After the experience of Northern Europe, Naples came as a bit of a shock. It was shabby, the streets were littered and graffiti covered just about every inch of exposed concrete. It took a little while to adjust to, but Naples gradually grew on me.
The city sprawls along the Bay of Naples, overlooked by the volcano, Mount Vesuvius. At its base lies the ruined Roman city of Pompeii, frozen in time beneath a blanket of volcanic ash. Wander it's streets and you can still see the grooves worn in the road by cart traffic. Many of its buildings still stand, frescos adorning the walls, mosaics on the floors. One of the most macabre and fascinating sites however are the casts taken of bodies preserved in the postures of their final moments.
South of the Bay of Naples is the beautiful Almalfi coast where rugged granite mountains tumble down into the sparkling Mediterranean. I stayed in Positanio for two days, a small town who's whitewashed buildings cling to the steep terrain. From my hostel at the top of the town it was a winding walk down to the pebbly beach. Here the cool water is a brilliant shade of blue and incredibly clear. I was not alone in my enjoyment, the Almalfi Coast is a cruising ground for the super yachts of billionaires. In fact I went there on the recommendation of the crew from James Dyson's (The vacuum cleaner, hand dryer and fan millionaire) yacht who I had met way back in Darjeeling.
The city sprawls along the Bay of Naples, overlooked by the volcano, Mount Vesuvius. At its base lies the ruined Roman city of Pompeii, frozen in time beneath a blanket of volcanic ash. Wander it's streets and you can still see the grooves worn in the road by cart traffic. Many of its buildings still stand, frescos adorning the walls, mosaics on the floors. One of the most macabre and fascinating sites however are the casts taken of bodies preserved in the postures of their final moments.
South of the Bay of Naples is the beautiful Almalfi coast where rugged granite mountains tumble down into the sparkling Mediterranean. I stayed in Positanio for two days, a small town who's whitewashed buildings cling to the steep terrain. From my hostel at the top of the town it was a winding walk down to the pebbly beach. Here the cool water is a brilliant shade of blue and incredibly clear. I was not alone in my enjoyment, the Almalfi Coast is a cruising ground for the super yachts of billionaires. In fact I went there on the recommendation of the crew from James Dyson's (The vacuum cleaner, hand dryer and fan millionaire) yacht who I had met way back in Darjeeling.
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