Blame Julia Roberts

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Geo: 40.84, 14.2529

I'm about to write something I never thought I would even dare to think of - Naples, perhaps the most vilified destination not only in Italy, but in all of Europe, a city rampant with crime, poverty, and unemployment, a city that is completely repulsive to travelers ... it's not as dangerous, disgusting, or filthy as it once was. On this evening, Naples was, dare I say it - enjoyable!

Today was the day that Benita and I met up once again, me having a long bus ride from Matera, and her an even longer day of travel from Sorrento, via Pompeii for a tour of the famous ancient ruins. I have the worst memories of Naples, from the first time I arrived on a bus, and nearly an hour outside of Naples, I asked a local sitting next to me if the haze and campfire smell was Mount Etna, only to be told "No, that's how the air in Naples is."

I remember waking up in the middle of my first night in Naples, hyperventilating, and even considering packing up and leaving at 3 in the morning, because the air was so rancid with pollution. Santiago in Chile is renowned for having terrible air quality, but I had no problems with the air there - but in Naples, I could barely even breathe ...

Staying at a hostel near the dodgy train station, I didn't even dare venture out during the evening, often running out to a nearby pizzeria for dinner at dusk, and rushing back to the safety of the hostel, just shortly after dark descended on the city. Girls leaving the hostel with their purses for a night out were greeted with an incredulous expression from the receptionist, being scolded "What are you doing??? Don't go out with a purse, they will snatch it from you!!!"

Six years ago, I wanted to like Naples, but was never able to do so - every time I thought I had found something good, I was somehow disappointed. The gorgeous palace from afar, that was no longer gorgeous upon closer inspection, when I found the place covered in graffiti and reeking of stale urine. Returning from a wonderful day on the stunning isle of Capri, feeling great about Naples, only to have someone attempt to pickpocket me on the bus ride back.

For all those reasons, I have the worst memories and opinion of Naples ... but ... that all changed today. At the guesthouse in Matera, I met a couple from Florida that will be living in Naples for a few years, a couple that raved about how wonderful the port area in Naples was, now that they had shut down the four-lane major road that passed through, limiting traffic to only pedestrians.

Cafes, restaurants, families strolling with their children, people out rollerblading - apparently, much has changed in Naples. Even my arrival was different - there was no visible pollution, and you couldn't smell it either. Efforts must have been made to clean up the factories in the region, as the air quality was magnificent compared to six years ago, with the air no more polluted than any other comparably-sized city.

I was shocked upon arrival at the central station in Piazza Garibaldi - I recalled being shell-shocked upon arrival in Naples all those years ago, the piazza a jungle of traffic, beggars, scammers, and trash. I remember standing on my balcony overlooking Piazza Mancini, looking at the mess below - a cramped market, with bags of garbage scattered everywhere, and even seeing locals throw trash out their windows, down into the piazza below.

I couldn't believe my eyes as I stood on the balcony of the Hotel Una today, which also overlooked Piazza Mancini - the market was gone, converted into a parkade. People weren't throwing garbage from the balconies above, and while there was still excessive litter in the street, at least there wasn't piles of garbage bags everywhere. Has Naples really changed? If it has, perhaps it deserves a second chance.

I went to pick up Benita at the station, and she told me "What are you talking about? Naples is nowhere as bad as you said!" A lot can change in six years, and the city has really cleaned up its act. Our original plan was just to hit up one of the famous pizzerias in Naples, and hide out in our luxurious hotel for the night, away from the crime and grime below. But instead, we were off to the port, on the strength of the recommendation of the Florida couple.

While I still wouldn't classify Naples as a must-see city, there was more than enough to keep us happily entertained this evening. The passeggiata was supreme at the port, with countless people enjoying a lovely stroll on a lovely night. Our evening culminated with a great meal on a terrace overlooking the ocean, with a decent pizza, some excellent grilled seafood, and an unbelievable dish of Sicilian-style rigatoni, prepared with eggplant and tomato. I had something similar six years ago in Naples, and have been craving it ever since.

But it was a shame, as we decided to cram down a gelato shortly before dinner, so we were unable to finish the delicious grilled fish steak, and barely making a dent in the huge plate of rigatoni. They say Naples has some of the best food in all of Italy, and tonight's meal agreed with that assessment - and though we were near Chaia, one of the more exclusive and expensive areas in town, prices were still fairly reasonable, at least compared to the north.

Perhaps the one disappointment of the evening was the fact that we never were able to have a pizza at Da Michele, the most famous of Neapolitan pizzerias. Six years ago, the pizza was incredible, as I'm sure it still is today - but the Florida couple had warned me that a simple margherita pizza at Da Michele was now 13 Euros, double what it was the first time I was in Naples.

The reason? Though it was popular before, it was now insanely busy, after the pizzeria was featured in the movie adaption of Eat, Pray, Love. It's all her fault, that damned Julia Roberts! Though magnificent, there is absolutely no way that a Da Michele margherita pizza is worth 13 Euros, unless it was topped with shaved truffles, fairy dust, or served by a scantily-clad Monica Bellucci!

Gelato Selections of the Day: Lemon and melon for Benita, and mandorla (almond) and Benevento for me, some type of special local gelato of torrone (nougat), chocolate, and something else which escapes me - overall, it was a little too busy of a flavour. Not the best gelato, but not the worst either.

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Photos

I Know What You Think About the Girl Monkey ...
...that she knows that bananas are high in potassium!

Even Though Scooters Are Everywhere ...
... this wedding photo still seems oddly unnatural.

Piazza Mancini Today ...
... clean!

Piazza Mancini Six Years Ago ...
... a mess! The picture is actually a bit deceiving, as the underneath umbrellas were massive piles of trash and big garbage bags, once the market cleared out in the early evening.

Piazza Garibaldi ...
... there seems to be a lot of construction going on in the middle of the piazza, but it's been cleaned up considerably.

A Convenient Gift ...
... it's a bit of a city escape type of guidebook, but it also includes a voucher for a selection of boutique hotels in each city. What better gift for somebody, than a weekend getaway in an amazing city?

A Reminder ...
... that Canada is great! Halfway around the World in Italy, but the bookstores are well-stocked with Canadian guidebooks.

Lunch ...
... figuring the 5-hour bus ride from Matera to Naples would have stops for food, I didn't stock up on anything significant for the ride. Since there were no food stops, I managed to stretch out this pack of cashews and a pack of pre-packaged toasts I swiped from breakfast.

First Order of Business in Naples ...
... a late lunch at 5 PM!!! Kind of a stuffed pizza, filled with eggplant, bell peppers, squash, and zucchini. Not bad, not great, but it hit the spot.

Second Order of Business in Naples ...
... sfogliatelle, a specialty of the region. Many layers of crisp pastry, reminiscent of the phyllo layers in baklava, but without being drenched in syrup. Filled with a luscious ricotta cream, with crushed nuts sprinkled on top. Delish!