fired flavor of the crust. But pizza fritta reminds me of fried bannock, so was tinged with nostalgia.

For desert, we got various pastries, as well as gelato. In that moment, I discovered my new favorite pastry in the world: Sfogliatella riccia. With many thin layers of crispy pastry on the outside, and a decadent creamy filling on the inside. The taste and texture combinations are incredible.

Me taking a bite out of a sfogliatella riccia
Sfogliatella Riccia

Pompeii

A few friends and I went to Pompeii to see the ruins. The day started off a bit rough because the group got separated when Dalia and I took the wrong train. We were able to recover, we just took the long way around vesuvius. Once we reconvened at Pompeii station, we went to the ruins. Admission was free on Sundays, which was nice.

The Pompeii ruins are incredible, and some areas are incredibly well-preserved, even some original murals are intact. From toilets to mansions, there are many buildings on display, showcasing the varied classes and lifestyles found in the ancient city.